AudioCircle
Music and Media => The Jazz Circle => Topic started by: grsimmon on 8 Mar 2015, 04:56 pm
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Though I'm no expert, I've gotten to know a lot about classical music - what composers I tend to like, labels, begin attending concerts, etc, and I've been able to build up my collection. It started in my teens, I got a away from it for a long time, and it's nice to come back.
But when it comes to jazz, I know NOTHING and never have. ZIP. I've heard of Miles Davis :duh: At a thrift store yesterday I bought a cd of Peter Leitch Quartet called "Say What you Mean," brought it home and liked it. Oh no, this might turn into something :) But where to start? I use Pandora to learn about music that's new to me......but there's like 7 different categories just for Jazz.
A book I should read like Jazz for dummies? The desert island sticky for this circle? Just start wading through at Pandora?
Any information, advice, etc. anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, - GR
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For an introduction to John Coltrane, get his "My Favorite Things" album. He plays soprano sax on the title cut in 3/4 time. I mention this because it is very accessible. Appreciation of some jazz, like the second side, has to be acquired.
For a live jazz date- jazz is a spontaneous art form- get Miles Davis' "Miles In Tokyo". Mostly it flies, but his ballad playing on this album is very special. Indeed, in the entire world special.
Report back when you've listened . .
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In your enjoyment of Classical Music, is there a particular instrument that you enjoy?
Perhaps the key to your learning/enjoyment of Jazz will be to focus on the artists that
preform on an instrument that you prefer.
Everyone will have suggestions as to what artist represents a particular instrument.
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just off the top of my head, a good way to start is to go a site like this:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/trio-quartet-91-mw0000269885
and then click on "similiar albums" which will lead you to music which will be in a similiar vein as to what you already like. and from there, you begin to build upon that.
other music sites, which have jazz offerings like spotify or the itunes site also have this feature where they recommend similiar-sounding choices.
to me, this is a much better, and much more enjoyable way of digging deeper into the jazz idiom (which will be based upon what appeals to you), rather than taking a "jazz study" approach, as if you're pursuing a masters in fine arts degree.
by taking the approach that i've suggested, you'll find that "one thing leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to another," which is one of the things that i've found so enjoyable over the years in discovering "new to me" musicians, both old and new.
one of the main differences that you'll find enjoyable between jazz and classical is that while with classical, it's most important for the musicians to remain true to the original intent of the composer that wrote the piece. with jazz, improvising and re-harmonizing or even playing a well-known jazz tune in a different key is one of the things that make jazz so enjoyable to listen to.
for now, that's just my "quick take." hope it helps.
by the way, i'm not completely dismissing the idea of taking a more serious approach by looking into the more well established, popularly regarded "masters" of jazz. i just don't think that's a good place to start.
happy hunting! there's a whole world to discover out there as far as interesting music.
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Hi, GR.
I'm something of a newbie, too. Among other possibilities, I've found my Public Library to be a great source of CDs - Jazz as well as Classical. I can take 20 (more even) CDs home; listen at my leisure, and jot down which performers and which styles appeal to me. I also subscribe to a streaming service called Radio Tunes. It is not quite CD quality, but I have access to several different channels of Jazz. It's great for casual listening and for background music. I'll probably upgrade to Tidal very soon.
The following title just played: Oscar Peterson "Blues of The Prairies" on the Piano Jazz channel. I really enjoyed it.
Good luck!
Michael
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The library is a good idea. Potentially overwhelming if you don't know what you're looking for. I'd also give something like the Ken Burns Jazz Box Set (http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Burns-Jazz-Story-Americas/dp/B000050HVG) a try. It doesn't get very in depth with the more recent stuff, but it's a decent introduction.
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You can also try searching AllMusic--they have samples and reviews of a lot of music. Also, Michael Fremer's Analog Planet has reviews of LPs for both content and sound quality. Many are available in CD, so vinyl doesn't need to be a limiter.
