October 17, 2014
In celebration of Blue Note Records’ 75th Anniversary, Astell&Kern has partnered with the legendary record label to offer an exclusive, limited edition box set. Available now for a limited time, the Astell&Kern Blue Note 75th Anniversary Box Set: Limited Edition features 75 of Blue Note’s most essential albums, newly remastered from analog to the hi-res MQS digital format (24bit/192kHz). Five Blue Note albums make their exclusive hi-res audio debuts with this release: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ Mosaic, Tina Brooks’ True Blue, Don Cherry’s Complete Communion, Andrew Hill’s Point Of Departure, and Bobby Hutcherson’s Components. The lavish collection includes the Blue Note branded Astell&Kern AK240 high-resolution portable audio player, a special book filled with original album art (front and back cover) for the 75 titles, as well as Richard Havers’ new book, Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression. For more information about the collection and how to order, visit http://www.astellnkern.com/eng/htm/ak240/ak240_bluenote.asp.
The gorgeous collection spans Blue Note’s storied history, from Thelonious Monk’s first sessions in 1947 to GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz phenomenon Gregory Porter’s Liquid Spirit. Each album, in high resolution on a microSD card, in an acrylic glass case with original album artwork stacked in a beautiful, decorative tower that can be placed next to your home system for an elegant, luxurious display. The 75 albums are pre-loaded on the included Astell&Kern AK240 high-resolution audio player, revealing every detail you might not have heard anywhere else, no matter how many times you’ve listened to these albums before.
Tonight in Los Angeles, Astell&Kern will unveil and demonstrate the Astell&Kern Blue Note 75th Anniversary Box Set: Limited Edition at a private event at Capitol Studios. Invited music industry executives and journalists will experience the special collection’s superior audio quality, as well as the aesthetic beauty of the Blue Note-branded tower.
Henry Park, CEO of iriver, the parent company of Astell&Kern said, “The Blue Note Records catalog of Jazz is the perfect showcase for high resolution audio. The Astell&Kern line of portable high-resolution audio players were designed to showcase the range of instruments in these musical genres. Now, everyone can listen to these new and classic albums the way they were meant to be heard, how the artist and engineer intended them to be heard.”
Don Was, president of Blue Note Records, said, “Our good friends at Astell&Kern — a company that respects authenticity, fidelity and artistry — are a perfect complement to the Blue Note aesthetic. With the advent of their new MQS Hi Fi Audio Players, aficionados can now experience these classic recordings just like the musicians originally did. We are proud to make our most treasured recordings available in this manner.”
About Astell&Kern
Launched in October 2012, Astell&Kern is the high-end audiophile brand by iriver. The current Astell&Kern line includes the award-winning AK100, AK120, the second generation AK100 II, AK120 II and the flagship AK240 high-resolution portable audio players, capable of playing 24-bit/192 kHz Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) files including DSD. Astell&Kern’s lineup has recently expanded to include accessories such as the AKR01 and AKR02 In-Ear Monitors, Astell&Kern portable player docking stations and line of home audio products.
For more information about Astell&Kern, please visit www.AstellnKern.com or the Astell&Kern Facebook page and Twitter feed.
