Nedelle: Republic of Two

It's funny how I won't let anyone write in Tape Op about CDs I work on, but I'll go on and on about albums our contributors have worked on. Nedelle is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who explores a jazzy, intimate world with her sweet voice and great songs with varying creative instrumentation and excellent use of her harmony vocal arrangements. Imagine what Nora Jones could be but falls way short of. This CD was tracked by our publisher/graphic designer (and my partner in the mag), John Baccigaluppi, at his studio The Hangar in Sacramento on his MCI-JH16, then mixed at Bomb Factory's studio in L.A. with John and gear reviews editor Andy Hong, and finally mastered in Boston with the fabulous Jeff Lipton (see his interview #34). It sounds great, and stayed analog up through the mastering stage, where Jeff used the HDCD process, maintaining superb sonic clarity and volume level without being "stupid loud". If Republic of Two isn't proof that Tape Op's contributors are busy making records and not just writing about it then what is? (www.nedelle.com, www.kimcheerecords.com)