There are a few "gateway" albums that are very accessible. Here's a list to get you started in rough order of accessibility (albums lower on the list may take a few listens to appreciate, or you may never like them. I'd suggest Dave Brubeck Take Five, Getz/Gilberto, and Miles Davis Kind of Blue to get started, but all the top ones are pretty likeable. I left out a bunch of albums that are critically acclaimed that I still haven't learned to appreciate like Miles Davis' Bitches Brew):
Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Weather Report – Heavy Weather
Louis Armstrong – Best of the Hot 5s and 7s
Sarah Vaughan – With Clifford Brown
Benny Goodman – At Carnegie Hall 1938
Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus
Bill Evans Trio – Waltz For Debby
Bill Evans – Sunday at the village Vanguard
Art Pepper +11
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – Moanin’
Count Basie – the Original American Decca Recordings
Dexter Gordon – Go
John Coltrane – Blue Train
Duke Ellington – Ellington at Newport
John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
Hank Mobley – Soul Station
Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else
Wes Montgomery – The incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Thelonious Monk – Monk's Music
John Coltrane – Giant Steps
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme
Finally, spend some time in the What Jazz Album are you Listening to circle--you can get exposed to a lot of great music and knowledgeable people.
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Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Weather Report – Heavy Weather
Louis Armstrong – Best of the Hot 5s and 7s
Sarah Vaughan – With Clifford Brown
Benny Goodman – At Carnegie Hall 1938
Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus
Bill Evans Trio – Waltz For Debby
Bill Evans – Sunday at the village Vanguard
Art Pepper +11
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – Moanin’
Count Basie – the Original American Decca Recordings
Dexter Gordon – Go
John Coltrane – Blue Train
Duke Ellington – Ellington at Newport
John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
Hank Mobley – Soul Station
Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else
Wes Montgomery – The incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Thelonious Monk – Monk's Music
John Coltrane – Giant Steps
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme
+1 ... Excellent starter series :thumb:
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Count Basie and his Orchestra made some really fine quality recordings. And he ran a very tight group. Just a great era and the Count had a great group of talent backing him up. Very tight. Very accurate and very low background noise. Some recordings were just amazing quality.
Enjoy...
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grsimmon,
Get yourself a subscription to Jazziz Magazine:
http://magazine-order.com/jazziz.html?adt=327118&kw=jazziz
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Lots of good advice/ recommendations so far, particularly using streaming services & the local library for source material. :thumb:
I'll echo Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (incl. Miles on trumpet), Miles Davis- Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck- Time Out, Art Blakey- Moanin' as good introductions. Lee Morgan- The Sidewinder is another consumer-friendly choice for jazz beginners.
A top 100 type of list is a good jump-off point to sample different artists & favorite ranked albums: http://jazz100.sffjazz.com/top100.html
In addition to above, some of my personal faves are Django Reinhardt, Thelonious Monk, & Jelly Roll Morton. But YOU need to determine what "floats your boat" (& what does not), then you can start refining your searches to which jazz genres/ artists that you prefer.
Have fun with it & don't get too caught up in the whole jazz purist thang. Just enjoy a new musical direction to add to your others!
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Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Weather Report – Heavy Weather
Louis Armstrong – Best of the Hot 5s and 7s
Sarah Vaughan – With Clifford Brown
Benny Goodman – At Carnegie Hall 1938
Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus
Bill Evans Trio – Waltz For Debby
Bill Evans – Sunday at the village Vanguard
Art Pepper +11
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – Moanin’
Count Basie – the Original American Decca Recordings
Dexter Gordon – Go
John Coltrane – Blue Train
Duke Ellington – Ellington at Newport
John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
Hank Mobley – Soul Station
Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else
Wes Montgomery – The incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Thelonious Monk – Monk's Music
John Coltrane – Giant Steps
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme
Truly great starter list!!
I'd add Miles Davis Birth of the Cool, as well as any of his Quintet sessions, (Relaxin', Steamin', Workin' and Cookin'). Chet Baker's "Chet", Charlie Parker Savoy Sessions, and Gerry Mulligan Quartet: Pleyel Concerts.
