A Jazz Starter Kit
Jul 25 '00 (Updated Sep 28 '00)
When I first starting becoming familiar with jazz, I was lucky enough to have the benefit of a co-worker who was an expert, a workplace with a plethora of disks to pick from and a well-known improvisational jazz musician playing weekly downstairs.
Most people, however, don't have those resources, so I've tried to put together a list of key albums that will start anyone off with a good sampling of great jazz. I have tried to give a diverse collection of albums, but no list of ten can capture the eclectic nature of the genre as an art form. Hopefully, however, these will give you a chance to discover a style that you like as an impetus for further exploration. NOTE: I have tried to give an album which gives great examples of each artist's style. In many cases, this may be their most popular album, other times it won't; in either case, it does not mean that this is their <u>best</u> album. Jazz is known for improvisation, so albums by the same artist can be incredibly different - your own favorite will depend on your personal view. But hopefully these will give you a great start in discovering Jazz. In addition to my favorite albums, I have included a set of 'expansion' disks that you should check out if that particular artist fits what you are looking for...
1 - Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage This is a fantastic mellow jazz album with a variety of styles shown. It begins with a mellow piece, picks up a bit for the next two, turns to improvisation and back to a classic Hancock piece. Throughout the album, Hancock and his band give a tremendous performance that exemplifies a mellow, classic jazz style. EXPANSION: NEW STANDARD
2 - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue This, in many ways, may be Miles greatest work. A dark, lonely piece which brings the influences of blues into the jazz - something that would be a hallmark of Davis' early pieces. He and the band, including the fantastic combination of John Coltrane and Bill Evans), easily move from mellow to a quicker, quirky style. Miles' horn sails through this album, accented by Coltrane's always perfect sax, adding highlights to the faster tracks and accenting the more subtle ones. EXPANSION: Birth of the Cool; Doo Bop
3 - John Coltrane - The Ultimate Blue Train If Miles Davis was the king of Jazz trumpet, then Coltrane is without question the king of the sax. His styles are the definition of jazz sax, a perfect compliment to Miles on many occasions. Through their many collaborations, they learned and grew, teaching and challenging each other. But Coltrane is an icon in his own right - and by some's opinion, greater even than Davis. On Blue Train, he is at his best. He carries the album as he mixes jazz and blues perfectly ast he band explores the nuances of the tracks (this version includes two 'new' outtakes). The overall flavor of the album is on the mellow side, but is a fantastic journey into the world of Coltrane and jazz in general as he weaves his magic on signature pieces which still tantalize jazz lovers 40 years later. EXPANSION: Coltrane Plays the Blues; A Love Supreme
4 - Thelonius Monk- Best of the Blue Note Years Monk, in many ways, is one of the grand-daddy's of classic jazz. What Davis was to horn and Coltrane was to sax, Monk is to jazz piano, creating many of the themes that other jazz artists have copied and been influenced by since. This album is a great introduction to Monk, with the jazz classic "'Round Midnight" adn other tracks which shape the scene from the 40's on. EXPANSION: Monk's Blues
5 - Ella Fitzgerald - Live in Rome: The Birthday Concert Picking a single Ella album is tough, but if I had to choose, Ella's "Live in Rome" would be it. Ella's is an essential artist in any jazz collection. This live album is a fantastic introduction, covering many of her best songs in a live, vibrant performance. She works old classics like "That Old Black Magic" and "Just One of Those Things" and takes no prisoners with a fantastic rendition of "The Lady is a Tramp". One of the strongest voices in jazz, Ella is stellar in Rome, creating not only one of her best albums but one of the top vocal albums in all of jazz. EXPANSION: Mack the Knife
6 - Louis Armstrong - The Best Of Louis Armstrong Satchmo is also one of the early pioneers of the jazz age, a man who by himself nearly defined the music for the early years. He competed with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, but just as they both found their niche, Louis created a sound all his own, adding his trademark voice to the horn that he so loved. This album is not his best overall album (there are so many others that are fantastic) but gives you a good summary of his signature pieces to start your collection.
