Patricia Barber -Companion The Rippingtons - Life in the Tropics Boney James/Rick Braun - Shake it Up Jeff Golub - Dangerous Curves' Dave Koz - The Dance My Favorite- A love Affair The music of Ivan Lins
This should get you started!!! |
Hi Petrtyl1
1) Any of the 'Jazz At The Pawnshop' albums 2) Kendra Shank 'Afterglow' on Mapleshade 3) 'Just For You'Harold Ashby also on Mapleshade 4) Any of the Patricia Barber albums
Regards and good listening. AEW |
Gota - Day & Night Marc Antoine - Classical Soul Gerald Veasley - Love Letters Steve Cole - Between Us Chris Botti - First Wish Anything by Patricia Barber and The Rippingtons (great call Hiflyer!)
Enjoy!!! |
My choices: Boney James-Sweet Thing Chuck Loeb-Listen (listening to it right now) Spyrogyra-Got The Magic Dave Koz-The Dance Eva Cassidy-Live At Blues Alley (not really smooth jazz but you just gotta hear this one) |
I'm not quite sure what you mean by smooth jazz, but if I were to take the phrase literally, and given that you are new to this hobby and apparently new to jazz as well; why not start with truly great music which is also smooth as you can get, and will definitely make your system AND your heart sing. My recommendations: Shirley Horne "Here's To Life" fabulous romantic vocals, Paul Desmond "The Complete RCA Victor Rcordings" smoothest alto sax ever, Bill Evans "Village Vanguard Sessions" wonderfull introspective piano trio, "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman", Clifford Brown "With Strings" great trumpet ballad playing, Frank Sinatra with Antonio Carlos Jobim. Just a few to start with. Enjoy. |
You can't forget the group 4 Play and the late great Grover Washington Jr. |
Check out Pat Metheny/Charlie Hayden -Under the Missouri Sky Also earlier Pat Metheny -American Garage, Offramp,80/81 |
Hi. Frogman has already made the point I intended to make: why not listen to some REAL jazz. For most serious jazz enthusiasts (which I have been since the late 1950's), the term "smooth jazz" is an oxymoron. In short, smooth jazz isn't -- isn't jazz, that is. If you go back 2-3 months into the Audiogon archives, you will find a long thread on jazz, and I made 5 or 6 entries talking about jazz and some of the great, classic recordings. If your intent is to become more accustomed to good jazz that is listenable, you might want to start with recordings by some of the mainstream jazz piano, jazz guitar, and jazz vocal masters. Piano: Errol Garner; Art Tatum; Bill Evans; Marian McPartland; George Shearing; Michel Petrucciani; and Abdullah Ibrahim. Guitar: Django Reinhart; Tal Farlow; Wes Montgomery; Charlie Byrd; Jim Hall; and Joe Pass. Vocalists (women): Billie Holiday; Ella Fitzgerald; Sarah Vaughn; Carmen McRae; Ernestine Anderson. Vocalists (men): Jimmy Rushing; Joe Williams; Jon Hendricks; Mark Murphy; and Bobby McFerrin. This grouping should will expose you to a variety of styles, and you can take it from there. |
Fourplay is great. The earlier albums are the best but there all great albums(cd). George Duke (after hours)great cd. Enjoy! |
Chet Baker 'Chet' remastered with a tubed system by doug sax. great sidemen: herbie mann (i cant help it i like him) bill evans, paul mr.pc chambers and others. kenny burrell i think. this is more than likely what you mean by 'smooth' - of course, if you're new to jazz get some coltrane from the mid 60s for god's sake!!!! |
Here are some of my favorite jazz CD's I would recommend to someone who is new to jazz or just likes the easy-to-listen-to jazz I do. The starred the titles are the ones I particularly like. I have these CD's plus a few others in a 300 disc changer on shuffle. I hope this isn't too much information. If someone wants to know more about a particular title of artist, just let me know. Miles Davis Kind of Blue* 58 Sessions* Ballads* Relaxin'* Cookin' Workin' Steamin' The New Miles Davis Quintet Birth of the Cool* The Musings of Miles Bill Evans Explorations* Sunday at the Village Vanguard* Everybody Digs Bill Evans* Portrait in Jazz* Waltz for Debby* Interplay Bill Evans at Town Hall At Shelly's Manne-Hole At The Montreux Jazz Festival Re: Person I Knew Loose Blues Since We Met Trio '64 Trio '65 Quintessence How My