Lately, I’ve been obsessed with live jazz. Every Friday and Saturday, I’ve been at a local joint to catch a few sets. Hearing good players live makes me appreciate older albums even more.
There are great live albums too like Full House by Wes Montgomery or After Hours by Charlie Christian & Dizzy Gillespie. Some of them even have video from live concerts in the ~60s.
I suppose it’s different with jazz albums as they’re not typically overengineered or note perfect anyways. The main issue is accurate reproduction; it obviously doesn’t sound like real life... The upright bass in particular tends to sound quite different. On the other hand, live music has lots of people talking in the background except on special nights where everyone seems to shut up and listen.
But these albums are a way of connecting as far back as the 30s and they’re crucial for learning the tradition & origins of modern jazz. Depending on your setup they can still sound quite good.