AUTHENTIC SOUND, DISTILLED TO ITS PUREST FORMLatest Release
Please note, due to the limited nature of this pressing there is a per household limit of two copies. Product is excluded from discount code offers.
Announcing the latest installment in Craft Recordings’ acclaimed Small Batch series—a meticulously crafted, audiophile-grade reissue of the Bill Evans Trio’s final studio LP, Explorations. Limited to 2,500 copies worldwide, this one-step lacquer pressing highlights every nuance of the original recording session.
Explorations captures the pioneering spirit of jazz interplay as Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian breathe new life into jazz standards and modern compositions. Recorded in 1961, the album showcases the trio’s conversational approach, dissolving traditional roles to create an "elegant, democratic exchange of ideas." Highlights include the modal journey of "Israel," the haunting "Nardis," and an intricate take on "Beautiful Love." Praised for its innovation and cohesion, Explorations remains a milestone in jazz trio artistry.
Mastered from the original analog tapes (AAA) by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, Explorations uses Neotech’s VR900-D2 "super vinyl" compound with a one-step lacquer process. This exacting process allows for the utmost level of musical detail, clarity and dynamics while reducing the amount of surface noise on the record to ensure that each pressing is a true representation of the original lacquer and is as close as the listener can get to the original recording.
As with all Small Batch editions, Explorations arrives in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped, individually numbered slipcase. The vinyl—extractable through a frictionless ribbon pull tab—is housed in a reproduction of the original tip-on jacket from Riverside Records, protected by an archival-quality, anti-static inner sleeve. Completing the set are new liner notes by Syd Schwartz, a longtime writer, music marketing executive, and author of the popular Jazz and Coffee Substack.
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ABOUT SMALL BATCH
Craft Recordings'Small Batchseries is a meticulously curated collection for audiophiles, delivering the highest-quality reissues of legendary recordings.
For each title, we send theoriginal master tapes to legendary engineerBernie Grundman, who performs all-analog mastering (AAA) using a custom-built tube pre-amp, an analog mixing console with discrete in-house electronics, and a Scully solid-state lathe with unique modifications.
From there, lacquers go toRecord Technology Incorporated (RTI), where they’re plated using aone-step process. This “convert” serves directly as the record stamper. By using RTI’s one-step process, we bypass the typical three-step method,preserving musical detail, clarity, and dynamics while minimizing surface noise.
Pressed on 180-gram vinyl with Neotech’s VR900 or VR900-D2 "super vinyl" compound, each limited-edition pressing captures the purest representation of the original lacquer, bringing listeners as close as possible to the original recording
“superb clarity” –Mojo
“breathtakingly majestic” –Clash
“sonically immaculate” –Goldmine
“more realistic, full-bodied, natural and richer” –Analog Planet
“revelatory in terms of sonic detail” –Record Collector
PACKAGE OVERVIEW
Housed in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped slipcase. The vinyl disc—extractable through a unique frictionless ribbon pull tab—comes in a reproduction of the original album jacket and protected by an archival-quality, anti-static, non-scratching inner sleeve.
In-depth liner notes from some of music’s best educators, historians, and journalists will accompany each title.
Each reissue will be limited edition and numbered. The limited nature of these pressings guarantees that each record is a true representation of the original lacquer.
BERNIE GRUNDMAN ON THE ONE-STEP PROCESS
