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About
Robert
Middleton
My
Top Jazz Albums
Are
you interested in jazz or are thinking of starting
a jazz CD collection? This is a great place to
start. Look, jazz is a very subjective thing,
but I've been a serious collector of jazz for
several years and am really good at separating the
wheat from the chaff. You can't go wrong with
anything listed here. This represents less than 10%
of my total collection, so this really is the good
stuff!
I've
divided the list into a few
categories.
1.
The
All-Time
Masters
- Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane,
Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus. You should have
several CDs from each of these artists for your
core collection. I've picked my favorite
ones.
2.
The
Early Jazz
Masters
- This was music recorded from the 30's to the
50's by the greatest jazz musicians of the
time.
3.
Jazz
from the mid-period of
Jazz
- Most of these are from artists on various labels
recorded from the mid 50s to late 60's. It wasn't
easy to pick just one CD for each artist, but these
are the cream of the crop.
4.
Blue
Note Artists
- From the mid 50s to the mid 60's, Blue Note
recorded some of the best jazz in history. I've
listed one CD for each of these artists. Most of
them are classics.
5.
Jazz
from the Modern
Era
- These are CDs recorded by artists since 1969. A
few artists represented in the lists above are also
still recording now. Yes, Jazz is alive and well
and dozens of great jazz CDs are recorded each
year.
6.
Live
Jazz
- Some of the best and most exciting jazz
recordings were made live. They have a spontaneity
not found on studio recordings.
7.
ECM
Artists
- Music on the ECM label is a special category of
jazz all its own - mostly European. Many people are
nuts about ECM music.
8.
Ten
Reasons to Start Collecting
Jazz
- Jazz is great music and fun to collect and listen
to for a lifetime.
9.
Where
to start your
collection
- Here are 20 CDs you can't go wrong
with.
Also
check out All
About Jazz
and the Top
100 Jazz CDs
You
can buy most of what you see here on
Amazon.com
A lot of this stuff you can download inexpensively
and legally from EMusic.
I
have some of this music linked to Amazon and will
have more linked in the
future.
1.
The Al-Time Jazz Masters
These
five jazz musicians were the greatest of them all.
You can't just get one of their CDs, you need
at least a handful. These are my favorite. Note
that links lead to Amazon.
Miles
Davis - Trumpet
Miles was perhaps the greatest innovator in
all of jazz in that he spearheaded new movements
in jazz and was lawyers a few steps ahead of
everyone else. From cool jazz to orchestral to
fusion, Miles always had something interesting
and exciting to say. Of his 80 or so albums,
most are worth a serious listen. The are amongst
my favorites.
Birth
of the Cool '49
Round
About Midnight '55
Milestones
'58
Kind
of Blue '59
Sketches
of Spain '60
Someday
My Prince Will Come '61
Complete
Live at The Blackhawk '61
ESP
'63
Filles
de Kilimanjaro '68
In
a Silent Way '69
Bitches
Brew '69
We
Want Miles '81
Duke
Ellington - Piano, Bandleader
Duke as undisputedly the greatest big band
leader of all time. He led his bands from the
20s, into the 70s with a group of immensely
talented and stylistically unique players.
Ellington is always instantly recognizable, yet
him music continued to evolve. Perhaps jazz's
greatest genius. The selections represent
later Ellington. His recordings run into the
several hundreds.
Blues
in Orbit '59
Piano
in the Background '60
Three
Suites '60
Money
Jungle '62
Back
to Back (with Johnny Hodges)
'63
And
His Mother Called Him Bill '67
Far
East Suite
'69
Afro-Eurasian
Eclipse '71
John
Coltrane Tenor/Soprano Sax
John Coltrane's reputation is based on the
quality and style of his saxophone playing.
Nobody else, on any instrument, could quite
reach his virtuosic heights. Coltrane has become
the reference point for every saxophone player
to follow. Nobody has yet equaled his level of
playing. These selections are amongst his most
acclaimed.
Blue
Train '57
Giant
Steps '59
Coltrane's
Sound '60
My
Favorite Things '61
Ole´
Coltrane '61
Africa
Brass '61
A
Love Supreme '63
Crescent
'64
Thelonious
Monk - Piano
Monk gained his fame more for his
compositions than his playing. Every Monk penned
tune has a quirky brilliance. Seemingly simple
in structure, they are all meticulously
structured musical gems. Many of his tunes, such
as 'Round About Midnight, Straight, No Chaser
and Pannonica have become jazz standards which
have been recorded hundreds of times. These
selections are amongst his best
recordings.
