help me find quality classic jazz?

Not much of a jazz afficionado myself, but I do like Paul Desmond/Gerry Mulligan's "Two of a Mind" ... alto and baritone saxes - each soloing, and then weaving together in contrapuntal harmony, unobtrusive backbeat, string bass.

1962 performance; on the Victor Jazz label (digital remaster)

Tracks
- All The Things You Are - Kern/Hammerstein
- Stardust - Carmichael/Parrish
- Two of a Mind - Desmond
- Blight of the Fumblebee - Mulligan
- The Way You Look Tonight - Fields/Kern
- Out of Nowhere - Heyman/Green

Thanks guys,

I find it hard to express exactly what I am looking for having never found it. Putting the years down was a bad idea, I do not care what year but like simple classic mellow sounds that have a jazz type quality. I am not especially big into the blues or big band etc...

I do have Blues and the Abstract Truth by Lester Young and it is very good but a little faster and more upbeat than my current tastes.

Thank you Rob and Tubemeiser for the Ben Webster recommendations I will go listen if I can find them.

Bomarc What Evans do you recommend? Again I like slow, most of his stuff is faster if I am right in my memory banks :)

all the best,

Phil

Gee, when I think Evans, I don't think fast at all. My favorite is Waltz for Debbie.

Another idea: Ketih Jarrett, The Melody At Night With You. It's second-tier Jarrett if you're a Jarrett fan, but might be right up your alley.

I have given this some thought over a nice glass of wine. I did limit myself to the year criteria, but I submit for your consideration:

Gene Ammons: Boss Tenor (1960) (possibly an exact match for what you are looking for)

Gerry Mulligan: Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (1959) (highly acclaimed session, lots of great relaxed sax, including baritone)

Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1962) (not big band, just sax, piano, bass, and drums. beautifully introspective)

Zoot Sims: Blues for Two with Joe Pass (no drums but a lot relaxed breathy sax and guitar interplay) (1982)

Dexter Gordon: Ballads (1960s)

These are slightly more uptempo:

Paul Desmond: Two Of A Mind (with Gerry Mulligan and Jim Hall)

Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus (1950s) (a classic and very tuneful)

Stan Getz: Jazz Samba (great sax, and with Charlie Byrd on Guitar I dont think you can go wrong).

Have Fun!

Bomarc I am sure you are right and I just do not know the artists well enough.

Hifive, I should have mentioned Charlie Byrd as he is one of my favorites and so is Stan Getz, Jazz Samba sounds like a winner! I will carefully consider your list as I think you have your finger on some nice choices.

come to think of it...
maybe I should have named this thread something like 'your favorite slow jazz choices' so more people would be interested in contributing (not that I am ungrateful, quite the contrary) it is just that it would then be about music and not me.

thanks to everyone, I look forward to some quality music, btw if you have not discovered deepdiscountcd.com do yourself a favor and save some money as they have good prices and do not charge shipping, though somewhat of a limited selection I have bought much there.

all the best

Phil