Hmmm... this is a tough one. But, these are among my faves, as evidenced by my obsessive search for better sounding versions...

John Coltrane - Coltrane Jazz - Original Atlantic SD-1354 LP Stereo - Green and Blue label; 1354-2 CD (rather harsh sounding); R2 79891 Rhino reissue CD (much easier on the ears)

John Coltrane - Giant Steps - Original Atlantic 1311 LP Mono - Black label; 1311-2 CD (again, an ear bleeder); R2 75203 Rhino reissue CD (a big improvement)

Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch! Original Blue Note 4163 LP Stereo with Mono cover & Gold foil Stereo sticker - Blue & White BST 84163 label; Blue Note CDP 7 46524 2 CD (sooo painful!); Blue Note TOJC-4163 CD (Japanese - much better - a reasonable CD version of the original LP mix); Blue Note 7243 4 98793 2 4 RVG Edition CD (kinda weird sounding... like it's diffused wide Mono, but certainly more relaxed than the 1st Capitol Blue Note CD)

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um - Original Columbia LP Mono - 6 Eye label; Classic Records Reissue Stereo - 6 Eye Red White Black label; Columbia/Legacy CK 65512 CD (part of the Complete 1959 Sessions box set)

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus - Original Prestige 7079 LP Mono - NY label (inscribed on front to me by Rollins, Flanagan, Roach); Original Prestige 7079 LP Mono - NY label (inscribed on back to me by Rollins); Original Prestige 7079 LP Mono - NJ label; DCC LPZ-2008 LP reissue; DCC GZS-1082 Gold CD reissue; Victor VICJ-2068 CD (20 bit K2 remaster); XRCD VICJ-60158 CD; XRCD JVCXR-0221-2 CD (made from new glass master)

Sonny Rollins - Way Out West - Original Contemporary C 3530 LP Mono (signed on back by Rollins); Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFCD 801 CD; Analogue Productions CAPJS 008 CD (Gold CD reissue remastered by Doug Sax); Analogue Productions CAPJG 008 CD (Gold CD reissue remastered by Bernie Grundman - a bit bright for my taste); XRCD VICJ-60088 CD; XRCD24 VICJ-61040 CD

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out - Original Columbia CS 8192 LP Stereo - White label 6 Eye promo with very 1st printing cover (no number in lower right corner and thinner typography on Time Out in upper left of back cover); Original Columbia CS 8192 LP Stereo - 6 Eye Red White Black label (1st commercial printing with 1 in lower right of back cover with thicker Time Out type that was obviously photographed from the earlier version); Columbia CS 8192 LP Stereo - 2 Eye Red White Black label (orange type on front cover - signed by Brubeck); Classic Records Reissue Stereo - 6 Eye Red White Black label (1st commercial printing with 1 in lower right of back cover and thick type); Columbia Master Sound Gold CD CK 52860 CD; Columbia/Legacy CK 65122 CD (HDCD reissue, though not indicated as such)

I've also got CD box sets that collect these albums with different masterings and later LP pressings of varying quality. It's interesting to hear the various incarnations of these albums. I find myself returning to the Doug Sax version of Way Out West quite often. Sometimes I find the XRCDs a tad bright depending on which of my systems I play them on, but, generally the clarity and transparency impresses me.

I was just wondering if perhaps since it's now January and the start of a new year and the end of old one, that perhaps we should limit our "favorite Jazz Release(s)" to those of 2005? These all time lists just seem to repeat the same 10 to 20 top recordings which can often be found via a quick search of most decent jazz web sites.

This is just food of thought and in no way meant to spoil the party, just an idea to maybe help liven things up a bit. I'll post a new thread tonight with my top jazz picks for 2005 and no, they are not all free jazz releases.

Sorry I wasn't being esoteric or modern enough; I'll report back with something less pedestrian and newer if something comes to mind.