Brilliant
Corners '56
Monk's
Music '57
Thelonious
Himself '57
At
Carnegie Hall with John Coltrane
'57
Monk
at Town Hall '59
At
the Blackhawk '60
Monk's
Dream '63
Underground
'68
Charles
Mingus - Bass
Mingus was one of the most passionate of
jazz musicians. His music is full of drama,
extraordinary melodies and virtuoso performances
by his band members. Mingus pushed his players
to always be themselves, to avoid musical
clichés and to play in the moment. As a
result, his music never sounds dated, but fresh
and exciting even after hundreds of listens.
These selections highlight Mingus's
genius.
Tijuana
Moods - '57
Blues
and Roots '59
Mingus
Ah Um '59
Mingus
Dynasty '59
Mingus
at Antibes '60
Mingus,
Mingus, Mingus, Mingus '63
The
Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
'63
Changes
I & II
'74
2.
The Early Jazz
Masters
These
artists were the early giants of jazz, playing from
the
mid-thirties
into the 50's and 60's. There are so many
CDs to choose from that you might want to get one
of these boxed sets by Proper Records that are
excellent overviews of their careers. Four CDs each
for about $16 through an Amazon
reseller.
Louis
Armstrong - Trumpet - Satchmo
in the 40s
Count
Basie - Bandleader - The
Count Basie Story
Lester
Young - Tenor Sax - The
Lester Young Story
Ben
Webster - Tenor Sax -
Big
Ben
Coleman
Hawkins - Tenor Sax - The
Beebob Years
Jerry
Mulligan - Baritone Sax -
Jeru
Bud
Powell - Piano -
Tempus
Fuge It
Charlie
Parker - Alto Sax - Boss
Bird
Dexter
Gordon - Tenor Sax - Settin'
The Pace
Clifford
Brown - Trumpet
- Joy
Spring
3.
Classics from the Mid-Years of
Jazz
There are some amazing CDs in this
collection. They span the mid
fifties to the late sixties. Start with one from
each artist and expand from there.
Cannonball
Adderley - Alto Sax - Bohemia After Dark
'55
Clifford
Brown - Trumpet - Study in Brown
'55
Dave
Brubeck - Piano - Time Out '59
Kenny
Burrell - Guitar - Bluesy Burrell
'62
Benny
Carter - Tenor Sax - Further Definitions
'61
Ornette
Coleman - Alto Sax - The Shape of Jazz to
Come '59
Eric
Dolphy - Tenor Sax, Flute - Far Cry
'60
Bill
Evans - Piano - Portrait in Jazz
'59
Gil
Evans - Bandleader - Out of the Cool
'60
Booker
Ervin - Tenor Sax - The Freedom Book
'63
Art
Farmer - Trumpet - Portrait of Art
'58
Red
Garland - Piano - Soul Junction
'57
Dizzy
Gillespie - Trumpet - Gillespiana / Carnegie
Hall Concert '60
Chico
Hamilton - Drums - The Dealer '66
Roy
Haynes - Drums - Out of the Afternoon
'62
Ahmad
Jamal - Piano - Ahmad's Blues '58
Quincy
Jones - Bandleader - The Quintessence
'61
Wynton
Kelly - Piano - Kelly Blue '59
Rhashan
Roland Kirk - Saxophones - We Free Kings
'61
Yusef
Lateef - Tenor Sax, Flute - The Centaur and
the Phoenix '60
Booker
Little - Trumpet - Out Front '61
Modern
Jazz Quartet - Group - Dedicated to Connie
'60
Wes
Montgomery - Guitar - The Incredible Jazz
Guitar '60
Oliver
Nelson - Bandleader - Blues and the Abstract
Truth '61
Herbie
Nichols - Piano - Love, Gloom, Cash, Love
'57
Charlie
Parker - Alto Sax - Jazz at Massey Hall
'53
Art
Pepper - Alto Sax - Meets the Rhythm Section
'57
Oscar
Peterson - Piano - Night Train
'62
Sun
Ra - Bandleader - Jazz in Silhouette
'58
Max
Roach - Drums - Deeds Not Words
'58
Sonny
Rollins - Tenor Sax - Saxophone Colossus
'56
George
Russell - Bandleader - Ezz-Thetics
'61
Clark
Terry - Trumpet - In Orbit (with Monk)
'58
4.
