Pristine Jazz

Alot of good recommendations so far. If you're into trying some less mainstream but still amazingly well recorded discs, here a few that you might like :

Michael Wintsch/W-H-O, or Trilogy
Rich Halley/Coyotes in the City
Glen Moore/Nude Bass Ascending
Christoph Marguet Trio/Resistance Poetique
Jean Derome/Carnets de Voyage or Navre
Erik Friedlander/Topaz
Jerry Granelli/Another Place
Lucky Four/Lucky Four
Marty Erlich-Ben Goldberg/Light at the Crossroads
Alain Brunet/Dominus
Claudio Pontiggia/Espoir
Kamikaze Ground Crew/The Senic Route
Joey Baron/Crackshot
Eric Boeren 4tet/Joy of a Toy
Nils Wogram/Speed Life
X-Legged Sally/Slow Up
Umberto Petrin/Ellissi
Jim Black/Alasnoaxis
White Widow/White Widow

Hi, Warren:

There are a lot of good suggestions above, so I will add only more idea in response to your desire for jazz recordings that also offer top audio quality. There is a new Japanese-based label named "Eighty-Eights", which is owned and operated by Yasohachi Itoh, who was the guy that owned the East Wind label that did some stellar audiophile, D-to-D jazz recordings in the late 1970's. Itoh has already released a group of about 10 recordings by some of the best musicians in jazz, such as Max Roach, Clark Terry, etc.

The releases on the "Eighty-Eights" label of available (in most cases) on LP, CD, and SACD. The master tapes for the recordings are made with all-tube gear and taped at 30" ips, with lacquers cut direct from the master tape and the digital versions mastered with DSD.

I recently bought the release titled "Friendship", featuring Max Roach and Clark Terry, and can attest that the audio quality of this album is top-notch. Whether you will enjoy all of the music, however, is a matter of taste. I like and admire both Roach and Terry, but there are a few of their duets on the LP that don't quite engage me fully. About 1/3 of the tunes feature Roach and Terry in a quartet setting, with Don Friedman on piano, and Marcus McLaurine on bass. To my ear, the quartet numbers are more successful musically, but maybe that's just my taste...

Anyway, if you are interested in hearing good jazz that is very well recorded, I suggest you at least look at the releases on "Eighty-Eights". Acoustic Sounds is now the distributor for the label, and the label has a very nice Web site that you can access at:
http://www.village-records.com/88/e/

I thank you all. I don't know where to begin, but I'm on it. Lots of good stuff to check out. peace, warren

Don't let me stop you. If you got...keep 'em coming.