Dean Peer's New Website

Dean Peer just sent me an email to inform me that his new website is up and running. You can check it out at www.deanpeerbass.com.

Dean's been actively performing over the last few months with his drummer Bret Mann. The new website has details on upcoming shows, and you can directly order some of Dean's amazing recordings. He's currently working on a new project, and I've heard some of the tracks he's laid down...they're very different than his past work. You can get updates on this project through the website as well!

Another visit with Dean Peer...

For the holidays, Colleen and I visited bass virtuoso Dean Peer at his home north of Austin. This was the first time I've seen Dean's home, which houses the studio in which he recorded last year's stunning album, Airborne. While the studio is tucked away in a corner of his house, it's still quite a sophisticated facility with sand-filled walls, a floating floor (also filled with sand) and plenty of room treatment. Dean uses a combination of a classic mixing board and digital software to achieve his innovative sounds on the bass guitar; he laments that the former will soon be obsolete, but he is determined to mix at least one more project on it.

A few weeks ago, I heard through the grapevine that Dean was working on some new material, and that a new album is probably in the works. Considering that Dean has recorded two albums in about twenty years, this is good news. Dean sat down with me and played a couple of the new songs, and they were quite different from what we've heard on Airborne and Ucross. What I heard was dark, moody and slightly sinister, but with a strong emotional undercurrent. For everyone who was surprised by the difference between his first two albums, you'll be even more surprised by the third.

At one point, Dean handed me a LP copy of the Dixie Dregs' Night of the Living Dregs from 1979 and asked me if I was familiar with it. He told me to take it home and listen to it and tell him what I thought. It turns out that Dean is planning to work with Dixie Dreg's bassist, Andy West, on the new project. It's been a few years since Andy played with the Dregs (he's a big-time software expert now), but it will be interesting to pair Dean's elaborate bass harmonics with Andy's more solid and fundamental sound.

Here are a few more pics from the visit. This is one of Dean's basses, the one featured on the cover of Airborne. You'll notice the "dp" on the fret; that's for Dean Peer, since this was made especially for him.

Notice the knob? Yep, that's a Cardas nautilus shell knob. Dean's association with Cardas Audio goes way back--they currently sponsor his shows, and he uses their cables throughout his gear.

These Meyer Sound studio monitors were interesting to listen to. As Dean said, "They're not much fun to listen to because they're so FLAT, but they're incredibly accurate." As I listened to him playing his bass through the mixing board and the Meyers, I was struck by the pinpoint imaging. It was strange to see Dean play a few feet to my right, and then have the sound from the strings placed so firmly between the speakers to my left. I certainly didn't think they were unpleasant to listen to, but they were very far from warm and romantic.

Here's the more modern side to Dean's recording studio...

...coupled with the more traditional side. As you can tell, Dean has kids.

And a healthy sense of humor.

And now my dog Lucy is famous, too. She was extremely curious yet well-behaved around so much expensive gear. Then again, she's used to it at home.

I'll keep you informed about the new album. I'm really looking forward to it!

Polk Audio at Lone Star Audio Fest 2011

One of my main reasons for attending the Lone Star Audio Fest was to meet my longtime Facebook friend Russ Gates, who works for Polk. I've always enjoyed Polk speakers but wondered why they dropped off the high-end audio map over the last few years. Their amazing SDA speakers, which throw out a nearly 180 degree soundstage, were among my favorite speakers in the late '80s. Polk really seemed to employ a lot of research and development into their loudspeaker designs, but they suddenly switched their focus to home theater and car audio. They excel at both (my brother Greg owns a Polk-based surround system in his living room, and it has always impressed me), but I've missed their more ambitious speaker designs.

