Frank Sinatra and Count Basie: It Might as Well Be Swing (Reprise, 1964)
Reproducing music’s most famous voice—in this case, backed by one of jazz’s best big bands plus a string section playing the dense, hard-swinging arrangements of Quincy Jones in one of the world’s most famous studios (Capitol Studio A)—might be the toughest imaginable task for an audio system. The standout track from a recording standpoint is probably “Wives and Lovers”; even during its most dynamic moments, you should be able to easily pick out the contributions from the individual horns and hear the resonance of Freddie Green’s acoustic archtop guitar chugging insistently underneath.
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