7RAY — Jazzy Zoetrope (Europe 2020, 180g Vinyl, EX/EX)
LP 1 - Studio Recording – Studio Baumgarten
LP 2 - Live Recording – Pro-Ject Headquarters
From time to time, Pro-Ject founder Heinz Lichtenegger invites first-class musicians to give a concert at the company's headquarters in Mistelbach, Austria. For a long time he had the idea of recording one of these concerts: on analog tapes, with minimal micing and captured live in stereo, without compression or excessive editing. Few artists get involved in such a project, but it was a coincidence that Lichtenegger met 7RAY. The singer and guitarist, who was involved in several Hollywood soundtracks, is a HiFi fan himself and was immediately enthusiastic about the idea.
In addition to the live recordings from the Pro-Ject headquarters, Lichtenegger organized a recording in the Studio Casino Baumgarten in Vienna. There the jazz quartet positioned itself around an Imperial Bösendorfer in the large recording room, while 7RAY sang his part in a separate room without visual contact - a procedure that is only possible with great experience and sensitivity. The result is a double LP with 33 rpm on 180-gram vinyl, which contains a number of well-known jazz standards. 7RAY is accompanied by Simon Plötzeneder and the band Triple Ace.