My concerns have been answered with their new flagship speaker, the LSiM707. This relatively tall floorstanding speaker is both gorgeous in appearance and impressive in performance, especially when mated with Jaton Operatta amplification and CD players, all hooked up with Cardas cable (Russ was the only exhibitor to use Cardas, which certainly gave him an edge in my opinion). Throughout the Lone Star Audio Fest I found myself wandering back to Russ' room to hear some truly nice sound. Toward the end of the show I gave Russ a CD copy of Dean Peer's Airborne and was taken with the LSiM707's ability to reproduce all of those splendid low frequencies. Russ, in turn, was equally impressed with Dean and made a comment about wishing he had had this CD for the entirety of the show. It's such great demo material.

The LSiM707 will be part of an upcoming line of speakers that will include a smaller floorstander (called the LSiM705, I think) and a bookshelf version (the '703) that basically looks like the top half of the '707s with the same three drivers. Best of all, the '707s will retail for just $4000 a pair, which makes them very, very competitive at that price point.

Polk Audio is definitely back on my radar, thanks to Russ. Now if we could just get Celestion to start making great mini-monitors like they did back in the '80s...

Blackbird Audio Gallery's Music Night with Dean Peer

The alarm clock didn't go off. It was 5:05 am when I woke up. I had a 6:15 flight to San Diego. The Austin-Bergstrom Airport is 25 miles from my house. And I still made it on the plane with ten minutes to spare. I don't know how I did it, but I think I tampered with the time/space continuum somewhere.

Even though it wasn't an auspicious beginning, I still had a blast at the Music Night at Blackbird Audio Gallery. I saw plenty of my old audio friends, met a few new ones and actually got to sit down with Dean Peer for a while and talk to him about his music, his bass and his plans for the future.

I haven't been in Southern California for a while, and my usual tradition in these instances is to head straight to Tommy's for a #1, chili cheese and mustard only. That's exactly what I did.

Then I took up a long-standing invitation to test drive a BMW M3, which I did as well. What a beast this is with its 414 horsepower and its roaring V-8. This one even had the hard-top convertible option. The price? $77K. Yeah, I want one. I'm only human.


Then it was on to the show! Here are some pics from the event:

Here's was Dan Muzquiz' set up for the evening. It consisted of pretty much the same system as he showed off at CES...Trenner & Friedl ART monitors with the new super tweeters, Heed Audio Electronics and digital front end and a Basis 2200 turntable with a Vector tonearm and a Transfiguration cartridge. It sounded spectacular, but the bass was much deeper and fuller than it was at CES. Then I spotted it, crouched between the ARTs and the Heed monoblocks...a Trenner & Friedl subwoofer! This isn't a current model, by the way; T&F has been around a long time and they have many models from the past that they still like to show off.

Here's a shot of the ARTs with the new super tweeters.

Here's the Basis 2200 with the Vector arm and the Transfiguration cartridge. This was a supremely musical analog rig that was detailed without being analytical. It's funny that as a general rule I tend not to like the sound of acrylic turntables--and yet I've always enjoyed every Basis turntable I've ever heard. They must sprinkle fairy dust on them back at the factory. I'm sure a lot of this magic also had to do with the Transfiguration cartridge from Japan, another audio brand that has never failed to move me with their amazing products.

Here is the Funk Firm turntable I wrote about a couple of months ago. That's the new FXR arm, which is very beautiful in person. The very thin and richly-colored arm tube adds an unexpected delicacy to the overall appearance. The Basis may have had the stage for Music Night, but I look forward to listening to one of these analog rigs in the near future.

Here's a pic of Dan thanking the crowd for showing up. Next to him are Colleen Cardas, George Cardas and the man of the hour, Dean Peer. Dan was incredibly gracious and made a point of thanking everyone for coming out.

Another pic of our gracious host.

Standing room only at Chez Muzquiz.

This is Dean Peer signing my LP copy of his 1992 album Ucross. He was extremely surprised when I handed it to him, saying "Where did you get this? I don't even have a copy of this!" He them told me to take a picture of him signing it because it was a historic occasion. According to Dean, this version of Ucross, the original, is now extremely rare because it was subsequently re-released several times by different record companies with different covers. He told me that another LP version is set to be released soon. I asked him, "Does that mean this version will be worth less?" He replied, "No...it will be worth a lot more." It doesn't matter, because I'm not selling it.

