Acoustic Jazz on my Tube Amp and Preamp

Ever since getting my VTA ST-120 amp and SP10 preamp I've come to appreciate acoustic jazz. So much so that after hearing the reviews of the SP12 preamp have a more dynamic soundstage I've upgraded to that preamp. I hope it sounds as good as the SP10 Woody I had.

Sure electronic music also sounds good on tube audiophile equipment but I think the tube sound compliments acoustic music to the point where it can be better appreciated.

Years ago I bought an Ultra Lounge CD because it had the kind of music my father enjoyed listening to. It sounded OK on my solid state equipment but it seems the tube equipment really brings it to life. Since then I've added Miles Davis albums and some classical recordings to my collection.

I've even started watching reruns of the old Peter Gunn TV show which focused on cool jazz as part of its appeal. I'd like to find so more old jazz with good female singers from that era. I do have one Billie Holiday CD but I'm sure there are more I need to research.

Any suggestions? ...Thanks....Blake

In the 60's, I always liked listening to Abby Lincoln. As far as Jazz from that era try the Modern Jazz Quartet and and of course Miles Davis. I aquired some early Jethro Tull recordings and at the beginning they were pure jazz and not rock. If piano is your thing, you can also try early Ahmed Jamal.

Have fun!

Thanks for the suggestions. I like just about all kinds of music...except for most Rap and Death Metal. I'll look for recordings by your suggestions. I saw Jethro Tull back in 1976. Ian Anderson was good. Jean Luc Ponty is ok but electric violin has been altered. I'll keep looking too.

Good to know, that I am not alone Will start my SP14 build next week,

I also like to listen to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan or Dianah Washington. I can also suggest to check out the Blue Note lable recordings, kinda THE jazz lable. ECM or Chesky Records offer great recording quality. I found great music from early Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans etc. Lot's of really great stuff out there that sounds just fabulous on our tube equipment :-)

Enjoy

Michael

Oh yeah...Billy Cobham and George Duke, Pat Metheny, Bob James, Emir Deodato, and Dave Grusin are good too....but fusion usually is electric.

Forgot to mention Keith Jarret...

You can't go wrong with recordings by the John Coltrane quartet...Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner and Coltrane...all acoustic, spiritual, ethereal. I am an old rock and roller and on the way home from the gig on a long ride at night A Love Supreme just put us in another world. Through your system this would be great....recording technology was not what it was today but this quartet...acoustic bass, piano, drums and the sax....wow. My 2 cents...

Estrud Gilberto/Jobim/Stan Getz. Chris Conner. Salli Terri/Laurino Almeida Duets.

IMHO any list of female jazz vocalists has to start with the queen of jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. I usually listen to more contemporary vocalists such as Cassandra Wilson, Holly Cole, Diana Krall. But if you want to stay with 50s-60s, maybe Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan, they were two of my mom's favorites. Enjoy the search!

Mike

The Oscar Peterson Trio album We Get Requests (Oscar, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen). You can hear everything on that recording and on your setup: look out!

A few others:
Quincy Jones, Walking in Space
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, The Complete (I think) Verve Recordings (3 albums total)
Frank Sinatra with the Basie Band, Live at the Sands
Wynton Marsalis Septet, Live at the Village Vanguard

Congrats on a great system!

Cannonbal Alderley
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messangers
Dave Brubeck
Ron Carter, Sonny Criss
Miles David
Bill Evans
Art Farmer and the Jazztet
Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon
Freddie Hubbard
Amal Jamal, Milt Jackkson
Yusef Lateef
Gerry Mulligan, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Hank Mobley, Modern Jazz Quartet

New York Jazz Quartet
Oscar Peterson, Andre Previn
Sonny Rollins
Horace Silver, sonny Stitt
Ben Webster

My favorite vinyl jazz album is "Going Home" by The L.A. Four.

Allow me to put in a plug for what I think is the best "new" acoustic jazz trio in a long time. Go check them out at www.tri-fi.com

They are amazing!! They turned me into a jazz fan.

When living in the Chicago area in the 90's there was a band named Liquid Soul that played live at the Double Door Saloon on Sunday nights. They played what they referred to as acid jazz but it was the same as other acid jazz bands. Mars Williams who played sax for the Psychedelic Furs formed this band with Tommy Klein and and about 3 to 6 other musicians depending on the song list they were playing that night. The acoustics in the club were surprisingly pretty good. I saw them one time while recording for a CD. They have 5 CD's out. All are good. I'd recommend the first titled 'Liquid Soul' the second 'Make Some Noise' and their last to date 'One Two Punch'. The last time I saw them was at the Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest in 2006. The main event was Spiro Gyra. Of course they were good too but being from Chicago I have more of an attraction the Liquid Soul which now plays on Sunday nights at another club since the Double Door closed. If you can't see them live I'd recommend those 3 CD's though all are good.

Just about everything on the Blue Note label is about as good as it gets. Also, anything recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on any label is a sure bet too.