If you love Monk, you will enjoy Bud Powell (4cd set on
Blue Note), Randy Weston "Volcano Blues", and Mal Waldron
"Hot House". |
Jazz is really diverse. What kind of music or artists did u like b4 getting into jazz, or even now?
My experience was I loved rock when I was a teenager (and still do!), then blues, then ended up in Jazz while listening to all 3 now! |
Return to Forever, "Romantic Warrior." "No Mystery" is also very good. This is "good" jazz fusion. The players are Chick Corea - Keyboards etc., Stanley Clarke - Bass extraordinaire, Al Dimeola - Guitar, Lenny White - Drums, percussion. Man, these guys are talented and tight. This is music from the mid 70's. It's out in re-mastered versions so the sound is superb, highly recommended. |
I enjoy listening to Wynton Marsalis |
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One more. Fritzel's Jazz Band. You probably have to go to New Orleans to get this one, at Fritzel's Europeon Jazz Club on Bourbon St. They have live jazz there most nights, really good New Orleans style jazz. Some of the best musicians in town jam there. The cd is a recording of basically the house band. Very nice. |
Ray Brown Trio. 2 fer cd live "The Red Hot", and "Bam, Bam, Bam." Just excellent piano, bass, & drums. A swinging good time and excellent sound. There is some crowd noise, but to me it doesn't detract from the performances at all. |
John Mclaughlin "Extrapolation".
In the similar vein to Miles "In A Silent Way"(add that to list as well)
Incredible melodic guitar . Absolute virtuoso performance.with `Sax Bass Drums.
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One of the best sources for building a jazz collection
is the Concord Records catalog. Great artists, great sounding recordings and great deals. |
My all time favorite is the JVC XRCD Sonny Rollins "way out west" CD.Breath taking CD..XRCD medium is amazing.. |
Hi Dok,
There is nothing contentious about acknowledging the essentially modern outlook of Jazz. You are absolutely correct about that, and I think many, if not most people in the music would see it that way. Certainly many of its most important contributors (i.e. Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, etc.) were fierce modernists that strived to remain part of the creative flow. However, I would never say that Thelonius Monk's music is dated, nor much of Miles Davis' oeuvre, nor that of many others. Their art is essentially timeless, perhaps the only useful definition of the word "classic" as it applies to Jazz.
According to an old book on Jazz by Marshall Stearns, the word Jazz is derived from the word Jass, which was a slang word in the New Orleans red light district that meant screwing.
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To be totally contentious :)...
Although I like many of the recordings mentioned in the previous posts I find MANY of them boring, repetitve, and, to be frank, out of date. What was cutting edge 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago is no longer. This is not to say I don't like that music. My SACD of Stan Getz, Jobim, and Gilberto gets lots of late night airplay, as well as recordings by Miles, Mingus, Coltrane, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly..etc., etc., etc..
However...! Here are a few more comtemporary suggestions:
Dave Douglas "Freak In" And "The Infinite"
Laurent de Wilde (killer!) Stories
Brad Meldhau (any recording)
Tomasz Stanko Soul of Things
e.s.t. Somewhere Else Before
Jacky Terrason Smile and A Paris...
Jon Abercrombie (almost any recording) Tactics...best live performance I've ever heard, with Pat Martino and Joey Defrancesco Live At Yoshi's a close second
Lonnie Plaxico Melange
Charles Mc Bride Vertical Vision
Dan Wall Of The Wall (he plays Hammond Organ for John Abercrombie)
Anything by a Canadian group called Metalwood
And check out the DVD Audio recording of Medeski Martin and Woods Uninvisible. Also check out John Scofield.
IMO, although much of the older stuff is revealing of jazz's history, and possessed of much good playing it is no longer cutting edge and innovative. It is certainly the wellspring and body of work which must be mastered by anyone hoping to "play jazz" but I believe that the essence of jazz does not lay in the past, but in the present (or future), and very much in the hands of young technically accomplished musicians who mine tradition for technique but who are also fired up by more current musical trends.
BTW I offer these observations and suggestions in the spirit of friendly controversy. I mean no offense to the "trad jazz" fans.
