List some of your favorite live Jazz recordings

I forgot a fourth, but a great fourth: "Norman Granz' 'Jazz At The Philharmonic' Hartford 1953"

@Jwei

A while back I thought I would buy another CD as a back up for the one I have already  I found one on ebay for $300!! The song Misty is on my CD and I love the way they perform that song  My son was considering a stereo rig after he heard this vid I made of one of the songs from the CD

https://youtu.be/WmHjTmDRO88

Here’s mine. Mostly fusion and avant-garde.

Don’t get me wrong, I love most of the post-bop recordings most of you are listing, too. I just didn’t want to be redundant listing them again.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Between Nothingness and Eternity (1973)

The Art Ensemble of Chicago - Urban Bushman (1980)

Allan Holdsworth - I.O.U. Live (1997)

Pharaoh Sanders - Live... (1982)

Anthony Braxton - Quartet Santa Cruz (1993)

Weather Report - 8:30

Jean Luc Ponty - Live (1979)

Oregon - Live at Yoshi’s (2002)

Steve Coleman and the Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard I and II (2018)

Cecil Taylor - Live in Bologna (1987)

Keith Jarrett - Koln Concerts

Ralph Towner - Solo Concert (1980)

Tim Berne / Science Friction - Sublime and Science Friction Live (2003)

Pekka Pohjola Heavy Jazz - Live Helsinki and Tokyo (1995)

@jrwaudio 

Nice video!

The instruments used and the performances must have provided an awesome demonstration of high end sound.

Most threads on Agon make me wish there was a block button available.  This one makes me wish there was a like button!  Some many albums to revisit and more importantly, so many to experience for the first time!  Thanks to everyone who has and will contribute to this!  

if it weren't for the dreadful sonics, the '38 benny goodman allstar jazz concert at carnegie hall would be top of the list. it was hearing that recording that made me get involved with digital audio restoration in the first place!

@simonmoon

Thanks for your list !

Can you tell Post Bop is my favorite sub-genre ? ;o)

The Mahavishnu O. box set contains a second disc of previously-unreleased tunes from the same gig as "Between Nothingness and Eternity".

"Oregon -- 1974" is an excellent 2 disc set from a European tour. I was fortunate to see them in the late 70’s and it remains one of my favorite shows of all I’ve attended.

@scowler1 

I saw Les in 1975. That guy was extremely charismatic -- he could really work a crowd. He took us all to church, skillfully merging so-called "sacred" and "profane" elements together so that you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. All you knew was it sure felt good!  

Larry Coryell - Fairyland

The Crusaders - "Scratch"

George Benson - "Weekend in L.A."

Various Artists - "Hommage à Nesuhi Vol. 3  Live"

Joe Williams - "Every Night (Live At Vine St.)"

The Rat Pack - "Live At The Sands"

John Coltrane - "Live In Japan"

Dave Brubeck - "We're All Together Again For  The First Time"

Cannonball Adderly - "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!"   (though only live in studio)

Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley (Great jazz vocalist)

Eric Dolphy - Live at the Five Spot (1961)

Hampton Hawes, Roy Haynes & Cecil McBee - Live at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago

Joe Pass - Guitar Virtuoso (Live at the Kiel Opera House 1992

John Coltrane - Live in Seattle

Marc Ribot - Live at the Village Vanguard 2014 (long time guitarist for Tom Waits)

Wadada Leo Smith & Jack DeJohnette - America

Charles Mingus - Mingus at Antibes (‘60) 
Miles Davis - In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, San Francisco (‘61)
Charles Mingus - The Complete Town Hall Concert (‘62)
Thelonious Monk - Live at the Jazz Workshop - Complete (‘64)
John Coltrane - Live in Seattle (‘65)
Ornette Coleman Trio - At the “Golden Circle” Stockholm (‘65)
Cecil Taylor - The Great Paris Concert (‘66)
Miles Davis - Live-Evil (‘70)
Cecil Taylor - Silent Tongues: Live at Montreux ‘74 (‘74)  
Max Roach & Cecil Taylor - Historic Concerts (‘79)


 

 

Wadada Leo Smith & Jack DeJohnette - America

A very creative  trumpet master musician, i own all his albums..

Joe Pass - Guitar Virtuoso (Live at the Kiel Opera House 1992

I admired Pat Martino as a guitarist Master...

But Joe Pass  rival him.., On par with him..

it takes Django Rheinhardt the master of all jazz guitarist to top these two geniuses in a trinity...

But  all trinity need a fourth point : Wes Montgomery ..

