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Best "Village Vanguard" or "Blue Note" recording

Many of the great jazz artists seem to have recorded an album at either the Village Vanguard or the Blue Note at some point in their careers, which leads me to the following question: which of the albums recorded at these venues would you rank as the greatest and why?

Some followup possibilities: Do you think playing at one of these venues affects the nature of the artist's performance? i.e., do shows at these venues cause artists to take more risks? play more popular songs? elevate their playing?

Finally, if you have attended shows at both venues, which was your favorite and why?
swingman
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sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
As you note, there have been a lot of great recordings of jazz performances at the Village Vanguard. The Vanguard is almost a one-of-a-kind club -- small, intimate, and the walls seem permeated by the spirits of all the great performers who have appeared there.

Three of my favorite live recordings at the Vanguard include the Bill Evans Trio (Saturday and Sunday sessions, 1961, with bassist Scott LaFaro); Sonny Rollins; and Art Pepper sessions recorded for Galaxy Records (in 1978, I think).
travis's avatar
travis
239 posts
 
I'd have to say Sonny Rollins '57. It LEAPS off the vinyl. And, yes, I heard the Thad/Mel Big Band there in the late 60's. I levitated. They have a live album from the V.V.. Find it if you can and it's stereo to boot.
gboren
143 posts
 
Check out Eric Dolphy "Out to Lunch" - WOW!!!
sek
105 posts
 
My favorite Village Vanguard recording is, without a doubt, John Coltrane's 3-night appearance recorded by Impulse in 1961 and most recently available in a box set. I have an earlier Japanese release spread over 5 CDs.

Trane, Dolphy, and the rest of the varied ensembles created beautiful music those nights that still offers fresh insights after over 3 decades of listening.
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Bill Evans: The Final Village Vanguard Sessions June, 1980.

This is on Mosiac (LP) MQ10-171, and in my opinion represents the finest performance of Bill Evans career.

The passing of Bill Evans on September 15, 1980 was a sad day for me. While listening to this performance I wonder if he somehow knew this was his last chance at creative and sonic perfection. Regardless of state of mind, he achieved both.
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unsound
7,329 posts
 
Viridian, I'm still kicking myself for missing those very shows. AGGGHHH!
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travis
239 posts
 
Yeah, in Houston, I saw Roland before and after. Awesome, in this case, is not an overworked word.
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