"Belly of the Sun" - Cassandra Wilson is good.
However these two will always be a part of my listening preferences:
"Homage to Duke" - Dave Grusin
"The Gershwin Connection" Dave Grusin
And surprisingly I really enjoy (well recorded) Willie Nelson's album "Across the Borderline"
I'm NOT a country fan. |
Stacey Kent - although I prefer the music on "Let Yourself Go," the recording of "Dreamsville" is just gorgeous. |
Here is one more. This is not a reference quality recording sonically, but it is very, very good even by today's standards.
"Alexandria the Great" Lorez Alexandria
This is a reissue of a recording originally done in the 60's, I believe, by a relatively unknown jazz singer.
She has a wonderful voice which is clear and sweet, but doesn't lack for jazz phrasing like some of the current top selling female vocalists of today. I heard this CD in the record store over their sound system and I knew that I had to get it. I wondered who is this woman and why I never had ever heard of her before. In my opinion, she ought to rank in the top 10 jazz singers of the last 50 years, based on her performance on this CD alone. As I indicated, the CD is not reference sonic quality by today's standard, but very, very good. |
Here are several which I have recently come across. All are great performances and all have absolutely stunnnig sonics.
!. "Dear Ella" Dee Dee Bridgewater
2. "Live at Yoshi's" Dee Dee Bridgewater
3. "This is New" Dee Dee Bridgewater
4. "85 Candles" Marian McPartland and many others including
Norah Jones
Not a whole lot of vocals on the Marian McPartland double CD except for maybe 4 cuts, but the sound on this CD is
stunning. I took it to the New York HiFi show and used it as an audition disc many times. In many rooms where I had it played, people were copying down the name of the disc.
DeeDee Bridgewater CD's also have stunning sonics, better than a number of the earlier selections listed above.. I
would second the Patricia Barber CD Cafe Blue listed
above as having indisputably superb sonics and would say that I have never heard a badly recorded Diana Krall CD, but insofar as the singing capability of the artists involved, DeeDee is on another level. |
It has been two years. Hope you found some by now....not a peep from you.... |
Here are some recommendations based on superior music and sound:
James Carter - Chasing the Gypsy
Masada - Live in Seville
Steve Turre - In the Spur of the Moment
Abbey Lincoln - Gotta Pay the Band
Stan Getz - Bossa and Ballads
Mario Bauza - Tanga Suite |
All jazz CD's from Telarc |
If you want one to test your system's ability to reproduce acoustic bass, check out Mulgrew Miller Live at Yoshi's (Vol. 2). |
Anything by Patricia Barber. Start with Cafe Blue. |
I concur with Redwoodzz....Jane Monheit is definitely worth checking out. She has a great DVD out too. |
Dave's True Story on Chesky - Jazz
Anonymous 4 - Classical
Maria Muldaur on Telarc - Blues, but old style jazzy |
Shirley Horn - "You Won't Forget Me"
The fabulous quality of both the recording and the performance, makes this an ideal reference CD. |
Listen to Slipknot1...he's dead on with his recommendations.
Of those I would suggest that you start with Eva's "Live At Blues Alley" and Patricia Barber's "Modern Cool." The latter is amongst the very best recorded of all my CDs, and I have the redbook version as opposed to the SACD. Waltersalas is right about Cassandra Wilson, too. I would recommend "New Moon Daughter" as a first choice. The Josh Groban CD is gorgeous, but for his singing as opposed to the recorded quality, which I would give a B or B- at best. But do get it. Another lovely voice recording is Jennifer Warnes' "Famous Blue Raincoat"...strong in both performance and sound. For classical try Orff's "Carmina Burana" on Telarc. It's an aural feast. |
You should check out Jane Monhiet. Amazing voice. Easy on the eyes as well. |
You must listen to "Josh Groben", absolute, must have CD from Reprise Records Warner Music Group. Let me know what you think? |
For vocal jazz, I would add the different, yet excellent disc by Susanne Abbuehl entitled "April" on the ECM label. Interesting selection of well-recorded tunes by a singer with a stunningly pure alto voice. Very nice.
Also on ECM, any of the last few discs by the Dave Holland Quintet, really great music performed by excellent musicians. Great recording quality.
Hmmm, I seem to be fixated on the ECM label, 'cause I would also recommend Keith Jarrett for piano-based jazz, either solo or his 'standards' trio with Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock. The ECM label has a reputation for paying attention to the sound quality of its recordings. |
Concur with the suggestions above, and would also add some of Diana Krall's CDs, such as "Steppin' Out" and "The Look of Love". Some great turn-out-the-lights-and-u-r-there whisky sippin' music. |
Eva Cassidy - "Live At Blues Alley"
Herb Alpert - "Midnight Sun" (I'm not kidding on this one. Stunning sonics)
Bill Evans Trio - "Waltz for Debbie", "Sunday At The Village Vangard"
Sonny Rollins - Remasters of "Saxaphone Colossus", "Way Out West"
Art Pepper - "Meets The Rythmn Section"
Miles Davis - Soundtrack from "Finding Foresster" (Mostly Miles, but other artists as well)
Patricia Barber - "Cafe Blue", "Companion", "Modern Cool", "Verse" |
Cassandra Wilson, any of them. Great voice, amazing sonics.
|
Ella, Doug McCleoud, Sam McClain on XRCD. I could go on and on, but you've got other audiophools for that. Check these babies out. It's a humble start. There's oodles out there. Plenty of stuff in the archives. Here we go again. We've done this thread, adnauseam. But, hey: we're audiophools. That's what we (I) do. peace, warren |
