SoundStage.com Gives Rave Reviews to Blue Coast Records!

We'd like to thank Rad Bennett and Sound Stage for this wonderful review of our website! Please visit....
http://www.soundstage.com/digitaldomain/

December 2009

The Digital Music Revolution: What Download Sites Have to Offer -- Part 13

Note: Previous "The Digital Music Revolution" installments are available in the SoundStage! A/V archives, which is where the series originated.

This month’s download adventure takes us to Blue Coast Records for some exquisite but limited fare that will leave you longing for them to post more. Downloading and listening to these tracks is like discovering a great new restaurant. You enjoy your meal and feel satisfied, but even though your experience is complete for the moment, you can’t wait to return.

Launched in 2005, Blue Coast Records is very new. It’s the brainchild of respected producer and recording engineer Cookie Marenco, who has recorded over 400 projects in the last 15 years. Marenco felt our ears were being dumbed down by MP3s that sacrifice audio quality for convenience. Along with Jean-Claude Reynaud, son of the audiophile speaker manufacturer Jean-Marie Reynaud, she developed E.S.E. (Extended Sound Environment) technology for recording in surround, a technique that’s now applied to stereo recording. This method uses room and direct microphone placement to let musicians place themselves without using headphones. With E.S.E. there are also no overdubs or digital effects. The resulting sound lets you hear pure music without artifice. All of the masters are analog-to-2" tape.

With Marenco so interested in providing an audiophile alternative to iPod limitations, it makes sense that she would create an audiophile environment for downloads. Yes, Blue Coast Records produces both CDs and Hybrid SACDs, but it also has a very lively download venue. On its surface the site operates like many others, but there are a few surprises. It’s easy to surf because for the moment there are only two album-length downloads, Blue Coast Collection and While She Sleeps. But if you start examining the fine print under the Store and Special Events tabs, you’ll find many more singles and short concerts by Blue Coast Records artists. All downloads are DRM free, and prices range from $15 for CD quality to $40 for 24/96 HD.

You can listen to any of the individual cuts before purchasing, but before your first purchase you’ll have to create an account, which will make it easier to order on subsequent visits. You can pay with any major credit card. All of the files are WAV format, whether 16-bit/44.1kHz or 24-bit/96kHz, and they’re zipped. I found that they both downloaded and unzipped very quickly. One interesting thing about Blue Coast Records is that in addition to linking to your download file on the site, they also send you an email containing the link. Downloads are good for seven days, but should you run into any unforeseen problems, Blue Coast is big on customer service. Marenco likens Blue Coast Records, its artists, and its listeners to a big family.

Since their list is currently small, I easily downloaded all of the tracks from the Blue Coast Records page and two or three from its sister site, Blue Coast World. This site is available in beta for now. Marenco hopes it will someday be a showcase for other producers who create great recordings, regardless of whether they use the proprietary E.S.E. system. One of the albums I liked most, Calico Heart by Houston Jones, a West Coast band that blends bluegrass, folk, and blues, came from this site and is also available as a 24/96 download on the Blue Coast Records page. If you like Alison Krauss, you’ll most likely enjoy the heck out of this album.

On the Blue Coast Records site, I particularly enjoyed discovering Keith Greeninger, a balladeer whose laid-back style and superb guitar technique combine to focus on the lyrics and meaning of a song. The approach is almost conversational, and thanks to the E.S.E., it’s like he’s singing just to you. Many others, including Jenna Mammina, are well worth hearing. There’s some jazz and New Age music, but I think the real draw at Blue Coast Records is the folk and jazz vocalist genres. If you watch the video on the site or read the detailed article on E.S.E. recording, you’ll notice that none of the singers are too close to the microphones. This distance creates some of the best vocals I’ve ever heard -- they’re clean, open, and totally focused, yet they have a little space around them. The recording of guitars, bass, and piano is as good as anything you’ll hear, but the vocals are something special.

Blue Coast Records is adding special events, singles, and albums on a regular basis, and you can sign up on the site to be notified when there’s something new. After a few downloads, my bet is that you won’t want to miss a thing!

. . . Rad Bennett
radb@soundstage.com

A few months ago Cookie Marenco had the pleasure of having Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai over to the Blue Coast Studios (AKA OTR Studios). The three of them got together to record their new album, live in the studio, for Keith's own label.

KeithDayan.argoarts.com

You probably remember them for their lead off track on the Blue Coast Collection.

This event has been years in the waiting and Blue Coast Records is happy to announce the completion of the recording.

The E.S.E. technique was used thoughout and lives up to it's previous recordings with full dynamic range and stunning clarity. Jim Norris and Steve Uccello joined Keith and Dayan on a few songs to provide drums and bass. Keith and Dayan covered some songs like Jerry Garcia's "Friend of the Devil" and Jackson Browne's "Lady of the Well". Don't miss the last track, it's excellent... "Bid You Goodnight".

You can audition the entire series of new songs in full length. They are available in 44.1 cd quality wav or 96Khz audio, uncompressed wav files. You can also download the cd artwork on our Downloads NOW! page.

