Jazz Recommendations

Well, with due respect, most of the time folks discuss jazz, they're not really jazz fans, not straight ahead fans, that is. When artists as diverse as Duke Ellington and Boney James are included in the forum, it's like, well, talking about the merits of Johnnie Walker Red in chat about Bowemore-like single malts...

And anyway, this topic is the stuff of doctoral candidates. It's almost like asking for recommendations on high-fi cables and interconnects, where you'll get lots of opinions ("...the cables created a new sense of brightness and clarity while enhancing a greater sense of a total black background...") and even some science thrown in ("...the interconnects created an enhanced sound stage...") (the last part about science was tongue in cheek). So with that, in order to get past the mind numbing 'what is jazz?' stuff, just keep in mind, for technical 'definition' purposes a jazz composition has a beginning, middle and end. The start and finish are the central melody, known as the "head." The middle is generally the improvisation built around the head. Jazz is not, with all deference: Windham Hill, Smoothe Jazz radio stations, Tuck and Patty, the veritable cornacopia of Latin artists who play folk music but get air play on left-end-of-the-FM-dial-as-jazz-artists, Boney James, Najee, Kenny G, everything Grover Washington did post 1973 (God rest his soul), and not Diana Krall. Sorry.

Anyway, if you are into sterling recordings that cover the range of the birth of Cool in the 50s up to the fusion era of the early 70s, try these:

-Mile Davis "Kind of Blue"
-Art Blakey "Album of the Year" (pressed in Amsterdam in the early 80s. Bobby Watson, Charles Pierce, Wynton Marsalis-- when he was around 18 yrs old--an incredible recording. And good luck in finding it)
-Joe Henderson "Mode for Joe"
-Herbie Hancock "Maiden Voyage"
-Wayne Shorter "Speak No Evil" (1998 remastering by Rudy Van Gelder, contains alternate take of "Dance Cadaverous")
-Woody Shaw "Two More Pieces of the Puzzle"
-John Coltrane "A Love Supreme" (no, actually, get the entire Classic Quartet collection)
-Chick Corea "Three Quartets" and "I rememer Bud (Powell)"
-Frank Zappa "Hot Rats" ("Son of Mr Greenjeans" and "It Must Be a Camel" are among the best jazz compositions of all times)
-Weather Report "Heavy Weather" and "Mr Gone"
-Anything by: Bill Evans, Stan Getz, MyCoy Tyner and Tony Williams.

I'm more of a Macallan's scotch drinker myself but I did enjoy the put down of Diana Krall. Let's face it Jazz is many things to many people. Here are a few recordings to look for. Maybe not as an entry point, but there are many great examples of intro to jazz here already, but if you get into trying out different things you may find some pleasure here.

Susie Ibarra - Songbird Suite - Tzadik
William Parker Violin Trio - Scrapbook - Thirsty Ear
Anouar Brahem - Le Pas De Chat Noir - ECM
Chicago Underground Trio - Slon - Thrill Jockey

hope you can track down a few of these

matthew

There are many younger jazz artists making great music right now which is neither bland nor too abstract to listen to. They include bassist Ben Allison, drummer Matt Wilson, saxophonist Ted Nash. I also love David S Ware, pianist Matthew Shipp,and bassist William Parker. Also try trombonist Joshua Roseman, drummer Bobby Previte and others.

There have been some wonderful recommendations here, let me add one that I just picked up last night: Joe Lovano "I'm all for you" on Blue Note. Terrific tenor sax jazz with a great supporting cast on bass, drums, piano. Superbly recorded, it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it shure got me looking at his other works. I bet he's great live. Just wanted to pass this one on.

Jazz has many faces and atmospheres. To me, there is not much that can take away from a good evening with some 'ole scratchies (better yet if not scratched).

If someone wanted a start, I'd first tell them to get a 'entry-level' turntable (go for a used Thorens or AR with new arm or a Dual restored). The second step would be to get about $100-$150 dollars together and visit www.euclidrecords.com. They sell good condition vinyl for usually $4-8 an album. You can really rack up a collection.

Most importantly, purchase recordings such as:

Bill Evans, Sunday At the Village Vanguard
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
John Coltane, Cresent OR Live at the Village Vanguard
Ahmad Jamal, (anything on Argo or Chess)
Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil
Sonny Rollins, Saxaphone Colloseus
Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage
Miles Davis, Someday My Prince Will Come
John Coltrane, Lush Life OR Soultrane
Billie Holiday, Lady in Satin
Sonny Stitt, anything on Verve
Wes Montgomery, Bumpin
Sonny Criss, anything on Imperial
Dave Brubeck, Time Out OR Angel Eyes
Bill Evans, Interplay (I'm looking for that now in 180g)
Wynton Marsalis, J-Mood or Black Codes (from the Underground)
Sam Rivers, Countors or Fushia, Fushia Swing
Keith Jarrett, Kohn Concert OR Bremen/Lausanne
Wes Montgomery, A New Dynamic Sound

When you get past the 'intro' stuff, get a 'little' deeper:

Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come
Pharoah Sanders, Kharma (impluse) or Pharoah Sanders Quintet (ESP, also called Pharoah's First)
Jaki Byrd, anything in the late 50's thru 60's on Riverside or Prestige
Thelonious Monk, ...Himself
Andrew Hill, Point of Departure
Lowell Davidson Trio (Esp....almost non-existant anywhere)
Cecil Taylor, Unit Structures or any live solo work
Don Cherry, Symphony for Improvisers
Anthony Braxton, anything by him
Albert Ayler, Spiritual Unity OR Bells
Henry Grimes Trio, The Call
Patty Waters, College Tour OR Sings
Sun Ra, Space is the Place (impulse version only)
Sam Rivers, Trio (impulse)
Sonny Simmons, Music from the Spheres

I may not have my degree, but I've put-in my 15 years. Not bad for a 25 year old :-)