Blue Note Classics
These CDs could entertain you for a
lifetime. But be careful, this music is
addictive. Each of these artists has half a dozen
or more CDs. And most of them are just as good as
the ones below. They span the mid fifties to the
late sixties.
Cannonball
Adderley - Alto Sax - Somethin' Else
'58
Tina
Brooks - Tenor Sax - True Blue
'60
Art
Blakey - Drums - Night in Tunisia
'59
Donald
Byrd - Trumpet - Byrd in Flight
'60
Eric
Dolphy - Reed Instruments - Out to Lunch -
'64
Lou
Donaldson - Tenor Sax - Artist Selects
'58-'67
Kenny
Dorham - Trumpet - Trompetta Toccata
'64
Dexter
Gordon - Tenor Sax - Doin' Alright
'61
Grant
Green - Guitar - Idle Moments '63
Herbie
Hancock - Piano - Maiden Voyage
'65
Joe
Henderson - Tenor Sax - Page One
'63
Andrew
Hill - Piano - Black Fire '63, Point of
Departure '64
Freddie
Hubbard - Trumpet - Open Sesame
'60
Bobby
Hutcherson - Vibes - Components
'65
J.J.
Johnson - Trombone - The Eminent J.J.
Johnson Vol 1 '53
Jackie
McLean - Alto Sax - New Soil '59
Blue
Mitchell - Trumpet - The Thing to Do
'64
Hank
Mobley - Tenor Sax - Soul Station
'60
Lee
Morgan - Trumpet - Search for the New Land
'64
Sam
Rivers - Tenor Sax - Fuchsia Swing Song
'64
Wayne
Shorter - Tenor Sax - Speak No Evil
'64
Horace
Silver - Piano - Song for My Father
'64
Jimmy
Smith - Organ - Open House/Plain Talk
'60
Stanley
Turrentine - Tenor Sax - Never Let Me Go
'63
McCoy
Tyner - Piano - The Real McCoy
'67
Larry
Young - Organ - Unity
'65
5.
Modern Jazz - Recordings from 1969 to the
present
A good percentage of the artists below
are alive and recording today. They are
the present and future of jazz. Jazz is indeed
alive and well. I have selected my current favorite
recording by these artists. These CDs are divided
into three time periods: 1969 to 1994, 1995 to 2000
and 2001 to 2007. Listed by artist.
Part
I - 1969 to 1994
Toshiko
Akiyoshi - Bandleader - Desert Lady
Fantasy '93
Ginger
Baker - Drums - Going Back Home
'94
Terrence
Blanchard - Trumpet - Malcolm X Jazz Suite
'92
Paul
Bley - Piano - Fly Away Little Bird
'92
Jane
Ira Bloom - Soprano Sax - Art and Aviation
'92
Arthur
Blythe - Alto Sax -
Lenox
Avenue Breakdown '79
Gary
Burton - Vibes - Dreams So Real
'75
Ron
Carter - Bass - Third Plane '77
Graham
Collier - Bass, Bandleader
- Down Another Road '73
Chick
Corea - Piano -
Three
Quartets '82
Either/Orchestra
- Band - Calculus of Pleasure '90
Peter
Epstein - Saxophone - Dualism '94
Art
Farmer - Trumpet - Blame it On My Youth
'88
Stan
Getz - Tenor Sax - Anniversary/Serenity
'87
Don
Grolnick - Piano
- The Complete Blue Note Recordings
'89
Roy
Hargrove - Trumpet - With the Tenors of Our
Time '94
Roy
Haynes - Drums - Te Vous '94
Joe
Henderson - Tenor Sax - So Near, So Far
'93
Andrew
Hill - Piano - Passing Ships '69
Freddie
Hubbard - Trumpet - Red Clay '70
Bobby
Hutcherson - Vibes - Color Schemes
'85
Abdullah
Ibrahim - Piano -
Water
From an Ancient Well '86
Ahmad
Jamal - Piano - The Essence '94
Keith
Jarrett - Piano - My Song '77, Changeless
'89
Rabih
Abou Khalil - Oud - Blue Camel
'92
Joe
Lovano - Tenor Sax - From the Soul
'91
Mike
Mainieri - Vibes - Wanderlust -
'81
Wynton
Marsalis - Trumpet - Black Codes From the
Underground '85
John
McLaughlin - Guitar - Extrapolation
'69
Jackie
McLean - Alto Sax - Dynasty '88
Pat
Metheny - Guitar - Bright Size Life '75, Off
Ramp '81
T.S.
