Joe Morello - It's About Time
Released in 1961 on RCA Victor, It's About Time remains a landmark showcase for one of the greatest masters of modern jazz drumming: Joe Morello. Celebrated globally for his groundbreaking work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, most notably on "Take Five", this legendary session gave Morello the well-deserved spotlight to step out as a leader. The album’s title is a brilliant play on words, declaring that it was finally "about time" for Morello to lead his own date while nodding to his unparalleled mastery over polyrhythms and tempo. Rather than a self-indulgent drum clinic, Morello delivers a beautifully balanced, swinging statement that favors ensemble synergy over mere technical exhibition.
To bring this ambitious vision to life, Morello collaborated with producer George Avakian and assembled an extraordinary lineup of jazz royalty. The immaculate arrangements were penned by a young Phil Woods, who also contributes scorching alto saxophone solos that perfectly bridge small-group dynamics with the driving power of a big band. The tracking sessions are split between a brass-forward orchestra and a tightly knit sextet, which features a 17-year-old prodigy, Gary Burton, on vibraphone in some of the earliest recorded performances of his career. Originally engineered by Ernie Oelrich in the world-class acoustic spaces of Webster Hall and RCA Victor’s Studio A, this exceptional recording beautifully exploits natural depth and reverberation, offering a stunning sonic portrait of mid-century East Coast jazz at its absolute peak.
Artist(s): Ensemble - Joe Morello And His Orchestra
(tracks: 1, 4, 7, 9)
Joe Morello Sextet (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Arranged By, Alto Saxophone, Featuring – Phil Woods
Vibraphone, Featuring Gary Burton
Recording Info: Engineer – Ernie Oelrich
Producer - George Avakian
Recorded in Webster Hall and RCA Victor´s Studio A, New York City.
Sourced from a 4-track tape
Components used for Transfer:
This transfer leverages precision analog playback and mastering-grade digital conversion. The signal path begins with a modified Studer A810 with Flux Heads, fed through a Custom Tape Pre-amp designed by Victor Khomenko of Balanced Audio Technology for accurate NAB equalization. The analog signal converts via a Merging Hapi converter, synchronized to an Antelope Audio 10MX atomic clock for temporal accuracy. All components receive isolated power conditioning through a Shunyata Research Everest 8000 with Shunyata Sigma-X power cords, while grounding infrastructure utilizes Shunyata ALTAIRA hubs to minimize noise floor and preserve sonic detail throughout the transfer chain.
1 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 2:33
2 Time After Time 3:58
3 Every Time 2:49
4 Every Time We Say Goodbye 3:06
5 Just In Time 4:11
6 Summertime 4:04
7 Time On My Hands 2:42
8 Mother Time 4:06
9 Fatha Time 4:20
10 It's About Time 5:12
Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master, then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings.
Copyright © & ℗ High Definition Tape Transfers 2026, including all compilation, transfer, remastering, and restoration aspects
 |
 |