Heart Sings Moon Beams Undercurrent - With Jim Hall* Paul Desmond The Paul Desmond Quartet Live Polka Dots and Moonbeams* Paul Desmond + MJQ at Town Hall Like Someone in Love Pure Desmond Two of a Mind w/ Gerry Mulligan Bossa Antigua The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out* Gone With The Wind West Side Story Jazz Impressions of Eurasia 25th Anniversary Reunion 1975 - The Duets Brubeck Time Tommy Flanagan Eclypso Nights at the Vanguard* Let's - The Music of Thad Jones* Lady Be Good Montreux '77 Moodsville Alone Too Long Thelonica Sunset and the Mockingbird Confirmation Oscar Peterson Live at the Blue Note Live Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson Oscar Peterson Trio + Clark Terry A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra West Side Story* Reunion Blues Night Train* Blues Etude* The Trio* Oscar in Paris Disc 1 Oscar in Paris Disc 2 Face to Face w/ Freddie Hubbard My Fair Lady and Fiorello Oscar Peterson plays Count Basie Very Tall* Plays the Duke Ellington Songbook Plays Porgy and Bess Plays Cole Porter Stan Getz The Dolphin* Sweet Rain Spring is Here Pure Getz The Lyrical Stan Getz Keith Jarrett The Cure Standards, Vol. 1* Standards, Vol. 2* Standards Live* Bye Bye Blackbird Shelly Manne The West Coast Sound Volume 1 My Fair Lady* At The Blackhawk Volume1 At The Manne-Hole Volume 1 Andre Previn Gigi After Hours Like Previn* Pal Joey Art Farmer Warm Valley* Modern Art Silk Road Toshiko Akiyoshi Finesse At The Top of the Gate* At Maybeck Remembering Bud Charlie Rouse Takin' Care of Business Unsung Hero Sphere Four For All Bird Songs Marcus Roberts Gershwin for Lovers Chet Baker Chet* Straight From The Heart My Favourite Songs In New York* Once Upon a Summertime* No Problem Some Day My Prince Will Come The Touch of Your Lips* In Paris In Milan In Paris Volume 1 Kenny Barron Lemuria-Seascape Things Unseen The Moment* Sambao Errol Garner Jazz Masters 7 Concert By The Sea McCoy Tyner Things Ain't What They Used To Be Live at the Musician's Exchange Café Inception Revelations The Music of Burt Bacharach With Stanley Clarke and Al Foster Duke Jordan Flight To Denmark* Flight to Jordan* Hank Jones The Oracle Upon Reflection* Handful of Keys Master Class The Great Jazz Trio Flowers For Lady Day Love For Sale Monk's Moods The Club New Yorker Kenny Drew And Far Away Your Soft Eyes The Riverside Collection* Pal Joey* Zoot Sims Warm Tenor* Zoot at Ease Zoot! For Lady Day Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers John Lewis Garden of Delight The Bridge Game* Preludes and Fugues The Bridge Game Volume 2 Chick Corea Alive Chick Corea Akoustic Band Warren Bernhardt Reflections Trio '83 Laurindo Almeida Chamber Jazz Outra Vez Vince Guaraldi Vince Guaraldi Trio In Person Emily Remler East to Wes Firefly Standards* Monty Alexander The Duke Ellington Songbook Echos of Jilly's Triple Treat Red Rodney Then and Now No Turn on Red Fred Hersch Plays Coleman, Coltrane, Ellington,. Dancing in the Dark Art Pepper Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section* Surf Ride Tete-a-Tete Wes Montgomery The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery* Full House Ellis Marsalis Ellis Marsalis Trio Heart of Gold Brad Mehldau The Art of The Trio Volume 3 The Art of The Trio Volume 4 Introducing Brad Mehldau* Places Red Garland The Nearness of You It's a Blue World Groovy* All Kinds of Weather* Red Garland's Piano* A Garland of Red* When There Are Grey Skies Solar At The Prelude Volume 1 Red Alert Revisited The P.C. Blues Red in Bluesville Can't See for Lookin' Crossings Feelin' Red Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Volume 1 Solo Masterpieces Volume 4 Solo Masterpieces Volume 6 Solo Masterpieces Volume 8 Joe Beck/Jimmy Bruno Polarity* Joe Beck Relaxin' The Journey Hampton Hawes Trio, Volume 1 Here and Now All Night Session, Volume 3 Volume 2: The Trio Benny Green Testifyin' These Are Soulful Days Barry Harris At The Jazz Workshop Chasin' The Bird Preminado Lynne Arriale With Words Unspoken A Long Road Home Melody Barney Kessel Some Like It Hot Red Hot and Blues The Poll Winners Cedar Walton The Prestige Collection The Trio, Volume 1 Grant Green