Jeff,

I'm sorry but I guess it does bear repeating, I don't mean to spoil the party but rather to enliven it. Your selections are all first rate and are all on my rather short list of all time jazz greatest hits. It's just a case of "been there, done that". Please do continue and as I said I'll just start that other thread tonight.

I understand where you're coming from, and I think you're right in terms of trying to open new doors. Perhaps, I was being overly sensitive because I spent some time to list various pressings with catalogue numbers and a few notes to invite some interaction regarding the quality of sound available on these discs many of us love. I was hoping to share knowledge about the preferable versions in or out of print. But, simply starting a new thread, "Best of 2005" didn't really require your somewhat dismissive post with its "been there, done that" tone. My apologies for getting ruffled.

I guess we're both just a little too sensitive

But what I would really like to know is just what kind of headphone rig do you listen to to get your head to pulse like that? I've tried many different combinations of wines, bourbons, vodkas, and other substances mixed with the wildest of free jazz and all I ended up with was some very, very serious throbbing on the inside (the next morning, of course) - but never anything like the that nice head bob you've got going. Although, I must say that the room has done some very strange twisting and turning on occasion.

Jazzfan:

That's not Jeff's headphone rig doing that, it's his collector's mentality. His head pulses like that because he's wondering if his white-label promo pressing has the same stamper matrices as the one you wrote so glowingly about -- and if the fact that his cover doesn't have the label number on the bottom means that it's a never before discussed record club pressing.

Of course, I might be wrong, since I've never been to Jeff's and seen him in his headphone rig (he claims there are housekeeping issues, but he's seen my place, so I find that hard to buy).

Myself, I'd mirror a lot of Jeff's choices, your avatar disc, and many of the usual suspects, but I'll also toss out a few unusual titles:

Jimmy Giuffre Three (Jim Hall!)
Bossa Antigua by the Paul Desmond Quartet (Jim Hall!)
Thirteen Pictures: The Charles Mingus Anthology (I have many favorite Mingus discs, but if you don't know Mingus, this two disc compilation is the best introduction I can think of.)
Iron Man by Eric Dolphy (Some folks call this minor Dolphy, but I love, love, love the version of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" for its exuberence.)
The Eric Dolphy Memorial Album
The Booker Little Memorial Album
Clifford Brown & Max Roach

That's off the top of my head.

LOL - Okay, okay! I'll try to tidy up (monumental task, but, this'll give me some extra motivation) and have you over. Your place is a germ free, dust free, "clean room" by comparison. I'd love to show you all my books and assorted goodies - and of course have you listen to some tunes (by the way, I was spinning Disc 1 of PCO - A History last night and was amazed by the transparency and the way it got my foot tapping - I'd dare to say it sounds far more open than the original Special OBS7 LP pressing - I love it!)

My avatar is actually an homage/parody of a Head-Fi member's who has a hamster bopping to music on a Grace 901 and Sony MDR-R10s:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/member.php?u=8266

I figured I'd show myself with Sennheiser 650s (with Equinox cable) listening to a Grace m902.

Quote:
(by the way, I was spinning Disc 1 of PCO - A History last night and was amazed by the transparency and the way it got my foot tapping - I'd dare to say it sounds far more open than the original Special OBS7 LP pressing - I love it!)

Okay, I give up. Who or What is PCO? And just what pressing were you listening to? By the way, you guys are starting to sound like Mike Fremer, and that's not meant as a compliment

Quote:

Quote:
(by the way, I was spinning Disc 1 of PCO - A History last night and was amazed by the transparency and the way it got my foot tapping - I'd dare to say it sounds far more open than the original Special OBS7 LP pressing - I love it!)

Okay, I give up. Who or What is PCO? And just what pressing were you listening to? By the way, you guys are starting to sound like Mike Fremer, and that's not meant as a compliment

Oh man... I had a feeling I was in danger of suffering from Mikey-ism - anyway, PCO is the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and the set in question is one of Wes' R2D4 choices in the February 2006 Stereophile, and a wonderful gift from him (and SWMBO.)