Buy a latte or a 96Khz uncompressed audio download! Or do both :)

Thanks for your support of high resolution sound!

New 96kHz Songs by Rob Ickes and Gregory James recorded by Cookie Marenco

Many of you have just returned home from Denver's Audiofest. We hope you had a wonderful time! Unfortunately, we couldn't attend this year, but are hoping to see you at CES in January.

Many of you know that my regular job is that of an engineer and producer for other artists and labels. When I record, I use the highest standards possible, often in a more traditional recording style than the restrictiveness of E.S.E recording. Meaning the use of overdubs, headphones and other typical techniques that are not the live performances as we do for Blue Coast Records. This week, I have two exceptional recordings that I'd like to point out to you.

Last year, Blue Coast artist, Rob Ickes, asked me to engineer a recording in Nashville for his own label, Reso Revolution. Rob and I have recorded many albums for Rounder Records in the past, but this was the first for his label. Rob is an exceptional talent and a 10 time winner of Dobro Player of the Year. On this recording he is performing in the studio live, with Michael Alvey on piano and Robinella on vocals-- the album is called Road Songs. Rob has graciously allowed me to release 3 songs at 96kHz that have uncompressed dynamics. Let us know what you think!
http://robickes.argoarts.com/

Gregory James is a world music artist who's guitar playing crosses into jazz, flamenco, Afro-Cuban and Middle Eastern musics to name a few. Gregory and I recorded this album many years ago with producer/bassist, Benny Reitveld. Benny is most known as the bass player for Carlos Santana and Miles Davis. For this album, Benny wanted to go into a more 'Electronica' genre. We are happy to be re-releasing this album as CD Quality Downloads. We have also uncovered previously unreleased tracks of the Bjork Song, Come to Me, sung in Spanish by Destani Wolf. The 96kHz tracks posted came directly from the 1/2" mixes. It's a 10 minute version complete with a 20 piece string section and incredible musicianship.
http://gregoryjames.com/come-to-me

Many of you have been asking for more variety in our music selection, so, we thought we'd offer you something different from our catalogue at Downloads NOW!
We'll be back soon with more live E.S.E. recordings from Blue Coast Records very soon!

Enjoy the Music!
Cookie Marenco
Blue Coast Records
founder and producer

Blue Coast Artist ROB ICKES on NPR SEPT 3!

Last year, Blue Coast Records artist, Rob Ickes, recorded a project, Road Songs for his own label with Cookie Marenco engineering. The record is the debut project for Rob's own label, ResoRevolution, and features Rob on Dobro, Michael Alvey on piano and several wonderful additions by vocalist Robinella.

We've just learned that Craig Havighurst's story on Road Song, based in part on interviews with Rob Ickes and Michael Alvey, will air on National Public Radio tonight on All Things Considered. We don't know the exact air time yet.

NPR's "All Things Considered" to air Road Song story tonight!

For details, visit the All Things Considered page at www.npr.org - the "Rundown", posted here at about 4pm, will list today's shows in order of airplay, and you'll also find an audio button to listen online beginning at about 4pm. Check here to find the broadcast time for All Things Considered in your area.

Special Event Reviewed by Bay Area Audiophile Society!

From BAAS, Thank you!

Yet Another Stunning ‘Blue Coast Session’

Posted on July 29th, 2009 by Bob

Check out the recordings from this great session here. More on Jenna here, and Matt here.

text by Ori

pics by Bob Bergner

What’s always puzzling in a recording session is whether it will produce decent music or truly great music. Ordinary does not count.It takes two to tango and in this case what a great dance it was. Matt and Jenna have known each other in the past, but busy schedules and geographical barriers kept them away for five years or so.

There comes the third person to this party. Cookie Marenco needs no introduction in the BAAS circles and probably by now in the greater audiophile community as well. As it turned out, Cookie knows Matt and Jenna and convinced them to collaborate on this project. Cookie is to the artists what Matt is to Lyle and Ricky Lee-Jones. She plays the subtle role of an enabler, with her musical insight and magical artistry on the mixing console. These are not “filler words” to liven up the review and we will touch on her studio wizardry later.

I should note the assisting staff, working behind the scenes on documenting the studio session, keeping track of the analog tape machine and the web production (some tracks were uploaded to the Blue Cast website).

Frankly, this all came out of the blue. I received an email through BAAS that Cookie invites up to 6 members to a studio session/party. What in the world does that mean?I considered it an adventure. Whatever comes out of it ought to be unique. I mean, how many of you have been invited to a recording session like that?!

This actually takes guts on the part of the studio and performers. Recording good music relies on bringing artists to the point where they “click” and produce art rather than bang notes. Recording sessions in front of a live audience take a mighty effort to put together and not all come out great. How on Earth this one will go?

I know the Blue Coast studio from a previous visit and tried to imagine a small audience sitting around tiny tables with the performers up front. Nah, ain’t gonna happen…

Like I said, not knowing what to expect almost guarantees a “great” adventure. The question in my mind was not if I should attend. The question was if I can afford to miss all that fun!I don’t have a clue what other BAAS members were thinking. I expected this list to close in minutes, yet it took a whole day to fill the few slots. Unbelievable!

