Jazz must have pressings???

LA 4 is amazing. Surprised that are not more popular. I got my first taste of them earlier this year and just can't get enough. Not sure if it's on vinyl but The Yamamotto Trio has been an incredible joy for me.

"Bird With Strings" is one of the most beautiful albums ever made and no one mentions it. "Bird" was the man Miles idolized, Bird was the man who took Miles to school. Now that you know, maybe you can find something out about Bird.

For me must haves would be Brubeck (Time Out), Chet Baker (Chet), John Coltrane with Johnny Hartman, Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard, and like someone mentioned above any LA Four album. I would go for almost anything that Ray Brown plays bass in as he always kept great company. As far as jazz guitar I really like the 45rpm re-release of the Wes Montgomery Trio which was his first album with just guitar, organ, and drums. Great to hear this very influential guitarist early in his career with such great sound quality.

Check out Grooveshark http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/ A very expansive collection of jazz and some obscure live jazz recordings too. Many jazz lovers have contributed great recordings to this site. Once I get a Squeezebox Touch, I will be listening to it even more.

Pryso, you're preachin' to the choir with many of those selections.

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I'm seeking to expand my vinyl collection beyond the huge amount of piano and guitar vinyl I have.

I've tons of cd's, but it's my vinyl collection, or rather MUST HAVE pressings on vinyl that I'm interested in learning about, i.e., Adderly's Something Else, or KOB as you've mentioned. Those are both must have type pressings in my book that I'd recommend to anyone.

Knowledge wise I'm a hobbyist musician, which is to say one is always studying/learning something new. It's a lifetime ambition. There is never an end to learning, whilst one is still breathin'. But thanks for the rec's just the same.

BTW, the moniker came about back in '99 whilst in the midst of signing up I was listening to Blue Trane. I'm actually a bigger Keith Jarrett fan than anything else, but I've always admired Trane's approach to his instrument and music in general!

Coltrane, interesting choice for a moniker by someone who asks for
"must have" jazz lists. ;-)

The problem is that the field of jazz is so diverse, to recommend recordings
to someone I don't know is a very difficult task. As I understand your post
you are looking for specific recording recommendations, not merely artists. So
as one who's moniker on another site includes 3M (for Miles, Monk, and
Mingus) I'll give it a shot.

First, if you'd like a broad perspective on jazz, a great starting place is the
Smithsonian Jazz boxed set. That will expose you to a good variety of styles
and history.

I think the most accessible jazz artist, and therefore an easy one to start with,
is Dave Brubeck. Most might recommend his "Time Out" album.
But I'll suggest his "Quartet at Carnegie Hall" as a better choice,
because it includes his best known hits but also many other gems for more
variety.

Perhaps the artist with the greatest influence on jazz was Louis Armstrong.
Among all his great recordings try "Ambassador Satch" or
"Plays Fats Waller".

My single top desert island disk would be Miles' "Kind of Blue". It
has received much notoriety in the last several years with multiple reissues.
I've owned it since it came out and still never tire of hearing it. Miles changed
his groups and styles several times over his career so no single album
completely represents him. Since you play guitar you may know Rodrigo's
"Concierto de Aranjuez". If you like that check out Miles and Gil
Evans' "Sketches of Spain" which was based on that theme. And I'll
second Elizabeth's choice of "Bitches Brew" as the best of the
"electric Miles" years.

Back to Rodrigo, for subtle guitar it would be hard to top Jim Hall's
"Concierto" which also features Paul Desmond and Chet Baker.

Another choice with lots of discussion (popularity) since it was reissued is
Oliver Nelson's "Blues and the Abstract Truth".

For stream-of-conscious jazz piano, Keith Jarrett's "Koln Concert"
is a marvel of creativity.

In the '50s there was a rivalry between East Coast and West Coast jazz. Two
records that can give a taste of each would be Blakey and the Jazz
Messengers' "Night In Tunisia" and Jerry Mulligan/Chet Baker's
"California Concerts" respectively.

My listing could go on much longer but others have listed good
recommendations too so I'll end with one with a familiar name, John
Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" . I consider that one of his most
accessible albums so a good place to begin with. It is still melodic and before
he got into his "sheets of sound" and more abstract playing.

Have fun digging, this is a very deep mine.

Anything you can find by the L.A. Four on Concord is golden. The Concord LPs of the '70s and '80s have stunning clarity and dynamics, and the LA Four was a jazz supergroup composed of Ray Brown, Bud Shank (flute, sax), Laurinda Almeida (classical guitar), and Shelley Manne on drums, later replaced by Jeff Hamilton. I have 3 of their LPs and they're all tremendous, both musically and sonically.

For piano one of my favorites is "Satch and Josh" on Pablo from the mid-'70s. First pairing of Count Basie and Oscar Peterson, which made for an interesting counterpoint of styles while both have an impeccable sense of timing. The band is rounded out with Ray Brown, Freddie Green, and Louie Bellson. In other words, another supergroup.

I forgot Evans! Oh, him dancing with Lafarro (especially) is some of the most stunning music ever produced, period!

And Ray Brown.

