Pristine Jazz

Any of the 180 gr classic jazz LPs available from the Acoustic Sounds or Music Direct catalogs sound absolutely pristine, deep and rich and fabulous! I have been purchasing 7-8 a year for several years, trying to get them all I guess. My favorites have been the various "Speakers Corner" LPs that you find in those catalogs. Those recordings are absolutely the quietest. But any of the 180 gram LPs offered by these outfits are quiet. I have purchased titles by Gene Ammons (Boss Tenor is one I can think of), Cannonball Adderley, Ella and Louis, Art Pepper, Wes Montgomery, Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Bill Evans (many), Shelley Manne, Chet Baker, Sonny Rollins, and others I can't think of right now.

Usually anything recorded on the Blue Note label is excellent sonically.

Blue Note, excellent? Some, maybe, but not cutting edge. Pristine, is what I'm after. Sc53--I'm looking for CDs here. Keep 'em coming. I know I'll get some killer stuff from your posts.

Brubeck on sony SACD outstanding.Try mapleshade record fantastic quality recording, you can find them on the net.The jazz artists are not the classic but are pretty good.

Warrenh, I cannot recommend the recordings of James Carter highly enough. Incredible sound AND performance. For starters, try 'Chasin' the Gypsy' or 'Jurassic Classics', the former a tribute to Django Reinhardt, the latter a tribute to several of the giants, including classics by Coltrane, Monk, and Ellington/Strayhorn (Carter's version of "Take the 'A' Train" will pin your ears back).

Speaking of giants, how about Sonny Rollins' 'Silver City' or Ornette Coleman's Atlantic box released just a few years ago by Rhino entitled 'Beauty is a Rare Thing'. Although the recordings are several decades old, they sound pretty 'pristine' to me. If you have the least bit of interest in free jazz, these are essential.

I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions on newer artists. Among things I've bought lately, I especially like David Sanchez' 'Melaza' (on Columbia) and Joe Lovano's 'Flights of Fancy' (on Blue Note). Both CDs sound terrific.

I'm looking forward to others' suggestions. If we're lucky, maybe Sdcampbell will chime in. He is our resident jazz scholar and his suggestions are always spot on.

Sc53's suggestion is excellent. The best recording I have of anything is Monk's Riverside Tenor Sessions, which I bought at Acoustic Sounds. I think it's also available on CD--the vinyl is just impossibly good.

Happy Hunting--