[GreyArea]

Ah, well, you've set me off now...
 
If you enjoy some of the classic jazz recordings, I'd say the SACD remaster of Miles Davis Kind of Blue is a must. I thought I knew that album so well and I feel like I'm rediscovering it.
The two classics I mentioned previously, Oscar Peterson Night Train and Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage are both an absolute must.
Although you mentioned not enjoying current Jazz artists but I'd like to hear your opinion on a single track, recorded in 2001, Esbjorn Svensson Trio - Say Hello To Mr. D (To Mr. S.) (Live) of their 'E.S.T. Live' album. If you like that, listen to their "Strange Place For Snow" album. It's on Spotify if you can't get hold of it.
Other modern Jazz artists that I've enjoyed recently include John Scofield (my favourite guitarist) - Work's For Me, Larry Bartley - Along This Way, Tim Garland - Dean Street Underground Orchestra.
Some older albums I always return to include Charlie Byrd Trio at the Gate, Horace Silver's Song For My Father, Jacques Loussier's Goldberg Variations, Johnny Dankworth's What the Dickens,  The modern Jazz Quartet's Live Set and the Barnes/Weller Band's Cannonball album.
You mentioned John McLaughlin. His collaboration with Paco DeLucia and Al DeMeola; 'Passion, Grace and Fire' is absolutely unbelievable. I'm sure you've heard it.
 
Those are in alphabetical order, not preference order.
 
Other albums you might enjoy are:
The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
Jazzanova - In Between
Jan Garbarek's Officium
Tuck and Patti - Learning How To Fly
Chris O'Riley playing Radiohead
John Rae's Celtic Feet (just for the first track)
Mr Scruff - Keep It Unreal
 
OK, I should stop there. I could write for hours.
 
I hope some others are reading this thread and benefiting from the discussion 

 

[Syan25]

We've got many of the same recordings then! I also am a John Scofield fan - I love his collaboration with Marc Johnson in the two Bass Desires albums I have.
 
I have the SACD - A Kind of Blue - just stunning. Yes - it does open the music again to completely new levels. I haven't heard the E.S.T. album so I will try to get hold of a copy when I have time. Also, I've never heard Tuck and Patti..
 
And yeah - Songs for my Father is a classic. Just love it.
 
So let me ask you - how do you purchase your products if you can't get access to testing them in the UK? That has been one thing making me super critical before buying anything online to make sure enough reviews have confirmed reports - but as you and I know - you can find an opinion for every way of hearing a piece of hi-end audio equipment. I would much rather have the opportunity to hear hi-end gear. Even in Taiwan, and there are a few places to go to audition equipment, it is not comprehensive by any means. I think the Americans have the upper hand in terms of meets and stores to go and audition -  West Coast and East Coast wise...
 
Sometimes I think I ought to book a trip to the US when a big event like the CES happens so I can hear for myself different amps and headphones... 

 

[GreyArea]

Well, as for choosing audio equipment, I audition whatever I can get my hands on. I tend to choose from the list of items I've heard although I bought my DAC on recommendation from a friend.
I came very close to buying Audio-gd gear several times this year but couldn't quite bring myself to do it without hearing it first.
I've heard most of the amps that can commonly be purchased in the UK. Out of that lot, I bought the amp I liked the sound of the most. It was the Lehmann BCL.
 
I agree that the Americans seem to have the upper hand. With all the meets and quality dealers, it doesn't seem to be hard for people to go and audition gear.
 
 
As for the music, I'd definitely get spotify if you havn't already. It's such a good tool. Changed my life! 
Now days, when I hear of an artist, I go and listen around on spotify and then if I find an album I really like, I'm forced to buy it because Spotify output is only 128mp3. So, bonus for me because I don't waste money on music and bonus for the labels because I can't stand listening to good music at low bitrates and I end up buying the CDs so I can EAC rip them to FLAC.
 
Here's a link to that E.S.T track I was chatting about.
Click and it'll open up and start playing the track if you've got spotify or it'll guide you to the download page if you haven't.
http://open.spotify.com/track/4nsxmrkHd4NkVllfxEi669

 

[Syan25]

Thanks. I have looked into Spotify but it does seem that I need to be in Europe to use it. But I will download the music soon. I'm glad you suggested it. I would like to hear more of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio.
 
Another album that I listen to a lot these days jazz-wise is Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition: Tin Can Alley - highly recommended (ECM label.) I can never decide which headphones to listen to when I listen to jazz...is it the HD600s or the DT-880 (600 ohms)... 

 

[Syan25]

BTW - 
 
What cables are you using for your Lehmann BCL? 

 

[GreyArea]

Quote:

Thanks. I have looked into Spotify but it does seem that I need to be in Europe to use it. But I will download the music soon. I'm glad you suggested it. I would like to hear more of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio.
 
Another album that I listen to a lot these days jazz-wise is Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition: Tin Can Alley - highly recommended (ECM label.) I can never decide which headphones to listen to when I listen to jazz...is it the HD600s or the DT-880 (600 ohms)... 

That's a shame about spotify. In my opinion it's a seminal addition to the music industry. It'll change the world the way mp3s and napster did. 
I bet someone's found a way round the location problem by doing some clever stuff with their IP. 
 
