HutchFan

My favorite pianists focusing on Brahms' solo repertoire (aside from Rösel) are Dmitri Alexeev and Rubinstein. I understand why many love Lupu's Brahms. He's just not my cup of tea.

I agree. I definitely prefer Rösel's Brahms over the more well-known Katchen set.

Disc 1 - Rösel's recordings of Brahms' First Piano Sonata and Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 - with the London PO Tried and true. and One of my desert-island discs -- for Brahms' exquisite Clarinet Quintet.

More Pat: Brilliant.

Two amazing Metheny records.

Contact - 5 on One (Pirouet, 2010) featuring Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Marc Copland, Drew Gress, and Billy Hart

Prompted by the Dexter-on-SteepleChase talk elsewhere on the board: Oh yeah.

It's been a Xanadu morning:

They're both very good. Perhaps not quite on the same level as At the Great American Music Hall -- which is my favorite Carmen record from the 1970s -- but close. Repetoire-wise, these Groove Merchant LPs are in the same bag as the GAMH album - a mix of jazz classics and current hits. It doesn't at all feel forced, like a concession to the marketplace. It's all soulful. The line-up on Ms. Jazz: Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone Bucky Pizzarelli − guitar Tom Garvin − piano Paul West − bass Jimmy Madison − drums And the line-up on It Takes a Whole Lot...: Joe Pass − guitar Dick Shreve − piano Ray Brown − bass Larry Bunker − vibraphone, percussion Frank Severino − drums The music's readily available for sampling on YT. Check it out. If you dig Carmen, I think you'd dig these records.

Groove Holmes - American Pie (Groove Merchant, 1972)

Quest - Quest II (Storyville, 1986) as reissued on:

... (again) speaking of top-flight rhythm sections!!!

I love how that record evokes dusty, way-out-in-the-country places. Sorta similar (country-vibe wise) to records like John Carter's Fields and Marion Brown's November Cotton Flower. ... Re: Mraz and Waits. Hell yeah. You cannot go wrong with those two.

David Liebman / Ellery Eskelin / Tony Marino / Jim Black - Renewal (hat Hut, 2008)

O.K. You sold me. I'm gettin' it. . . . That particular Cannonball group with Zawinul was kick ass.

No sweat! Months (years?) ago, I actually bought Lullaby for a Monster based on YOUR recommendation.

Carmen McRae - At the Great American Music Hall (Blue Note, 1977) Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay (CTI, 1970)

So true. And, more importantly, no one person can possible absorb and know everything that's out there -- even if you happen to have it in your collection! Of course that's a wonderful "problem." For all practical purposes, our musical explorations are never-ending. . . . But you really should check out Lullaby for a Monster!!!

Carmen McRae - Velvet Soul (Groove Merchant) A reissue of two McRae LPs: It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling (1973) and Ms. Jazz (1974)

Oregon - Winter Light (Vanguard, 1974)

Enjoying this one...

Sought this book out after seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time on a big screen:

This again: Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Two for the Blues (Pablo)

I'm probably just repeating what's already been said on the other thread, but I'd strongly recommend these three: EDIT: Of course, all three of these are in the Complete Trio & Quartet Studio Recordings box set.