Belafonte: Jump Up Calypso. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1115.

Betafonte: Jump Up Calypso. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1115.

I didn't have either the original RCA Living Stereo LP or RCA's silver CD counterpart for comparison, but I did have RCA's digitally remastered Harry Belafonte: All Time Greatest Hits, Vol. I on hand. So I chose "Jump in the Line" for the test. It's hard to believe the two versions were taken from the same master tapes. In fact, I had to double check the record booklets to assure myself that they were, indeed, the same. DCC claims recording dates of June 3-6, 1961, for their album. RCA notes a recording date of June 16,1961, for "Jump in the Line." Unless one recording or the other is an alternate take, an unlikely circumstance, I must chalk up the minor date discrepancy as a bookkeeping error. At any rate, the two renderings couldn't sound more different. RCA's remaster is hard, brittle, narrow in its stereo spread, almost monaural, with an overly-obvious echo effect present. DCC's gold remastering of the same song is exceedingly smooth, wide in its stereo spread, and with little audible echo. DCC's effort is more like what we have come to expect of good remasterings of the Living Stereo series. If you like Belafonte, this DCC disc and, of course, Classic Compact Disc's gold remastering of Belafonte live at Carnegie Hall, are must buys.