CD Recommendations

Yes, last I heard Don Randi still owns the Baked Potato

This is a great CD with a good variety of sounds, with a tribal South American flavour.

Not too new though. The movie was also pretty interesting, and worth watching with Bobby DeNiro and Jeremy Irons.

Your note suggests that you may be ready to move on to some REAL jazz. The great releases by artists such as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Charles Mingus, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, etc., etc., have the singular virtue of inspiring and moving you, even after many, many hearings. Unlike much of "fusion" and "contemporary" jazz which tends to be pretty formulaic, the works by the great masters of jazz is American music that is, in the best sense, classical. During the past 6 months, I have made several long posts in various discussions about jazz, and I suggest you check back through the Audiogon archives for those threads.

Try anything from Charlie Hunter. He is the next coming of the jazz guitar god.

Check out your local library and preview some of these CDs fully before buying. It's also a cheap way of getting a broad musical background quickly and inexpensively.