Next time when you get such a generous invitation - jump on it. That’s my free advice and you will thank me for it, I guarantee it.I arrived at the session a little early. Matt and Jenna were in the middle of a take and I just tried to get out of the way. Cookie went up the stairs from the control room and stood at the door of the acoustic room, trying not to break the concentration of the performers before the next take. Cookie plays the role of a producer in her subtle way. She knows what she can ask from the two and she does it in the most constructive way. A little advice here, a good word there. There are no bad sessions, just good and better ones… I like her philosophy!

At that point in time, this was still a studio operating as a studio “should”. Then came the mob…BAAS members started trickling in right around 6PM and within an hour it turned into a big party. Matt and Jenna took a break every two or three takes and mingled with the few of us that were there. Cookie produced some munchies and a few visitors brought several bottles of wine. It’s a real party!

During the evening, a few friends showed up, some from the music industry. This was a lively studio session for sure. Now, one might think, how in the world do you make music under the circumstances?

I had my own doubts as well, but heck. It’s a great locale with fine people. Let us enjoy the moment, whatever happens is fine with me!

My hat is off to Matt and Jenna. I don’t know if they were prepared for this or it was dropped on them out of nowhere. Here you are in a recording session. You come out and there is a bunch of strangers wanting to chat with you… I’m sure it felt odd in the beginning.

People started asking Matt about his work with Lyle Lovett and recently with Mark Knopler. Jenna tried to disappear, but we didn’t let her… She is a great vocalist and it was her music we were celebrating. The dynamics of this afternoon was definitely a factor in the outcome, both for the audience and the performers. Of course, having the usually friendly BAAS crowd helps as well…It seemed like everybody was genuinely enjoying the atmosphere and the company. Here and there Cookie drags the duo back into the recording room and they go for another piece while we, the audience, listen in the control room. Usually they’ll have two takes of the piece and we got to “vote” which is better. Not that we know much…

The theme was moody songs (I could not find the tissue Cookie promised!) yet the atmosphere was quite cheerful and full of energy. If singing moody songs requires that the singer and audience will shed tears then this was a complete failure…One thing I noticed is how professional Matt and Jenna are. They switch modes from party time to “work” time in an instant and it’s quite amazing to see this and hear it in person.

Blue Coast recordings are all about musical expression. This session was done without headphones. The placement of the vocal microphone was chosen so that the Matt could see and hear Jenna and they can “work it out” together in the studio. I don’t want to elaborate on the technical aspects but I can tell there was some serious thought about preserving the “feel” of the music and acoustic space in the final recording. Luck has nothing to do with it.

You also come to realize how difficult it is to record this way. Any mistake and the whole track is a waste. “Standard” production would record one instrument at a time. It’s easier to salvage things, but where is the interaction between performers? Clean - sure. Artistic? Rarely.

Reading to this point, now you might think “that sounds really great”, but wait. There is more!Remember my early hallucinations… Audience in the studio, live take, ice cubes hitting champagne glass, smokey dark club… No, that did not happen. I mean, no champagne, smoke and all that. But it was such a great atmosphere that for some reason we found ourselves all crammed into that little recording room and Matt and Jenna hit it with two fresh tracks. What a treat!

There was no second take on these nor was there a need for one!I was standing in there in awe, afraid to produce a squeak. All of us were. It was like a moment of magic. The performers were in their zone. We were just those long-time friends that always are there to support you… And you never know what comes out of such an “experiment”.I heard two artists come together in full support of each other. Jenna is very much into her singing and lyrics. Matt was giving her just enough space to maneuver, musically speaking. The piano did not jump to the front of the stage, the spot light was on the singer, but it was dim. You could see and feel the piano notes caress the singing, flow together in an amazing dance. This duo was not about Tango. It was a ballet at its highest level. Strong in its message, fragile in its delivery. Great pianists find that moment of musical illumination at times. This was one of these moments and I’m glad to have been there to witness the magic.Jenna has a special voice and needs no praise, but in these last two pieces she truly let loose. Maybe it was the wine, maybe the long tiring day, maybe (I’d like to think) it was the place and time and the great atmosphere. She stretched her voice, not being afraid to break or falter. In these two tracks she was soaring effortlessly at the edge of her vocal abilities.It’s not the technique that gets me, but what it does to the overall presentation of the song. I will take an imperfect artistry over polished musicianship anytime!

The geeks that we are… We went down to the control room to hear these takes on the tape. You might wonder “why?!”Well, it happened and I’m glad it did. When you are in the studio, you realize how loud the piano is relative to the vocalist, especially Jenna. I’m sure Janis Joplin or Louis Armstrong would have equalized the levels but that’s not Jenna’s style. She is singing from the heart, to herself actually. Sometimes it’s just a delicate whisper into the mike.When you hear the tape, it’s a whole different song. Levels are much more like you’d want them to be. Tonal balance is great. Music and harmony emerge and they are nothing like what you’ve heard in the recording session!

