In the early 1960's, during Seattle's world's fair, a lot of great musicians came to town. It was often possible to get into a venue early, grab a seat right by the stage and spend the evening feeling like you were a part of the performance. I listened to a lot of live jazz back then, along with folk music. The soul of jazz being improvisation, the recording of it yields only a "snapshot" in time. Each time you hear it, it is exactly the same. It's the same with folk, classical or any other genre. No two live performances are ever exactly alike. When I can't be at a live performance, I can enjoy recordings, and often do just that. But there is nothing like being there in person, whether you prefer rough or polished.