Best sounding LP nobody else has ever heard of...


I've been off the 'Gon for quite some time due to fatherhood, and was just perusing old threads. I came across "dissapointing audiophile recording" which got me thinking - by far some of the best LP's in my collection (sonically and performance-wise) are NOT the so-called audiophile issues, but just the opposite, they're ones that are never mentioned anywhere. It's often a complete surprise, and sometimes I know within 10 or 20 seconds of dropping the needle that I've got a really special one. So we're not looking for Jennifer Warnes, Pink Floyd, or even Strunz and Farah here... I'm travelling in Asia for 3 weeks, so I can't list mine very accurately by memory, but I will when I return if this thread picks up any steam.
opalchip
Hi - Thanks for the responses so far. Here's a few I recall right off the bat. I'll also try to stick to titles that can actually be found with a little searching. Here's a few to start:

Harold Gomberg w/ Seiji Ozawa - "The Baroque Oboe" - Even if you don't like Baroque or Oboe and hate Ozawa this is a must have! Columbia (2 eye I believe).

Liv Glaser (Pianist) - Grieg: 15 Favorite Lyric Pieces, Victrola vics 1465 (I think). Beautiful playing, wonderful compositions and excellent recording - though not a "WoW factor" type of audio.

Joe Sample and David T. Walker - "Swing Street Cafe" 1981 MCA/Crusaders records. Fun music, powerful sonics.

Ry Cooder - "JAZZ" Warner Bros. 1978 Also fun music, great recording - imaging is superb. Link here:
http://www.rylanders.free-online.co.uk/RySite/RyPages/Jazz.html

I'll post more as I think of them.
Can't say no one else has heard of this band...but I do enjoy my original LP of the Greg Kihn Band "Kihntinued".
Here's a couple more:

The Falla Guitar Trio - "Music for 3 Guitars", Concord 1986 - Excellent realistic recording of 3 acoustic guitars with a live presence, perfect imaging, and fantastic material performed flawlessly. Similar to the Liv Glaser, it's not a knock your socks off type, though. Not as closely miked or as percussive as the Strunz and Farah "Misterio", but I prefer this one anyday because the music is more substantive - not just an audiophile "vehicle".
Also note - they have another lp called "Virtuoso Music for 3 Guitars", which I don't consider quite as good.

Jun Fukamachi - "At Steinway". Toshiba Pro-Use Direct Cutting Japan - This is the most dynamic piano recording I've heard. Try playing the Chopin: Nocturne in E Flat Major and then put on the famous, TAS listed, Ikuyo Kamiya lp. The Kamiya will sound absolutely dull by comparison.
The other material besides the Chopin is a little sub-par, but the playing is superb and this a true Demo Quality Disc.

More to come... probably tomorrow. I'm travelling in China right now so can only post when I get some "downtime".

Keep up the suggestions, I'd love to try out some of those mentioned already.
Here's another vote for The Blue Nile. I've got their first two albums on Linn Records, and they both sound fantastic. ("A Walk Across the Rooftops" is the debut, and "Hats," which I think is a nearly perfect record from start to finish, is their second.) They've got two more discs, but those are the ones I'll stress in this particular thread. (Another night, I'll write about the time in 1996 when I got to see them in a rare performance in these United States.)
Eastern Sounds- Yusef Lateef on Moodsville MVST-22 1961
(or Prestige or Prestige/OJC or TransAtlantic)

Jazz Party -Duke Ellington on MONO Columbia CL 1323 1959
six eye (not the Classic stereo remaster which pales by comparison)

Steve Miller -Born to Be Blue on Capitol/EMI C1 48303 1988

and the list goes on and on.

Happy (little known, mass market release) Listening!