AudioAficionado.org - My 20 Best Sounding Albums (all formats)

These are my 20 best SOUNDING albums in audiophile terms.
Unfortunately that means no Robert Johnson, Louis Armstrong's Hot Seven, Charlie Parker,Pablo Casals, Art Tatum, Heifetz.......... since the recording quality of these masterpieces of music is not outstanding. Luckily I do own several equally good but well recorded music in various formats.

1. Carmen Gomes Inc. ; Thousand Shades of Blue
2. Andre Heuvelman : After Silence
3. Paul Berner Band ; Road to Memphis

After some consideration I decided to be bold at put three of my Sound Liaison Studio Master Downloads at the top of my list.
These 96/24 or 88/24 has depth and a natural decay combined with warm wide sound stage and a black background that none of my other recordings can match. Not bad for a small independent label.
http://www.soundliaison.com/images/SSS1Milan300.png link album..http://www.soundliaison.com/
Carmen Gomes knows how to move you without having to use any of the cheap effects so many singers are constantly using putting them self above the music, not here, this is straight from the heart. She turns Chriss Isaac's ''Wicked Game'' into a hauntingly beautiful song of desperate love and despair. True mastery.
http://www.soundliaison.com/images/Andre200v7.png
Andre Heuvelman's After Silence is a stunning prove that he is one of the worlds foremost trumpet players. I only have this download for a few weeks now but it is convingcingly recorded and produced that I had to put it in the top 3.
http://www.soundliaison.com/images/PaulBandMilan200.png
Monty Alexander Trio alumni Paul Berner has made an achingly beautiful '' Americana Jazz'' album, with reed player Michael Moore in top form, practically speaking to you with his clarinet and saxophone. The album employing two guitars and no drums makes Bill Frisell come to mind. The inter play between the two guitars is incredible.

Link Music Store

4. Doug McLeod; There's a Time
5. Minnesota Orchestra; Symphonic Danses
6. Albert Fuller; Bach and Rameu

http://www.referencerecordings.com/i...%20Cover_s.jpg

On a list like this one has to include Keith Johnson's Reference Recordings.
These were my top audiophile musics until Sound Liaison came along.
The Doug MacLeod album has a similar sound as the Carmen Gomes '' Thousand Shades of Blue'' album, deep, warm, and very natural. If it wasn't for the fact that Doug's voice is moving ever so slightly from left to right in the stereo image, this album would have been at no. 1 or 2 with Carmen Gomes.
The Minnesota Orchestras's recording of the Symphonic dances is simply the best recording of a symphony orchestra that I own.
Albert Fullers lovely recording of Bach and Rameau's harpsichord music is also on the list.
If you think you do not like the sound of a harpsichord, check this one out, you'll be surprised.
http://www.referencerecordings.com/images/2105.jpg
Reference Recordings Complete Audiophile Classical Music Orchestra and Jazz HDCD Catalog

7. Keith Jarrett; Live at the Blue Note
8. Bobo Stenson Trio ; Serenity
9. Peter Erskine Trio, As It Is

10. Joni Mitchell, Travelogue.
This underrated Joni album, finds Joni Looking back and rerecording some her best songs with gorgeus Vince Mendoza arrangements. Her voice is deeper, more lived and her phrasing reveals her deep love for Billie Holiday. The recording is sublime with a BIG sound stage.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ravelogue_.jpg

Now I will go back in time, analogue time, and the music from theser LP´s will probably be known to most of you in one format or the other.

11. Miles Davis .Kind of Blue. This album needs no introduction. It has stood the test of time. The new remasters sounds even better. Manfred Eicher of ECM has said that the sound of this album is what he is TRYING to achieve.

http://jazzinphoto.files.wordpress.c...rane-right.jpg

12. Sonny Rollins, The Bridge. Sonny and the late great Jim Hall brings Coltrane and Miles to mind in contrast but maybe with an even bigger mutual empathy. God Bless the Child is breathtakingly well played. Very clear placement of the instruments. That is actually what Sound Liaison and Reference Recordings have reintroduced, a good well defined sound stage. A sound stage where it feels as if one could point a finger and say , look there at 10´o´clock, there is the bass.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ny_Rollins.jpg

13. Frank Sinatra, Only the Lonely. This must be the album that inspired the engineers of the Joni Mitchell album and it is in my opinion Frank´s best recording. Nelson Riddle´s arrangements are incredible.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...jhlRSTj5YCrOig
14. George Shearing with Nancy Wilson, The Swinging is Mutual.
Track 2 side one. All Night Long. That song almost just almost could make me believe that old thick LP´s sounds better than true Studio Master hi res downloads.
15. Monica Zetterlund with Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby. This sweet sounding recording shows what a marvelous accompanist Bill Evans was. The sweedish engineers knew what they were doing too, the album has a clearly defined sound stage.

http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/jan5656/i...0/2080f82b.jpg
16. Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery, Bags Meets Wes.
Pat Metheny´s favorite guitar album. Agin placement and every instrument recorded to it´s full potential. The tape machine was running completely steady, so the sound is trembling ever so slightly.
17. John Coltrane, Crescent. So in order to keep the peace at this forum I better put one Rudy van Gelder album on my list. Rudy did know how to record a horn and the drums are well recorded too., but Rudy´s true strength was perfect balance.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K4pBVspO0F...-+Crescent.jpg
18. Bobby Timmons Trio , In Person. I love Ron Carter. The sound of a well recorded upright is essential to a good Jazz recording, and mr. Carters bass is magnificently prominent here, talkin´about DEEP bass.
19. Arthur Gromiaux, Bach Sonatas and Partitas. Somehow this recording tells it like it is, this is the sound of the violin, this how you should play the sonatas. Just like with Carmen Gomes, Music first!
20. Me´shell Ndegeochello, Peace Beyond Passion, again great production and...placement!. Unusual for a funk production from this period. Audiophile Funk.
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/wildflowe...1/91b5b2b5.jpg

21. Holy Cole , Temptation. This is an old favorite of mine. The Sound of the bass has not stood the test of time but the production is incredible.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Temptation.jpg
22. uuh almost forgot Dave Brubeck , Time Out. Time Out is an audiophile classic.
I am past my self imposed limit of 20 and I didn´t even get to Mingus ,Ah Um,....Steely Dan ... Ray Charles...
What are your 20 best SOUNDING albums....