quintessential jazz albums
Here is a list of my personal favorite jazz artists and their quintessential works.
actually, this is more a list if someone who had never listened to any jazz before, and they wanted to learn what jazz was, this would be the list I would give them. I'll talk a little bit about why as i list them
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Most likely the most beautifully composed 33 minutes of music ever created. It is set up in four movements, each more powerful than the last. It features every amazing aspect of jazz music, great band composition, great improvisation, the greatest saxophonist of all time ripping of the most beautifully unexpected solos ever recorded, great transitions, appropriate lack of transitions, huge amounts of both dissonance and harmony, pushed the envelope of what people considered beautiful music (this was during his romantic period, so it didn't stretch all the boundaries like he would later, but it still questions what we find pleasing), and is simply perfect. I dare anyone to listen to this and not come out the other side the same.
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
This recording solidified Coltrane as a legitimate powerhouse after leaving Miles Davis' band. It pushed both the musical boundaries as well as the physical boundaries of the musicians he recorded with. The whole idea of "giant steps" was a warm up routine he often did where he cycled through all the scales in succession of decreasing major thirds. He used this as his major way to change keys and add flavor and dissonance to everything he did after this (he did start this idea on blue train, the album he recorded before this), but what sets this apart from his first record release is the fact that 4 major jazz standards came from this album, and one of those "giant steps" has become a popular benchmark in the industry. People who can solo over top of the huge and fast chord changes are considered to be proficient jazz musicians. This album also signifies his break from hard bop into modal jazz, a place music had never gone before.
Miles Davis - The Birth of Cool
This album probably isn't even in my top five favorite Miles' albums, but it is the start of cool jazz, or extremely hard bop. It is a clear break from T-Monk and Parker and those guys who made Bebop the standard. This is the first time Davis changes everything, but it wont be the last.
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
This is the second time he changed everything, and this time for good. The first rock-jazz crossover from Davis creates a new genre altogether - fusion. The world has never been the same. Black artists and white artists begin to share an appreciation for each others work openly, and the entire landscape of music changes. Suddenly jazz becomes something white suburbanites can get into, and they dont have to be 60 years old to do it. Miles becomes a rock star, and transcends the genre in ways no one else ever would, although Herbie Hancock would come close with his amazing take on fusion.
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Easily one of my favorite albums. There is nothing cooler than putting this disc in, cranking it up, and rolling down a wide street at dusk with the windows down. So slick. Massively complex simplicity. It is the first time jazz got funky. Hancock said that he thought James Brown was the coolest guy in the world at the time, and even though he was in Davis' band when it began to break every boundary known to man, he always wished he could have worked with Brown. This album made room for tons of both fusion bands, and rock bands. Earth wind and fire would later claim it to be the most important album of the decade, and certainly we would've never heard of Jaco and Weather Report, Parliament, Kool and the Gang, and several others. George Clinton claims this is the first Hip Hop album ever, and it is hard to argue with him.
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
While this was an extremely experimental album, every song using very odd bop time signatures: Most famously 5/4 in "Take 5", but also waltz, double waltz, 9/8, the album soared through the pop charts reaching in the top ten (I think number 2 but I don't really remember). A couple of standards from this album.. but it proved that badass white boys could get pretty funky, even if it was with math based jazz. The album rocks.
Wes Montgomery - Full House
Super sweet guitar jazz album. He basically covers a bunch of standards (he never really wrote his own music), but plays them blisteringly fast WITH HIS THUMB! The man never owned a pick, and his tone is incredible.
Sun Ra - The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra
I think Sun Ra is pretty amazing, and this is by far his most accessible album. And on this list of things to give to a first time listener, accessibility is pretty big. There is nothing that puts this album in the same category as earth shattering as the rest of these, but it is a nice early 60's jazz album. It is a mix of bop and fusion, and probably had influence on the first acid jazz groups to show up in the 70's.
Trio of Doom - Self entitled
Jazz super group of Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin, and Tony Williams. It is the only live album on this list, and is basically these guys playing each others already popular songs, but hearing Tony Williams play on Jaco's Continuum (yes that is where John Mayer got the name for his album) is incredible.