Monk - Drums - Take One '92
Joshua
Redman - Tenor Sax -
Moodswing
'94
George
Russell - Bandleader - So What
'83
Shakti
- Group - Natural Elements '77
Woody
Shaw - Trumpet - Stepping Stones
'78
Archie
Shepp - Saxophone - Trouble in Mind -
'80
Soft
Machine - Group - 3rd & 4th - '70
'71
John
Surman - Baritone Sax - Way Back When
'69
McCoy
Tyner - Piano - Sama Layuca '74
Miroslav
Vitous - Bass - Infinite Search
'70
Weather
Report - Band -
Heavy
Weather '77
Randy
Weston - Piano
-
African Sunrise '92
Buster
Williams - Bass - Something More
'89
Tony
Williams - Drums - Best of Tony Williams
'85
Yellow
Jackets - Group - Four Corners
'87
Joe
Zawinul - Keyboards - Dialects
'86
Frank
Zappa - Guitar - Hot Rats - '69
Part
II - 1995 to 2000
Atomic
- Group - Feet Music '99
Ginger
Baker - Drums
-
Coward of the County '99
Joey
Baron - Drums -
Down
Home '97
Ray
Barretto - Percussion -
Portraits
in Jazz and Clave '00
Brian
Blade - Drums -
Perceptual
'00
Michael
Brecker - Tenor Sax - Tales of the Hudson
'96
Dave
Brubeck - Piano - So What's New
'98
James
Carter - Saxophones - Chasin' the Gypsy
'00
Marc
Cary - Piano - Listen
'97
Avashai
Cohen - Bass - Colors '00
Chick
Corea - Piano -
Change
'00
Barbara
Dennerlein - Organ - Junkanoo '96
Pierre
Dorge - Guitar, Bandleader -
Welcome
to the Danish Jungle '96
Dave
Douglas - Trumpet -
In
Our Lifetime '95
Either/Orchestra
- Band - More Beautiful than Death
'00
Bill
Frisell - Guitar - Gone, Just Like a Train
'98
Kenny
Garrett - Alto Saxophone -
Songbook
'97
Marc
Gross - Saxophone -
Riddle
of the Sphinx '00
Chico
Hamilton - Drums - Timely '99
Tom
Harrell - Trumpet -
The
Art of Rhythm '98
Charlie
Haden Bass - Beyond the Missouri Sky
'97
Charlie
Hunter - Guitar
-
Bing! Bing! Bing! '95
Mark
Isham - Trumpet -
Blue
Sun '95
Wynton
Marsalis - Trumpet - Marciac Suite
'00
John
Mayer - Bandleader - Asian Airs
'97
Brad
Mehldau - Piano -
Art
of the Trio - Vol 1 '97
David
Murray - Tenor Sax - Octet Plays Trane
'00
Mike
Nock - Piano - Ozboppin' '98
Greg
Osby - Alto Sax - Art Forum - '95
Wallace
Roney - Trumpet - No Room for Argument
'00
John
Scofield - Guitar - Works for Me
'01
Brad
Shepik - Guitar - The Well '00
Steps
- Group - Holding Together '99
Jacky
Terrasson - Piano - Jacky Terrasson
'95
Steve
Turre - Trombone and
Shells
-
Rhythm Within '95
McCoy
Tyner - Piano - Infinity '95
Jessica
Williams - Piano - Blue Fire '01
Michael
Wolff - Piano -
Impure
Thoughts '00
Part
III - 2001 to 2008
Ben
Allison - Bass - Cowboy Justice '06
Fred
Anderson & Hamid Drake - Sax/Drums -
From the River to the Ocean '07
Omer
Avital - Bass - Arrival - '07
The
Bad Plus - Piano Trio -
Prog
'07
Bar
Kokhba Sextet - Group - Lucifer
'08
Steven
Bernstein - Tenor Sax - Diaspora Blues
'02
David
Binney - Tenor Sax - Oceanos