And that’s my Epilogue to this great musical journey. It started with a colorful pianist, touched on the lyrics and soul of the vocalist and closed the loop at the mixing room, with a great artist in her own right. Without Cookie, this music would not be what it is.If I had to pick one thing that made this evening special, I’d go mad. There was so much to take from it for each and every music lover that I cannot even start. Like I said, don’t miss the next one. I hope there is a next one!

The World Has Lost a Remarkable Innovator and Musician: Les Paul Passes Away at 94

For Immediate Release:

The World Has Lost a Remarkable Innovator and Musician: Les Paul Passes Away at 94
1915-2009

New York, NY…August 13, 2009…Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away today from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plain, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94.

One of the foremost influences on 20th century sound and responsible for the world’s most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul’s prestigious career in music and invention spans from the 1930s to the present. Though he’s indisputably one of America’s most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson’s best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul’s iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Among Paul’s most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.

Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul’s mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name “Rhubarb Red,” a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bonafide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic—alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he’d moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.

Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late ’30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. “I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go,” he has said. “I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound.” With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar “The Log.”
Les Paul’s tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight—thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars —at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.

By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.

As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio’s popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby’s hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul’s first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.”

Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in “Lover (When You’re Near Me),” his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together. In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation—close mic-ing vocals—were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force “How High the Moon.” This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple’s prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford’s close mic-ed voice and Paul’s guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.

All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn’t quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he’d seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described “dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man,” seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.
“Les played it, and his eyes lighted up,” then-Gibson President Ted McCarty has recalled. The year was 1950, and Paul had just signed on as the namesake of Gibson’s first electric solidbody, with exclusive design privileges. Working closely with Paul, Gibson forged a relationship that would change popular culture forever. The Gibson Les Paul model—the most powerful and respected electric guitar in history—began with the 1952 release of the Les Paul Goldtop. After introducing the original Les Paul Goldtop in 1952, Gibson issued the Black Beauty, the mahogany-topped Les Paul Custom, in 1954. The Les Paul Junior (1954) and Special (1955) were also introduced before the canonical Les Paul Standard hit the market in 1958. With revolutionary humbucker pickups, this sunburst classic has remained unchanged for the half-century since it hit the market.

“The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul. He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone’s face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “We will dedicate ourselves to preserving Les’ legacy to insure that it lives on forever. He touched so many lives throughout his remarkable life and his influence extends around the globe and across every boundary. I have lost a dear, personal friend and mentor, a man who has changed so many of our lives for the better.”

“I don’t think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately. The English language does not contain words that can pay enough homage to someone like Les. As the “Father of the Electric Guitar”, he was not only one of the world’s greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world,” said Dave Berryman, President of Gibson Guitar. “I have had the privilege to know and work with Les for many, many years and his passing has left a deep personal void. He was simply put – remarkable in every way. As a person, a musician, a friend, an inventor. He will be sorely missed by us all,”

With the rise of the rock ’n’ roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford’s popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generation of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off—as much as someone so inspired can take time off.
In the 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who’d already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.

Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who’s who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, for over twelve years where a literal who’s who of the entertainment world has paid homage. It has been an honor to have Les Paul perform at The Iridium Jazz Club for the past twelve years hosting such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and others and is a tragic loss to owner Ron Sturm both personally and professionally. Iridium intends to celebrate Les Paul's music and legacy every Monday night.

Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Les is survived by his three sons Lester (Rus) G. Paul, Gene W. Paul and Robert (Bobby) R. Paul, his daughter Colleen Wess, son-in-law Gary Wess, long time friend Arlene Palmer, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A private Funeral service will be held in New York. A service in Waukesha, WI will be announced at a later date. Details will follow and will be announced for all services. Memorial tributes for the public will be announced at a future date. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001.

CONTACTS:
Caroline Galloway GIBSON GUITAR 615-423-4904 o 440-318-1202 caroline.galloway@gibson.com

Jim Eigo IRIDIUM 845-986-1677 jazzpromo@earthlink.net

Michael K. Braunstein Braunstein & Co. 212-687-3939 mkb@braunsteinandco.com

Blue Coast Records Joins Forces with China Based HiFiTrack.com in 96 kHz Digital Music Downloads

San Francisco, CA

Blue Coast Records announces they have signed a distribution deal with Hong Kong based online music company, HiFiTrack.com. The two companies have been releasing 96 kHz audio files to fans around the world who prefer this new format to mp3s. The marks the first digital distribution deal the Blue Coast Records has inked having only sold the downloads from their home based site www.bluecoastrecords.com.

Founder of Blue Coast Records, Cookie Marenco states, "We are thrilled to be able to reach fans in China with this new relationship. The Asian community has been very receptive to our high performance acoustic music and seems to truly respect the work we are doing. Alan Choy and Dominque Tu from HiFiTrack.com have been a pleasure to work with."