Joe Pass - any of the Virtuoso series
Simply the best jazz guitarist ever.
Jaco Pastorius - Self entitled
Arguably the best bass guitarist of all time. This album shows both his virtuosic playing style and his ability to compose incredible music. This was his first album, and features only a three piece band at times. I find his later work with larger orchestras doesn't translate his creativity as well.
Chick Corea - To The Stars
A lot of people who like Corea might be really mad at this selection. But if you want to hear good electric Corea from the 70's then listen to Hancock. His finest work happened in the 80's and at times sounds 80's. But this album goes from heavy metal to salsa in literally 47 seconds. It is badass
John Scofield - Uberjam
Sco has a ton of good acid jazz, gospel jazz, hard bop, fusion, but this is his most fun work. It is a rocking good time.
Medeski Martin and Wood - Shackman, Uninvisible, End of the World Part (Just in Case)
Couldn't decide which of these three. MMW is simply my favorite band, and the best acid jazz band around. These guys are amazing. Everyone of their albums is great, but these three stand out.
Ron Blake - Sonic Tonic
Detroit recording artist Ron Blake is the future of jazz. He has been around awhile, and this is the best of his four albums. He plays a latin hard bop style mostly. But this disc comes with another disc of dance remixes of most of the tracks, and I don't know which one is better! I love watching him every year play jazzfest.
Hiromi's Sonic Boom - Time Control
Japanese piano virtuoso Hiromi is unbelievable. Watch a video of this chick play and you wont believe what you are seeing. This album flows the best out of her five albums from the composed portions to the improvised portions. There are tons of time/ tempo/ key changes, blistering lines, and beautiful compositions. All of her work is remarkable, but this is probably the most accessible, and best worked.
There is my list.
You may ask yourself, no Duke? no Monk? no Bird or Diz? no Satchmo? no Gershwin? no vocal jazz of any kind, or big band?
no
This isn't a list of the best jazz work of all time. This is the best of the jazz that I listen to, and I don't listen to much before 1950. Also, this is about trying to get someone I know, today in 2009, to listen to jazz.
Enjoy it all!
actually, this is more a list if someone who had never listened to any jazz before, and they wanted to learn what jazz was, this would be the list I would give them. I'll talk a little bit about why as i list them
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Most likely the most beautifully composed 33 minutes of music ever created. It is set up in four movements, each more powerful than the last. It features every amazing aspect of jazz music, great band composition, great improvisation, the greatest saxophonist of all time ripping of the most beautifully unexpected solos ever recorded, great transitions, appropriate lack of transitions, huge amounts of both dissonance and harmony, pushed the envelope of what people considered beautiful music (this was during his romantic period, so it didn't stretch all the boundaries like he would later, but it still questions what we find pleasing), and is simply perfect. I dare anyone to listen to this and not come out the other side the same.
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
This recording solidified Coltrane as a legitimate powerhouse after leaving Miles Davis' band. It pushed both the musical boundaries as well as the physical boundaries of the musicians he recorded with. The whole idea of "giant steps" was a warm up routine he often did where he cycled through all the scales in succession of decreasing major thirds. He used this as his major way to change keys and add flavor and dissonance to everything he did after this (he did start this idea on blue train, the album he recorded before this), but what sets this apart from his first record release is the fact that 4 major jazz standards came from this album, and one of those "giant steps" has become a popular benchmark in the industry. People who can solo over top of the huge and fast chord changes are considered to be proficient jazz musicians. This album also signifies his break from hard bop into modal jazz, a place music had never gone before.
Miles Davis - The Birth of Cool
This album probably isn't even in my top five favorite Miles' albums, but it is the start of cool jazz, or extremely hard bop. It is a clear break from T-Monk and Parker and those guys who made Bebop the standard. This is the first time Davis changes everything, but it wont be the last.
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
This is the second time he changed everything, and this time for good. The first rock-jazz crossover from Davis creates a new genre altogether - fusion. The world has never been the same. Black artists and white artists begin to share an appreciation for each others work openly, and the entire landscape of music changes. Suddenly jazz becomes something white suburbanites can get into, and they dont have to be 60 years old to do it. Miles becomes a rock star, and transcends the genre in ways no one else ever would, although Herbie Hancock would come close with his amazing take on fusion.
