you're absolutely right... Ron.... there is a significant drop in sound quality on the 3rd disc.... It's a bummer since the music is great....
I thought I heard the dreaded...... "hiss," at the beginning of cd 3....
this was one of the reasons (that and $$$) I begged off the JATP Live boxed set a few years ago... (poor recording quality...)
but the music is really hot...
I also have the JATP box, and on some of the discs the high end is so severe--especially on trumpets--I have to turn the treble way down before my head explodes. I think I probably attract every dog in the neighborhood when I play them. You'd think Verve could do a better remastering job. Then again, you'd think they could do better with their boxes, also (e.g., the rusting Bill Evans box, the self-destructing JATP box, the fingernail-destroying Granz Jam Sessions "partial" box)--who the hell thinks up these things???
But I agree with Brad that the music is great (and the sound for the most part is pretty good). (I have to agree with Brad--he lives in the next state over and could come beat my ass if I don't.)