As I mentioned, I did get a chance to sit down with Dean and talk. Dean actually lives in the Austin area as well. I asked him if he was going to be playing at SXSW in March, but he'll be in Canada at the time. I told him I'd enjoy seeing him live whenever he played in Austin. In a slightly self-deprecating manner, he said that people always expect him to be a wild, flamboyant bass player after hearing what he accomplishes in recordings. He admitted that most of his other-worldly bass sounds are created through very small and precise movements of his fingertips. In other words, he can be very still when he plays...you know, like a typical bass player. I still want to see him play live.

He spoke a bit about the recording process for the Airborne recordings. Dean is much more than a bass player, he is an accomplished record producer and engineer as well. He described the very technical digital processes that went into the recording but also stressed the simplicity of the solution, thanks to the latest digital innovations. When asked about whether or not he was satisfied with the results of the Airborne LP pressing, he was enthusiastic. Dean said that he and the studio engineers were trying to make the LP sound like it came straight out of the '70s. The sound quality of Airborne is so breathtaking that it didn't even occur to me that a "vintage" sound was the target. After hearing Dean's comments, I can now hear what he's talking about. There's definitely a funky, loose '70s vibe running through the entire album.

Finally, I asked Dean what was next. He said he wanted to work on a project that was all about the year 1959. He discussed all the intriguing things about that year...it was the peak of Jack Kerouac's creativity, Alaska and Hawaii became states and it was the last great year of classic jazz recordings. I also mentioned that it was the "year the music died," referring to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, and he nodded his head in agreement. Finally, Dean said that he was born in 1959, which is why the year has such special meaning for him. I'm looking forward to hearing this project.

This is a wine stopper that Dan gave me (as well as others there) as a thanks for coming out. It's a beautiful handmade stopper from a friend of his at A-Skewed Creations. Thank you, Dan, for hosting this event! I look forward to the next one.

I'd also like to thank everyone I met for being so gracious and friendly such as the entire Cardas family, Gavin Fish of MIT and AudioEvo.org, Marc Almirall, Dave and Carol Clark of Positive Feedback Online, David Aitken and of course Bob Clarke of Profundo, who told me a few amazing stories about how he got started as an audio distributor. Thanks everyone!

Look what I got!

Jealous?

You can get one too at http://deanpeer.com/music.htm.

Sound quality is completely and utterly awesome. Nice, quiet pressing. Deep bass that will get you kicked out by your landlord in no time.

Updates to Music Night

There are a couple of updates to the Dean Peer Music Night at Blackbird Audio Gallery in San Diego on January 14, 2011. Dan Muzquiz just announced that George Cardas of Cardas Audio will join his daughter Colleen at the event. In addition, Dave Clark and his wife Carol will also be there. Dave Clark is the editor of Positive Feedback Online, one of the best audio websites on the web. (And he's also a heck of a nice guy.)

Michael Mercer, one of the writers for PFO, will also be there with his wife Alexandra. Gavin Fish, co-founder of AudioEvo.org, is coming as well. AudioEvo.org is an outstanding social networking site for audiophiles and music lovers. Dan will also be featuring some art pieces at the gathering such as paintings by Justin Bua and photographs from Phillip Scholz Rittermann.

Of course you'll be able to meet with Dean Peer himself and score an autographed copy of his limited LP pressing of Airborne. Remember, only 500 are being pressed, so this will be a true collector's item.

The event starts at 4pm. As of today there is still a little bit of room left. You can reserve your spot by contacting Dan at dan@blackbirdaudio.com or by calling 619-449-2787.

You can also check out Positive Feedback Online at http://www.positive-feedback.com/, and AudioEvo at http://www.audioevo.org/.

Did I screw up?

I did screw up!

I posted my top 10 albums for 2010, and I forgot to include Dean Peer's amazing Airborne album! It belongs in there, near the top.

Sorry, Dean! Please forgive me!

Music Night at Blackbird Audio with special guest Dean Peer!

