Beauty is a Rare Thing lives up to its name, and sounds about as good as any jazz recorded for Atlantic in that era is ever gonna sound and the organization works for me. I too have a high tolerance for iffy sound quality in the right circumstances - Ole Tune Gee didn't do it for me but Temple U did and as a point of comparison I think Magic Sam @ the Alex Club, Howlin' Wolf @ Cambridge and Clifford Brown The Beginning & the End are some of the most valuable documents of amazing music out there. Some music cuts through bad sound better than others - not sure I can articulate why, there are things that don't work for me due to bad sound, I've heard a lot of boots 'n broadcasts and it's always a balancing act but the tippin' point is not very predictable, YMMV, etc.