I would guess that there are many sources of recordings out there that I know of only a few. I have purchased from Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct, (both available online and by mail) as well as local stores (too bad Tower is gone). You might check out Audio Advisor, too. These places have many fine recordings for sale.

Since you read Stereophile, there already are references to good recordings there. I had bought from the Telarc, Sheffield, etc., labels. I also look at used vinyl when the opportunity arises.

I'm sure others will chime in with many more and better suggestions.

Try this
It's quite a bit different from what you normally listen to, but it will send chills down your spine.

No matter what anyone else may tell you, avoid "Jazz at the Pawn Shop" like the plague that it is.

Some fine sounding jazz:

The Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band recordings on ECM. In fact, most ECM releases sound pretty good.

William Parker Quartet - O'Neal's Porch

McCoy Tyner - New York Reunion

That should help to get you started.

What a great system you've assembled! I'd like to recommend Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson's Meant To Be (Narada, 2002).

I will try to stick to answers that are outside the usual realm of "audiophile approved."

Elis Regina..."Elis and Tom." One of the great Brazilian jazz vocal discs.

Willie Nelson..."Across the Borderline." Cover versions of some great songs as only Willie can sing them.

Ben Webster..."Gentle Ben." In print in Spain and available over the internet. Killer "cool sax" jazz.

Duke Ellington Band..."For Duke." The cut 'Satin Doll' has maybe the highest quality solo trumpet reproduction I have heard.

Johhny Clegg and Savuka..."Third World Child." The cut 'Asimbonanga (Mandela)' has a bass drum part that, on a decent system, is articulate and room filling...in a good way. The bass on this cut actually feels like it is flowing across the room at floor level.

While that area of the world is on my mind...

Hugh Masekela..."Hope." The cut 'Mandela (Bring Him Back Home!)' is PFG.

OK, time to eat. I'll try to think of more.

Here's something a little exotic and has absolutely drop dead gorgeous sound, The Splendour of Al-Andalus, music from Medieval Spain, or more specifically Arab-Andalusian Music of the 12th to the 15th centuries.

This is one of a series of purist CDs from MA Recording, this one perfromed by Eduardo Paniagua Group (but from what I can tell the same core musicians across at least 4 CDs), featuring music from (or based upon) Medieval Spain.

The liner notes mention recording in a ancient church, period instruments, 96kHz digital, microphones used (always a single stereo pair it seems), custom microphone amplifiers (Junichi Yonetani), Cardas cabling, Stax monitoring headphones, and so on.

Interesting, you are talking about classical Andalusian music. I personally prefer the turn of the century close to jazz Andalusian music played with a guitar and who came to symbolize Spanish music. That is absolutely sensational music, specially when it is played on a slow, brooding tempo without a girl jumping all over the place, Flaminco style.

I wouldn't really call it classical, closer to the Street than to the Church or Court it seems to me. However I can't really say as I'm not terrible familiar with musical culture of the era, like many (I suspect) I'm more familiar with music's relationship with society starting with the Baroque.

Some elements that make me suspect a more popular/assessible style is the liberal usage of percussion instruments, various drums, shakers and such, and the string instruments generally more plucked and strummed than bowed... elements that wouldn't seem out of place in modern day Indian and Middle Eastern musical cultures; areas in which again the demarcation between popular and formal traditions is fuzzy to me.

In any event very accessible to these ears with that yearning mysterious quality that again isn't uncommon in some modern Indian, Persian, and Arabic styles.

As I recall from the notes the composers seemed somewhat nomadic, it seems some roamed about in any case; then again even Bach moved about quite a bit through his long career so who knows?

Anyway that's the best I can do without revisiting the extensive (rather scholarly) notes.

Most albums by Sonny Rollins are good, but Now's the Time, and Way Out West are fantastic! Both in performance and sonically. Now's the Time is in fact my new "demo" LP when I have someone over to hear my new speakers. The entire album is on fire with amazing nuance, dynamics and spacial separation.

Also: Chet, by Chet Baker is great and sounds great. All of the Analogue Productions reissues sound superb to me. Check em out- you won't be disappointed, though they are pricey.

Quote:
Here's something a little exotic and has absolutely drop dead gorgeous sound, The Splendour of Al-Andalus, music from Medieval Spain,

This looks fascinating! I love early music.

Thanks

For western art music (what is popularly known as classical musical)
I would recommend almost anything from the Naxos label.
That's right , Naxos.
Great sound quality and great performances.

I am listening right now to Stravinsky symph. in C . every bit as good SQ as the so called audiophile recordings.

Naxos cd's are around 8.00 a pop. Can't go wrong.

Quote:
This looks fascinating! I love early music.

I've been sampling the CDs I have since posting and rediscovered the one that is a real standout for me for it's generally serene and mysterious atmosphere throughout:
Mudejar - Begona Olavide

Quote:
i have also acquired a couple of CDs by NAIM records. One is a live recording by antonio forcione, absolutely incredible and sounds quite detailed to me at least.

I have Naim, The HiFi Collection 3 CD which features a Antonio Forcione track. The Jazz tracks on that CD are top notch, and the sound is unbelievably good.

There is also a really wild track from Held Lampi Project which I described elsewhere as... Peter Gabriel inspired Jungle Music meets Indian Music meets the Australian Outback meets Progressive Jazz. The write up indicates I got at least one of the influences correct. I have to get that CD... what a wild cover!

Held Lampi Project puts me in mind of another really funky CD I've heard a track from (on FM) that I've been meaning to get, Breathing Under Water - Shankar and Kale. Nope not Ravi, Anoushka Shankar, his daughter... and Norah Jones' sister... Yup!, Ravi Shankar is indeed Norah Jones' father! Small world.

Grover Washington Jr's Winelight