Doug
PS anyone know the origins of the word "jazz"? |
unless i missed other posts,their is some out-standing material out on the ecm label. |
I'm a relative novice, having just begun to explore the world of Jazz. Of the 50 or so titles I now own, by far,and by a wide margin, the best selection is Wayne Shorter's JU JU. |
Stan Getz - Getz/Gilberto
Abbey Lincoln - You Gotta Pay the Band
Phineas Newborn - The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear
Horace Silver - Song For My Father
Abdullah Ibrahim - Ekaya
Jimmy Scott - All The Way
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Sarah Vaughn - No Count Sarah
The Bad Plus - Here Are The Vistas
Betty Carter - The Audience With Betty Carter
World Saxophone Quartet - Revue
David Murray - Ming
The Modern Jazz Quartet - Farewell Concert
Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Thelonius Monk - Alone, In San Franscisco
Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Vol.1
Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
Hampton Hawes - Hampton Hawes Trio, Vol. 1
Terry Gibbs - Latin Connection
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances A Sophie
Buddy Rich - The Roar of 74
Wes Montgomery - Live at Tsubos's
Mongo Santamaria - Sabroso
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Woody Shaw - Stepping Stones
John Zorn - Masada 8
Wynton Marsalis - Black Codes Form the Underground
Branford Marsalis - Trio Jeepy
Jimmy Smith - Organ Grinder Swing
Larry Young - Unity
Oscar Peterson - West Side Story
George Benson - Bad Benson
The Crusaders - Free As the Wind
Count Basie - Atomic Basie
Duke Ellington - Money Jungle
Coleman Hawkins - Hawk Flies High
---outta time, but the list is endless...really
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I don't have anything to add to the incredible and huge list already mentioned here in terms of recordings. There is a book that I've read awhile back, however, that has helped me understand and enjoy jazz immensely and it might be worthwhile for those who are new to check it out. The book is Jonny King's "An Insider's Guide to Understanding and Listening to Jazz." King's knowledge and prose combined with his enthusiasm make for a quick and entertaining read. Higly recommended. |
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just relistened to two classic jazz albums. Kenny Burrell's midnight blue and Sonny Clark's cool struttin'. Both excellent efforts from two fantastic artists. |
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Pieces of a Dream/Love's Silhouette
Incredible music and well recorded. |
The best place I've found to hear a wide variety of old and new jazz is Mainstream Jazz with Bob Parlocha. You can access it on jazz88fm.com. This is a public radio station in Minneapolis that plays mostly jazz. |
A previous poster mentioned Mark C.Gridley's jazz text;it has his top jazz recordings list and is a good overview of the subject.
Here are a few to get you started:
Early jazz--Louis Armstrong, hot 5/hot 7 recordings
Swing--Ellington,Live at Newport
Bop--Charles Parker,Ornithology
Hard Bop--John Coltrane,Giant Steps
Cool--Miles Davis,Kind of Blue
Modern--Bill Evans,Sunday Live at the Villiage Vanguard |
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Jazz has a home in Canada at CKUA in Alberta and on the Web at CKUA.com. Mountain Standard Time MST Saturday afternoons, most days 3-6, and various shows like Voices in Jazz.
CKUA plays all music styles all day, not focusing on types of music but what the personality has decided. This is a member organized station and is supported financially by the listener. If you enjoy non corporate, no commercial radio that doesn't push you to buy the latest stuff while it supports artists this is a great listen for you.
Bill Khool is a noted CKUA radio personality who supports jazz and is recognized in the past year by his peers in the industry Canada wide.
Listen and learn! |
how bout another young lion not yet mentioned
saxiphonist Chris Potter
his album Gratitude (and his others) are all excellent jazz renderings
tom |
for an online jazz source try kkjz.org. it is kkjz 88.1 in LA. jazz all the time, blues on sat and sun from 2-7pm, jazz on the latin side on friday 6-10p. the greatest hosts on the air, chuck niles, sam fields and more.
this is the cal state long geach radio station which survives mostly on member contributions. they now have a playlist to check what played and when just in case you didnt hear the announcer identify the tkune he just played.
another resource is All Music Guide at
http://www.allmusic.com
this is exceedingly valuable and its free. it is available in print but the true value is on line.