'07
Brian
Blade - Drums - Season of Changes
'08
Michael
Blake - Tenor Sax - Elevated '02, Blake
Tartare '04
Terence
Blanchard - Trumpet - Bounce '04
CarlyaBley
- Piano - Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu
'07
Michael
Brecker - Tenor Sax - Pilgrimage
'07
Anat
Cohen - Saxophones - Noir '07
Dave
Douglas - Trumpet - Meaning and Mystery
'06
Mark
Egan - Electric Bass - As We Speak
'06
Electric
Masada - Group - At the Mountains of Madness
'05
Peter
Epstein - Tenor Sax - Lingua Franca
'05
Javier
Girotto - Saxophones - New York Sessions
'06
Roy
Hargrove - Trumpet - Nothing Serious -
'06
Stefon
Harris - Vibes -
African
Tarantella '06
Joel
Harrison - Guitar - Harbor '07
Billy
Hart - Drums - Billy Hart Quartet
'06
Andrew
Hill - Piano - Time Lines '06
Vijay
Iyer - Piano - Reimagining '05,
Tragicomic '08
Vijay
Iyer / Rudresh Mahathappa - Sax - Raw
Materials '06
Same
Keevers - Piano - No Conditions/No
Expectations '06
Frank
Kimbrough - Piano / Joe Locke - Vibes - The
Willow '01
Nguyen
Le - Guitar - E.L.B. '04
Jason
Lindner big Band - Live at the Jazz Gallery
'07
Charles
Lloyd - Tenor Sax - Sangam '06
Joe
Locke/Geoffrey Keezer - Vibes/Piano - Live
in Seattle '06
Joe
Lovano - Tenor Sax - Joyous Encounter
'05
Mike
Mainieri - Vibes - Northern Lights
'5
Christian
McBride - Bass - Live at Tonic
'06
Donny
McCaslin - Tenor Sax - In Pursuit
'07
Brad
Mehldau - Piano - House on Hill
'06
Bennie
Maupin - Saxophone/Bass Clarinet - Early
Reflections '08
Ted
Nash - Tenor Sax - In the Loop
'06
Herbie
Nichols Project - Group - Strange City
'01
Chris
Potter - Follow the Red Line '07
Joshua
Redman - Tenor Sax -
Back
East '07
Kurt
Rosenwinkel - Guitar - Deep Song
'06
Gonzalo
Rubalcaba - Piano - Avatar '08
Maria
Schneider - Bandleader - Concert in the
Garden '05, Blue Skies '08
SF
Jazz Collective - Group - SFJC 2
'06
Paul
Shapiro - Tenor Sax - Midnight Minyan
'03
Wayne
Shorter - Tenor Sax - Alegria '03
Steve
Turre - Trombone - Rainbow People
'08
Kenny
Wheeler - Trumpet - What Now? '05
Jessica
Williams - Piano - Live at Yoshi's I &
II '04
Kenny
Werner - Piano - Lawn Chair Society
'07
Randy
Weston - Piano - Zep Tepi '06
Yellow
Jackets - Group - Time Squared
'03
Joe
Zawinul - Keyboards - Brown Street
'07
Miguel
Zenon - Tenor Saxophone -
Looking
Forward '02
John
Zorn - Alto Sax - Masada Live at Tonic
'01
John
Zorn - Bandleader - 50th Birthday
Celebration - Bar Kokhba + Masada String Trio
'03
6.
Live Jazz
Recordings
Some if the greatest jazz recordings were recorded
live (in front of an audience in one continuous
performance). They are amongst the most spontaneous
and exciting recordings in the jazz cannon. Here
are some of my favorites (that are not listed
elsewhere on this page). Listed by year.
