Looking for the best recordings of Classical/Jazz/Swing

[stevodotorg]

Hello there and thank you for taking the time to read about my post first off. I will try to be brief.. basically I have always had an appreciation for classical music my entire life, but until a recent head-fi meet did I understand the beauty that lies within a well recorded classical or jazz cd. Now I am not too partial to any era of classical, anything in that category will do, I'd love to hear some suggestions from a selection of categories , I did see a baroque concert by the new world symphony a couple years back and really enjoyed that. Maybe something that was popular in the 18th century. Any type of jazz, but I do enjoy a bit of swing jazz, upbeat stuff, Frank Sinatra, Bring Crosby, Count Basie, that sort of stuff, but I'm willing to listen to anything you think I would really enjoy.

Well, I suppose that is that, I am looking for the best recordings, but then again, I am on head-fi, so what can I expect right?

Thanks again for taking the time to read my post!

 

[Figjam]

Anything by Diana Krall will be a good recording. I also Like Pink Martini, in particular, 'Sympathique'.

 

[FalconP]

Recently got loads of albums by Mel Torme, and he is a wonderful swing singer -- a combination of wicked sense of rhythm and buzzy warm voice. Start with the two-for-one set In Studio and in Concert

 

[VicAjax]

a good, modern, semi-live recording of hot swing jazz is the soundtrack to the Robert Altman movie, Kansas City.

i'm no fan of neo-classical jazz, but this is a great album that really recreates the excitement and raw energy of 1930s big band at its best.

and the recording quality is very good, to boot.

 

[tru blu]

Well, one of swinging-est things I've heard lately is a 3-CD thing devoted to Fats Waller, the early jazz pianist and singer (he died in 1943) who wrote the song "Ain't Misbehavin'". It's called If You Have To Ask, You Ain't Got It. One disc has him doing his own pieces ("Honeysuckle Rose," "This Joint is Jumpin'"), another is purely instrumental (he plays pipe-organ on some tracks) and the last is Waller performing popular songs of the time by others ("I Can't Give You Anything But Love").

Also, there's one ensemble that might combine all of your interests at once: the Modern Jazz Quartet. Piano, bass, drums and vibraphone. They sort of popularized the concept of "chamber jazz," music that swings while effortlessly incorporating classical elements. The most-talked about records are Django and Fontessa, but I'd suggest Dedicated to Connie, a 2-CD live thing from 1960 that wasn't released until the '90s. It's a fantastic concert, and features many of the tunes introduced on those early albums. Enjoy.

 

[stevodotorg]

Any classical suggestions anyone?.. I think I might find myself in more need of classical at the moment

 

[tru blu]

OK, then try something by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, the brilliant mezzo-soprano who died of cancer last year. The following albums are unbelievable:

Handel Arias (both recordings of this are great, but I prefer the one conducted by Harry Bicket)

Bach Cantatas BWV 82 and 199

 

[yage]

Some of the classical CD's I enjoy:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" (RCA)
Beethoven - Mass in C Major (HDTT)
Brahms - Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77 (RCA Living Stereo)
Holst - The Planets (Decca)
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto Nos. 2 and 3 (Chesky or Telarc)
Rossini - Overtures (Deutsche Grammophon)
Saint-Saens - Symphony No. 3, "Organ" (XRCD2 or Telarc)
Strauss - Waltzes (Decca)
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture, Cappriccio Italien, et al (Telarc)
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 (XRCD24 or RCA Red Seal)
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 (RCA Living Stereo)

 

[bigshot]

Check out Billy May. He arranged for Glenn Miller and Sinatra and his own albums are beautifully performed and recorded.

See ya
Steve