...regards...tr |
Pat Metheny, INDEED! - pretty much anything, except Zero Tolerance for Silence which is not for beginners or even casual jazz fans.
Keith Jarrett - the compilation "rarum: Selected Recordings" is a great overview of his work from '74 to '94, then in no particular order Live at the Blue Note, Whisper Not, Tokyo '96, Koln Concert, La Scala, The Melody at Night with You, My Song, Belonging, Arbour Zena, on and on.
Dave Holland Quintet - especially Not for Nothin', Prime Directive and What Goes Around (actually a big band recording).
Chris Potter, excellent young sax player - Travelling Mercies, Gratitude.
Charles Lloyd - recent recordings on ECM are great.
Kurt Rosenwinkel, great young guitar player - The Enemies of Energy.
Joni Mitchell, don't laugh or smirk, some of her stuff has a very real jazz feel to it - Hejira and other recordings post-1976, particularly one from 1980 with Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mayes, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette (I think that was the line-up. |
I'll just quietly slip into the back of the lecture hall and take notes. Since I forget to bring the books on the reading list, I'll consult the *starters'* list of jazz standards and contemporary jazz classics at
http://amadeus.siba.fi/~eonttone/standard.html |
Pat Metheny, one of the talented jazz musicians ever - and unbelievably dynamic in concert. Yet, no one has mentioned him, hmmm. Sure, Herbie and Miles are great, but Metheny's range of music is most adventurous and creative. |
In addition to those mentioned above:
Eric Dolphy "Out To Lunch"
John Coltrane and Milt Jackson "Bags and Trane"
Freddie Hubbard "Red Clay" |
The Philadelphia Experiment...if you dont own this...Santa is gonna slap ya! Merry x-mas.... |
"Soular Energy" The Ray Brown Trio featuring Gene Harris.
Outstanding. |
Here's 2 of the BEST. Go to the website WWW.DCCBLOWOUT.COM and buy the M&K label dual album gold cd entitled "For Duke" & "Fatha" while you are there, pick up the DCC CD title "A Portrait of PeeWee" Both of these are on sale for $17.99 & $4.99 at DCCBLOWOUT(the best prices around for these). I have both cd's and they are two of the most toe tapping Jazz recordings I have ever heard. Wilson Audio used the "For Duke" record to showcase their new Watt/Puppy 7.0's at HE2002 in NYC this year. I was there and every person in the Wilson room was astonished at how real the "For Duke" album track "Take The A Train" sounded coming out of the watt/puppy 7.0's. The DCC label PeeWee Russel cd is also incredible. The Last track has a drum solo that sounds like it is in your living room. Not only are these both very musical, they are also two of the best remastered cd's I've heard. If you love Jazz this is the best $23.00 you will ever spend. |
Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" is the classic album that all jazz muscians acknowledge as one of the most important recording ever. Also, anything with Ray Brown. |
Well, I would suggest picking up some live Bela Fleck. I have Live Art which is pretty good, though I miss the conitnuity of a complete live performance (for example, some songs have sax and the overall band lineup changes in general throughout the different songs). Though I haven't heard it, others have recommended the latest Live at the Quick to me, so that should be worth checking out.
BTW, another really good jazz band in the jamband scene is Galactic. They are probably the best show I've ever scene. |
Sonny Rollins, Way out West... has dimensionality, pace, pop, feel and atmosphere to name but a few positives it gives off. Many of the inclusions are fabulous, however I feel this disc is vital. Enjoy! |
Gents, and Ladies Charlie Haden is performing Aug 26 at Blue Note celebrating his 65th birthday so hurry-up to New York to hear him unrecorded i.e. live. |
I'll explain "snobby, highbrow jazz" to you, if you explain "snobby highbrow audio" to me. |
Musicdok and others:
I, too, love Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown music. I think it made its mark on me as a kid watching the cartoons and I have listened to it during the holidays for years ever since.
I was a little embarrassed, however, when I "interviewed" with a jazz piano teacher who was a professor of jazz and musical composition in New York.
