Hopkins' System

A not so random video...

Earl Hines lets loose in this 1958 session. His solo starts around 2:52


I probably recorded it a bit too loud.

Sonny Rollins, on his "Saxophone Colossus" 1956 album:


Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
Tommy Flanagan – piano
Doug Watkins – bass
Max Roach – drums

Jan Evensmo's comments on the track: “…one of Sonny Rollins' very best recorded ballads ever, played so strongly and confidently, what can be better tenorsax playing than this!!??" (https://www.jazzarcheology.com/sonny-rollins/)

There are obviously other great tenor saxophonists - we tend to forget the others when listening to one. The best jazz musicians each have such unique ways of playing that it does not really make sense to rank them, though you can certainly have your personal favorites. I'm sure Evensmo would agree, and he was just expressing his enthusiasm.

But has Sonny Rollins himself ever played better than on this date? Let me know...

Digital version of the album. Recording volume is again probably a little high.

In-room impressions: lively (as in the music comes to life). Not aggressive and fatiguing (my cat sleeps throughout). No major issues that distract me from being absorbed by the music. I'm very happy with this system. I must not be a true audiophile.

I've never heard Rollins live, and even if I had, he plays differently today than he did back then. But the sound is convincing to my ears. I feel like I'm hearing someone blowing in a saxophone, and not some artificial construct. That's what matters to me. The rest (super clean bass,shimmering highs, etc...) is not necessary for my listening enjoyment.

I was not happy with the sound of that previous recording from my phone. It sounded thin. I don't know what's going on with my phone.

I took another one with my tablet (Samsung). The sound is blurred at times in the video, as I probably put my hands in front of the microphone. Also during the piano solo I seem to be breathing heavily! Nevertheless, the sound is a little closer to what I hear in my room.

There are still significant differences here between the recording and how it sounds in my room...


My Tascam recorder has broken down, so I don't really have any other options at the moment, but I would like to make a good recording, and see how close one can come to the sound of the speakers in the room. I may rent a microphone and recorder for a day.

A 400€ speaker with 4000€ of electronics upsets conventional audiophile wisdom?

The vocals sound very nice to my ears ("natural"?). I really enjoy how the vocals and instruments are "layered" (what Salvatore refers to as "organized").

This morning I was listening to Frank Sinatra, and his voice sounds marvellous on the system, but a more modern track also reveals that the bass could certainly be deeper and fuller. I'm happy with the overall sound, and would not want to sacrifice the "positives" for some deeper notes that my room and pockets may not be able to handle anyway!

2ndLiner said:

The tracks you post sound really captivating, H! Have you ever considered a bass array system?

Click to expand...

Thanks. No I have not. I like to keep things simple. Give me a year or two and I may change my mind

Another track that stopped me in my tracks


It didn't stop my cat in his tracks - unfortunately he heard walking around with his collar bell...
I wish I had a better recording system.

When I listen to this track in my room, I do get a sense of a "black background", low noise floor, whatever you want to call it. A phone's microphone, however, can't really capture this, precisely because it has a higher noise floor ...

These days I have been listening to Benny Carter a lot. His recording career spans many decades, so there is a lot to choose from.

Here is an excerpt from a 1968 live recording in Switzerland:


The "original" track (in stereo):


This is the kind of track I can set on repeat and listen to over and over again for a few hours and never get tired of.

The album was only issued on CD. It sounds great.

The first seven tracks are with Carter.

For all the fans of Ella Fitzgerald out there, here is a good album with Benny Carter as musical director (he also plays alto saxophone):



It is a series of medleys.

A well known track:


Live performances are fun to listen to on this system (IMHO).

Watched the Olympics opening ceremony last night. Fabulous show.

Here's the song covered by Lady Gaga, for those who don't know Zizi Jeanmaire:


Céline Dion's performance on the Eiffel Tower was memorable. Here's a nice live version by Edith Piaf in 1955: