Post your jazz 'phones playlists

[unclejr]

Hey, looking at some new 'phones. Curious how Alessandro MS-1s sound but don't know of any local retailers. Looking at the Grado SR-125s also, and I have canceled out the Sennheiser HD555s (muddy midrange on one of my test pieces).

But I am curious about what jazz-heads are listening to as a metric for their 'phones. I've usually got a playlist with at least the following:

--Haden/Jones "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" from Steal Away (for clarity of bass notes)
--Miles "If I Were a Bell" from Complete Live at the Pluged Nickel 1965 (for the quality of "Dirty Trumpet")
--Herbie Han**** "Rockit" from Future Shock (looking for a richness/robustness in the bass on the scratch)
--Getz/Gilberto "Girl from Ipanema" from Getz/Gilberto (vocals, mostly)
--Ellington/Mingus/Roach "A Little Max" (Alt Take) from Money Jungle (detail in drums throughout the range, a great, simple metric)
--Monk "Ruby My Dear" (Take 3) from Solo Monk (those piano notes seems tricky for phones to reproduce accurately)
--Mingus "Better get hit in your soul" from Mingus Ah Um (stereo separation makes it nice to pay attn to different instruments, also looking for cleanness/brightness in the horns)
--Coltrane "Resolution" from A Love Supreme (sax clarity, that pesky piano solo stuff)
--Soulive "Turn It Out" from Get Down (engineer's deal, but blend of bass keys, drums, guitar, organ and qualities in each - especially Kraz's guitar)

and some non-jazz:
--Black Star "Thieves in the Night" from "Black Star" (general hip hop sound, not really terribly picky on this guy)
--Maxim Vengerov performing a Max Bruch Violin concerto no. 1 Adagio (classically trained on violin, so I like to be picky on this one)
--John Hurt "Since I've Laid My Burden Down" from Complete MJH (vocals, mainly)

Yeah, so all of these are sourced from an iPod video, mostly AAC 128 kbps VBRs encoded from CD with QT via iTunes - it's a pragmatic thing.

I'm curious - what jazz are others listening to when testing headphones??

 

[JadeEast]

I have been pretty happy listening to instrumental jazz with
sr-60s unamped out of various ipods, despite being "only
for rock" as many people say. Your tastes in Jazz are more
instrumental than vocal, and to me it doesen't sound like you
are looking for a "laidback" presentation with Monk/Mingus!!!/Coltrain.
Slightly OT for a great Herbie Han**** bassline, the synth intro to
"chameleon" is awsome.

4 favorite classic Jazz instrumental tracks.
"Take 5"- Dave Brubeck
"Hatian fight song"- Mingus
"So What"- Miles
"Waltz for Debbie"- Bill Evans

 

[unclejr]

Yeah, chameleon is classic Herbie. Maybe you've also heard "Palm Grease" on Thrust, somewhat of a companion album - pretty dirty. Soulive used to do some sick covers of Chameleon in its live shows a few years ago.

Haitian fight song (a.k.a. II B.S.) would be a great song for the playlist. A real Mingus tune! What else does it appear on - besides Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus?

"So What" is pretty great on the Plugged Nickel sessions. I think I'd rather use that one than the Kind of Blue studio release for a listening test - more colorful, less straightforward. More little things to pick up on, I guess.

PS. I love the filter on these boards. What an unfortunate name.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JadeEast /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have been pretty happy listening to instrumental jazz with sr-60s unamped out of various ipods, despite being "only for rock" as many people say. Your tastes in Jazz are more instrumental than vocal, and to me it doesen't sound like you are looking for a "laidback" presentation with Monk/Mingus!!!/Coltrain. Slightly OT for a great Herbie Han**** bassline, the synth intro to "chameleon" is awsome. 4 favorite classic Jazz instrumental tracks. "Take 5"- Dave Brubeck "Hatian fight song"- Mingus "So What"- Miles "Waltz for Debbie"- Bill Evans

 

[Morph201]

My favorite is John Coltrane Ole, off the album Ole. There's so much going on in that song from the soprano sax to the TWO double bass (one plucked the other bowed!) incredible song!!! Try it out... it'll definitely let you know what your cans CAN do!

 

[JadeEast]

"Haitian fight song" is on "Passions of a man", I have it on vinyl
but Rhino released has it on cd. "So What" from the original
recording is the recording for me. Evans and Coltrain just about
to really bust out into their own thing, something you can hear
in the way they play you can hear the ideas of where they are
going. To each his own.

 

[MaloS]

Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Choro Dancado (lots and lots of instruments that easily blend together and muffle on not so good systems, plus there is timbre to worry about).
Michael Brecker - Broadband and Night Jessamine - same reasons more or less, and its highly dissonant so poor systems have a tendency of making it just plain unbearable. Also great deal of sound layering going on, instrument separation gets put to test.
Brian Blade Fellowship - Steadfast, low-key song, alot of really dry vocal and sax timbre, intermixed with light percussion/bass/guitar. Gets sibilant very easily.