And no respectable household should be without "Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim". In fact, I think I'll go listen to it now!
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Thanks for all the helpful responses. I now have this bookmarked and I'm sure will keep me busy for awhile :thumb:
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That list by ACHiPo is really good.
If you are into vinyl check out the current Music Matters 33RPM Blue Note Re-issues. They are truly amazing pressings from RTI and top notch all analog remasters.
Several of these re-issues are on ACHiPo's list including:
Cannonball Adderly - Something Else (with Miles Davis)
Art Blakeley and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Dexter Gordon- Go
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Hank Mobley - Soul Station
Good luck!
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Truly great starter list!!
I'd add Miles Davis Birth of the Cool, as well as any of his Quintet sessions, (Relaxin', Steamin', Workin' and Cookin'). Chet Baker's "Chet", Charlie Parker Savoy Sessions, and Gerry Mulligan Quartet: Pleyel Concerts.
And no respectable household should be without "Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim". In fact, I think I'll go listen to it now!
+1 on everything above. I love the Sinatra/Jobim album as well. I would add:
some of my favorite vocals
Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane - only 5 or 6 songs but you they are all wonderful
Shirley Horn - You Won't Forget Me
any of the three Gregory Porter cds (Water, Liquid Spirit, Be Good)
The Sinatra Live at the Sands with the Count Basie Orchestra is wonderful as well.
instrumental jazz
Bill Evans trio - Portrait in Jazz
Bennie Green Trio - Live at the Village Vanguard
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
The public library can be very useful for these. That was how I did it.
You could also use Spotify and use the similar artists feature. I have been using this lately to discover many new artists that I would have never heard of otherwise.
Good luck
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Shirley Horn - You Won't Forget Me is a fine album, material and recording.
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Thanks for all the helpful responses. I now have this bookmarked and I'm sure will keep me busy for awhile :thumb:
GR,
What seemed to work for me when I started expanding my jazz section was to keep a list on paper or on my phone of interesting artists and records, then rifle through the used record/cd bins. The stuff on the lists here will be tough to find in good condition used--they get snatched up quickly--but you may find other titles for a bargain that will give you a taste of the artist and may turn out to be some of your personal favorite records. You may also see some artists/records that you want to research here or on Discdogs or AllMusic. I have about a 10% hit rate--about 10% of the records I pick up on a lark turn out to be ones I love--but I enjoy at least 80% and it's fun.
AC
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GR,
What seemed to work for me when I started expanding my jazz section was to keep a list on paper or on my phone of interesting artists and records, then rifle through the used record/cd bins. The stuff on the lists here will be tough to find in good condition used--they get snatched up quickly--but you may find other titles for a bargain that will give you a taste of the artist and may turn out to be some of your personal favorite records. You may also see some artists/records that you want to research here or on Discdogs or AllMusic. I have about a 10% hit rate--about 10% of the records I pick up on a lark turn out to be ones I love--but I enjoy at least 80% and it's fun.
AC
AC has a good point that the classics are not going to be easy to find in used bins. However, you may find Ahmad Jamal, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, Zoot Sims, Bud Shanks, along with the aforementioned Montgomery and Mulligan.
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I am digital only, and have many of that list of the suggested ones early in the thread. Buying files or cd's usually means predictable outcomes with respect to sound quality - at least that the media will deliver whatever was originally recorded vs vinyl that may have become scratched or pitted etc.
I am very new to jazz, having only really started in the past year or two.
My entry was through picking an instrument I liked the sound of, and then exploring the origins of jazz with that instrument.
For me it was the sax.
Have fun!
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GR, all good suggestions & information proceeding. Appears most of the recommendations are what would be considered 'classic' jazz, with the exception of Weather Report. So I'll offer some slightly more 'modern' jazz artists, and a label which I believe most will agree has maintained a very high level of production quality since it's inception. The label is ECM, the man/founder Manfred Eicher has been recording top notch music since 1969. I've only dipped into a portion of their library, but with rare exception have not been disappointed in any respect.
