Ben Folds and WASO Live in Perth (2005)

Recorded in 2005 in an outdoor venue (described by Folds as "a luminous green petri dish") in that Australian city, the 80-minute concert finds the singer-songwriter-pianist in the company of conductor Simon Kenway and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra--not the world's finest classical ensemble, perhaps, but one that's perfectly matched to his quirky, affecting style. Favoring material from his Rockin' the Suburbs and Whatever and Ever Amen CDs, Folds used local musicians for most of the arrangements, with the result that the orchestra enhances the songs rather than merely augmenting them. Most of all, of course, it's the songs themselves that carry the day.