Patricia Barber’s Companion was a record of firsts for Barber and Premonition. First recording of Barber’s legendary live show. First release under the Blue Note/Premonition joint imprint, the only such business arrangement in Blue Note’s storied history. And first Stereophile Recording Of The Month! Companion features several re-invented Modern Cool tracks and some of the best Barber pop covers.

Stereophile Magazine Record to Die For 

• Strictly Limited Edition
• Pressing of 5000 Numbered Units
• 1STEP Process 180 Gram Vinyl
• 45rpm Double LP
• Pressed on VR900-Supreme Vinyl
• Cut by Bernie Grundman
• Deluxe Tri-Fold Cover
• Deluxe exclusive slip case Box Set
• 16 Page Booklet
• Never-Before-Released Studio Session Track "Wild Is the Wind"

1STEP Process 180g 45rpm Double LP Pressed on VR900-Supreme Vinyl!

Mastered from the Analog Mix-Down Tapes of the Original Digital Recording by Bernie Grundman!

Ultra-Luxe "Monster Pack" Jacket with a Deluxe 16-Page Booklet & Striking Outer Slipcase!

Strictly Limited to 5,000 Numbered Pressings!

This item not eligible for any further discount offers!

Impex 1STEP #5 celebrates Patricia Barber's 1999 "return" to The Green Mill, Chicago's fabled jazz club. Conceived as a "companion" to her Grammy-winning studio album Modern Cool, Companion finds Barber and her touring band in inspired form, playfully and energetically performing hits and deep tracks from her celebrated oeuvre.

The dynamic interaction between the artist and her reverent audience adds a palpable sense of space and community. At the same time, the fans' hushed attention creates a studio-like sense of precision and detail. The snap and crackle of Barber, her grand piano, and her onstage partners practically leaps off the groove into your listening room!

Companion's fan-favorite reputation is enhanced immeasurably by Jim Anderson's jaw-dropping, lifelike recording. Eschewing the crystalline sterility of digital recordings of the time, Anderson's sound is always warm, natural, and lacking unforced "hype."

Like Anderson, Impex aims to present great recordings that are as natural as possible. And we couldn't wait to put our favorite Patricia Barber release, using Jim's analog mix-down master tapes, on 180 grams of VR900 Super Vinyl. The deep, inky black backgrounds and absence of surface noise will pull listeners right into those three evenings in 1999, capturing a seminal modern jazz artist at a creative and professional peak and reveling in a perfectly rendered and joyous audio time capsule.

Finally, our deluxe Impex Treatment packages the whole party with a lovely outer slipcase, a booklet containing a new note from Patricia, and a dazzling array of photographs from the evenings by frequent Barber collaborator Valerie Booth, exclusive to our 1STEP. Heavy paper stock with spot gloss coating and a faithfully recreated exterior design will satisfy original fans and aesthetes throughout the music-loving world.

The 1STEP Process:

The Impex 1STEP process relies on short, tightly-controlled runs that require a new lacquer after each 500 pressings. This unforgiving format has the lacquer skipping the regular father-mother process, going right to a single convert and then pressing. Though this dramatically increases mastering and production costs, it also assures each run is more consistent from disc to disc, with less noise, clearer details and deeper bass.

Reducing production complexity to just a single "convert" disc between the lacquer and the press greatly improves groove integrity, diminishes non-fill anomalies and increases signal integrity from the master tape to your system.

Musicians:

Patricia Barber - piano, vocals, Hammond B-3
Michael Arnopol - bass
John McLean - guitar
Eric Montzka - drums
Ruben P. Alvarez - percussion
Jason Narducy - guest vocalist on "Touch of Trash"

Track Listing:

Side A

The Beat Goes On
Use Me
You Are My Sunshine

Side B

Like JT
Let It rain
Touch of Trash

Side C

If This Isn't Jazz
So What

Side D
Black Magic Woman

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