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Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie

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Happy New Year!

I am reconfiguring my 2-channel music room and looking forward to the possibilities it will bring to music listening enjoyment. As a part of the upgrade, I want to start a library of Jazz and vocal recordings (either CDs or streaming services).

What are the best Jazz recordings in your library that you keep going back to, or favorites to demo your system to friends on your Maggie?

Follow Ups:

RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - FX35 05:52:28 01/14/21 (10)
Some nice recommendations, but I'll just add some food for thought on those idea's.
1) Patricia Barber: Everybody has "Cafe Blue", but be sure to get the "Unmastered " version. The "Gold HDCD" comes close.
2) Cassandra Wilson: "Belly of the Sun" is one of her better works, but as far as recording and innovative vocal jazz go's, her best album by far is "Blue light till Dawn".
3) Ray Brown trio: "Live at the Loa" is a great album, but "Soular Energy" is up there as well, I could sell speakers just by playing the last track (loud!)
4) Diana Krall: "Stepping out" is ok, but "The Girl in the other Room" is her best album, and "Live in Paris" is her best recorded album.
5) Miles Davis: If you don't have "Kind of Blue", be sure to get the Columbia Master sound SBM gold version, the best red book copy available.

Edits: 01/14/21
- RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - timm 20:10:32 01/15/21 (4)
  Agreed on Soular energy. A very good studio album. I have a Japanese sacd of Time Out - Dave Brubeck. Sounds great w timeless jazz. Recorded in 1959 and you wonder what these recording engineers have been doing over the past 60 years!!
  
  One more - more modern. David Sanborn - Inside. Really nice recording. Demo'd 20.1s w it and everyone in the shop wanted to know what it was.
  - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 22:40:33 01/15/21 (3)
    Thanks for the recommendations, just found and got a great deal on David Sandborn CD for under 2 bucks.
    - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - rivervalley817 19:27:51 01/16/21 (0)
      get ANYTHING by Charlie Hunter ... but his trio in particular
      
      Bing! Bing! Bing!, Ready Set Shango!, Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth ... amongst the standouts
      
      the dude is playing chords, bass lines, and 'lead' line melodies all at once on custom 8 string instruments ... shredding too ... with a great sax player and drummer along for the ride ... the trio was awesome live
      
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hunter
      
      Amazon link:
      https://www.amazon.com/s?k=charlie+hunter&link_code=qs&sourc (Open in New Window)
    - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - timm 18:56:44 01/16/21 (1)
      Let me know what you think of that Sanborn cd - good or bad.
      - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 20:29:24 01/16/21 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by timm on January 16, 2021 at 18:56:44
        
        It's on its way... I just finished painting the room and the system is completely dis-assembled. Hope to get everything back together in a week or 2.
- Thanks - Ray Brown trio: "Live at the Loa" - G Squared 11:55:35 01/15/21 (3)
  Where have I been. I love this album.
  Gsquared
  - RE: Thanks - Ray Brown trio: "Live at the Loa" - timm 19:58:17 01/15/21 (2)
    Love The Real Blues on that album. If you aren't a fan of Gene Harris after that album I gotta check your pulse. :)
    - RE: Thanks - Ray Brown trio: "Live at the Loa" - saucyworchester 10:51:15 01/30/21 (1)
      Fabulous Album - 30 years out of date recorded in 1990 but fabulous!
      - RE: Thanks - Ray Brown trio: "Live at the Loa" - timm 17:01:18 01/30/21 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Thanks - Ray Brown trio: "Live at the Loa" posted by saucyworchester on January 30, 2021 at 10:51:15
        
        Great to hear!!
- RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 19:45:11 01/14/21 (0)
  I just auditioned these album on YouTube to get an idea on the music. All are great recommendations. Thanks so much!
RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - skypop 11:19:09 01/12/21 (0)
Requiem by Branford Marsalis,Great album and sound. This is the album/CD that while it was being recorded Kenny Kirkland passed away. So some of the tracks were rehearsal cuts, but you would never know it, great sound and playing.
Jamie Saft Trio - The New Standard - zomax 10:00:40 01/12/21 (1)
Previte's drum and cymbal work in particular is sublime on Maggie's. The label's website has hi-Rez downloads I think.
- https://jamiesaft.bandcamp.com/album/the-new-standard (Open in New Window)
- RE: Jamie Saft Trio - The New Standard - peter3 11:56:37 01/13/21 (0)
  Stunning! Will add this to my collection. Thanks so much Zomax.
RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - Mcmusicman 14:56:26 01/11/21 (0)
For pure audiophile enjoyment....Blue Note Records...pick almost anything.
IE: Immanuel Wilkins - Omega.....24/96 on Qobuz.
Selection at bluenote dot com.
RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - 66mgb 14:24:11 01/11/21 (4)
I don't know if this on CD, I have it on direct disc LP, Going home "The LA 4"
The first cut on side one "Going home" is one I demo on my 3.6's to people who have never heard the system. Incredible detail in the bass! Never failed to impress first time listeners.
- RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 16:41:12 01/11/21 (3)
  Thanks for the recommendation. Priced over $50/CD, will see if there's a vendor with better pricing.
  - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - timm 17:57:45 01/12/21 (2)
    I really enjoy Live at the Loa- Ray BrownTrio.
    - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - Mike K 10:19:12 01/13/21 (1)
      Live at the Loa is one of my top ten all time favorite recordings. Ray
      and Gene and Jeff are positively cookin' on max heat!! I don't think the
      sonics are all that great, but boy the playing is ... well, I have no words.
      Whether or not you can observe a thing depends upon the theory you use. It is the theory which decides what can be observed. - Albert Einstein
      - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - timm 15:39:56 01/13/21 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by Mike K on January 13, 2021 at 10:19:12
        
        I find the sacd of live at the loa to be quite great. :). If you do not have that and you have a dsd player ... get it.
RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - Green Lantern 19:00:30 01/08/21 (8)
I could give you a list but what sounds good on my system may not on yours. Case in point the CD's I had when I was running MG1.6s sounded incredible on my old system, not so much now on my new system.

