What's your latest "Discovery"

Recently I decided to pig out and get every Walker Brothers/Scott Walker (solo through early 70's) import reissue CD that I didn't already own on original vinyl, rendering my compilation CD redundant and filling in all the previously missing album cuts and bonus-track single-only sides. An acquired taste maybe, and perhaps a little excessive indulgence even for those who have it, but like eating potato chips once you've gotten hooked. If you can tolerate deep and exagerated male vocal stylings, and enjoy overblown Spector-ish pop consisting mainly of heavily orchestrated ballads, lyrics that wallow in pathos, and that big British studio 60's sound - and think every time you happen to catch "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" on oldies radio that it beats the hell out any Righteous Brothers you've ever heard - there's lots available now.

Old "Pre-Stax" Staple Singers.

Bochherini.

Dorothy Love Coates.

Chess' Boxed set of Muddy Waters.

Big Maybelle Smith, "The Complete Okeh Sessions."

Bill Charlap trio "Stardust", playing the music of Hoagy Carmichael. The CD also features special guests Tony Bennett, Shirley Horn, Jim Hall, and Frank Wess. Tracks 1, 2 (Bennett), and 10 (Horn), have now made this a test CD for me. An aside... has anyone else has ever noticed how well Shirley Horn's voice, on any of her own albums too, reveals the strengths and weaknesses of a system.

I've been listening to The Cottars-"Made in Cape Breton" a lot and am getting into Ami DiFranco-"Evolve". She is an acquired taste but this cd is growing on me. Sean, thanks for the heads up on the New Jonny Cash. I'll have to check that out.

My niece's husband just bought a Jazz trio CD for me called Meanwhile by John Fremgen. It is a great performance and the recording quality is first rate also. Fremgen plays upright bass, with Peter Erskine on Drums and Mitch Watkins on guitar. This is on Viewpoint records. You will probably have to get it off viewpointrecords.com but it is well worth it. John Fremgen is a student of Brian Bromberg (also a great bassist), Mitch Watkins guitar tone is sooo pure it is erie, and you all know how great Peter Erskine's drumming is. It is recorded by Jack Rock at a small studio in Austin, TX. and he really did a great job with it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I am going to check out more recordings on this label, as they seem to really be into recording quality artists,and taking the time to do it right.