Mastering Contributions by Osiris Studio
Mack Avenue Records | Originally released September 17, 2021
Released in celebration of the centennial of Erroll Garner’s birth, Liberation In Swing: Centennial Collection is a definitive archival statement documenting one of jazz’s most singular and joyful voices. Issued by Mack Avenue Records in collaboration with the Erroll Garner Project, the collection brings together Garner’s complete Octave Records catalog alongside newly issued and previously unreleased recordings, presented across a 12-CD Octave Remastered Series and companion formats.
Produced by Peter Lockhart and Steve Rosenthal, the Centennial Collection was newly transferred from the original analog master tapes using Plangent Processes, allowing for unprecedented pitch stability, timing accuracy, and low-level detail. From those transfers, the recordings were carefully mastered with an emphasis on musical feel, dynamic integrity, and historical authenticity.
Mastering for the collection was shared between Michael Graves (Osiris Studio) and Jessica Thompson (Jessica Thompson Audio), with each engineer responsible for distinct portions of the catalog.
Octave Remastered Series
Titles Mastered by Michael Graves (Osiris Studio)
That’s My Kick (1960)
One World Concert (1962)
Liberation In Swing (1960)
Feeling Is Believing (1960)
Close-Up In Swing (1961)
Gershwin & Kern (1964)
A Night At The Movies (1964)
In addition, Graves mastered two Centennial-era companion releases:
Sessions — A newly curated compilation of Garner originals drawn from the Octave Remastered Series, issued for the first time on vinyl
The Final Concert Cassette — Garner’s final recorded performance, captured live at Mister Kelly’s in Chicago in 1975
Titles Mastered by Jessica Thompson (Jessica Thompson Audio)
Dreamstreet (1961)
Campus Concert (1963)
A New Kind Of Love (1964)
Gemini (1964)
Up In Erroll’s Room (1965)
Magician (1966)
Thompson also mastered one of the most historically significant recordings in the collection:
Complete Symphony Hall Concert — A previously unreleased live performance recorded January 17, 1959, at Boston’s Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts
Critical Response
The Liberation In Swing: Centennial Collection was widely praised upon release for both its depth and sonic presentation:
“A revelatory deep dive into Erroll Garner’s genius — intimate, exuberant, and beautifully restored.”
— DownBeat
“The sound is astonishingly vivid. These transfers and remasters bring Garner closer than he has ever sounded on record.”
— The New York Times
“One of the most important jazz archival releases of the decade.”
— The Guardian
“A masterclass in how historical jazz recordings should be preserved and presented.”
— Pitchfork
A Centennial Statement in Sound
Spanning studio albums, live performances, orchestral sessions, and intimate trio recordings, Liberation In Swing: Centennial Collection offers a comprehensive portrait of Erroll Garner’s artistry. The use of Plangent Processes transfers, combined with meticulous mastering across the series, allows the music’s rhythmic elasticity, harmonic richness, and unmistakable swing to emerge with renewed clarity—without sacrificing the character of the original recordings.
For Osiris Studio, participation in this project reflects a broader commitment to historically informed mastering: preserving the emotional intent of the performance while presenting these recordings with the highest possible fidelity for modern listeners.
Liberation In Swing: Centennial Collection stands as both a celebration and a definitive reference point for Erroll Garner’s enduring legacy.