What are the "Must have" LP's?

* = show off system

Jazz -

*Duke Ellington/Louie Armstromg: Recording Together for The First Time

*Coleman Hawkins encounters Ben Webster

Coleman Hawkins: Night Hawk

*Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall: 40th Anniversary Concert

Keith Jarrett: The Koln Concert

Charles Lloyd: The Water is Wide

*Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald: Porky and Bess

*Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges: Back To Back, Plays The Blues

Eva Cassidy: Live at Blues Alley

Ella Fitzgerald: Songbooks (any of them)

Blues -

Muddy Waters: Folk Singer

The Allman Bros: Live at The Filmore East (MFSL)

Keb Mo: Just Like You

John Hammond: Wicked Grin

Classical -

*Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner: Rodrigo- Concierto Aranjuez, Pepe Remero & Concierto Andaluz, Los Romeros

*Isaaac Stern 60th Anniversary Celebration with Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman and Zubin Mahta

Quartetto Italiano: Mozart Six String Quartets Dedicated To Haydn

*Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner: Vivaldi Le quattro stagioni

*Academy of Ancient Music-Christopher Hogwood:
Beethoven The Symphonies

Rock-

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

James:James

*Eric Clapton: Unplugged

*Neal Young: Harvest Moon

*Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat

*Bryan Ferry: Boys and Girls

*Leon Russel: The Best of

*Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson (MFSL)

Dave Mason: Alone Together

*The Beatles: Love Songs

Happy holiday season, everyone!

Peace on Earth!

Ross

Mike:
I agree--and have a few of those 45 RPM test pressings myself. My wife bought me the Sheharzade 45 RPM new sealed for Christmas last year. I won't tell you what she paid for it--but she knew I wouldn't buy it at that price, but I do love her for it.

If you love jazz, there are going to be no fewer than a hundred "must have" jazz LPs. Ditto for classical. The "sub-question" of what LPs do you play to show off your system raises the question: Do music lovers value sonics over great music and great performances? Unquestionably, great sonics enhance the experience. You cannot even hear Charlie Parker's gorgeous sound until he was recorded in 1952 in hi-fi by Norman Granz (listen to his interpretation Dearly Beloved on this "must-own" Norman Granz Jam Session/The Charlie Parker Sides). But there are many pre-hifidelity recordings that are far more aesthetically and emotionally involving than their modern counterparts. For instance, For Duke recorded direct to disc by Bill Berry and his Ellington All-Stars will show off your system, but I would rather listen to The Early Duke Ellington(or any Ellington recording) transcribed by Everest Records from 78s recorded in 1927. You've got the master conducting and at the piano. It's not a "must own", but it's the real deal.
I have found that at a gathering of audiophiles, there is a certain pressure to play sonically impressive recordings. But if you are playing records for musicians, it is all about the music. We know about ear fatigue when our systems are not set up properly. We have to become acquainted with another kind of fatigue when the music isn't deeply engaging. That involves listening to music that may at first not be easy to appreciate, but which, once assimilated, you cannot live without.

The LP recommendations on Arthur Salvatore's website are a very worthwhile starting point. Arthur includes detailed discussions of each of the LPs he has recommended.
http://www.high-endaudio.com/index_ac.html

THE FOLLOWING ARE FOR DEMONSTRATION USE ONLY...

CHEMICAL BROS...DIG YOUR OWN HOLE
CHRIS ISAAK...FOREVER BLUE
MASSIVE ATTACK...MEZZANINE
PINK FLOYD...DSOTM
MILES DAVIS...BIRTH OF THE COOL
SISTERS OF MERCY...FLOODLANDS
BEETHOVEN...COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS
AIR...EVERBODY HERTZ
PHOTEK...SOLARIS