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 |
Try the smooth and warm sound of Ben Webster, album ? - pick one ! |
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. |
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 |
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 |
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!!!! |
Fourplay is great. The earlier albums are the best but there all great albums(cd). George Duke (after hours)great cd. Enjoy! |
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. |
Check out Pat Metheny/Charlie Hayden -Under the Missouri Sky
Also earlier Pat Metheny -American Garage, Offramp,80/81 |
You can't forget the group 4 Play and the late great Grover Washington Jr. |
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. |
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) |
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!!! |
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 |
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!!! |