When inquiring about my goals and musical interests, he sneered dismissively at the mere mention of Vince Guaraldi --"That's NOT jazz...." At least I recovered slightly with my interest in Bill Evans. Dave Grusin, however, somewhere in between Vince Guaraldi and Britney Spears on his jazz rating scale.
So maybe someone can explain snobby, highbrow jazz to me and I can begin a more serious study there. I totally get Kind of Blue and might even say it has already changed my life. As I write, I am listening to Thelonius Monk Straight no Chaser on SACD which I also like.
Who are the other serious, hard core, jazz afficionados only, , double black diamond, graduate level, straight into the deep end guys?
Thank you. |
Chet Baker-self titled
Bill Evans/Jim Hall-Undercurrent
Bill Evans-Live At The Village Vanguard
Soundtrack Pete Kelly's Blues
Anything Grant Green
I could go on forever...this is insane....check around and read some literature on jazz. Not sure what tastes you have in jazz music (blues influenced/lounge/vocalist/bop)? Lots to explore thats for sure. |
Vincere, thanks for the recommendations. I heard Bela Fleck live in a reasonably intimate setting and absolutely loved the concert! When I bought a CD, I was somewhat disappointed at the "studio" sound (vs live sound) that seemed to lose the pacing and rhythm I was expecting. Could you recommend a CD that captures the energy of the band? Thanks. |
Here's some more recent jazz artists that I really like.
1. Medeski Martin & Wood
2. John Scofield
3. Charlie Hunter
4. Bill Frisell
5. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
6. Soulive
Also, if you like jazz check out some jambands, especially my favorite band, Phish. |
Maynard Fergurson's "Master of the stratisphere" has got to be up there with one of the best. The number 8 recording is taken from the very famous opera (forgot the name) that Caruso is always heard singing which is to demonstrate his greatness. It'll roll your socks up.... By the way, the person who recommended Little Jimmy Scott's "Over the Rainbow" owes me $17.99. |
I would add...Clark Terry and Red Mitchell To Duke and Basie....Incredible!!!!!!!! |
As regards guitarists, don't forget Kenny Burrell! |
Oh, this is one of the finest threads I have come across on any board. Not unlike the original poster, I was interested in starting a jazz collection, after having gone about as far as I could with a 2000, mostly R&R, LP collection from the mid 60's to the late-70's. As I have gotten older I have realized that my taste in music (and the sound from my system) have chnged dramatically.
The recommendations of SDCampbell, and some others, I have been "spot-on" for me.
Recent additions to my collection which I will reiterate and highly recommend are Bill Evans's "Undercurrent", Art Pepper's "Intensity", "Focus" by Stan Getz, and Erroll Garner's "Concert by the Sea". In addition, for those of you who like guitar, the Joe Pass, Jim Hall, and Wes Montgomery works are not to be missed!
Salut to you, SDCampbell! |
Any CD with Eric Alexander playing !! |
I love miles davis's stuff on prestige & his first few recordings on columbia, john coltrane's stuff on atlantic. other faves billie holliday, but before her stuff on verve, gerry mulligan has alot of great stuff, hampton hawes all night sessions, chet bakers stuff on emercy(I think there are 4 cd's of those). |
Two of the most popular guides to jazz are the "Penguin Guide to Jazz (on CD)" and the "All Music Guide to Jazz".
Out of the two, I like the All Music guide better. I like their album descriptions more, and they also supply other information. For each artist, they have a summary of his style and musical history. Like Penguin, they have a similar "rosetta stone" mark for truely outstanding albums but unlike Penguin, they also have marks for the best albums of that particular artist, along with a first purchase mark.
All Music also has some neat essays about the history of jazz, along with major artists and best selections (books and albums) for major jazz eras. All in all, I find this book to be "more accessible". |
Maybe I missed it in all the postings, but Bud Powell is an essential and seminal piano player, one of the fathers of hard bop and a tremendous influence on Monk, Miles and every piano player that followed him. His later work on Verve can be uneven (Powell had a difficult and troubled life and died young)but his earlier recordings on Mercury (?) are not to be missed - a true genius! |
