What makes a great recording session for you?

For me it's when magic happens...
Just finished 2 days in the studio - 11 hours counting drum setup on day 1. Great takes of 11 songs finished. All recorded live.
I brought the musicians (brilliant guitarist, ultra solid, musical drummer with big ears) together for a violinist friend's project. She's amazing, soulful... totally deserved people with big chops, big hearts, and big ears. And I knew the right cats for that.
So thing 1 - phenomenal musicians.

None of them had ever played together before. She wanted to use old spirituals as the basis (very simple structures, easy to learn on the fly) and play them live with spirit. Some funky, some very ambient, some gospelly, some rocking... just "here's the tune", run it down, decide if playing it that way worked, and record if it did or try something else if it didn't.
Thing 2 - lots of space for creativity, some time spent outside of one's comfort zone along with some stuff right in one's wheelhouse. A balance of the energy of "oooh, can I handle this"" and "yeah baby, we GOT this!".

Man, these cats could play. Some serious magic happened. We'll do some mixing tomorrow. Thus far one overdub - I wanted a cymbal swell on the beginning of one tune and didn't know it until I heard it without...

I know there will be some warts. But there is a very alive feeling and the tracks are crackling with energy.

I feel very, very fortunate and blessed to have been a part of it.
And thing 3, there was pay.

In the spirit of @BassCliff here are a few pics:







I should have grabbed a photo of the peach tree outside the studio for the obligatory "food shot".

What have been some of your memorable, "dang I'm glad I did that!" recording sessions?

 

And the peach tree.
I should know by now that if I want anyone to reply I should title the thread “I’m so mad at the guitarist “

 

You are so right, my brother. Sometimes the surprises and burps are pure gold.
Sometimes not...

"The band was flawless, the studio was great" - definitely two components of a great session.
"The album sold pretty well" - those were the days, eh? Albums? Sold?

 

All of these, yep. Huge contributors to a great experience.