Higher resolution Jazz

Elizabeth,

Sorry -- but "all of the 50s" was not mono. There was a lot of stereo in the 50s.

Pity that "Jazz at the Pawnshop" performance turned out like grandma's jello mold.Arne Domnerus (alto saxophone) and Bengt Hallberg (piano) are so much better than that recording portrays. Both were leading lights of Swedish Jazz since the 50's.Domnerus(d.2008) was an exceptional player with a distinctive sound and Hallberg (d.2013) was a true world class pianist.
Both were firmly rooted in the Bop tradition and as they became older they leaned more to a refined,mainstream formula.
Sadly,they WILL be judged by this one performance that says nothing about a distinctive and unusual approach to Jazz and improvisation that is based on the Swedish "Folksong" tradition, and can be heard on many of their other recordings and other recordings by Swedish artists.
What truly sets these musicians apart from most other international Jazz artists is their ability to integrate the haunting and forlorn quality of much of this Swedish music and base their compositions around these distinct melodies.Baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin may be the best example with his "Danny's Dream" for metronome Records in the 1950's.This performance was filled with great emotion, austerity and a profound detachment that merges with the visual images of Bergman's "Seventh Seal" from the same period.Like American Jazz,it defines a national Art experience,and a story of a time and a place.
OK,Back to higher resolution Jazz,and better than that,back to Mono.

It's not hard to play 78 rpm records. Just pick up any old ceramic cart table with 78 rpm speed and reversible stylus for 78s and connect to any line level input. No phono pre needed. They'll sound better than ever on your shiny modern system. Lots of unique rare gems to sample. I convert mine to digital up front and play off my music server from there. Try it you'll like it. Oh and welcome back Liz.

It is hard to lump a whole label like ECM together. There is a lot of great interplay, and great musicianship over the years. Some may not be what you favor, but thats music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4h2olRjb0Y

Another nice sounding label is CrissCross.

Apologies to OP for not catching his older music part of the question. Never mind!