ANNE BISSON

For anyone that believes great vinyl can’t be pressed from a digital master, look no further than Anne Bisson’s Blue Mind, recorded live with minimal overdubs (only one track, “Dragonfly” features overdubbing) at Reference Studio in Saint-Calixte, Quebec. Vacuum-tube Neumann microphones contribute greatly to the pressing’s enormous, breathy sound.

Bisson breaks no new stylistic or artistic ground, but she keeps the tunes upbeat. Drummer Paul Brochu and bassist Normand Guilbeault helm sparse arrangements that aid in accentuating her fluid voice. Fidelio brilliantly captures this essence, with Kevin Gray extracting every last ounce of dynamic range on LP. The result? It sounds like a master tape. Count on hearing this gem in many rooms at upcoming hi-fi shows.