I'd say stream a good jazz station or Pandora and jot down the great sounding selections then grab them off Amazon (I've gotten used jazz CD's for $1.00 plus shipping)
- RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 23:48:13 01/08/21 (7)
  Interesting observation on the same CD sounding worse on your current higher end system.
  - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - Green Lantern 07:03:07 01/09/21 (6)
    I can't explain it although 'worse' may have been a bad choice of words, 'less enthusiastic' may have been better.
    
    Different house, room, components all play into it. And of course the higher up the chain the more revealing every recording gets.
    
    My go to cd for great jazz vocals has always been "Belly of the Sun" by Cassandra Wilson; absolutely 'stunning' on my MG1.6's in a far lager room of a house I rented back in the early 2000s. Ditto for an old R&B CD Teena Marie "irons in the fire" the title track, would make me late for work..Each instances I had a far better amp (Jeff Rowland 5) pushing a much easier load.
    
    But there are some records that sound fine on both systems I guess (although not jazz): Fiona Apple's "Tidal" specifically "slow like honey"
    Also the soundtrack from "Dances with wolves" John Barry is superb.
    - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 21:12:36 01/09/21 (5)
      Fiona Apple is perhaps one of the most under appreciated artists, " Slow Like Honey" is a classic, especially when listened to in the dark I will check out the other recommendations. Thanks.
      - RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - George6 18:38:53 01/10/21 (4)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by peter3 on January 09, 2021 at 21:12:36
        
        Piano Trio (piano, acoustic bass, drums) Maggies excel at acoustic bass reproduction, and that comes through in piano trios
        Michel Camilo - Live at the Blue Note. Best sound of any jazz recording I've heard.
        Bill Charlap Trio - Live at the Village Vanguard
        Ray Brown Trio - Live at Scullers. The great bassist leading a great trio.
        
        Small Groups
        Hampton Hawes - For Real. An old fashioned 'stereo' recording with hard left and right pans, but great music well recorded.
        Sonny Rollins - Way Out West. A classic, so well recorded it still sounds great.
        Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk. A little bass shy, but otherwise exciting.
        Miles Davis - Any of the Prestige sessions that include, Workin', Steamin', Relaxin', Cookin'. The old Van Gelder sound; try for an edition that has not been re-mastered (even by Van Gelder).
        
        Big Bands
        Gene Harris and the Philip Morris Big Band. A must have.
        Count Basie and his Atomic Band, Live at the Crescendo 1958. A multiple CD set, and the sound can vary from disc to disc, but the live ambience and the power of the Basie band is perfectly captured. Very wide dynamic range, so start with the volume low.
        Duke Elington - Uptown. Mono from the early 50s, but well recorded and great music.
        
        Difficult to recommend vocalists as personal taste become paramount, but try Diane Krall's first recording, Steppin' Out, as the instrumental backing is superb and the sound excellent, even if you don't like her singing style so much.
        Jon Hendricks - Boppin' At The Blue Note, has great sound and a wide variety of jazz. Wynton Marsalis plays trumpet (and sings at one point!), and a jazz choir is on some tracks. Good fun, great atmosphere conveyed in the recording, lots of space, with performers clearly placed on stage.
        
        Happy listening!
        
        RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 16:14:29 01/11/21 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by George6 on January 10, 2021 at 18:38:53
        
        Quite a list. I've ordered Diane Krall's CD, I have most of her CDs except this one. Will audition (loosely :-)) the others on YouTube. Thanks!
        
        RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 22:34:04 01/10/21 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by George6 on January 10, 2021 at 18:38:53
        
        Thanks for the recommendations. I'll check them out.
        
        RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - blgtrio 12:11:32 01/11/21 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by peter3 on January 10, 2021 at 22:34:04
        
        If you like jazz saxophone. Robert Stewart's album "Nat the Cat" sounds awesome.
        
        Edits: 01/11/21
        
        RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 16:24:17 01/11/21 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie posted by blgtrio on January 11, 2021 at 12:11:32
        
        Love the sax. Will add this CD to my collection. Thanks.
Mingus, "goodbye porkpie hat." - farfetched 13:12:54 01/08/21 (1)
from Ah um. The room should breath.
/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends
- RE: Mingus, "goodbye porkpie hat." - peter3 15:09:10 01/08/21 (0)
  Thanks for the recommendation. I just ordered the CD.
RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - G Squared 11:19:04 01/08/21 (1)
There are many:

The union of great music and great engineering.
Gsquared
- https://www.amazon.com/Companion-Live-Patricia-Barber/dp/B00 (Open in New Window)
- RE: Best Jazz CDs / recordings that play well through Maggie - peter3 14:18:39 01/08/21 (0)
  Patricia Baber and her band are one of the best! I have most of her CDs, have not tried her latest stuff "Higher".
The best sounding recordings in my library of CDs - Mike K 08:05:46 01/08/21 (1)
are on the Chesky, Reference Recordings, Mosaic and Bear Family labels.
But there are many others, on a one-off basis, issued by various mainstream
labels, that were very well recorded to begin with and the reissue people
have done their best to preserve that. Stereophile's records of the month
and annual records to die for columns are a good source of recommendations
of good recordings.
Whether or not you can observe a thing depends upon the theory you use. It is the theory which decides what can be observed. - Albert Einstein
- RE: The best sounding recordings in my library of CDs - peter3 15:10:32 01/08/21 (0)
  Will check Stereophile's. Thanks.

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