Yes, I am 100% sure its Monty Alexander. Here is a link to a CD version on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RAY-BROWN-BASS-SUMMERWIND-NEW-CD-/120649110905?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item1c173f5579

The LP is hard to find. I think the one that you are referring to is called The Ray Brown Trio Live at the LOA Summerwind (I have it on CD). That is Ray Brown, Gene Harris and Jeff Hamilton. I agree that Gene Harris is great. Which reminds me that another very good LP is The Gene Harris Trio Plus One.

Babybear, are you certain Monty Alexander is on that Summerwind recording with Ray Brown? Ray did a Summerwind recording with Gene Harris on piano. Probably one of their hottest recordings during their 80-90's pairing. Check Gene out on 'Can't help lovin' dat man'. Talk about a clinic, and having the audience in your pocket!

For me, it's the 3 Ms---Miles, Monk, and Metheny; Bill Evans is in there also.

Desert Island disc: Miles' Kind of Blue

Virtually all Blakey, Pepper, Minghus, Monk, Miles, Chet, and a few others.

That's just sticking to non-esoteric stuff.

Philipe Catherine is Belgium guitarist mostly playing Acoustic/Electric and Gibson Les Paul guitars. Used to show up in CMP record label that is out of business now.
From the same 'hangout' as Philipe, I'd recommend Jasper Van't Hoff, the virtuoso pianist also mostly shown in CMP record label.
If you love jazz, CMP is a must!

I listen to anything with Art Blakey in it. Hank Mobley is another favorite. Yusaf Lateef's Live at Pep's is a classic recording, IMO, if just for Sister Mamie.

Elizabeth,

it is funny that you mention Bitches Brew, I recently came across a copy of Live Evil (which came out a year later) and have been surprised how much I have enjoyed it! Despite the 70s jazz fusion quality (which sounds a bit dated to me) I really appreciate the landscapes and nuances of music so much that I bought the On the Corner CD.

Pandora is my favorite tool for the "discovery" process. One of my favorite stations is "David Grisman and Martin Taylor". A great combination of Roots, Jazz and Gypsy acoustic guitar flavors.

Take a look at this thread:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?gmusi&976325372&openflup&29&4#29

I have compiled quite a list out of it that I have been chipping away at, but frankly I have a few hundred to go yet before I catch up with Elizabeth. However I doubt she'll stop any time soon, so that may be a never never plan, lol. Independant of that, Dave Brubeck- Time Out is a must have, and I particularly enjoy the Horace Silver Bluenote rereleases - any and all of them, he's my favorite artist.

One of my favorite live albums is Louis Bellson Live at Concord.

Martin Taylor, the Scottish acoustic / electric guitarist has some wonderful recordings on Linn including one w/famed jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. Martin Taylor has a series of guitar oriented lps on his own label. Also, Antonio Forcione is a brilliant Italian acoustic guitarist who has recorded on Naim.

Hi Coltrane1! I'm a guitar player and bassist, these are some of my favorite pressings:
1. Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane on Prestige
2. Guitar Player (2 LP's)on MCA-Joe Pass, Lee Ritenour, Herb Ellis,Irving Ashby, Barney Kessel and others
3. The Guitar Album-Historic Town Hall Concert (2LP's) on Columbia-Charlie Byrd, Chuck Wayne,John McLaughlin, Bucky Pizarelli,George Barnes,Joe Beck
4. Solo Flight-The Genius of Charlie Christian (2 LP's) on Columbia
5. Dave Brubeck_Time Out on Classic Records reissue
6. Corea-Hancock (2 LP's) on Polydor
7. Larry Coryell-Spaces-on Vanguard
8. Bill Evans and Jim Hall-Intermodulation-on Verve
9. Count Basie Big Band-Farmer's Market Barbecue-on Pablo
10. The Poll Winners-Barney Kessel, Shelley Manne, Ray
Brown on Contemporary
11. Pat Metheny Group-80/81-on ECM
12. McCoy Tyner-Inception on Impulse
13. Wes Montgomery-Movin' Wes-on Verve

Jean luc ponty, thelonious monk, al Hirt, chick cores to name a few

Here are a few that I really enjoy. Not in any particular order they are:
1. Count Basie - 88 Basie Street. The original on Pablo is wonderful.
2. Bill Berry - For Duke - direct to disc on the Jeton label.
3. Ray Brown and Monty Alexander - Summerwind - direct to disc on the Jeton label.
4. Freddie Hubbard - The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard - reissued 45 rpm (original on Impulse)
5. Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright - Blue Note - the 45 RPM re issue.

There are many more that are just as wonderful.

I can't say that I'm jazz-oriented as that genre makes up a very small percentage of my collection. I do like big band type stuff from Stan Kenton, Bill Holman, and Billy May, along with some popular artists like Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete. Getting away from piano and guitar, I think my one "must have" would be the Don Rader (flugelhorn) album "Anemone," recorded live at the Great American Music Hall--beautiful music and musicians that seem to be listening to and interracting with each other.

Nice to have the book Elizabeth recommends. I don't think the guides are published anymore since they went to the web at allmusic.com. You can spend endless time there searching by artist, genre, album, etc. and finding out artists similar to your favorites.

Thanks for the tip Elizabeth, will do.

Philjolet, archtops with fixed pickups are my thing. They're spendy but worth it. CB is fabulous. I've too many favorites to mention, Montgomery, Burrell, Green, the list is endless.

acoustic guitar? not electric I presume...

I like Charlie Byrd but my knowledge is limited.