For their debut, Blue Coast Records chose to release the Blue Coast Collection with HiFiTrack at the Hong Kong High End Audio Visual Show this weekend, August 7th, 8th and 9th. Two tracks, Looking for a Home (Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai) and Slow Day (Jane Selkye and Chris Kee), will be featured singles to demonstrate the E.S.E. proprietary recording technique that Blue Coast Records uses. Among the vendors demonstrating the 96 kHz downloads are Bladelius, Chapter, Linn, NuForce, PS Audio and Wavelength.

The Hong Kong High End Audio Visual Show, organized by Audiotechnique magazine, is an annual event for hi-end audio, music and home theater lovers in Hong Kong and South East Asia. The 7th edition of the Hong Kong High End Audio Visual Show will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The 2009 Show will definitely be one of the most important events in the audio and visual industry in Hong Kong.

Blue Coast Records has already met with success and the Blue Coast Collection with their highly acclaimed SACD that has been distributed by CNA Music since 2007. For audiophiles, manufacturers and people who enjoy acoustic music, the Collection has been praised as some of the most realistic sounding recordings available combined with top musicianship skills. Founded by Cookie Marenco (formerly of Windham Hill Records and Liquid Audio), and Jean Claude Reynaud (son of French speaker manufacturer, Jean Marie Reynaud) the label has achieved incredible success worldwide through word of mouth and 5 star reviews. In April 2009, Blue Coast Records began releasing 96 kHz downloads that were recorded live in the studio, uploaded within 3 hours of performance and distributed worldwide.

HiFiTrack is an offshoot of Music Powerhouse, a company started in 2007 that aims to apply the latest digital music technologies to help transform the music industry. Music Powerhouse won the Ubiquitous City - Hong Kong Government WiFi application award and continues to develop products for independent artists and music labels.

For more information or interviews, please contact:

AcousticArtsInternational / Patrick O'Connor / 650 759 1357

patrick@acousticartsinternational.com

Party With the World-- A Special Live Recording Event Upload 96K to the Internet in 3 hours!

On Saturday, July 25 at 9pm, Blue Coast Records will release music recorded live by Jenna Mammina and Matt Rollings just hours before launch. Cookie Marenco will engineer and produce the sessions that will be available as 96K downloads at Blue Coast Records. Jenna Mammina is well known for her pop vocal stylings and emotionally gut wrenching arrangements of tunes from Warren Zevon to James Taylor to Duke Ellington. Matt Rollings, the keyboard genius behind the scenes with the likes of Lyle Lovett and Mark Knopfler, will be accompanying Ms Mammina on piano.

Blue Coast Records is sponsoring the recorded event using their critically acclaimed proprietary technique called Extended Sound Environment. E.S.E captures a sound more lifelike and holographic than most recordings of today. Recording to analog multitrack and mixing to a high resolution digital format called DSD, these live in the studio recordings will have a limited audience of friends and audiophiles present to experience the sound first hand.

Anticipated are songs by Warren Zevon, George Harrison, John Mayer and others, several of which will be uploaded immediately after recording and available for sale at 9pm. The Bay Area Audiophile Society will have representatives at the session along with friends of the artists.

From Saturday night to Monday morning, we will put the new 96K singles on sale for $2 per song. After that, they will return to $3. You can check out Jenna's previous recordings with Matt at http://www.bluecoastworld.com/jenna-mammina/meanttobe and http://www.bluecoastworld.com/jenna-mammina/undertheinfluence

For more information, please contact 650 595 8475.

Performing Songwriter Bids Us A Fond Farewell.

Dear Friends, June2009 marked the final issue of Performing Songwriter. The magazine, founded by Lydia Hutchinson, was one of our favorites. Well written and well made, the magazine featured articles on artists at all stages of their career. It was unbiased in its approach and revolutionary for its time.

In a heartfelt editor's note, Lydia bids a gracious thanks and farewell after 16 years of publishing one of the top music magazines. I am sad to hear it is closing, but happy to hear that Lydia made the decision on her own terms. Just as she started the magazine as and independent, she closed it as an independent. Truly the end of an era.

This is Lydia's goodbye note to all of us.

I remember meeting Lydia at the Planet Bluegrass Folks Fest, Lyons, CO.... I don't even remember the date, except that she was on the 3rd issue of the magazine. We met through a mutual friend and I helped her 'flog' a few subscriptions. We had a great time on that day and though we don't see each other nearly enough, I consider her a friend. We practically grew up in our careers together in music.. a sister entrepreneur.

Last summer, during a stay in Nashville, was the last time I saw her. We chatted briefly at her offices about the 15 years that had passed. She told tales of keeping the magazine away from the corporate buyout. The magazine was her art, her baby, her own. She kept it independent, she kept the quality. Lydia made it happen on her terms. I'm so damn proud of her.

This upside down economy has taken a hard toll on all of us... music industry and print publishing are just a few industries affected. It's the end of an era for sure, but not the end for Lydia.

