Horns or Sax?

[PeruvianSkies]

Can anyone recommend some exceptional recordings that I may have either overlooked or never heard of for putting speakers to the test? Particularly something with horn section or sax, not symphonic though... either funk, jazz, etc.

I do own several pretty solid CD's and SACD's of Parliament, Isaac Hayes, earlier Stevie Wonder, the Coltrane box set, various Miles, etc....

Are there any exceptional recordings of James Brown out there?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

[poppachubby]

Well I am a fan of these genres. However my titles are all on LP.

I would recommend the Brecker Brothers for great recordings that are funky, and horn based. All of their albums are great but I love their first four the best. I think you will find the all around dynamics you are looking for with these.

James Brown earlier work is sketchy for quality. For great recording try Hell and The Payback. They are must own LPs anyhow, you should own them.

For older stuff I would suggest Kool and the Gang and Ohio PLayers as well.

Getting into newer, do you have any Roy Hargrove? If you want an incredible sounding album, get Parker's Mood. Fantastic music and excellent fidelity. Just a trio on that one.

OK have fun.

[Swish]

Can anyone recommend some exceptional recordings that I may have either overlooked or never heard of for putting speakers to the test? Particularly something with horn section or sax, not symphonic though... either funk, jazz, etc.

I do own several pretty solid CD's and SACD's of Parliament, Isaac Hayes, earlier Stevie Wonder, the Coltrane box set, various Miles, etc....

Are there any exceptional recordings of James Brown out there?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

It's an older recording and live to boot, but really, really good, and the horns sound like they're next to you.

[bobsticks]

Off the top of my head and in no particular order...

...Hank Mobley's Roll Call particularly the Classics 24/96 DAD, Donald ***an's Morph the Cat, and the Yellowjacket's Time Squared.

Poppa and I had some dialogue recently about the sq of David Sanborn's albums, Closer being recognized as a great studio effort.

Richard Elliot's Metro Blue is another example.

[poppachubby]

Oh yes, Sanborn's Closer for sure.

[Hyfi]

Rick Braun
Chicago
Richard Elliot (as mentioned)
Eric Marienthal
Marcus Miller plays a killer Baritone Sax on Tutu and other tracks
Miles Davis

[rakeford]

Horns or Sax?

Get both with Chicago Transit Authority (or just Chicago on their later albums). I only have one CD (Night & Day, 1995), but I have most of their vinyl. A rockin' rock band also known at the windy city seven.

trumpet - Lee Loughnane
trombone - James Pankow
woodwinds - Walter Parazaider
keyboard, vocals - Robert Lamm
bass vocals, lead guitar - Terry Kath (RIP)
tenor, bass guitar - Peter Cetera
drums - Daniel Seraphine

[PeruvianSkies]

Thanks gang, keep the suggestions rolling, I am going to head out later today and see what I can find that is missing from my collection!

[bobsticks]

Bob James ~ Urban Flamingo (smooth production on an older redbook)
Paquito D'Rivera ~ Portraits of Cuba (stunning SACD)
Dizzy Gillespie ~ To Bird With Love (great celebration of the legacy of jazz on Telarc)

Wynton Marsalis ~ The London Concert ( I know you de-emphasized symphonic but this is fantastic chamber music and how often does one hear superlative classical trumpet)

Another remembrance, the Classics 24/96 DAD releases of Zoot Sims & Al Cohn's Either Way and Earl Hines & Jimmy Rushing's Blues & Things are some excellent old recordings that, while maybe not the utmost in top end resolution, have a wonderful analog quality to them.

And, HyFi is correct...Marcus Miller rawks.

[frenchmon]

Can anyone recommend some exceptional recordings that I may have either overlooked or never heard of for putting speakers to the test? Particularly something with horn section or sax, not symphonic though... either funk, jazz, etc.

I do own several pretty solid CD's and SACD's of Parliament, Isaac Hayes, earlier Stevie Wonder, the Coltrane box set, various Miles, etc....

Are there any exceptional recordings of James Brown out there?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.


Well if you want to put your speakers to the test with sax sounds....may I recommend "World Saxophone Quartet". They will put your speakers to the test. Try the earlier recordings of the mid 1970's through the early 1980's...I think then they still had the original band members then. Be warned...it aint for the tender at heart.


http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3ifixqealdte


Try the third tract...."Point of No Return" It sounds better and with more detail on your two channel. This will for sure give your speakers a real test. Its the "etc" you asked for.

[3LB]

Of all the saxy jazzers out there, I thought Candy Dulffer(sp?) was fun. Bob Berg on the Denon label had some good stuff...but iffin you ask me, you only need a few of these and you've heard them all. Did anyone mention Bob James' Restless (superb sounding CD).

I second the Chicago rec, and raise it Blood Sweat & Tears first one.

Believe it or not, Bruce Springsteen's The Wild The Innocent & The E St Shuffle has some great horn section on it.

Robert Cray did an album with The Memphis Horns (for sumpin different).

a handful of '80s Phil Collins/Genesis tunes had EWF horns on them (No Reply At All, Missed Again).

[noddin0ff]

Some jazz types...
Sax. Joshua Redman: Beyond
Trumpet. Nicholas Payton: Into the Blue

[Finch Platte]

No love for Tower Of Power? I've got a live one by them that's pretty damn funky.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d559/d55900uyomg.jpg

And it was recorded in my hometown. :22:

[Hyfi]

Morphine has some awesome sax

[Slosh]

What, no Calexico?

Grab the FLAC version of this. Don't worry, it's legal and free, with superb sound quality.

http://www.archive.org/details/calexico2003-04-25.flac16

[3-LockBox]

Yep, Calexico... not so much anymore, but the early stuff

[noddin0ff]

There must be a quality recording of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band out there to recommend. I have an older one "Voodoo" (1989) that sounds good. Plus you get a bit of Dr. John.

[JoeE SP9]

For Duke, Bill Berry and the Ellington All Stars, M&K Realtime direct to disk.
This has the most realistic sounding horns and sax's I've ever heard. I have the LP but it's also available on CD

Jacintha, Here's To Ben. Groove Note
Recorded direct to a two track master. Sounds like real musicians in a large space over there, around and behind your speakers. I have the CD but it is/was available on vinyl.

These two recordings are great music sung and played by masters. They are both demo quality recordings.

The best James Brown there is: Live At The Apollo. There is a volume 1 and 2.

[PeruvianSkies]

No love for Tower Of Power? I've got a live one by them that's pretty damn funky.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d559/d55900uyomg.jpg

And it was recorded in my hometown. :22:


Got this one, it sounds phenomenal on my setup. A bit muddy here and there, but overall a good recording.

[Hyfi]

PS, if you like the more rockin side of Smooth Jazz, I have a couple comps I made years ago when trading here was in it's heyday that have many bands with horns featured from Trumpet to Sax to oboe to English Horn and Clarinet. But along with that is killer bass, percussion and guitar. If you are interested drop me a PM with addy and I can send them to you.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Mike Garson - The Oxnard Sessions Vol. II; especially his version of Leon Russell's A Song for You
McCoy Tyner - New York Reunion (featuring Joe Henderson on sax). And speaking of Joe...
Joe Henderson - Lush Life
Chico Freeman - Spirit Sensitive (A Child is Born is absolutely sublime)
Gene Ammons - Boss Tenor
Art Tatum - The Tatum Group Masterpieces; Vol. 8 Big bold tenor sax - much like Gene Ammons
Ike Quebec - Easy Living; Bennie Green on Trombone is great, along with the dueling tenors of Ike and Stanley Turrentine, not to mention Art Blakey on drums and Sonny Clark on piano - quite a freakin line-up.