Octave Records’ latest release is Pennies from Heaven by vocalist and alto saxophonist Jeremy Mohney. The recording features 10 selections from the Great American Songbook in a swinging style that takes listeners in a nostalgic trip back to the classic style of a bygone era – captured with today’s finest recording techniques in superb high-resolution DSD sound.
“Jeremy’s smokey, bouncy vocals sound like they could have come straight from a 1930s movie soundtrack, and he and his quintet capture the flavor of songs like “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” the title track, and others with authenticity and feeling,” said Octave Records’ Jessica Carson, who produced the album and assisted with the recording and mixing. “The album really captures the spirit and fun of these timeless songs.”
The quintet is comprised of Jeremy Mohney with Reid Poole on trumpet, Matt Cantor playing electric guitar, Connor Hollingsworth on upright bass, and drummer Chris Carland. Pennies From Heaven covers a wide variety of musical moods, and the group shifts seamlessly from the relaxed swing of Frank Loesser’s “On a Slow Boat to China” and the George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin/Dubose Hayward standard “Summertime,” to the infectious bounce of numbers like “Muskrat Ramble” and the Dixieland feel of Gershwin’s “Oh, Lady Be Good,” where you can almost see the flappers dancing in front of you. The ensemble playing is tight and lively, with plenty of adept soloing from Jeremy, Reid on open and muted trumpet, and Matt offering some nostalgic yet beautifully-recorded agile soloing and chord voicings.
Jeremy Mohney.
Pennies From Heaven was recorded with Octave’s Pyramix-based Pure DSD 256 recording system, using microphones specially selected to capture the tonality and dynamic range of the instruments, presented with each instrument and Jeremy’s vocals specifically placed on a realistically-sized soundstage. The album was recorded, mixed and produced by Paul McGowan, with Terri McGowan and Jessica Carson assisting in the recording and production duties. It was mastered by Gus Skinas. Additional selections on the album include “Honeysuckle Rose,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and the perfect closing song, Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish’s all-time classic, “Stardust.”
Pennies From Heaven features Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the disc is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. It also has a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 512, DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: $29.)
