Belafonte - The Midnight Special

The recording of Belafonte - The Midnight Special captures a transformative moment in American music where the raw energy of the folk revival met the sophisticated production of the early sixties. This session is historically renowned for featuring the first credited performance by Bob Dylan on a major label release, as he contributed his distinctive harmonica playing to the title track. Under the direction of conductor and arranger Jimmy Jones, the album features a masterful ensemble including Joe Wilder on trumpet and Jerome Richardson on saxophone, all anchored by the intricate guitar work of Ernie Calabria and Millard Thomas. Sourced from a vintage four-track tape, this High Definition Tape Transfers release preserves the incredible spatial depth and intimacy of the original performance. Produced by Hugo Montenegro and engineered by the legendary Bob Simpson, the recording offers a three-dimensional listening experience that highlights Harry Belafonte's powerful storytelling and the vibrant synergy of the New York jazz and folk scenes, remaining a definitive cornerstone of the Belafonte discography. Artist(s): Bob Dylan on harmonica on Midnight Special Conductor, Arranged By – Jimmy Jones Bass – Norman Keenan Drums – Danny Barrajanos, Don Lamond, Percy Brice Guitar – Ernie Calabria, Millard Thomas Saxophone – Jerome Richardson Trumpet – Joe Wilder Recording Info: Recorded at Webster Hall in New York City on February 2, 1962. Engineer, Mastered By – Bob Simpson Producer – Hugo Montenegro Sourced from a 4-track tape Components used for Transfer: This transfer leverages precision analog playback and mastering-grade digital conversion. The signal path begins with a Nagra 4SJ modified with Flux Heads, fed through a Custom Tape Pre-amp designed by Victor Khomenko of Balanced Audio Technology for accurate NAB equalization. The analog signal converts via a Merging Hapi converter, synchronized to an Antelope Audio 10MX atomic clock for temporal accuracy. Software: Merging Pyramix v15. All components receive isolated power conditioning through a Shunyata Research Everest 8000 with Shunyata Sigma-X power cords, while grounding infrastructure utilizes Shunyata ALTAIRA hubs to minimize noise floor and preserve sonic detail throughout the transfer chain. 1 Midnight Special 3:55 2 Crawdad Song 3:32 3 Memphis Tennessee 4:53 4 Gotta Travel On 4:20 5 Did You Hear About Jerry? 2:52 6 On Top Of Old Smokey 5:54 7 Muleskinner 3:26 8 Makes A Long Time Man Feel Bad 5:40 9 Michael Row The Boat Ashore 3:54 Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using Merging Technologies Album Publishing. DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings Copyright © & ℗ High Definition Tape Transfers 2026, including all compilation, transfer, remastering, and restoration aspects Play Sample Tracks