Lydia, my friend, here's to you, your future and all the people who's lives you touched.
Cookie

Special Event 060509 Live in the Studio with Kai Eckhard.. Compositions for Solo Electric Bass

Dear Friends!

We had a very special guest performing for our Special Event this month. His name is Kai Eckhardt, one of the most extraordiary electric bass players in the world. He is an internationally know bass player whose credits include touring and recording with Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin, Trilok Gurtu, Stanley Clarke, Wayne Shorter, Patrice Rushen, Dewey Redman, Donald Byrd, Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Robert Walter, Karl Denson, Michael Franti, Larry Coryell, Warren Hill, Al Di Meola, Zakir Hussain, Vital Information , John Scofield and Bill Frisell. In the last five years, Kai can be seen as a regular with Garaj Mahal a well known ensemble playing high powered instumental music in the jamband circuit.

We were delighted to have him perform for a Blue Coast Records Special Event-- Live in the Studio yesterday. Kai picks up where Jaco Pastorius left off as a solo bassist-- and now challenges how we think of this instrument. His approach is like an acoustic guitarist melding arpegios and intricate time signatures into a beautiful weave of sound.

For this session, the recording team at OTR Studios, helped setup a unique E.S.E. microphone placement. While Kai utilized his 3 instruments we used a 5 microphone setup that captured the entire room as it vibrated with the sound of his instrument. Kai's interpretations of his songs uses full dynamic range and we chose not to use compression in this recording. As we have more time, we'll include more descriptions and photos at our website.

Let us know if you have any questions for us or Kai about this recording session. For the weekend, the singles will be available at $2/96K and $1/44.1 and as always, you can stream all the songs at 192kbps. On Monday, the prices will go to $3/1.5 respectively. Next week, we will be releasing more music from the vaults, either Thursday or Friday.

Sign up for our new twitter feeds @bluecoastworld for the latest information. Our next scheduled Special Event is in July with Matt Rollings.

We want to thank all of you who participated in our listening events! And especially thank those of you who are taking the time to write about us on forums throughout the world. We are all amazed and at the warmth you are giving us. Thankyou!

Enjoy the music!
Cookie Marenco
Blue Coast Records

Blue Coast Collection Reviews and Forums in China!

Check this out!
Baidu.com is like google in China, so on a whim, we decided to search for the Blue Coast Collection and to our suprise, there were hundred of listings (more than 457 as of this writing)! We used the google translator to see what it was they were saying about us and it seems we're very well received!

Most of the forums seem to be generated by colleges kids, both men and women. We've heard reports that acoustic music is well received by 30% of the population... We're beginning to believe it!

Blue Coast Records Opens Up a New Section called Tidbits! New Music From Art Lande! 96K downloads on a whim!!

Dear Friends! Thursday is a tough day to get anything done, so we've moved our new music offerings this week to Friday.

Our contest from last week brought HUGE response and great reviews for all three songs presented. Jane Selkye's rendition of Ascension Day, brought the most favorable accolades, but we will offer all three as downloads next week at 96K. Those that participated, will get a free 96K version of all three songs when they are mixed.

This week, we had Blue Coast Artist, Art Lande in the studio recording with Bruce Williamson, his long time friend and musical companion for more than 15 years. These two fine musicians performed 3 Duke Ellington songs followed by their IMPRESSIONS of the same song.

The Ellington Challenge!
This week the challenge is to figure out which Duke Ellington piece these 3 IMPRESSIONSISTIC songs spawned from. You'll need to figure out the songs in the correct order and submit to me before 11pm PST on Saturday.

If you guess correctly, on Sunday we'll send you the original improvisation of the Duke Ellington piece as Art and Bruce performed them in the studio last week! It's not easy to figure out. Here's a hint for one piece... shiny material/Children play with these... :D

You don't need to purchase to be part of the contest. The whole song can be streamed as an mp3. If you like the music, our 96K

Tidbits will be priced at $2 per single... less than the cost of my triple espresso!

Art Lande and Bruce Williamson--Tidbits

Join us at Twitter.com BlueCoastWorld

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cookie Marenco
Blue Coast Records..

If It's Thursday, It Must be NEW MUSIC TIME at Blue Coast Records

Since the wonderful response of our 96K downloads, we decided to release music every Thursday on this high rez format!

This week we'll release the final 3 songs from the Blue Coast Collection at 96K at a special price of $3 per download. The songs will remain discounted until June 1 when they'll go to our regular price of $4 per song and $40 for the entire album bundle.

We have so many special 'treats' in the vault recorded using our E.S.E technique, we're not sure which to release first. Come back every Thurs to find out.

We also have a number of 44.1 downloads available at
www.bluecoastworld.com
and are adding new music all the time. These are recordings produced for the artist (mostly by me and some of my producer friends) that we've made available for downloads. They don't pass the test for us to be released as 96K downloads (either because they were recorded at 44.1 or mixed to 44.1..... ) because we don't believe in upsampling.

Tell your friends, visit forums and let us know where you're talking about us.
We love your comments.

