A la Carte Brass & Percussion - Boogeyin'! Swamprock, Salsa & 'Trane (1994) 320 kbps

Last, but far from least, is the À La Carte Brass and Percussion - a group that lists some 14 brass players and percussionists, not to mention two guest vocalists, in its credits. It's a rocking ensemble, and the title tells you exactly what you're going to get: everything from swamp funk to Coltrane's After the Rain. The disc opens with a rompin', stompin' Papa Was a Rolling Stone that - complete with mock-operatic vocal - sounds stunningly real. I've been playing this for manufacturers when they come by to install equipment: every one of ïem jumps for the disc and writes down its name, muttering "Gotta get this one for the Show!" It's so direct and vivid that it can blow out candles - hell, it's so real you can tell what the trumpet players ate for lunch. Pretty spooky.
-- Wes Phillips