Need suggestions. A.k.a "Whats your favorite....."

[Champ04]

So, like everyone else here, I have a wide variety of music in my collection. But by far, my favorite to listen to is good recordings of live performances. Doesn't really matter what the genre is. As long as it's engaging, I like it. Here's what I'm looking for....
1) Well recorded. (kind of goes without saying on this forum.)
2) Engaging performance. The kind that makes you wish you were there.

Here are some examples to kick things off and describe what I'm looking for.

The Wailin Jennys - Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House
Excellent recording. But I listen mostly because it's a good recording. Cool to have but wouldn't miss it.

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
An audiophile staple, and for good reason. Excellent recording AND great performance. (Plus, she's a hometown hero.) Not quite a "go to" recording for long listening sessions. But definitely a keeper.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Live in Japan
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recording. Superb recording and one that I just cannot sit still to! Listen to it multiple times each week and can't stop it once I've hit play.

So...... Anyone have a favorite disc or two that fits the description?

Thanks!

 

[LL21]

Champ04 - you got one of my recommendations...maybe my top! Rodrigo y Gabriela is i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e! If I think about stunning live recordings with great music:

- Nirvana: Unplugged. In some respects, its a totally acoustic band's rock answer to that Rodriguo y Gabriela album. It does not quite get me there on the recording as R y G...but its very good.
- Oscar Peterson: Great Connection (also with Niels Henning). This was a jazz ensemble recorded with a few people in the room. The studio is called Most Perfect Sound so you know what their obsession was
- Rossini: String Sonatas (FIM Remaster 32-bit onto CD). I have a remastered that i love with Sir Neville Marriner...but this one is so well recorded it makes the other one positively nasal sounding.
- Eric Clapton: Unplugged

 

[Champ04]

Thank you, lloydelee21. I love the variety!

Here's an idea that struck me once. Go to the library and do a music search for "Live in *" or "Live at *".
I figured that if any ensemble was worth producing a "live" recording, somebody must like them. Plus, in a major college town at least, diversity is rampant. Here's a gem I discovered doing this.....

Omar Sosa - Live A Fip
Outstanding recording in what is obviously a smallish and intimate space. And the music is a lot of fun. Described as Afro-Cuban Jazz.

 

[flez007]

Suoertramp - Paris
Jean Michel Jarre - Live from China
Jazz at the Pawnshop

Just to name three top-of-mind LPs

 

[LL21]

Ah! Few others:

- Sting: If On a Winter's Nite (not live studio audience...but very intimate setting in cabin or something for 3 days of recording...stunning in a room on winter's day)
- Sting: All this Time (live...i think actually recorded on Sept 11, 2001?)
- The Corrs: Unplugged
- Joe Williams: Ballad and Blues Master (live audience)...very well recorded and entertaining jazz band playing ballads.
- Cantate Domino: not 'live'...but clearly recorded in a cathedral of some sort. Get the FIM Remastered version...it is stunning and the kind of recording where the Church opens up before you.
- John Rutter: Pie Jesu Reference Recordings version. Another one not live but in Church (demonstration quality) where the Church opens up before you and the music is the kind which makes the listeners in the room go silent in almost a kind of reverence.

 

[Steve Williams]

Cantate Domino: not 'live'...but clearly recorded in a cathedral of some sort

If you want to include that album (which BTW is exceptional) one must also consider The Trinity Session by The Cowboy Junkies recorded with a single microphone in 1988 in the Trinity Church in Toronto

 

[Mike Lavigne]

a few live recordings that come to mind this morning.....

--Fleetwood Mac Live, 2 Lps, great sonics! 'Never Going Back Again' on side 2 is amazing. a great band at the peak.

--Miles Davis, 'Live at the Blackhawk'. i have the original pressing....and also a 1/4" 15ips safety of the master tape. this is Miles in 1961 live at the height of his powers. there is a new 2 disc re-issue i've not yet acquired that is probably quite good.

--Ben Webster 'At the Renaissance'; the best is the AP 45 rpm if you can find it. but the 33 reissue is very good too. 'Georgia On My Mind' and 'Stardust' are magnificent. Ben Webster is my favorite Tenor Sax guy.

--Diana Krall, 'Live in Paris', 45 rpm vinyl. the 33 is to be avoided, get the CD, it's better. but if you can find the 45rpm, it's analog tape sourced and it's wonderful. even if you are not a fan of Diana Krall this is very very good.

--Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughn, 'In Session'. 45rpm, 2 discs. great recording and interplay between these guys.

 

[RBFC]

Clark Terry: Live at the Village Gate Chesky
Renaissance: Live at Carnegie Hall
Eva Cassidy: Live at Blues Alley

Just a few from different genres. Many more.

