Collaborations

Wrensilva Presents, Volume 1: Blue Note Selections with Don Was

From an early age,Don Wasaspired to be part of the iconic Blue Note jazz scenes of the late 1930s and beyond. The artists dressed in hip suits wore dark black sunglasses and played exceptionally innovative music that altered the entire genre. Their sought-after records were similarly cloaked in compelling album artwork that combined candid photography of recording sessions with musically inspired graphic design, instantly recognizable by their vibrant duotone portraits.

Don Was discussing Blue Train by John Coltrane at our LA Listening Studio.

Immersing himself in the stark band photos of the record jacket, Don started out withBlue Trainby John Coltrane (Tone Poet edition), the first record included in Wrensilva Presents: Blue Note Selections. Coltrane’s ingenious jazz style is a landmark in the genre, and this album in particular lives high on the summit of his artistic achievements. But the music isn’t the only iconic aspect of the album. The famous duotone portrait is also integral to the album’s legacy. The backside of the record jacket even has a detailed write-up on Coltrane that calls his style a “probing into things far off, unknown and mysterious.”The stylus slid smoothly into the groove of the opening track, “Blue Train,” and Coltrane’s coolly captivating melody resounded with the familiar emotional impact of wistfulness and optimism. Talking with Wrensilva co-founder Scott Salyer, Don broke down the album in his
own words.

Don Was talks about the significance of the record Madlib Shades
of Blue.

“He’s such a brilliant texturalist. I’d say it’s almost like going from Rembrandt to Cézanne. He’s an impressionist.”Don Was

“If people open up and allow these three albums into their lives, their lives are going to be better.”

Don Was talks about Norah Jones’ Little Broken Hearts album.

The final record in this exclusive box set isLittle Broken Heartsby Norah Jones.The first track’s opening lyrics, “Good morning / My thoughts on leaving are back on the table,” set up the emotionally tense story that begins unfolding — all sung through Jones’ signature soulful voice that has the fine grittiness of smoke and the smooth delicacy of silk.

We collaborated with Don Was — multi-Grammy-winning producer and President ofBlue Note Records— to curate a special limited edition vinyl box set that spans multiple decades of Blue Notes’ artistic explorations. Wrensilva Presents, Volume 1: Blue Note Selections includes three innovative records that stand the test of time. Don’s involvement, and the distinct combination of records, make it a truly unique collection.These records contain visually captivating album artwork (which are stories in themselves) and iconic tracklists that are ideal for your first needle drop on a Wrensilva. The best way to celebrate the next generation Wrensilva Console Collection and Blue Notes’ 85th anniversary is by sharing the music we love.

The newly reimagined Wrensilva M1 in Tobacco Walnut spins a Blue Note record. The three chosen albums can be seen directly above.

These legendary records are masterpieces of Blue Note Records’ iconic legacy. Spanning diverse genres and artistic endeavors, each one takes you to a different place in time and emotion. It’s a specially curated listening experience meant to make your first needle drop — and the many spins afterwards — unforgettable. If you’re delving into HiFi sound, we want you to have iconic records for the journey, so Wrensilva Presents: Blue Note Selections will be included with every new console order. 

When asked what he would want people to take away from these albums, Don said that “if people open up and allow these three albums into their lives, their lives are going to be better. They’re going to get a rich experience that will really make them feel better. Three very different experiences, but each equally evocative and communicative.”After choosing the three records for our collaborative box set, Don leaned intothe sound of the Wrensilva consoleitself. “I really like the sound,” Don expressed, as he sat criss-cross beside the console. “It’s not hyping any frequencies. It’s very honest. I could trust this. If this was in my living room, I could go home and play the mixes from the studio and trust what I was hearing — which is a very big deal because you can’t always. When I sat down in front of the speakers like that, I enjoyed listening to music. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be an experience. It’s not work. It’s a magic
carpet ride.”

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