Recent acquisitions to recommend

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Prologue, Leonard Bernstein
When I Wake Up Tomorrow, Cheap Trick
Almustafa the Beloved, Billy Cobham and George Duke
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, Bob Dylan
Homegrown Tomatoes, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Push, Terrace Martin
Bill Evans, Lyle Mays
Blonde on Blonde, Nada Surf
True Love Waits, Radiohead
I Want You Bad, Charley Robison
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor: III Allegro, Tchaikovksy and Van Cliburn
I Only Have Eyes for You, Archie Shepp and Mal Waldron
Chest Fever, Widespread Panic

(a baker's dozen from iTunes)

Found a diamond in the debris

You can spend a lot of time, and a more than a few dollars, looking through the racks of used CDs, finding good, but not rarely-good, stuff. And then, every once in a while, you come upon something that rewards your taking a chance on it. Jeanne Lee and Mal Waldron's After Hours is such a find, a duet of voice and piano that is distinctively different, from the opening bars. I had no idea when I put down my four dollars, although Waldron is a favorite player.
From 1994, recorded in France, After Hours was available in the USA through Universal Music. The concept was for a standards album, albeit one that includes tunes by Mingus / Kirk and Waldron / Lincoln.
My recommendation is to enjoy it in a quiet room or space, with other distractions eliminated. "Caravan" and Waldron's own "Fire Waltz" are highlights.

Most collected recordings

The process of moving and packing puts a person's accumulations in front of them. Here, in descending order, is the music I have collected most.

1. Elvin Jones, by far (solo and guest)
2. NRBQ (almost all, from all iterations)
3. Tom Verlaine and Television
4. John Scofield (solo and guest)
6. Dmitri Shostakovitch
7. Miles Davis (beginning mid-50s)
8. Joe Henderson (solo and guest)
9. Steely Dan and Donald Fagen
10. Suzanne Vega or Simply Red

Compelling voices

Acid Tongue (2008), by Jenny Lewis, is a CD that I have loaned to people and continue to recommend to others. I am not familiar with Rilo Kiley, Lewis' first band, and I prefer Acid Tongue to Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis' solo debut. Lewis has an interesting and fresh voice; there's something compelling about it that sets her apart. And Acid Tongue has a good variety of solid concepts. In my opinion, the CD's anthemic "The Next Messiah" is among the best songs in this idiom that I've heard in some time.

Another compelling voice, and not as well known, is Eilen Jewell's. Jewell is three years younger than Lewis, but her voice is a little harder. I highly recommend Letters from Sinners and Strangers (2007.)

Both artists were introduced to me by strangers while I was poking around in stores. Both artists have interesting voices, gritty songwriting talents and honest production values. I hope that I can see both of them live in the future.