What concert would you choose if given a time travel ticket back to one(only one)?
Me I'd choose Carnegie Hall, January 16, 1938,
In bringing jazz to Carnegie, {Benny Goodman was}, in
effect, smuggling American contraband into the halls of
European high culture, and Goodman and his 15 men pull[ed]
it off with the audacity and precision of Ocean's Eleven. ”
—Will Friedwald { http://www.nysun.com/arts/peplowski-blows-back-to-his-roots/43821/ }
Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall 1938 :
From Wikipedia - - > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman#Carnegie_Hall_concert
<snip>
By the time the band got to the climactic piece "Sing, Sing, Sing", success was assured.
This performance featured playing by tenor saxophonist Babe Russin, trumpeter Harry James,
and Benny Goodman, backed by drummer Gene Krupa. When Goodman finished his solo,
he unexpectedly gave a solo to pianist Jess Stacy. "At the Carnegie Hall concert, after the
usual theatrics, Jess Stacy was allowed to solo and, given the venue, what followed was
appropriate," wrote David Rickert. "Used to just playing rhythm on the tune, he was unprepared
for a turn in the spotlight, but what came out of his fingers was a graceful, impressionistic marvel
with classical flourishes, yet still managed to swing. It was the best thing he ever did,
and it's ironic that such a layered, nuanced performance came at the end of such a chaotic, bombastic tune."
This concert has been regarded as one of the most significant in jazz history. After years of work by musicians from
all over the country, jazz had finally been accepted by mainstream audiences. Recordings were made of this concert,
but even by the technology of the day the equipment used was not of the finest quality. Acetate recordings of the
concert were made, and aluminum studio masters were also cut.
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Enjoy!
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
It was recorded on 29 November 1957 at "Thanksgiving Jazz", a benefit concert produced by Kenneth Lee Karpe for the Morningside Community Center in Harlem. Other acts playing included: Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins, and Chet Baker with Zoot Sims. The recording, by Voice of America, documents two sets by the Monk Quartet with Coltrane that night – an early set (tracks 1-5) and a more relaxed late set (tracks 6-9), which the recording does not fully document.
The tape was stored at the Library of Congress where it sat untouched, until 2005 when it was discovered by recording lab supervisor Larry Appelbaum. The recording was then restored by producer Michael Cuscuna and T.S. Monk (Thelonious Monk's son).
1. "Monk's Mood" – 7:52
2. "Evidence" – 4:41
3. "Crepuscule With Nellie" – 4:26
4. "Nutty" – 5:03
5. "Epistrophy" – 4:29
6. "Bye-Ya" – 6:31
7. "Sweet & Lovely" – 9:34
8. "Blue Monk" – 6:31
9. "Epistrophy" (incomplete) – 2:24
Personnel
* Thelonious Monk – piano
* John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
* Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass
* Shadow Wilson – drums
Watta night!!!
Boston at the Springfield (Mass) Civic Center back in the late 1970s.
Wicked awesome!!!
I've always loved their harmonies
As I clicked on the link I knew that was my choice and damned if you didn't already take it.
but I came close to two shows I will always feel shorted on. One was Led Zepplin - IN LINE for tickets when it sold out. And at a concert when Lynyrd Skynyrd cancelled their part in it. (Although got to see Jeff Beck and he kicked ASS - yes it was a strange line-up, Tower of Power was there too...
)
oh another was Deep Purple, got grounded for some reason or other and missed them at Big Surf.
Never saw Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, or Jethro Tull either. 
If you've seen the concert set entitled "DVD" (which includes some of the MSG stuff as well), I think that's the band at the height of their power.
Second choice: Little Feat, Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC, August 1977
Third Choice: Joni Mitchell & the LA Express, Universal AMpitheater, LA, March 1974
Fourth Choice: Monterrey Pop Festival 1967
Fifth Choice: The Beatles live atop the Apple Building, January 1969
On edit: I'm surpprised no one mentioned The Band et. al. at Winterland Ballroom, November 1976 (a.k.a. "The Last Waltz"
I was at Day on the Green, 1974!
Day On The Green #1: Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (June 8, 1974).
or his #102,
Nickname (the Miracle)It is so called due to the story that, during its premiere, a chandelier fell from the ceiling of the concert hall in which it was performed. The audience managed to dodge the chandelier successfully as they had all crowded to the front for the post-performance applause, and the symphony got its nickname. More careful and recent research suggests that this event did indeed take place but during the premiere of his Symphony No. 102.[2]
BUT, for the music, Beethoven's 9th, or Pastorale #6, or ..... or ..... or .....!
Now I feel old.
The assortment of talent was incredible and it wasn't near as big as Woodstock (preferable to me). Jimi's first big show, The Who, Janis, Jefferson Airplane, Janis, so many!! My neighbor downstairs told me that he was there and my jaw dropped. I was so jealous!! Yes, I was 2 years old when it happened but still - not fair!! 
I was student-strapped but went to every concert in town anyway, even if I had to go alone. Yeah, I miss those tours big. He always used to come to Berkeley in December just in time for my birthday. 
I would love to have seen them live, while Freddy was still alive.
The group just got back after being deported from their 4 month stint in Hamburg.
The audience was reportedly knocked flat by their raucous set, the beginning of Beatlemania.
John, Paul, George, Pete Best and Chas Newby in a brief appearance as bassist.
To quote Lennon:
"Suddenly we were a wow. Mind you, 70% of the audience thought we were a German wow, but we didn't care about that. Even in Liverpool, people didn't know we were from Liverpool. They thought we were from Hamburg. They said, 'Christ, they speak good English!' which we did, of course, being English."
"It was that evening that we really came out of our shell and let go. We stood there being cheered for the first time. This was when we began to think that we were good. Up to Hamburg we'd thought we were OK, but not good enough. It was only back in Liverpool that we realised the difference and saw what had happened to us while everyone else was playing Cliff Richard shit."