I gave Jeff the four CD set of The Penguin Cafe Orchestra: A History for KwanzMasAka. (He gave me a bunch of autographed limited edition Terry Pratchett books, so he takes that one on points.)

The sad part is that Mikey is right and that pressing/stamper numbers matter, but you're right, too, there be dragons over there. If you enjoy the hunt, as Jeff and Mikey do, seeking those better pressings can be a pleasant part of the madness. However, it would be completely insane to pass up the Rhino Mingus CD anthology simply because you might one day run across a first pressing of The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady.

BTW, now that I have received my February Stereophile (and I always get mine late), I'm not letting any cats out of the bag when I say that the PCO A History was one of my R2D4s.

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By the way, you guys are starting to sound like Mike Fremer, and that's not meant as a compliment

LMAO

RG

I really like this one: Flamingo, by Trevor Whiting. He's a young(ish, these days) clarinetist and saxophonist who shines on this recording.

Here's a review.

Terry

These are all on CD, I am buying up vinyl records of my favorites, it just took me a while to save the cash for a turntable what with building a new recording studio...

Ron Carter, Jim Hall - Alone Together
Grant Green - Green Street
Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue
Wes Montgomery - Full House
Sam Rivers - Fuschia Swing Song
Jimmy Smith - Root Down Live

Sam Rivers - Fuschia Swing Song (Wish I could make the highlight color match the title) Now that's what I call a classic.

Sam Rivers on tenor with fellow Bostonian Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums, all recorded by the great Rudy Van Gelder, long before he lost his touch.

I imagine the vinyl will be rather hard to find and you'll have to pay dearly for it once you do locate a copy. I believe that back in the 1970's Blue Note may have reissued Fuschia Swing Song as part of a twofer - as part of that series they did which featured plain, light brown covers. I don't know the quality of the pressings or the masterings but I do know that it was not digital so it can't be half bad.

Grant Green's Idle Moments, Born to be Blue, Quartets with Sonny Clark, Feelin' the Spirit, Matador and Solid

Dexter Gordon's Go and A Swingin' Affair

Gerald Wilson's In My Time

Bill Holman's Brilliant Corners

Monk & Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

Woody Shaw's Rosewood, Stepping Stones and In Your Own Sweet Way

Mingus Big Band's Live In Time

Anything by David Murray with John Hicks on piano

Anything with Pepper Adams on baritone

Anything by Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band

The Solid State/Mosaic/Blue Note Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra recordings

Live recordings of Wes Montgomery in Paris with Harold Mabern on piano and Johnny Griffin guesting on several tracks. Last released on Definitive Records

Glenn Wilson's One Man's Blues on Sunnyside

Some votes for my home boys & girls:

David Hazeltine's Venus tributes to Bill Evans and his Classic Trio recordings on Sharp Nine

Brian Lynch's Tribute to the Trumpet Masters on Sharp Nine

Lynne Arriale's TCB recordings

Hard to stop. Its not my fault the record comapnies are hurting!

Andy

Thanks for taking the time to thank me... I'm glad I took the time to list the various pressings and notes for someone who's appreciative - it made it worth the effort.

Couldn't resist this thread.

As an avid Ellington fan, I'll suggest Duke's album "Indigos." Wonderful, mellow, late-night jazz. The mono LP is worth owning because it has two alternate takes and a bonus track not included on the stereo LP or CD.

Another perfect mellow album is is "A Morning In Paris" by Sathima Bea Benjamin. Ellington produced this album and plays piano on two tracks.

Another favorite is the John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman album. Masterful.

These are all mellow albums. Maybe I'll post more when I'm in an up-tempo mood.

If you like Ellington, you might be interested in visiting my website "A Duke Ellington Panorama" at depanorama.net

Anything by Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster...