"Footloose & Fancy Free" - Bill Bruford's Earthworks.
Stunning jazz performance, excellent sonics and production. Got five stars from Downbeat magazine, to boot.
"At Montreux Jazz Festival" - Bill Evans Trio
The 1968 performance w/ Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette. Gorgeous work from Evans. "Montreux II" recorded in 1970 (w/ a different drummer) is also a must have, IMHO.
"All Night Wrong" - Allan Holdsworth.
Jaw dropping (and rare) live work from the guitar master, recorded in an intimate Tokyo club, only marred by Chad Wackerman's drums being a tad too out front in the mix.
"At Folsom Prison" - Johnny Cash
Possibly the Man in Black's finest hour. 'Nuff said.
"The Koln Concert" - Keith Jarrett
Reaching for musical transcendence. Some don't like Jarrett's occasional moaning, but his slowly developing, constantly mutating beauty is stunning on any number of levels.