Right on the heels of the Comsumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Dan Muzquiz of Blackbird Audio Gallery in San Diego will be hosting a very special event. Dean Peer, the extraordinary bassist who just released the amazing Airborne CD, will be on hand to sign the limited edition LP copy I announced just a few weeks ago. Limited edition? How about just 500 copies? This will definitely be a collector's item and I will be lining up to get my copy with everyone else.

The event will be held at Blackbird Audio gallery in Santee, California, just outside of San Diego. I will be there along with Colleen Cardas of Cardas Audio, and possibly even her father George Cardas, the guy who designs all those amazing cables. Bob Clarke of Profundo will also be there. This event is quickly filling up and availability is limited, so you will have to contact Dan (at Dan@blackbirdaudio.com) if you want a place.

For more information, check out http://www.blackbirdaudio.com/Blackbird_Audio_Gallery/News_and_notes/Entries/2011/1/14_Music_Night_January_2011%2C_with_featured_guest_Dean_Peer.html.

Dean Peer's Airborne --on vinyl!

On his website (http://deanpeer.com/music.htm), bassist extraordinaire Deen Peer just announced that he will be releasing his latest album, Airborne, on limited edition vinyl. Here's Dean's press release:

"We have had an overwhelming number of requests from our audiophile fans for a special run of a 180 gram vinyl version of AIRBORNE. This a limited special run of AIRBORNE to satisfy our most critical listeners. It was specially mastered by David Glasser, the grammy award winning engineer from Airshow mastering in Boulder, Colorado."

Like Dean says, it's a very limited run and they're taking orders right now. The albums will ship on January 3, 2011. If you've already heard this amazing album, you know it will really put your system through its paces. On vinyl, I'm sure it will be even more spectacular.

Dean Peer - Airborne

There's an old bass guitarists' saying that the first three rows of every Primus concert were filled with bass guitar players trying to figure out how Les Claypool managed to play the way he did. Well, I think there must have been at least one time where Les himself was sitting front row at a Dean Peer concert. Dean manages to wring more sounds out of his bass than just about any bass player on the planet, and his new album, Airborne, just about cements his status as the most gifted and innovative guy ever to pluck (or in his case, tap) four thick strings.

I first discovered Dean's music back when I used to read Stereophile. That audio magazine really championed his talent, and I wound up buying his LP Ucross based on their absolutely glowing review. Over the years, Ucross became one of my reference records for testing and evaluating stereo equipment. Since Dean himself is an audiophile, he always takes extra care to ensure his recordings sound fantastic. On Airborne, the sounds of his bass, coupled with some downright huge drumming from Bret Mann, creates some of the most astonishing and expansive soundscapes I've heard in a long time.

While it's hard to categorize Dean's music, I guess I would have to place it in jazz fusion. On the opening track, however, Dean and Bret lay down a momentum that actually rocks in more ways than one. Dean's unique style, which makes it almost impossible to believe that there's only one instrument playing, comes from a double-tap technique that allows him to travel into octaves that are alien to most bass players. Yet Dean eschews tricks and effects and focuses on how much sound he can extract from his instrument. If you're a fellow bassist, you'll be inspired and amazed. If you're not a bassist, you'll still think you're listening to a trio or a quartet instead of a duo.

Again, if you're into sonic pyrotechnics, Airborne will not disappoint. It's the perfect album for discerning what my new Cardas cables and my new Trenner & Friedl ART monitors are capable of achieving. I'm really fortunate that my system can now do justice to this fascinating album.

Incidentally, I received Airborne in a totally new (to me) format--the USB sound card. It's the exact size of a credit card. Just to show how technically challeneged I can be, I started looking around the sides of my laptop for an orifice that would accommodate the card. My brother Mat, the computer genius, pulled out the small insert on the right side of the card to reveal that it's just a garden-variety USB jack. D'oh!

You can get Airborne at your favorite record store, from the Cardas Audio website at http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=music&content_id=9&pagestring=USB+Audio+Cards or you can visit Dean's website at http://deanpeer.com/music.htm.