OK, I guess no one's going to lynch me for monopolizing this thread, so I'm going to ramble a bit and share some personal thoughts about jazz with you. As I mentioned, I started listening to jazz in high school. I lived in one of the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, DC, which has always had a good music scene (Duke Ellington's home town!!). I started listening to live jazz when I was 15, and my first concert was at the Carter Barron Ampitheater in Rock Creek Park, with a double-bill of Louis Armstrong and the Count Basie Band. Louis played with his group (Trummy Young, Barney Bigard, Thelma Middleton, etc) for about 90 minutes, then the Basie band took over about 90 minutes, and following a short intermission both bands joined and played for about 45 minutes. Jesus, what an introduction to jazz!! After that, I started hanging out at the Showboat Lounge, which was Charlie Byrd's regular gig. I fell in love with what he could do on a guitar -- both jazz and classical (student of Andres Segovia for several years). For a short period I fancied myself being able to play guitar, and took a few group lessons from Byrd (until he tactfully but firmly suggested I find another instrument). I also had a friend who played drums in a local jazz group, and through his contacts I was able to get into some of the almost exclusively black jazz clubs. Man, what talent I heard, and almost all unknown players (Andrew Hill being an exception), most of whom learned jazz in the club scene and could play their ass off. So, my early years of listening to jazz were pretty firmly rooted in Swing-style music, and it's still what I gravitate to when I just want to relax. In the years since, I've made a point of catching sessions and getting the musicians to autograph my LP's. Over the years, I've met and talked briefly with a lot of greats: Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Johnny Griffin, Earl Hines (he appeared in Seattle shortly before his death), Bill Evans, Art Farmer, all of the members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Michel Petrucciani, Frank Morgan, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Sonny Rollins, Frank Wess, Dizzy Gillespie, and many others. I can hardly tell you what a privilege it has been to meet, even briefly, these stellar musicians. Kedlac started this thread by asking for some classic jazz recordings, and I've sort of hedged his question. The following list contains some of my favorite artists and/or recordings: 1. Erroll Garner - Concert By The Sea. I heard Erroll in concert when I was 16. He was completely self-taught, did not read music, and played with such lyricism and bounce. 2. Charlie Byrd - almost all of his recordings on the Riverside label from the early 1960's are great, as is his album "Jazz Samba" with Stan Getz on Verve. Charlie was fortunate in having a great ride with Concord Jazz for the last 15 years of his life, and had many fine recordings on that label. His last CD, done just before his death, was dedicated to Louis Armstrong, and was one of his best recordings. Nice epitaph. 3. Bill Evans: Evans introduced the modal style of play to Miles Davis, and was central to the recording "Kind of Blue". Among my favorite Evans recordings: Undercurrent (with Jim Hall); The Village Vanguard Sessions; Waltz For Debby; and Conversations With Myself. 4. Miles Davis: If I had to pick only one album to take to a desert island, it would be "Kind of Blue". The album was done with no rehearsal, and everything on the album is essentially a "first take". I also like the albums that Miles did in the earlier part of the '50's: Workin'; Cookin'; Steamin'; and Relaxin'. His work with his second great quintet in the early '60's also produced some great work, but I personally prefer his '50's stuff. 5. Art Pepper: my personal favorite alto sax player. Art started his career with the Stan Kenton Orchestra shortly after WWII, and had, in effect, 2 careers: in the 1950's, when he was almost always stoned on heroin or other drugs, and then in the mid-1970's to early 80's before he died. His recordings from the 1950's on the Contemporary label are "must haves" in my opinion: The Art Pepper Quartet (with Miles Davis' rhythm group); Art Pepper Plus Eleven (with orchestra); Intensity; Smack Up; and others. Art spent most of the 1960's in and out of prison for drug-related offenses, and then 3 years in rehab with Synanon. His playing after he re-joined the jazz scene in the mid-1970's was harder, edgier, and filled with a lot of pain. One of my favorite albums of his done during "phase two" is a CD done with Milcho Leviev, called "Shoes of the Fisherman". Art does a ballad on that CD dedicated to his wife Laurie that absolutely brings tears to my eyes. 6. Stan Getz: Another Stan Kenton alumnus, and a great player who was, happily, prolifically recorded. His 1957 album, "At The Opera House", with J.J. Johnson on trombone, is a good introduction to his work. He is probably best known for "Jazz Samba" (with Charlie Byrd), and "Getz/Gilberto", but his work in the late 1960's was a lot closer to his jazz roots. He did some excellent recordings on the Verve label, including "Focus" and "Serenity". His last recording, "People Time" done with Kenny Barron just weeks before he died, is one of the most heart-wrenching pieces of work ever done. 7. Thelonious Monk: all of the following 4 albums deserve a home in a good collection: Monk with John Coltrane; Monk with Sonny Rollins; Brilliant Corners; and Alone in San Francisco. 8. Chick Corea: of all his various recordings, my personal favorites are the recordings he had done with Gary Burton. Sheer poetry. 9. Keith Jarrett: his solo concerts from the 1970's are mesmerizing and dazzling in their virtuosity, but his "Standards" recordings sets a very high mark for the piano jazz trio. And now for some jazz guitarists: 10. Jim Hall: Undercurrent (with Bill Evans); Concierto (with orchestra - rather like Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain"); Alone Together (with Ron Carter); and Circles (with his trio). 11. Joe Pass: Virtuoso; Blues for Two (with Zoot Sims); and For Django. 12. Wes Montgomery: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of W.M.; Smokin' At The Half Note; and Full House. Finally, in closing for good, a few other artists that I really like, and who don't get the recognition they deserve: David Murray (tenor sax) -- check out his recordings from the 1980's on the Soul Note and Black Saint labels Abdullah Ibrahim (great pianist from South Africa_-- I love his CD called "Water From An Ancient Well" McCoy Tyner (John Coltrane's pianist) -- I really liked the recording he did called "New York Reunion" on the Chesky label Charles Lloyd (tenor sax) - he's done 7 fine albums during the past 9 years, and the two I'd recommend are "Fish Out Of Water" and "The Water Is Wide" Horace Silver (piano) - Horace has many fine recordings back to the mid-1950's. His work on the Blue Note label from this period is uniformly excellent. If I were forced to pick only one of his albums, it would probably be "Songs For My Father" Well, this could go on forever. This ought to be enough to get you started, Kedlac. If others would like to correspond directly with me for further discussions of artists/recordings, please E-mail me at: SDCamp1113@cs.com Best regards to all. Scott Campbell
