Where to End It

Grosse Fugue by Beethoven, for string quartet played by the Quartetto Italiano. Blinding in its passion.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis with Peter Gabriel.

The Grand Wazoo by Frank Zappa and a large group.

Horowitz Plays Rachmaninoff for his transcendent December 19th 1968 Carnegie Hall explosive performance of the B-flat minor Sonata.

O'Neal's Porch by the William Parker Quartet. Jazz is still this good. The best jazz you've probably never heard of. Piano-less quartet. Parker leads from the bass and talking drum.

Hear also Curves of Life by Steve Coleman and Five Elements. Jazz meets acid jazz in a 2+2+3+2 Bartockian riff with three rappers channeling the origins.

John Dunstable Sweet Harmony, Masses and Motets, Tonus Peregrinus group singing. Dunstable is the guy who decided 600 years ago to add 3rds to harmony. Which leads us directly to:

The Beatles "White Album." I used to have a vinyl copy of this that was stamped into white 12-inch. Sounded great.

Opera Proibita sung by Cecilia Bartoli. She's in great voice right now, the best mezzo ever, and she continues to explore rare repertoire that suits her amazing vocal flexibility.

Modern Music by BeBop Deluxe. Bill Nelson. Hear also The Love That Whirls. "October Man" features the best solo rock guitar stuff. Jimmy Page must lay awake at night wishing he'd played like that.

Jazz by Ry Cooder. Stuff from the 1920's reverently interpreted.

Poco with the oranges on the cover. God bless Ritchie Furay.

Pink Moon by Nick Drake.

Iberia by Isaac Albeniz, played by Alicia Delarrocha. She owns this stuff.

Yr by Steve Tibbetts. Recorded in his living room, but sounds like he recorded it live at Stonehenge during some cosmic guitar festival.

Washing Machine by Sonic Youth. Yes, they are getting old. Der.

Bameli Soy by M'Bilia Bel. Her voice "floats like gossamer." Afro-pop never gets better.

Anything by "Solace."

Del and the Boys by the Del McCoury Band.

Funeral by Arcade Fire.

Kambu Angels by Samite. I know his sister.

Stop Making Sense by The Talking Heads.

Geistliche Gesange by Hildegard Von Bingen, performed by "Sequentia." Barbara Thornton, who has unfortunately passed away from us due to breast cancer, was a wonderful singer of this 12-century music.

Bartok's String Quartets performed by the Emerson String Quartet. Frightening. Beautiful.

Enough for now.