As a practical matter, I'd have to choose recordced music over live concerts. I can buy a lot more recorded music for a given amount, and if you select your recordings carefully you often get better performances than many live concerts.
Also, recordings allow repeated listening, which live concerts do not.
Others will, I'm sure, argue that live performances are the only way to go, particularly if you are lucky enough to live in an area like New York City, which has a wealth of wonderful performances each year to attend.
Your question poses a Hobbesian choice, particularly for someone like myself whose main music interest is jazz. There is no question that jazz is meant to be heard as a live presentation, and the best jazz is definitely of the "live" variety. Still, for me, I think I'd have to choose recordings over live concerts.
Also, recordings allow repeated listening, which live concerts do not.
Others will, I'm sure, argue that live performances are the only way to go, particularly if you are lucky enough to live in an area like New York City, which has a wealth of wonderful performances each year to attend.
Your question poses a Hobbesian choice, particularly for someone like myself whose main music interest is jazz. There is no question that jazz is meant to be heard as a live presentation, and the best jazz is definitely of the "live" variety. Still, for me, I think I'd have to choose recordings over live concerts.