Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request 2nd Day (2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request 2nd Day (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:00:06 minutes | 1,15 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Venus Records, Inc.

The titles of the two Higgins solo albums “Standards By Request – 1 Day” and “2nd Day” were selected by the readers of the popular Japanese jazz magazine “Swing Journal”. From the forty requests, Higgins was supposed to make a selection for an album and record it; however, as he had already recorded enough tracks on the first day, a second recording day and another album were planned without further ado. Higgins dispensed with sheet music when playing the standards, once again impressively demonstrating his great talent.

The titles are presented in the order in which they were recorded. Absolutely successful harmonic improvisation, elegant swing and a great sound – the “Standards by Request” are a real treat for jazz piano fans!

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Eddie Higgins – You Don’t Know What Love Is (2003) [Venus Japan] SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Eddie Higgins – You Don’t Know What Love Is (2003) [Venus Japan]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 54:58 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 2,21 GB
or DSD64 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 2,17 GB
or FLAC 2.0 (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/48 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 514 MB

Eddie Higgins has been on the jazz scene for a long time, but he seems to be a best-kept secret by those able to track down his various releases for independent labels in the U.S. or Japanese titles, such as this one from Venus. This 2003 session features the veteran purely as a soloist, performing a dozen of his favorite ballads. While most of them are time-tested standards such as the elegant “My Funny Valentine,” the shimmering “Beautiful Love,” or “Skylark” (with an Asian-sounding introduction that suggests the humor of its composer), there are some lesser-known gems as well. The bittersweet ballad “Yellow Days” hardly pops up on many jazz CDs, though Higgins’ richly textured arrangement should attract other musicians to it. Even though one doesn’t hear the lyrics to “Again,” this seasoned pianist seems to get across the implied apology to a loved one for a senseless quarrel. “Dance Only with Me,” an overlooked jewel by the masterful songwriting team of Comden, Green, and Styne, is arranged as an elegant, deliberate waltz. Recorded and mixed in glorious 24-bit digital sound, this is easily one of Eddie Higgins’ best all-around recordings.

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Eddie Higgins With Strings – Moonlight Becomes You (2003) [Japan] SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Eddie Higgins With Strings – Moonlight Becomes You (2003) [Japan]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 49:52 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 2 GB
or DSD64 2.0 (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,97 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 0,99 GB

Moonlight Becomes You finds jazz pianist Eddie Higgins leading a quintet featuring Joe Cohn (guitar), Jay Leonhart (bass), Joe Locke (vibraphone) and Joe Ascione (drums) in a sophisticated set of standards with string arrangements by Dick Lieb.

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Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request, Solo Piano – 2nd Day (2008) [Japan 2016] SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request, Solo Piano – 2nd Day (2008) [Japan 2016]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 60:07 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 2,46 GB
or DSD64 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 2,38 GB
or FLAC (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/44,1 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 527 MB

Here you have a second collection of standards requested by readers of Swing Journal. Forty of the top requests were given to Higgins and the plan was to record material for only one album. However, after recording 15 tracks on the first day – an extraordinary feat in itself – Higgins wanted to continue. So another recording took place the next day where Higgins recorded another 15 tracks. No music sheets were involved. Higgins is so talented as a pianist that his own arranging and pacing of tunes – as well as its spontaneous arrangement – were highly successful. The producer didn’t feel the need to change a thing.

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Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request, Solo Piano – 1st Day (2008) [Japan 2015] SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request, Solo Piano – 1st Day (2008) [Japan 2015]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 60:12 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 2,46 GB
or DSD64 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 2,38 GB
or FLAC (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/44,1 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 520 MB

Pianist Eddie Higgins may not be well known in the U.S., but he is hands down the most famous and prolific musician on the Venus Records roster. Since his 1997 Venus debut, Higgins has released more than 20 albums from the label. This release is the first from a pair of solo piano albums that include a collection of standards requested by readers of Swing Journal. Forty of the top requests were given to Higgins and the plan was to record material for only one album. However, after recording 15 tracks on the first day – an extraordinary feat in itself – Higgins wanted to continue. So another recording took place the next day where Higgins recorded another 15 tracks.

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Eddie Higgins – Anticipation (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Eddie Higgins – Anticipation (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:25:16 minutes | 903 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © nagel heyer records

Edward Haydn Higgins (February 21, 1932 – August 31, 2009) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and orchestrator.

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