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Chapter 17: Digital Jazz: Making Music in High-Tech Times
In his home garage studio in 1947, Paul made what many consider to be the
first multi-track recording, his “Lover,” featuring eight guitar parts all played
by Paul and layered over each other. Not only was Paul a technical genius,
but also he was (and is) a phenomenal guitarist, and his recording captured
the sound of his fast, melodic guitar lines skittered over each other in very
graceful ways. With one musician accompanying himself, it sounds as if several
players with amazing intuition are working together. As a result of this
recording, Paul signed with Capitol Records and teamed with his wife, vocalist
Mary Ford, on hits such as “How High the Moon” and “Brazil” (with six
guitar parts played by Paul).
In the ’50s, Paul designed the first eight-track tape recorder (for Ampex), and
in consecutive years he spent time perfecting multi-track techniques. Not only
could Paul create layers of sound, but also he realized that multi-tracking freed
musicians to add parts at different times in different places. The parts could
be recorded separately and mixed together later. Today, there are purists who
believe that jazz should be recorded live, with no overdubs. Even so, multitracking
is useful because bass, drums, piano, saxophone, and trumpet, for
example, can each be recorded on a separate track in balanced together in
the final mix. Multi-tracking was even more important beginning in the late
1960s, when jazz musicians led by Miles Davis began to utilize electric instruments
and synthesizers. Instruments were added and subtracted, and had
their sounds altered in the multi-track mixing process.
Rudy Van Gelder: Setting standards
Another scientist of sound is Rudy Van Gelder, who set the standard for
jazz recording in the ’50s and ’60s with sessions for Blue Note Records in his
Inglewood, New Jersey, garage. Like Les Paul, Van Gelder began tinkering with
sound in his teens by taking apart radio equipment and building custom electronics
from salvaged parts. He recorded neighborhood musicians in his parents’
garage, and these demos were so remarkable that record labels came
calling for his services as an engineer. In the following sections, I give you
the scoop on Van Gelder’s professional recording career.
Starting out as a professional engineer
Van Gelder was on a quest for perfect sound — in the case of jazz, he wanted a
natural, transparent recording that captured the music as if you were hearing it
live. Dozens of jazz albums recorded by Van Gelder are admired for capturing
the true nuances of each instrument and making each instrument stand out.
Van Gelder has been protective of his techniques, so the specifics of how he
achieved his sound remain secret.
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