Jazz Recs for Classical Music Fan - Challenging


Having acquired 1000s of classical CDs (probably more than I could ever listen to), I think that it is time to start with some Jazz. I know there are a lot of forums, websites, and books that give much great advice on how to approach the subject. However, I am looking for more particular recommendations. Perhaps some fellow posters with classical tastes in the Romantic and Modern eras could give some recs that would nicely bridge the gap. I've tried to make my way into Jazz a couple of times, but haven't been successful to date. Perhaps someone here can help me make the breakthrough.

Here are some of the things I am looking for:
1) Decent recordings. This probably means something from the 60s, forward. A little tape hiss is OK, but excessively remastered or noisy recordings are not what I'm looking for. I know that many of the great recordings are from the 30s through the 50s, and I have ordered a couple of those.
2) Naturally recorded. No amplification, no over-miking, good engineering. Vocals should be minimally or not amplified. Soundstage needs to be realistic. The venue should be apparent. No 50 ft clarinets and vocals eminating from the entire soundstage.
3) Acoustic instruments. I do not like electronic music.
4) No divas-come-lately. I don't care to hear the latest 22 year old with a big voice, amplified and electronically filtered to 'perfection', a pretty album cover, and a marketing campaign to tell me how great she is.
5) Emotional content. Not just for tapping your foot or for background music.
6) Great performances. Not just something that came out last month with high recommendations in the press.
7) Probably smaller ensemble pieces. Vocals, piano, quartets, etc.
8) There may be some labels that have classical and jazz recordings that overlap (?ECM).

Thanks,
Rob
rtn1

Showing 1 response by rushton

Rob, I've been making this same journey of exploration over the past year, moving from an almost exclusive base in classical music (as in more than 3000 LPs) to trying to understand and appreciate jazz. What worked for me was to focus on the "straight ahead" jazz ("hard bob"?) with a few artists I at least had some affinity for, and then branching out from there.

I started with the following recordings which meet all of your criteria and overlap with some other recommendations already given. (FWIW, I concur with Slipknot's list as a good set of recordings; they meet the requirements you laid out.) The following list simple reflects my path to learning to enjoy jazz comming from a purely classical music frame of reference...

Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald: "Ella and Louis" Verve 4003

Louis Armstrong: "Satchmo Plays King Oliver" Audio Fidelity ST-91058

Ella Fitzgerald: "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!" Verve V6-4053

Billie Holliday: "Songs for Distingue Lovers" Verve 2015

Count Basie: "88 Basie Street" Pablo 2310-901 (this is a larger ensemble, but give it a try as an introduction to that genre. It's excellent.)

Miles Davis: "Kind of Blue" Columbia CS 8163

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman: "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman" Impulse GR-157

Sonny Rollins: "Saxophone Colossus" Prestige P-7079

Cannonball Adderley: "Know What I Mean?" Riverside 9433

Coleman Hawkins: "Coleman Hawkins and his Confreres" Verve MG VS-6110

Bill Evans: "Know What I Mean?" or "Waltz for Debbie"

Bill Berry: "Shortcake"

My collection of jazz has now grown beyond these, but I would again start my personal journey here if I were doing it again.
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