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Easily one of my favorite albums. There is nothing cooler than putting this disc in, cranking it up, and rolling down a wide street at dusk with the windows down. So slick. Massively complex simplicity. It is the first time jazz got funky. Hancock said that he thought James Brown was the coolest guy in the world at the time, and even though he was in Davis' band when it began to break every boundary known to man, he always wished he could have worked with Brown. This album made room for tons of both fusion bands, and rock bands. Earth wind and fire would later claim it to be the most important album of the decade, and certainly we would've never heard of Jaco and Weather Report, Parliament, Kool and the Gang, and several others. George Clinton claims this is the first Hip Hop album ever, and it is hard to argue with him.
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
While this was an extremely experimental album, every song using very odd bop time signatures: Most famously 5/4 in "Take 5", but also waltz, double waltz, 9/8, the album soared through the pop charts reaching in the top ten (I think number 2 but I don't really remember). A couple of standards from this album.. but it proved that badass white boys could get pretty funky, even if it was with math based jazz. The album rocks.
Wes Montgomery - Full House
Super sweet guitar jazz album. He basically covers a bunch of standards (he never really wrote his own music), but plays them blisteringly fast WITH HIS THUMB! The man never owned a pick, and his tone is incredible.
Sun Ra - The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra
I think Sun Ra is pretty amazing, and this is by far his most accessible album. And on this list of things to give to a first time listener, accessibility is pretty big. There is nothing that puts this album in the same category as earth shattering as the rest of these, but it is a nice early 60's jazz album. It is a mix of bop and fusion, and probably had influence on the first acid jazz groups to show up in the 70's.
Trio of Doom - Self entitled
Jazz super group of Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin, and Tony Williams. It is the only live album on this list, and is basically these guys playing each others already popular songs, but hearing Tony Williams play on Jaco's Continuum (yes that is where John Mayer got the name for his album) is incredible.
Joe Pass - any of the Virtuoso series
Simply the best jazz guitarist ever.
Jaco Pastorius - Self entitled
Arguably the best bass guitarist of all time. This album shows both his virtuosic playing style and his ability to compose incredible music. This was his first album, and features only a three piece band at times. I find his later work with larger orchestras doesn't translate his creativity as well.
Chick Corea - To The Stars
A lot of people who like Corea might be really mad at this selection. But if you want to hear good electric Corea from the 70's then listen to Hancock. His finest work happened in the 80's and at times sounds 80's. But this album goes from heavy metal to salsa in literally 47 seconds. It is badass
John Scofield - Uberjam
Sco has a ton of good acid jazz, gospel jazz, hard bop, fusion, but this is his most fun work. It is a rocking good time.
Medeski Martin and Wood - Shackman, Uninvisible, End of the World Part (Just in Case)
Couldn't decide which of these three. MMW is simply my favorite band, and the best acid jazz band around. These guys are amazing. Everyone of their albums is great, but these three stand out.
Ron Blake - Sonic Tonic
Detroit recording artist Ron Blake is the future of jazz. He has been around awhile, and this is the best of his four albums. He plays a latin hard bop style mostly. But this disc comes with another disc of dance remixes of most of the tracks, and I don't know which one is better! I love watching him every year play jazzfest.
Hiromi's Sonic Boom - Time Control
Japanese piano virtuoso Hiromi is unbelievable. Watch a video of this chick play and you wont believe what you are seeing. This album flows the best out of her five albums from the composed portions to the improvised portions. There are tons of time/ tempo/ key changes, blistering lines, and beautiful compositions. All of her work is remarkable, but this is probably the most accessible, and best worked.
There is my list.
You may ask yourself, no Duke? no Monk? no Bird or Diz? no Satchmo? no Gershwin? no vocal jazz of any kind, or big band?
no
This isn't a list of the best jazz work of all time. This is the best of the jazz that I listen to, and I don't listen to much before 1950. Also, this is about trying to get someone I know, today in 2009, to listen to jazz.
Enjoy it all!