Here's a hyper specific one: does anyone have any suggestions for good records by the established Dixieland / classic jazz / trad bands that used to play the traditional jazz festival circuit in the 1980s-90s, pumping out music in their competing micro-niches. I'm thinking of bands like the Black Eagles.  Fully anticipating crickets on this one, but if anyone has any that they feel like suggesting I'd welcome them.  Edit: I don't think I have asked this before but there's a prospect that I might have done. I have checked but can't find. 

Charlie Parker And The Stars Of Modern Jazz At Carnegie Hall, Christmas 1949  

For me it isn't Wynton. He is charismatic and he gets to explain some of what's happening musically.  I agree with @Stompin at the Savoy - Much worse than Wynton are all the Wynton-adjacent critics, like Gary Giddins. They just wiffle on and say nothing at all. The series has some major issues. The two worst elements for me are the absurd amount of time allocated to Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington postwar, and the general collapse in coverage once you move past 1947.  The best episodes are the ones on swing music, including early Ellington, but particularly on the swing music of the 1940s. Episodes 4, 5 and 6 are really quite strong. 

I remember the whole story. Not Fantasy's finest hour; they reacted like jerks.

I listened to my LP of Vol. 3 of the "All Night Sessions" this morning again and did not hear any sonic anomalies like you describe them. FWIW, if you fancy listening in to a faint radio station "behind" the music, I'd suggest Country Routes RFD 9004 (Bob Wills - Harmony Park Airshots January 1953).