Help me build up a jazz album collection. Can you suggest a must have album?


Just got back into analog after not having a turntable for 38 years. That was a Thorens TD 320. Now I have a VPI. Building a jazz album collection now since jazz seems to be what I enjoy now. I have barely 12 albums from Miles Davis, Art Blakey, King Curtis, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Ike Quebec and Illinios Jacquet. Can you suggest a must have album? I generally like great sax, and percussion and sometimes a good vocalist, but I am open to anything that sounds GREAT. Also, if there is a particular label, issue or type of album. Thanks in advance.

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Late to the party, but will say that there are a whole lot of great suggestions in this thread. I’ll add several in no particular order, perhaps "debatable" to some, that really lit my system up:

 

Annie Lennox’ Nostalgia

Passport Blue Tattoo

Larry Coryell (pretty much everything)

Buddy Rich & Lionel Hampton Translation

Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett Cheek to Cheek

Frank Sinatra A Man And His Music

Stanley Clarke School Days

Weather Report Heavy Weather

 

A note on something not a many others have mentioned so far: Actually finding copies. Getz and Jobim is an old record and not so easily available in good shape. I got lucky and found a pristine copy online, albeit for ~$50 including shipping. 15 years ago. The Sinatra LP (a double Reprise original) was a still factory-sealed cut-out I found at a Goodwill for $1.50. My first copy of Stephanie Germanotta’s and Anthony Benedetto’s first LP rocked my world with the quality of its pressing. And then I dropped it putting it back in the sleeve. Took me two more copies to find another just as well-pressed.

You understand the reality I’m describing and have a good cleaning system. You might consider adding a Vinyl Flat to address the inevitable warped copies you’ll encounter that are otherwise just fine. And be both diligent and patient looking for things. First editions of desirable stuff could take years. Something that’s just got greasy fingerprints with no visible scratches you can fix.

Good luck, fun searching and happy listening!

Make that Grant Greene “Idle Moments”.. one of the greats.

Green also plays w/ Ike Quebec on “Blue and Sentimental”

Art Pepper “Getting’Together!” Wynton Kelly on Piano too. Chambers and Cobb too. The track “Why are we afraid” is a favourite. 

Adding to the many great suggestions…

Definitely Chick Corea - Trilogy and Trilogy 2 live, and Chick Corea Akoustic Band Live are all great (Dave Weckl is crazy good on drums) If I remember correctly Chick wrote much of the music for Time Out?

Oscar was mentioned many times, but We Get Requests is one of my faves and is really nicely recorded. That and Night Train.

 

 

You absolutely need to have Lee Morgan-The Cooker (Blue Note Poets Edition). It is an audiophile recording and pressing currently in production and possibly my favorite jazz album. 

Many excellent suggestions already, but with one qualification, I'll add a few that haven't been mentioned.

The qualification is that I listen to CDs and Hi-Red streaming, not LPs. But as the master recording is the key, these should all be available in finely made LPs.

Charlie Mingus: – Mingus Ah Um

Oliver Nelson – The Blues And The Abstract Truth

Miles Davis – Porgy And Bess

Hank Mobley – Soul Station

Paul Chambers Quartet – Bass On Top

Kenny Burrell – Midnight Blue