What's your latest "Discovery"

Carla Bruni

Chopin Etudes, Murray Perahia, Sony, recorded 2001. An absolutely stunning CD! The best set of Chopin Etudes ever recorded, the best Murray Perahia recording he's ever made, and far and away the best piano sound Sony has ever offered. The sound is very vivid, immediate, close-up, with very full dynamic range and frequency range, good strong bass. This is NOT what you'd hear in the concert hall; instead, it's what you'd hear if your head was about three feet in front of the open lid of a Steinway concert grand. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is mine.

Shostakovich, The Jazz Album

Hey Rene- Thanks, I've been enjoying this one too as it is a steady
source for new material. Glad you looked into the Fado again...great
stuff!

Here's a few more recent discoveries that I've been introduced to in the
past few months:

My jazz-loving audiophile buddy brought over some classics audiophile
selections I had not heard, and very much enjoyed:

Joe Pass, "Virtuoso" - Great Jazz guitar. I think this one's
available in XRCD.

Sonny Rollins, "Way Out West" - Classic Jazz with 'western'
lyrical overtones.

Tom Waits, Real Gone - As Rsbeck said, little more to be said. Waits at
his best...stepping back from the two previous releases,
"Alice" and "Blood Money", to tunes more similar
to "Bone Machine" and "Mule Variations". If you
don't like Waits, no reason to go here, but if you do, you will not be
disappointed.

Lhasa - "Living Road" Rene, and others, you will like this one
if you enjoy Madredeus and Fado. Her first release, La Llorona, is
fantastic as well and a frequently played favorite for me.

One more I don't think I've mentioned. In the vein of traditional Persian
percussion, and challenging to find, Chemirani Trio's CD titled
"Qalam Kar". This one was gifted to me from an Iranian
friend who purchased it over there. EVERY person I've played this for
wants a copy and is wowed by this CD. Audiophiles are astounded by
the dynamics and spatial quality, as well as the music. This recording is
mostly percussion - I believe the trio is a father and his two sons who
play traditional Persian drums (Dumbek, I think it is called). This will
make anyone reconsider what percussion can sound like...a definite
must-have for anyone who loves percussion. Just remarkable! Great
music to move and work to by true masters of the instruments.

Marco

MINDY SMITH. Relatively new on the singer-songwriter scene. Listen to "Angel Doves", track seven on her only major release "One Moment More" on your super hi-fi system. If you like female vocals, you will hear the voice of an angel. Breathtaking.

I can't stop listening to this record. Unfortunately it is not available in any high-resolution format.

Also, I was curious, so I went to see her live in SF recently. All the industry execs were there, arms crossed at first. By the end of the show they were drooling on themselves as if they just saw the next Norah Jones or something. I was completely floored by her stunning voice.