Artists: guitar - John Abercrombie; albums - Timeless & Night, Ralph Towner; Batik, Blue Sun. Terje Rypdal: Oydessy, Waves These will give you a feel for their work.
bass - Eberhard Weber; Silent Feet, The Following Morning
vibes - Gary Burton; Dreams So Real, Crystal Silence
drums/piano - Jack DeJohnette - Rarum ~Selected Recordings & Pictures.
The list goes on, and as noted earlier you'll find artists playing with these folks that you may want to track down separately. More in the 'classic' jazz vein, Jimmy Smith (organ), Oscar Peterson (piano), Lionel Hampton (vibes). It all depends on what tickles your fancy, and as with any genre of music there's lots that will, and a good bit that won't. If you want to journey somewhat off the 'beaten path' check out Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. In particular the Live At The Quick DVD, which should convince anyone that the Banjo can indeed be a jazz instrument.
Enjoy the search and let us know when you find an artist that provides that tickle. Someone can probably point you to something else they've done, or someone similar. :thumb:
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I'm something of a newbie, too. so Thanks for the great info your guys list here.
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But when it comes to jazz, I know NOTHING and never have. ZIP. I've heard of Miles Davis :duh: At a thrift store yesterday I bought a cd of Peter Leitch Quartet called "Say What you Mean," brought it home and liked it. Oh no, this might turn into something :) But where to start? I use Pandora to learn about music that's new to me......but there's like 7 different categories just for Jazz.
A good friend of mine told me. "Follow the sidemen" So pick one or two albums from the list above and once you find a sound you like, jot down the players on that album. For instance, The Miles Davis Quintet Miles Smiles would lead you to the phenomenal bass player Ron Carter, the incredible Herbie Hancock and the incomparable Wayne Shorter. The Turnaround by Hank Mobley leads one to Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Herbie Hancock (again), Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard. It has worked great for me.
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I own "Jazz for Dummies." It came with a sample CD, a long list of recommended albums, and gives a good overview of the history/development of jazz. The Ken Burns DVD series on jazz is another excellent reference. I also own several of the Ken Burn CD's. Any number of sites can be used to sample and purchase downloads or new/used CDs.
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Many years ago I bought this book on Jazz.
The 101 Best Jazz Albums: A History of Jazz on Records by Len Lyons
You can find new and used copies on Amazon, or maybe your local library has a copy you can borrow. It breaks the history of Jazz down into different eras/styles and recommends the author's top 101 albums spanning the history of Jazz from around 1900 to about 1970 if I remember correctly.
Each chapter is an interesting read which tells you a little about what was going on at the time and who the key players were. At the end of each chapter a list of recommended recordings is included so there are 100's to choose from. Prices of Jazz CD's on e-Bay are at an all time low and almost everything is available. There are many $10-$15 dollar CD boxes from Real Gone Jazz with 6 to 10 albums of material by the top artists of the 50's and 60's that are all good.
With this book and e-Bay you could have a good collection of great Jazz recordings very quickly.
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I would recommend picking up Patricia Barber "Modern Cool" (and/or "Companion").
Mind you, of the great lists above, I like The Bill Evans Trio best, so keep that in mind...
John
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Hi Guys,
I think Ken Burns did a documentary on the history of jazz which is quite interesting. There is phrasing that is unique to jazz compared to other genre's of music. The 2nd and 4th beat is accented and when playing with a band a musician needs to listen to the top hat of the drummer to help keep in time.
I play trumpet in a big band and I find jazz so difficult to play but it is so much fun. Classical music is far easier.
Cheers Rod
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Find yourself a few streaming internet radio stations and listen. That will get you into the scene.
WBGO, WRTI and KCSM are a few of my favorites.
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Take a look at this link:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article_center.php?in_type=72