Every year Hifi Pig is invited to the Conservatoire de Musique at Saint-Brieuc in Brittany, France for an evening of jazz presented by the association Jazz Angle. It’s always an entertaining and well attended evening and, as relative newcomers to Jazz, it always throws up something new and unexpected that we’ve not heard before…and this year was no exception.

The line up of vinyl this year was truly spectacular and the knowledge that Alain Loguillard and Christian Harle have is nothing if not impressive with them giving a full and detailed introduction to the recording and the artist. In amongst the line-up below was a couple of mystery tunes to keep the audience on their toes.

The line-up for this evening’s entertainment was as follows:

1. Sonny Rollins With Coleman Hawkins “All The Things You Are” and playing the title track (RCA) 1963

2. Miles Davis “Miles Davis At Carnegie Hall” and the track “Oleo” CBS 1961

3. Miles Davis “Miles Davis Directions” and the track “So Near So Far” (CBS) 1963

4. Miles Davis “Miles In Tokyo” and the track “Walking” (CBS) 1964

5. Miles Davis “Miles In Berlin” and again the track “Walking” (CBS) 1964

6. Joe Henderson “Mode For Joe” and the tune “Black” (Blue Note) 1966

8. Shorty Rogers “Shorty Rogers & His Giants” and the tune “Bunny” (RCA) 1953

9. Bill Evans Trio With Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh “Crosscurrents” and the tune Night and Day (Fantasy) 1978

10. Old and New Dreams “Old and New Dreams” and the tune “Guinea” (ECM) 1979

11. Jack DeJohnette “Special Edition” and the tune “Central Park West” (ECM) 1978

After a break we were treated to a demonstration of the gear used this evening by Gilles Milot the creator of the Leedh brand of speakers. Tonight was to be the first public demonstration of his E2 loudspeakers, that feature HPAB drivers with glass diaphragms, in France. Yes you read that right, glass. The speakers are €32 000 with the matching sub unit costing a further €6000. Of course it’s difficult to pass judgement in such imperfect conditions as this, but having heard the standard E2s in our home a few years ago all I can say is these are similar in presentation but just more so!

Stuart Smith