Jazz Recommendations

Almost any album reorded by Blue Note through the mid 60s is GREAT. Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard etc. For the West Coast sound Contemporary recordings oh Shelly Manne, Hampton Hawes, Art Pepper etc. Most recordings on Prestige or Riverside are also great. Earlier recordings by Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Wardell Grey, Bud Powell are also excellent. From the 70s and 80s recordings on Muse, InnerCity and Steeple Chase are also excellent. Try samplers from OJC(Fantasy) and Blue Note etc to get an idea of what styles suit you best. Most jazz fans are into the Hard Bop sound, defined by the Blue Note recordxings of the 50s throgh the mid 60s.

Sdcampbell, thanks for your information! I almost feel like I am in your class already. Would have been one of my favorites. It is a credit to the school you teach to have a person such as you. One who is not only incredibly adroit at speaking on the topic, but also loves the subject. I agree with all that you have said. I constantly listen to three Sonny Rollins works(and there are many I have come across that have left me unimpressed). Theme from the movie, Alfie(where Michael Caine got his big break) is one of my favorite albums of my collection. Charles Mingus does not play the type of jazz that really sucks me in, but I cannot argue with success. Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz IS hard to follow. And, as you opined, would definitely be a handful for a neophyte. I would welcome an e-mail from you any time you feel like writing to me. TRELJA@aol.com

Though certainly not in the same genre knowledge wise as Sdcampbell, Trelja or the rest, would I be out of line to suggest something by the Modern Jazz Quartet? "Pyramid", "In a Crowd" and "The Complete Last Concert" are all very good. The latter two are live and the last, in addition to my father's love for Dixieland, are what originally got me interested in Jazz. Oscar Peterson's "Night Train" and almost anything by Bill Evans are also good suggestions. Sdcampbell, like Trelja, I too, would be interested in your take on the current crop of Jazz artists.

Professor Campbell, could you comment on the "liner notes" from the Columbia/Legacy "Kind of Blue" where it mentioned past issues having been "off key" due to incorrect tape speed at recording? (Corrected on this issue to true speed and key.) Does it not make this a "must have" release? How many musicians were driven to insanity trying to play to this mistake? Thanks, Charlie

Here are a few of my faves: 1) Oscar Peterson Trio - West Side Story 2) Bill Evans - At Montreux 3) Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage 4) Gil Evans - Out of the Cool 5) Kenny Burrell - Guitar Forms 6) Cannonball Adderly w/ Miles Davis - Somethin' Else 7) Stan Getz/ Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba 8) Horace Silver - Silver's Blue 9) Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra 10) Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners Oh, BTW, no Jazz-lover's collection is complete without Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas!! Good Luck, listen to as much live Jazz as you can, and Happy Holidays to all!!