The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark Wynton Kelly Kelly Blue Piano Smokin' At The Half Note With Wes Montgomery Kelly At Midnight Stanley Turrentine The Best of Stanley Turrentine Ballads* Milt Jackson Jackson, Johnson, Brown, & Company Invitation Clifford Brown At Basin Street Jazz Immortal Art Blakey Moanin'* Tubby Hayes The New York Sessions w/Clark Terry Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage Ray Brown Soular Energy* Some of My Best Friends are Trumpet Players Some of My Best Friends are Piano Players Bud Shank Brazilliance Vol.2 w/Laurindo Almeida Bob James Straight Up George Shearing I Hear a Rhapsody Clark Terry Portraits Cannonball Adderley Somethin' Else John Coltrane Blue Trane Duke Ellington Duke's Big 4 Dexter Gordon Ballads Frank Morgan Love Lost and Found Eric Reed Manhattan Melodies* Stephane Grappelli Live At The Operetka House in Warsaw J.J. Johnson Standards* Marty Paich The Marty Paich Trio Ray Bryant Potpourri Solo Flight Joe Pass I Remember Charlie Parker George Mraz Duke's Place* Bobby Timmons Sweet and Soulful Sounds |
My list (reformatted) Miles Davis -Kind of Blue* -58 Sessions* -Ballads* -Relaxin'* -Cookin' -Workin' -Steamin' -The New Miles Davis Quintet -Birth of the Cool* -The Musings of Miles Bill Evans -Explorations* -Sunday at the Village Vanguard* -Everybody Digs Bill Evans* -Portrait in Jazz* -Waltz for Debby* -Interplay -Bill Evans at Town Hall -At Shelly's Manne-Hole -At The Montreux Jazz Festival -Re: Person I Knew -Loose Blues -Since We Met -Trio '64 -Trio '65 -Quintessence -How My Heart Sings -Moon Beams -Undercurrent - With Jim Hall* Paul Desmond -The Paul Desmond Quartet Live -Polka Dots and Moonbeams* -Paul Desmond + MJQ at Town Hall -Like Someone in Love -Pure Desmond -Two of a Mind w/ Gerry Mulligan -Bossa Antigua The Dave Brubeck Quartet -Time Out* -Gone With The Wind -West Side Story -Jazz Impressions of Eurasia -25th Anniversary Reunion -1975 - The Duets -Brubeck Time Tommy Flanagan -Eclypso -Nights at the Vanguard* -Let's - The Music of Thad Jones* -Lady Be Good -Montreux '77 -Moodsville -Alone Too Long -Thelonica -Sunset and the Mockingbird -Confirmation Oscar Peterson -Live at the Blue Note -Live -Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson -Oscar Peterson Trio + Clark Terry -A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra -West Side Story* -Reunion Blues -Night Train* -Blues Etude* -The Trio* -Oscar in Paris Disc 1 -Oscar in Paris Disc 2 -Face to Face w/ Freddie Hubbard -My Fair Lady and Fiorello -Oscar Peterson plays Count Basie -Very Tall* -Plays the Duke Ellington Songbook -Plays Porgy and Bess -Plays Cole Porter Stan Getz -The Dolphin* -Sweet Rain -Spring is Here -Pure Getz -The Lyrical Stan Getz Keith Jarrett -The Cure -Standards, Vol. 1* -Standards, Vol. 2* -Standards Live* -Bye Bye Blackbird Shelly Manne -The West Coast Sound Volume 1 -My Fair Lady* -At The Blackhawk Volume1 -At The Manne-Hole Volume 1 Andre Previn -Gigi -After Hours -Like Previn* -Pal Joey Art Farmer -Warm Valley* -Modern Art -Silk Road Toshiko Akiyoshi -Finesse -At The Top of the Gate* -At Maybeck -Remembering Bud Charlie Rouse -Takin' Care of Business -Unsung Hero Sphere -Four For All -Bird Songs Marcus Roberts -Gershwin for Lovers Chet Baker -Chet* -Straight From The Heart -My Favourite Songs -In New York* -Once Upon a Summertime* -No Problem -Some Day My Prince Will Come -The Touch of Your Lips* -In Paris -In Milan -In Paris Volume 1 Kenny Barron -Lemuria-Seascape -Things Unseen -The Moment* -Sambao Errol Garner -Jazz Masters 7 -Concert By The Sea McCoy Tyner -Things Ain't What They Used To Be -Live at the Musician's Exchange Café -Inception -Revelations -The Music of Burt Bacharach -With Stanley Clarke and Al Foster Duke Jordan -Flight To Denmark* -Flight to Jordan* Hank Jones -The Oracle -Upon Reflection* -Handful of Keys -Master Class The Great Jazz Trio -Flowers For Lady Day -Love For Sale -Monk's Moods -The Club New Yorker Kenny Drew -And Far Away -Your Soft Eyes -The Riverside Collection* -Pal Joey* Zoot Sims -Warm Tenor* -Zoot at Ease -Zoot! -For Lady Day -Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers John Lewis -Garden of Delight -The Bridge Game* -Preludes