Jack DeJ's Tin Can Alley is a quality album. I enjoyed Complex too and of course his work with Miles for Bitch's Brew (another seminal album).
 
I tend to choose phones on the quality of the record and the line up. If horns feature in the recording, I tend to use the HD600s whereas I use he DT880s to bring a brass section out in the mix. Of course, I'm a sax player so it's probably a personal thing. I find that the DT880s aren't kind to lower quality recordings so when I'm listening to spotify or anything I've ripped from Vinyl, I'll use HD600s.
 
Quote:

BTW - 
 
What cables are you using for your Lehmann BCL? 

Well, I'm using "high quality" phono cables from Maplin's. They're gold plated, shielded and use 99.99% copper. Cost about £25.
I'll upgrade after I upgrade from the stock cable on my HD600s. 
 
I've got an account with Russ Andrews in the UK. I bought some speaker cable and an TOSLINK interconnect for my DAC a while ago.
I'll use them again.
 
I've always left cables interconnects last in the upgrade chain.
I'm still a little bit unconvinced about interconnect upgrades because you can't easily blind test or A/B.
What about yourself?
 
 
 
By the way, the Billy Cobham absolutely blew my face off. It's unbelievably fast and a unique experience for me. Is that a moog synth that features first in Quadrant 4? Utterly distinctive sound.
The classic 'set up a theme and then take turns jamming' has been applied so well. I've listened to it through four times in the last couple of days. 
It reminds me of Weather Report or maybe Jean-Luc Ponty (I ripped his Upon The Wings Of Music) to FLAC during the Christmas break.
Some of the percussion isn't unlike some of Trilok Gurtu's less ethnic albums that I've heard. Trilok's ranked high in my favourite percussionists.

 

[Syan25]

Yes - I met Trilok after a John McLaughlin gig in Manchester back in the late 80s. He is a very nice man and a gifted percussionist. Just listen to Live at the Royal Festival Hall...ah...
 
As for the Cobham - the next album recommend is Total Eclipse (Brecker Brothers on that one...) you'll love it...or the third Cobham album to hear - Life and Times (featuring your favourite John Scofield) 
 
And yeah - that is a Moog (played by Jan Hammer - Cobham and Hammer were in my favorite band - Mahavishnu Orchestra)
 
BTW - I am half Indian - hence my fascination with Indo-jazz...
 
If you want to hear great sax with Indian percussion - check out this album by the great table player - Zakir Hussain - Making Music (ECM)
On that album is Garbarek, John McLaughlin and Indian Flautist - Hariprasad Chaurasia. Listen to the track "ZAKIR" - the sax and flute solo and intertwine with each other in a marvelous way...in fact the whole group and just inspirational and uplifting...
 
If you can't find that MAKING MUSIC album - send me your email - I will send you the ALAC or FLAC file via www.yousendit.com...
 
That track should blow your mind... 

 

[GreyArea]

Sorry for the late reply. I've been travelling.
 
I'm working my way through your latest suggestions. I've worked my way through Billy Cobham's catalogue. Although I've not listened to the other albums more than once or twice, I've yet to find one that matches Spectrum. There are 25 albums on spotify, some of them compilations. It's taking some time
I'm trying to hunt down the albums he did with Mose Allison, Horace Silver and Freddie Hubbard.
Jan Hammer is spectacular.
 
I haven't been able to get hold of Making Music but I've found a track called Zakir on one of John McLaughlin's Concertos for Guitar and Orchestra (The Mediterranean). There's no Garbarek on that track and it's a little bit smooth for me.
 
OK, this might not be up your street but if you're into indo-jazz, have you ever made the leap to indo-electronica in the form of Nitin Sawhney's recent work?
I'm quite a fan of Sawhney. I saw him a couple of years ago in Leicester. Fantastic.
Human and Prophesy are both quality albums.
 
I'll have another look for the album. If I can't find it I'll PM you.
 
BTW, can't believe you've met Trilok Gurtu. 

 

[Syan25]

Life and Times is the Cobham I would suggest for you - it's not Spectrum but with I think you will like it. Total Eclipse is more brass orientated - but I wouldn't approach the music looking for another Spectrum - there isn't one...but these albums are great in their own rights. Scofield's playing on Life and Times is awesome...
 
Cobham and Horace Silver is great. There are some cool youtube videos of them together too...
Also - Cobham on Milt Jackson's Sunflower album is really cool - amazing instrumental textures and colors coming for that album...and his work with George Benson - also - superb...
 
There are three versions of Zakir that exist on albums - they are all the same piece - but done very differently. The version you heard is not the one I recommend. I can send you the file to your email if you are willing. I have an ALAC file of it. I doubt I can send such a large file to your message box for this forum. I'd need your email address. Sometimes I send music files to friends using YOUSENDIT. com and I can send very large files...
 
As for  Nitin Sawhney, I will take a look around on the Internet this weekend - thanks for the suggestion. If I can't find anything - I will let you know...perhaps you can help me further...
 
Gurtu is a gentleman - and the time I met him - he was far more open to conversation than John McLaughlin after their gig in Manchester...But I think McLaughlin was busy with too many fans...