I think it depends on the material you're listening to. There are some recordings that have historic significance because of the lineup, the style of jazz, the performance of a particular player or the interplay between band members. Several Miles Davis/John Coltrane recordings come to mind, like the first European tour by the Davis/Coltrane quintet, certain Newport Jazz Festival recordings and, of course, Kind of Blue. In addition to repeated listening, I've read different books and contemporaneous reviews. So, for those recordings, I have much more "encyclopedic" knowledge about the lineup, the venue and the historical significance of the material.
Then there are those sources where the quality of the recording is superior but there's nothing spectacular about the music itself nor any notable historic significance. I'm much less informed about these albums but I love the way they sound in my room and they allow me to hear deep into my system. Chick Corea's Trilogy albums come to mind. The music itself is stellar, the lineup is superior in jazz terms, and the recording is phenomenal. It doesn't matter to me that they're bot necessarily breaking new ground the way Davis and Coltrane were. I appreciate these albums and listen to them in a different way.
The same can be said for rock music, though. I'm much better informed about historically significant rock albums (Beatles, Yardbirds, Al Kooper) than about other rock music.
Then there are those sources where the quality of the recording is superior but there's nothing spectacular about the music itself nor any notable historic significance. I'm much less informed about these albums but I love the way they sound in my room and they allow me to hear deep into my system. Chick Corea's Trilogy albums come to mind. The music itself is stellar, the lineup is superior in jazz terms, and the recording is phenomenal. It doesn't matter to me that they're bot necessarily breaking new ground the way Davis and Coltrane were. I appreciate these albums and listen to them in a different way.
The same can be said for rock music, though. I'm much better informed about historically significant rock albums (Beatles, Yardbirds, Al Kooper) than about other rock music.