I'm late to the party, recommend me some stuff.
Here's what I'd consider a pretty "safe" list for beginners:
Miles Davis - Kind of BlueOne of the great classics that deserves the praise. You'll get to
hear saxophonists John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley and
Pianist Bill Evans as well, all of them among the "big names" of
jazz. Features some great writing from Davis and Evans.
Dave Brubeck - Time OutThe album that introduced the classic "Take Five" to the world is
focused on odd time signatures, something very unusual in jazz
at the time it was recorded (1959). Lots of great tunes featuring
the cool alto sax of Paul Desmond (who wrote Take Five, btw).
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - MosaicBlakey's bands turned many youngsters into stars. This sextet lineup
features the great Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter
on tenor sax (now a living legend) and Curtis Fuller on trombone
as well as Cedar Walton on piano. Gotta love the driving title track!
Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin StreetClifford Brown was one of the most influential trumpet players of
the 50s and died very young in a car crash. This album features
his probably strongest band with another young star on tenor
sax who would become a legend himself: Sonny Rollins.
John Coltrane - CrescentWhen people recommend a Coltrane album, they often pick A Love Supreme -
a rather unusual concept album. I think Crescent, recorded right before
ALS, is perfect as an introduction to Coltrane's "classic quartet" with McCoy
Tyner on piano and Elvin Jones on drums. Excellent tunes, fantastic playing!
Bill Evans - Waltz for DebbyA live recording of Bill's trio featuring the amazing bassist Scott LaFaro who
would die in a car crash just days later - their interplay is simply stunning.
Either get this one or Sunday at the Village Vanguard from the same concert -
or go for the "Complete Village Vanguard 1961" three disc set - it's awesome!
Grant Green - Idle MomentsOne of the jazz guitar icons from the 60s, Grant Green recorded my favorite
album of his with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and vibist Bobby Hutcherson,
both of whom I could go on recommending tons of great albums from as well.
The 15 minute title track is just beautifully relaxed, a true masterpiece!
Herbie Hancock - Maiden VoyageThere are many great Herbie albums that I could recommend, but this one is
still my favorite. This is an early version of the great mid-60s Miles Davis quintet
(featuring the very underrated George Coleman on tenor sax) with Freddie
Hubbard replacing Miles. Great playing, great tunes (the title track is a classic).
Horace Silver - Song for My FatherIt's hard to pick a particular Horace Silver album, he recorded so many good
ones. His funky piano style and catchy writing are always a joy to hear. Song
for My Father features the very successful title track with a stunning tenor
sax solo by (once again) Joe Henderson and some nice piano trio tracks, too.
Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town HallMonk was a very unique pianist who wrote many classic jazz tunes. Most of his albums
were recorded with a quartet (often, as here, with Charlie Rouse on tenor sax) and
so they tend to sound a bit samey, but this one is a pleasant exception - after a
few quartet tracks, six more players join the band with some excellent arrangements.
Those ten should get you started. All of them are classics, easy to find (most of
them cheap, too!) and easy to get into. Report back when you bought some of them!
Topic: The Jazz Thread (Read 109759 times)