Enjoy the Music,
Cookie

High Resolution Downloads Three Hours After Performance

Special Event 09 April 2009

On April 9, 2009, Blue Coast Artists Keith Greeninger & Chris Kee were joined by world-class drummer Brain for a one-time only performance and live recording at the request of Blue Coast Records' producer and founder, Cookie Marenco.
Some of you know Brain's incredible drumming skills from his work with Primus, Tom Waits, Buckethead, Guns N' Roses and many others. Keith Greeninger's familiar voice is heard in the lead-off track on the Blue Coast Collection - Keith is a stunning performer. Chris Kee, also featured on the Blue Coast Collection, is playing acoustic bass. Chris plays bass on Jane Selkye's Blue Coast Collection pieces, though recently he's becoming known for his work with Houston Jones and Peter Rowan.

The recordings took place at OTR Studios, homebase for Marenco. In house IT specialist and General Manager for OTR, Patrick O'Connor, handled all the details for creating the site, uploading and backend support. Tim Jones, house engineer at OTR Studios, assisted Marenco with the E.S.E. setup. E.S.E. (Extended Sound Environment) is the proprietary technique created by Marenco and Jean Claude Reynaud for use with Blue Coast Recordings.

The music was recorded to 2" analog tape and mixed to the Sonoma Systems DSD (direct stream digital). From the DSD, the music was tranferred to 96K and 44.1 .wav files for uncompressed downloads. The full song can be streamed at 124kbps mp3 quality. "These are big files, but not as big as DSD, which we are hoping to release soon," says Marenco. "The DSD sounds incredible. If there is enough demand, we may release the multitrack as .wav files for people to make their own mixes at home."

Response to the high resolution downloads has been remarkable. Computeraudiophile.com commented on the event calling it "one of the coolest releases so far in 2009". Fans are choosing the 96K download 8 out of 10 times. Plans are in the works to release the Blue Coast Collection, the flagship recording, for 96K downloads before the end of the month.

Marenco adds, "The recording with Keith, Brain and Chris was a tremendous success on a musical level as well. Considering the musicians had never met prior to the session, let alone played together, this is a remarkable achievement. We are planning on another live session before Brain leaves to tour with Guns N Roses and Keith and Chris have their summer festivals."

The event was created for visitors, Ed Martin and Andy Gilbert, who flew from Oklahoma to visit Blue Coast Records. Other guests in attendance were Merl Saunders Jr, Mike Newman, Anne Vrolyk, and Scott Thompson. Blue Coast offers special thanks to Andrew Doyle and Mike Howle assistants at OTR who helped but were not at the event.

From Recording to Worldwide Distribution within 3 hours... AMAZING!

Blue Coast Records - High Resolution Downloads Three Hours After Performance

We want to thank our fans at The Computer Audiophile site for posting our story on the front page! If you want to join in on the forum, please click here.

Fri, 04/10/2009 - 15:05 — The Computer Audiophile

Wow, this is one of the coolest releases so far in 2009. I'm so impressed I couldn't let this one disappear into the forum black hole if nobody saw it in time. Thus, a front page story. Blue Coast Records founder Cookie Marenco assembled artists Keith Greeninger, Chris Kee, and drummer Bryan “Brain” Mantia for a performance and live recording last night (April 9, 2009). Three hours after the performance Blue Coast offered 16/44.1 and 24/96 WAV downloads of the recording! Blue Coast Records is known for great artistic talent, great sound quality, and its Extended Sound Environment (E.S.E.) recording technique. At Blue Coast Records sound quality and musical enjoyment are not mutually exclusive. Read more for details and a link to download two of the tracks.

From BlueCoastRecords:

"Special Event 09 April 2009

Earlier this evening, Blue Coast Artists Keith Greeninger & Chris Kee were joined by world-class drummer Brain for a one-time only performance and live recording at the request of Blue Coast Records' producer and founder, Cookie Marenco.

Recorded using the E.S.E (Extended Sound Environment) proprietary style these pieces and are incredible in sound, music and magic. The prices will be $1.50 for CD Quality and $3 for 96K quality downloads.

Some of you know Brain's incredible drumming skills from his work with Primus, Tom Waits, Buckethead, Guns N' Roses and many others. Keith Greeninger's familiar voice is heard in the lead-off track on the Blue Coast Collection - Keith is a stunning performer. Chris Kee, also featured on the Blue Coast Collection, is playing acoustic bass. Chris plays bass on Jane Selkye's Blue Coast Collection pieces, though recently he's becoming known for his work with Houston Jones and Peter Rowan.

From Recording to Worldwide Distribution within 3 hours... AMAZING!

Cookie Marenco, the Blue Coast Artists and the team at Blue Coast Records sincerely thank you for showing your support for high quality music and performances!"

Link -> http://www.bluecoastrecords.com/special-event-09-april-2009

Special Package Price and New Music to Check Out!

Hi friends, hope all is well with everyone! Spring is here and the sun is out. The economy is still taking it toll around the world, but we're hoping for brighter days very soon.