7 - Ellis Marsalis - Whistle Stop This pick is a bit of a unique pick, but one of the best little-known albums out there. Ellis, father of both Wynton and Branford Marsalis - jazz greats in their own right - creates a classic of piano jazz which sits up there with those of Thelonius Monk, although they are a bit more modern and bluesy than Monk's. With accompaniment by his sons on several tracks, this family-developed jazz album is another key element in a beginning jazz collection. EXPANSION: Ellis & Wynton Marsalis - JOE COOL'S BLUES
8 - Billie Holiday - Billie's Best Perhaps the original first Lady of Jazz, Billie Holiday influenced jazz vocal fundamentals from a time before Ella even knew she was going to sing. Her vocals are a lot blusier and deeper than Ella's, haunting on some tracks. Because of her early influences, the musical background is more the early Chicago stylings of jazz a la Basie and Gillespie. Other than perhaps Fitzgerald, Holiday best exemplifies the jazz female vocalist, and an essential part of this list. EXPANSION: Billie's Blues, The Essential Billie Holiday, song - "Gloomy Sunday", a haunting piece which is one of my favorites.
9 - Joshua Redman - Spirit of the Moment: Live at the Village Vanguard A leader of a new generation of jazz musicians. This album is a double-live performance at the famous Village Vanguard and is both a great introduction to Redman and to the current sax evolution itself. Regarded as one of the best pieces of jazz produced in recent years, Redman shows off both his traditional and improvisational talents, although he tends towards the improv more often than not. He has won many of the awards that the jazz community extends to its members as of late, and also won the praise of critics and fans alike, particularly for his fusion of older and newer styles - something exemplified in this album.
10 - Al DiMeola - Casino This album is included because it adds two new elements to this list - jazz guitar and jazz fusion. Al DiMeola isn't only one of the early pioneers in fusion, he is one of the greatest examples, and Casino does a great job of showing you what he can do. Fusion, for those of you who need a refresher, is jazz with the influences of other styles, most usually latin music (although jazz blues could also be considered 'fusion', I guess). Fusion here is jazz, blues, Latin, European and even some African rhythms which create a unique jazz piece. DiMeola played in a number of combination groups, but his own work is far and away the best of that which is out there. This is a great piece to pick up for your collection.
11 - Charlie Parker - Yardbird Suite One of the great players in the early ages of jazz, "Bird" was an influence on both his contemporaries and further generations from Davis to Coltrane to Redman and the Marsalis'. Parker's "Yardbird Suite" is a classic jazz album and an essential piece to any jazz collection. Whereas Gillespie and Armstrong were playing the big-band jazz, Parker played his horn like he played his life - fast and hard, with no regrets. Tragically, his life was cut short by his lifestyle, but that style led him to produce many fine pieces of music and to capture the admiration of those who follow jazz. EXPANSION: Diz and Bird
12 - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Best of If there is one true compilation album that has to make this list, it's the eternally perfect pairing of Ella and Louis. This greatest hits package hows the camaraderie and passion they shared for the jazz music form. The vocal ballet that they share on the songs such as "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is compelling. They complement each other, with her angelic range running counterpoint to his raspy growl. The only song missing (and one that I feel she could have done wonders with) is "Wonderful Life" but perhaps that IS a song best left to Louis himself.
13 - Branford Marsalis - The Dark Keys Okay, I already broke the Top 10, so what's the difference if I add one more, right? Well, this pick is a personally-influenced one. Although not a classic jazz album, Branford's style represents a crossover between the classical style and the more modern jazz pieces (and I'm not talking Kenny G here). Part of one of the greatest jazz families ever, he shows that he is in no one's shadow - familial or otherwise. A bit on the improv side, the music has a hectic rhythm to it as his sax sails through the measures created by his two-man band (bass and drums) in an offering worthy of the Marsalis name. NOTE: I had to include Branford both because of his obvious talent and because of a conversation that I had with him one quiet Sunday morning in a bar in Boulder, CO. Even since then, his work has been a mainstay of my collection, a piece that I think fits many beginners' sets.
Honorable Mentions There are many great artists and albums that this list is far from complete. If you like any of this list of initial choices, you might want to expand with these artists:
Nina Simone, Wynton Marsalis (Carnival is a great piece), Chick Corea, Sonny Rollins, and Count Basie & Dizzy Gillespie - an older jazz style but great additions, especially if you liked Armstong and Ella.
I hope that you find this list helpful. These pieces run the gamut from old-style big band to soulful modern jazz - I hope that you find a favorite style somewhere in there. You will, however, find that these albums will be equally compelling for a romantic evening to a quiet night of reading or most other occasions. These albums are available at most decent CD stores, or you can get them from music clubs such as BMG Jazz Club (great for starters).</i>
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