Early
Live Recordings - '56-'80
Duke
Ellington - Live at Newport '56
Sonny
Rollins - Night at the Village Vanguard
'57
Thelonious
Monk - Thelonious in Action/Mysterioso
'58
Miles/Coltrane
- Live at the Olympia '60
Cannonball
Adderley - Nippon Soul/Dizzy's Business
'61
Stanley
Turrentine - Up at Minton's '61
Bill
Evans - Waltz for Debbie/Live at Village
Vanguard - '61
Miles
Davis - Live in Europe '63, Live at Fillmore
'70
John
Coltrane - Live at Birdland '63
Charles
Mingus - Cornell 1964
Wes
Montgomery - Smokin' at the Half Note
'65
Charles
Lloyd - Forest Flower '69
Lee
Morgan - Live at the Lighthouse
'70
The
Quintet - VSOP - '77
Woody
Shaw - Stepping Stones - Vanguard
'78
Keith
Jarrett - Personal Mountains '79
Ralph
Towner - Solo Concert '79
Late
Live Recordings - '81 - '08
Miles
Davis - We Want Miles '81
Chick
Corea - Live in Montreux '81
Dave
Brubeck - Concord on a Summer Night
'82
Mal
Waldron/Steve Lacy - Live at the Bimhuis
'82
Joe
Henderson - State of the Tenor
'85
Sonny
Rollins - G-Man '86
Stan
Getz - Anniversary/Serenity '87
Charles
Mingus - Epitaph '90
Branford
Marsalis - Bloomington '91
Omer
Avital - Asking No Permission '95
Joshua
Redman - Spirit of the Moment - Live at the
Village Vanguard '95
Chick
Corea - Origin: Live at the Blue Note
'98
Pat
Martino - Live at Yoshi's - '00
Tom
Harrell - Live at the Village Vanguard
'02
Keith
Jarrett - Up for It '02
Joe
Lovano - On This Day - Vanguard
'03
Lee
Konitz - Live Lee '03
Jason
Lindner - Live in the UK '04
Electric
Masada - At the Mountains of Madness
'05
McCoy
Tyner - McCoy Tyner Quartet '06
Dave
Douglas - Live at the Jazz Standard
'07
Joe
Lovano/Hank Jones - Kids '07
Brad
Mehldau - Live '08
Charles
Lloyd - Rabo de Nube '08
Kurt
Rosenwinkel - The Remedy
'08
7.
ECM Records
Artists
This is almost a whole new category of jazz.
Sometimes called "Nordic Jazz," it is an
improvisational music that is not based in the
blues. More quiet and reflective, for the most part
with crystalline sound. Some of the greatest modern
jazz artists have recorded for ECM since the
70s.
John
Abercrombie - Guitar - Open Land '99
Carla
Bley - Piano, Bandleader - Fleur Carnivore
'88
Bill
Connnors - Guitar - Of Mist and Melting -
'78
Chic
Corea/Gary Burton - Piano/Vibes - Crystal
Silence '72
Gary
Burton - Vibes - Dreams so Real
'75
David
Darling - Cello - Cycles '81
Jack
deJohnette - Drums - New Directions
'78
Bill
Frisell - Guitar - Where in the World
'91
Jan
Garbarek - Tenor Sax - Twelve Moons
'92
Gateway
- Group - Homecoming '95
Dave
Holland - Bass - Extensions '89
Zakir
Hussain - Tabla - Making Music
'86
Keith
Jarrett - Piano -
Koln
Concert (solo) '75
Mark
Johnson - Bass -
Bass
Desires '86
Charles
Lloyd - Tenor Sax -
Voice
in the Night '99
Pat
Metheny - Guitar - Bright Size Life
'75
Enrico
Rava - Trumpet - Easy Living '04
Martin
Speake - Tenor Sax - Change of Heart
'05
Tomasz
Stanko - Trumpet - The Soul of Things
'02
Bobo
Stenson - Piano - Dansere '76
John
Surman - Saxophones - Stranger Than Fiction
'93
Steve
Tibbetts - Guitar - Yr '80
Ralph
Towner - Guitar - Solstice
'74
Miroslav
Vitous - Bass - Universal Syncopations
'03
Eberhard
Weber - Bass - Endless Days '01
Kenny
Wheeler - Trumpet -
Angel
Song '97
8.
Ten Reasons to Start Collecting Jazz
1.
Jazz is music for grownups; it's for smart
people; it's for creative people. (Like you,
right?)
2.
Jazz expands your mind. No kidding. There's a
lot of depth in jazz. It's played by
extraordinary musicians.