We thought this was good time to offer a very special package price for both the Blue Coast Collection and the new Art Lande disc! Time for friends, time for gifts, time to enjoy the music and relax in their sound. Check out the website for more details!

Garett Brennan fans (Blue Coast Collection artist) has released a new CD. It's under Garett's own label, Threepin.com. We mastered the project for him at OTR Studios and loved the music. Great songs in a contemporary bluegrass/folk/rock genre. OTR/ArgoArts built the CD Quality download site. You can preview all the songs as mp3 streams. The disc, called Huckleberry Tree, will be available later this month. Garett's continuing his work as an environmentalist. Hats off to him!

We have more recordings coming. Mid April, be looking for a 96K piece from jazz pianist, Vijay Iyer. Let us know what you're listening to!

Cheers!
Cookie Marenco
producer/founder

Vinyl? 1/4" tape? Possibly on the way for 2009

Hi all!
Many of you received our newsletter by email a few weeks ago asking the question about our releasing vinyl and 1/4" tape of our Blue Coast Collection. We were thrilled by the responses and hope to announce streets for later this year. Add your name to our mailing list to be the first to know!

Last week, Keith Greeninger and Jane Selkye were both in our studios (at different times) working on side projects and sounding as fantastic as ever. Fans will be happy to know there are talks of more recording for both of them,

If you haven't been to our website in awhile, you'll notice our recent updates. We've added sponsor modules to help offset our costs. If anyone is interested in sponsoring our site and some of our projects, please contact us at

sales@bluecoastrecords.com

Thanks, all!

Blue Coast Records
www.bluecoastrecords.com

Happy Valentine's Day from Blue Coast Records!

Valentine's Day Weekend is here. We'd like to help you celebrate with a special treat for a special weekend.

During the month of February, we will be offering the Art Lande solo piano recording at a discounted price. Many of you are familiar with his solo piano recording that has already won much critical acclaim by audio professionals and fans,

While She Sleeps, Piano Lullabies

This is a great opportunity to buy the recording for a friend or special person in your life. If you purchase the SACD during the next 3 days, (February 13th, 14th and 15th) we will also include a free download of the entire album for you to enjoy while you wait for the arrival of your disc.

We also invite you to download Jason McGuire's beautiful solo guitar recordings of two Flamenco pieces recorded for our BAAS group. These are free for you to enjoy. Those of you with a home studio might want to try mixing your own version using our multitrack versions. If you are new to audio recording, the multitrack mixes include all 7 tracks of microphones and efx used to get our Blue Coast 'sound'. Most of you will want to download the stereo version only for home listening.

-Blue Coast Records

Art Lande Disc on Blue Coast Records Included in Best Discs of 2008

Audiophile Audition announced their Best Discs of 2008, in a January news flash. This year, Blue Coast Records is happy to announce the Art Lande solo piano disc, While She Sleeps, is listed among the carefully selected releases. John Sunier, the editor of Audaud.com, gave the recording high praise in a review from Dec, 2008.

"This is truly a piano recording for piano lovers; I’m sure it’s going to get plenty of playing at CES and other audio shows. Even the standard CD layer sonics are exemplary."
Audaud.com, John Sunier, review Dec 2008

The premier webzine devoted to Music, Audio and Home Theater chooses discs from Classical, Jazz and Pop that demonstrate exceptional quality in sound and music. "It's an honor for us to be included among all the releases. It's nice to know our efforts haven't gone unnoticed and helps justify our commitment to sound combined with excellent musicianship," says founder and producer, Cookie Marenco.

While She Sleeps (BCRSA 2012), has received critical acclaim for its sonic purity which demonstrates the sound of an 1886 Steinway piano. No equalization, reverb or other enhancements were used to make the recording. Like the first project from Blue Coast Records, this new solo piano recording is being used by many speaker companies to demonstrate the ability of their products to reproduce sound. Both recordings were produced and engineered by founder Cookie Marenco and Jean Claude Reynaud, son of renown audiophile speaker manufacturer, Jean Marie Reynaud.

Art Lande, a veteran of jazz piano, has recorded with Charlie Haden, Joe Hendersen and Jan Garbarek, with several titles under his name at ECM Records. Currently living in Colorado, he is often found touring the world with many jazz luminaries.

Marenco notes, "Not only is he an incredible musician, but he was my teacher and friend, who opened my eyes, ears and senses to the world of possibilities. It was a natural choice for him to be our first solo artist on Blue Coast Records. I like to say this record took 12 years to make because it required both Art and I to have a sense of purpose, not just another release. The recording became a personal concert of requests performed in a quiet tone that showed his mastery of the instrument. Every note has intention while stretching the boundaries of improvisation. There is no one more capable than Art. This is the recording his fans have been waiting for."

The recording is an SACD/CD hybrid disc and has only been released at selected online audiophile retailers and at the Blue Coast Records website as a disc or CD Quality wav file. It is scheduled for a traditional street date in Spring 2009.

Marenco's recording techniques are also featured in the January 2009 issue of Stereophile.

For more information, please contact,
Patrick O'Connor, 650 759 1357.