Lee

 

[jazdoc]

A few off the top of my head....first a HT to Mike Lavigne

Miles Davis "Friday Night at the Blackhawk"...go for the mono 6-eye vinyl
Ben Webster "At The Renaissance"

Anat Cohen "Clarinetwork Live At the Village Vanguard" (CD)
Leonard Cohen "Songs From The Road" (LP)
Leonard Cohen "Live In London" (CD)
Great Jazz Trio "At The Village Vanguard", East Wind Pressing, (LP)
Oliver Jones "Cookin' at the Sweet Basil", (LP)
Nirvana "Unplugged" (LP)
Arturo O'Farrill "Live in Brooklyn" (CD)
Art Pepper "Complete Live At Ronnie Scott's" (LP)
Joshua Redman "Live at The Village Vanguard" (CD)
Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" (LP)
Cecil Taylor "Live in Bologna" (LP)
Stanley Turrentine "Up At Minton's, Vol 2" (45 rpm MusicMatters LP)
Chucho Valdes "Solo Live in New York" (CD)
Sadao Watanabe "Parker's Mood" (LP)
Neil Young "Live At Massey Hall" (LP)

 

[puroagave]

misty river - "live at the blackgate stage." great bluegrass/folk/celtic album from an all-women ensemble.
bonnie raitt - "the lost broadcast." recorded live at the rainbow room prviously unleased live broadcast.
musica nuda - "live a Fip." acoustic duo, dynamic.
michel jonasz - "la fabuleuse histoire de mister swing" if your system goes low enough "le temps passe" will give it and you a bass-gasim (thanks MrAcoustat)

 

[Bill Hart]

nice lists, everybody! Here are a few more:
Joni Mitchell: Miles of Aisles (with Tom Scott's band)
Eagles (if you can stand it) Hell Freezes Over
Band Last Waltz
can't remember if I already posted these here: Etta James with Eddie 'Cleanhead Vinson' Early Show and Late Show
and since I seem to be in rock mode today:
Joe Bonamassa 'Live from Nowhere in Particular'
and
(didn't somebody already list this: Allman Bros Live at FE- admittedly not the best sonics, but legendary performance)
oops, one more:
Hendrix in the West (recently reissued).
All of these are on vinyl!

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

If you want to include that album (which BTW is exceptional) one must also consider The Trinity Session by The Cowboy Junkies recorded with a single microphone in 1988 in the Trinity Church in Toronto

+1. I would say it's one of those must-have live recordings.

My personal of course as you all know: Neil Young: Massey Hall 1971

I'll also give a thumbs up to Supertramp: Paris and Jazz At The Pawnshop.

And I would be remisss if I didn't give a nod to EC: Unplugged and EC: Live At Budokan.

I have more, but that's it for now.

 

[Bill Hart]

I'll add one more Band record, also live: Rock of Ages. I have the original Capitol vinyl, as I remember, it sounded great.
Last Waltz is more about the guest appearances which are over the top, from Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Van Morrison and Staples Singers, to Dr. John, Joni M. and ... the list goes on.

 

[LL21]

If you want to include that album (which BTW is exceptional) one must also consider The Trinity Session by The Cowboy Junkies recorded with a single microphone in 1988 in the Trinity Church in Toronto

+1. I would say it's one of those must-have live recordings.

Just ordered it on Amazon...for a dollar!

 

[puroagave]

three more:
Dreyfus - "night in paris" lots of percussive (dynamic) bass slaps from marcus, great cover of "tutu"

these are cliche like jazz at the pawnshop but the music holds up better because its orginal and a must have for demo if anything else:
nils lofgren - "acoustic live" keith dont go and black books are highlights
Hugh masakela - "hope" grazin in the grass and stemela are recent audiophile classics.

 

[flez007]

...
michel jonasz - "la fabuleuse histoire de mister swing" if your system goes low enough "le temps passe" will give it and you a bass-gasim

I use this one to demo my system and convert those agnostic souls out there

 

[jazdoc]

Listening to another great one now:

The Phil Woods Quartet "Live at The Vanguard", Antilles, 1983

 

[LL21]

If you want to include that album (which BTW is exceptional) one must also consider The Trinity Session by The Cowboy Junkies recorded with a single microphone in 1988 in the Trinity Church in Toronto

+1. I would say it's one of those must-have live recordings.

Just arrived...listening to it now! Great Stuff and for a buck!! Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[still-one]

Besides Alison Krauss - Liv which has already been mentioned. A few that I enjoy are:

Dire Straits - Alchemy

Leonard Cohen - Live In London

The Wings of a Film - Music of Hans Zimmer

Whitesnake - Starkers in Tokyo (Don't laugh. It isn't what you think) David Coverdale on vocals and Adrian Vandenberg on acoustic guitar. The performance was recorded at the EMI studios in Japan for a small audience of fans.

Jim

 

[LL21]

Whitesnake - Starkers in Tokyo (Don't laugh. It isn't what you think) David Coverdale on vocals and Adrian Vandenberg on acoustic guitar. The performance was recorded at the EMI studios in Japan for a small audience of fans.

Jim

Just listened to a few snips on Amazon...just ordered it. Thanks...sounds interesting!