As a fifth i will add Grant Green ...

But there is many more other great guitarists... it is the one i know best and love the most..

@alexatpos 

Thanks for the suggestion -- will check it out. 

@stuartk  you are welcome.

Here are few more live gigs that should not be overlooked

Milt Jackson quintet 'Thats the way it is' (with Ray Brown, Teddy Edwards and Monty Alexander

https://youtu.be/87fpfOE6-ks

Johnny Griffin 'Studio Jazz Party' (live, in front of studio audience)

https://youtu.be/6nhgRxxXk78

Byrd, Kessel, Ellis, live at Concord jazz festival

https://youtu.be/Tl7QgQAQJy8

I have not post any Miles live concert, as there are so many great ones. This album contains couple of songs recorded live with line up that made Kind of Blue year later, so I guess is quite special, as I am not aware of any other such recordings

Miles '58

https://youtu.be/2jQ3uyxaU5o

This live recording has not been issued (as far as I know) on album, but I would like that very much. Kenny Burrell and Grant Grant playing together (with B.Kessell)

  https://youtu.be/_4jMQNJFPO4

Unsurprisingly, Audiogonites have great musical taste.

Sun Ra - "China Gates."

@alexatpos 

Cool -- thanks! 

Kenny Burrell and Grant Green together?! 

Sun Ra - "China Gates."

Congratulations! Thanks very much...

I will look at it... Sun ra output is unequal but he is a genius no doubt about it...

i even bought his bio...

Listen a documentary about him...

my favorite album is with Walt Dickerson...A more underscore genius with only 25 albums or so...

It seems a stunning Sun Ra album from 1961...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADzymiCkcAk&list=PLKLPE6Ph1xZr0-IHKels61Dzg8PcB4oGX

Live Jazz Favorites

Bill Evans: Waltz For Debby (Live At The Village Vanguard)

Bill Evans: At The Montreux Jazz Festival

Chick Corea: Trilogy 2 (live)

Lee Morgan: Live At The Lighthouse

Charles Lloyd: Forest Flower At Monterey

Miles Davis: “Four” & More

@stuartk , yes, great.

Also, from the same series, Grant Green trio live recording

https://youtu.be/OdFYaK_nUCs

@mahgister 

Are you familiar with Wadada's work with Yo Miles with Henry Kaiser? Kaiser is an interesting improv guitar player who has played in a variety of different genres. Check out his album with David Lindley, A World Out of Time, recorded in Madagascar with local musicians. Great Stuff.

I'd add the great Bill Frisell to your list of outstanding guitar players.

Thanks very much... I will check it...

my deepest regards

i will not object to Frisell... 😊

@mahgister 

Are you familiar with Wadada's work with Yo Miles with Henry Kaiser? Kaiser is an interesting improv guitar player who has played in a variety of different genres. Check out his album with David Lindley, A World Out of Time, recorded in Madagascar with local musicians. Great Stuff.

So many to choose from!  One of my personal favorites, and a test album for me is Patricia Barber's Companion.  Very well recorded, and the bass into on Use Me is excellent.  Just a well-recorded album with excellent soundstage and range, as well as great music

Favorite Jazz LIVE recordings on LP:

Herb Ellis and Joe Pass (Jake Hanna and Ray Brown). Live performance at the Concord Summer Festival. 
 

Miles Davis- Heard ‘Round The World

Blue Sun/Mark Isham is a nice surprise.  

Something a little difficult to find, but worth it if you can is "Long Yellow Road" by the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band.

Oscar Peterson: A Night in Vienna

Ulf Wakenius, guitar 

Niels Henning Orstead Pedersen, bass

Martin Drew, drums 

https://youtu.be/vA4wduTTwEY

Jazz at the Pawnshop -- Arne Domnerus

Jazz at the Pawnshop -- Arne Domnerus

Jazz at the Pawnshop -- Arne Domnerus

Also available as SACD

Beyond the usual list of artist, check out Al Jarreau Live in London. 

"Side By Side"

Richie Cole with Phil Woods

This has a version of Donna Lee that totally rips.

Just listened to Bill Charlap, live at the Vanguard. A genius at work, with his great trio, and a GREAT RECORDING! Top of my list!! 

Just listened to Bill Charlap, live at the Vanguard. A genius at work, with his great trio, and a GREAT RECORDING! Top of my list!! 

Thanks for this one...Really good as many Japan jazz musician are blended with american one...

Something a little difficult to find, but worth it if you can is "Long Yellow Road" by the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band.