3.
Jazz is fun. It can be great background music,
create a romantic mood or stimulate creative
ideas. You can even dance to it!
4.
There's enough recorded jazz to keep you busy
for a lifetime.
5.
Jazz never gets old. Like wine, it tends to get
better as it ages.
6.
Pick your style. From swing to bebop, to avant
garde to fusion, there's a style to suit every
taste. (But please, smooth jazz is not really
jazz, it's instrumental pop.)
7.
You can order the majority of available jazz CDs
online at reasonable prices. (Amazon)
8.
You can download a huge amount of jazz legally
at even more reasonable prices.
(eMusic)
9.
It sure beats watching television! Listening to
great music renews you instead of draining
you.
10.
It's just cool to listen to jazz.
9.
How to Get Started with Your Jazz
Collection
Buy
10 or more of the following 20 CDs. Open your
mind and just listen. If you don't begin to like
jazz after listening to these CDs, well, jazz
probably isn't for you. Nothing extreme here, I
promise. A wide variety of styles, these are all
jazz masterpieces that you can listen to over and
over again. Links take you to Amazon where you can
pick up most of these under $10 through Amazon
resellers.
Older
Jazz (Mostly 60s)
Kind
of Blue
- Miles Davis
Some say the best jazz album of all time.
Certainly a classic that appeals to almost
everyone. Timeless.
Time
Out
- Dave Brubeck
Has perhaps the most recognizable jazz tune ever
- Take 5. Features Paul Desmond's signature alto
sax sound.
Far
East Suite
- Duke Ellington
Duke got better and better in his later years.
Some say this is his masterpiece.
Breathtaking.
My
Favorite
Things
- John Coltrane
Coltrane took a Rogers and Hammerstein tune from
the Sound of Music and turned it into a timeless
jazz classic.
Out
of the Cool
-
Gil Evans
Miles Davis sometimes collaborator, Evans,
recorded this album of unclassifiable orchestral
jazz in 1960.
Somethin'
Else
- Cannonball Adderley
Blues-drenched jazz featuring Miles Davis on a
program of standards and originals.
Open
Sesame
- Freddie Hubbard
As straight ahead as jazz gets with the
incendiary trumpet playing of Hubbard on his
debut album.
Speak
No Evil
- Wayne Shorter
One of the great jazz composers, Shorter's tunes
are still fresh and surprising over 40 years
later.
Maiden
Voyage
- Herbie Hancock
One of the most sublime Blue Note recordings,
Hancock pens a timeless jazz standard with
Maiden Voyage.
My
Song -
Keith Jarrett
With the soaring saxophone of Jan Garbarek, this
is one of Jarrett's most memorable and beautiful
recordings.
Newer
Jazz (90s to 00s)
Rhythm
Within
- Steve Turre
Turre proves that unusual instruments - in this
case conch shells(!!) - can make wonderful
music. Truly unique.
Blue
Sun
- Mark Isham
Isham's beautiful trumpet tone coupled with a
handful of memorable tunes makes this album
special.
Mood
Swing
- Joshua Redman
Redman is one of the tenor saxophone's
contemporary leaders. This is one of his very
best.
Gone,
Just Like a
Train
- Bill Frisell
Frisell's otherworldly guitar and unique
melodies come together on this trio date with a
wide variety of sounds and textures.
Angel
Song
- Kenny Wheeler
An album that leaves you feeling suspended in
space. This drumerless quartet features Lee
Konitz and Bill Frisell.
Coward
of the
County
- Ginger Baker
The ex-Cream drummer and trumpeter/writer Ron
Miles creates a truly original sound with
inspired playing.
Deep
Song
- Kurt Rosenwinkel
Nobody plays guitar and writes music like
Rosenwinkel. This album is deeply satisfying in
every way.
Live
at Yoshi's (Vols. I &
II)
- Jessica Williams
One of the jazz world's virtuoso piano players,
Williams shines on this pair of live CDs.
Delicious music.
Lingua
Franca
- Peter Epstein
Gifted saxophonist teams with Brad Shepik on
guitar to blend jazz with the sound of the East.
Mesmerizing.
Cowboy
Justice
- Ben Allison
The ultimate jazz modernist, Ben Allison makes
every song on this wonderful CD interesting and
memorable.
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