and Fugues -The Bridge Game Volume 2 Chick Corea -Alive -Chick Corea Akoustic Band Warren Bernhardt -Reflections -Trio '83 Laurindo Almeida -Chamber Jazz -Outra Vez Vince Guaraldi -Vince Guaraldi Trio -In Person Emily Remler -East to Wes -Firefly -Standards* Monty Alexander -The Duke Ellington Songbook -Echos of Jilly's -Triple Treat Red Rodney -Then and Now -No Turn on Red Fred Hersch -Plays Coleman, Coltrane, Ellington,. -Dancing in the Dark Art Pepper -Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section* -Surf Ride -Tete-a-Tete Wes Montgomery -The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery* -Full House Ellis Marsalis -Ellis Marsalis Trio -Heart of Gold Brad Mehldau -The Art of The Trio Volume 3 -The Art of The Trio Volume 4 -Introducing Brad Mehldau* -Places Red Garland -The Nearness of You -It's a Blue World -Groovy* -All Kinds of Weather* -Red Garland's Piano* -A Garland of Red* -When There Are Grey Skies -Solar -At The Prelude Volume 1 -Red Alert -Revisited -The P.C. Blues -Red in Bluesville -Can't See for Lookin' -Crossings -Feelin' Red Art Tatum -Solo Masterpieces Volume 1 -Solo Masterpieces Volume 4 -Solo Masterpieces Volume 6 -Solo Masterpieces Volume 8 Joe Beck/Jimmy Bruno -Polarity* Joe Beck -Relaxin' -The Journey Hampton Hawes -Trio, Volume 1 -Here and Now -All Night Session, Volume 3 -Volume 2: The Trio Benny Green -Testifyin' -These Are Soulful Days Barry Harris -At The Jazz Workshop -Chasin' The Bird -Preminado Lynne Arriale -With Words Unspoken -A Long Road Home -Melody Barney Kessel -Some Like It Hot -Red Hot and Blues -The Poll Winners Cedar Walton -The Prestige Collection -The Trio, Volume 1 Grant Green -The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark Wynton Kelly -Kelly Blue -Piano -Smokin' At The Half Note With Wes Montgomery -Kelly At Midnight Stanley Turrentine -The Best of Stanley Turrentine -Ballads* Milt Jackson -Jackson, Johnson, Brown, & Company -Invitation -Clifford Brown -At Basin Street -Jazz Immortal Art Blakey -Moanin'* Tubby Hayes -The New York Sessions w/Clark Terry Herbie Hancock -Maiden Voyage Ray Brown -Soular Energy* -Some of My Best Friends are Trumpet Players -Some of My Best Friends are Piano Players Bud Shank -Brazilliance Vol.2 w/Laurindo Almeida Bob James -Straight Up George Shearing -I Hear a Rhapsody Clark Terry -Portraits Cannonball Adderley -Somethin' Else John Coltrane -Blue Trane Duke Ellington -Duke's Big 4 Dexter Gordon -Ballads Frank Morgan -Love Lost and Found Eric Reed -Manhattan Melodies* Stephane Grappelli -Live At The Operetka House in Warsaw J.J. Johnson -Standards* Marty Paich -The Marty Paich Trio Ray Bryant -Potpourri -Solo Flight Joe Pass -I Remember Charlie Parker George Mraz -Duke's Place* Bobby Timmons -Sweet and Soulful Sounds |
My god Spoons that is one hell of a list. I am famaliar with most of them and agree they are great the ones I am not famalier with will now be added to my list of to get CD's. |
Try the smooth and warm sound of Ben Webster, album ? - pick one ! |
A list to consider for terrific smooth jazz recordings are Richard Elliot "City Speak", Rick Braun "Body & Soul"' Keiko Matsui "Dream Walk, "Sapphire", "Live", Peter White "Caravan", Chieli Minucci "Renaissance" and "It`s Gonna Be Good"' Special EFX "Double Feature", "Masterpiece", Norman Brown "After The Storm". You would also probably like any of the recordings by Fourplay, Larry Carlton, and The Rippingtons. I also am a relatively recent convert from the original R&R scene. All of the music I have suggested is energetic contemporary jazz with some R&R edge to it so you wont get oversedated with the Kenny G type stuff. You can also keep track of the Oasis smooth jazz awards each year to see who`s doing what. You`ll find Chieli Minucci is one of the great guitarists no matter what genre you`re from and I`m a child of the 60`s. One last thing and I`ll go. It is important that go to see the talent "live". The CD`s from the smooth jazz genre DO NOT do justice to the energy and talent level of these performers. Just go hear Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Dave Koz, Fourplay or The Rippingtons just One Time and you`ll know just what I mean! Best, John |