@alexatpos 

I love Randy Lewis “The In Crowd” as well. The crowd was just getting into it! 
I have been listening to “Live At The Bijou” by Grover Washington. He and the band were really cooking that night. “All Around The Town” by Bob James is a lot of fun, too. 

@linnvolk

I was fortunate enough to see T. A. / L. T. Big Band live in the mid 70’s. Wow!

I really enjoy Lew Tabackin’s recordings as a leader, too.

@coltrane1

My only exposure so far to Ulf Wakenius has been his terrific playing on the killer live NHOP Trio CD. I will check out the O. Peterson.

A few I forgot to mention in my initial post:

Bobby Hutcherson: Live at Montreux

Shakti (first album)

Mal Waldron Quintet: Seagulls of Kristiansund

Michelle Rosewoman: Guardians of the Light

Monk: Misterioso & Thelonious in Action

Larry Coryell and Steve Khan : Two for the Road

Gary Bartz Quintet: West 42nd Street

Jimmy Raney: Live in Tokyo

Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis: Live at Minton’s

Charlie Mariano, Philip Catherine, Jasper Van’t Hof: The Great Concert

Perter Bernstein: Signs Live

Keith Jarrett ("European" quartet w/ Jan Garbarek): Sleeper

Love many of these albums but a couple of glaring omissions:

Ella in Berlin:  Mack the Knife

Satchmo at Symphony Hall

Jack McDuff Antibes 1964

https://youtu.be/DtLaegXX8XQ

Hi i think a couple are missing

Ben Webster Live at the Renaisance

Red Norvo Quintet The foreward look,  this was Keith Johnsons first recording 

happy lisining 

Ahmad’s Blues - Ahmad Jamal’s unbelievable performance and trio captured at the Pershing in Chicago with the clinking of cocktail glasses ushering in the sound that changed Miles Davis and all of jazz. In the expanded editions it featured his recording of poinciana which was a chart topping hit!

+1 Lee Morgan

I second the Chick Corea Trilogy series (both 1 and 2). Also, if you Chicks’s Trilogy, the “Chick Corea Akoustic Band Live” is equally outstanding. 
 

For those that like Miles Davis’ Live-Evil, “The Cellar Door Sessions” 5-CD box set will give you all the shows that Live-Evil was culled from. Might be hard to find now. 
 

@stuartk 

I don’t know if anyone responded to your comment “I haven't heard any live Harrell recordings. Have you?”  ….Tom has a “Live At The Village Vanguard” recording which is very good. Also, there is a DVD release of Horace Silver’s band playing somewhere in Europe with a younger Tom on trumpet. 

The Art Blakey Quintet “A Night At Birdland”  Vol. 1 and 2
Classic lineup, classic venue

@nicotico 

I don’t know if anyone responded to your comment “I haven't heard any live Harrell recordings. Have you?”  ….Tom has a “Live At The Village Vanguard” recording which is very good. Also, there is a DVD release of Horace Silver’s band playing somewhere in Europe with a younger Tom on trumpet. 

As a sideman, he also worked with Phil Woods and that group released at least one live album: "integrity". 

Seems there are two live "Vanguard" releases as a leader: 2002's "Live at the Village Vanguard" and 2013's "Colors of A Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard". 

@tom2441 

The Art Blakey Quintet “A Night At Birdland”  Vol. 1 and 2
Classic lineup, classic venue

Classics, indeed!  

@thastum

Hi i think a couple are missing

Ben Webster Live at the Renaisance

Red Norvo Quintet The foreward look, this was Keith Johnsons first recording

Many more than a couple -- inevitably so, given that Jazz is such a diverse genre with so many excellent practitioners.

BTW, who is Keith Johnson??????

Eric Dolphin - The Illinois Concert

Miles Davis - Pangaea

Chales Mingus - The Great Concert of

Duke Ellington- At Newport 

Thelonious Monk - In Action 

For me, Bill Evans "Waltz for Debby" is my go to live recording.

Running a close second is the Dragon Records recording of Miles Davis Live in Stockholm 1960"

BTW there is a new remastered version of Waltz on Craft, which is supposed to be the definitive version. It will be my third copy, so I am anxious to hear it when it arrives next week. 

@thr1961 

"Waltz for Debbie" is an old favorite of mine, as well. The Craft release is vinyl? 

Not sure why but I've never developed a taste for Coltrane's playing with Miles. I much prefer the next Miles quintet, either with George Coleman or W. Shorter on sax.  

@cautionbison 

"At the Five Spot" for more live E. Dolphy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlWCUN2EdNc

He also played live on occasion with Coltrane. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SDSVEIVOCs