[Deftone]

Hi,I am kinda new to this genre kinda music.Have a few collections,mostly smooth kinda jazz.Like to listen to sax and the guitar,mostly.Would like expand my collections and need your recommendations.Thank you.

[mjosef]

I would suggest looking in the "listening to now"  thread, check the post by member 'Satfrat', he post a lot of music in that genre, smooth jazz.

[jhm731]

Get a subscription to Jazziz.

[jeffh]

Sign up for Pandora and then seed it with a few songs you like. 

[SoundGame]

Hi,I am kinda new to this genre kinda music.Have a few collections,mostly smooth kinda jazz.Like to listen to sax and the guitar,mostly.Would like expand my collections and need your recommendations.Thank you.

Try a few different jazz artists and see what you like e.g.

Patricia Barber
Duke Ellington
Pat Metheny (It's Just Talk album)
John Coltrane
Miles Davis (Kind of Blue)

Branch off from there.

[Scottdazzle]

Amazon.com and some other sites have extensive samples from recordings. You could listen to samples from any artists or albums that you have heard about to see if they appeal to you. You can also check out the threads in the jazz circle to learn about the favorites of Audiocircle members and go from there. You will find that members here have varied and extensive tastes The jazz journey is exciting. Happy trails!
 

[etcarroll]

+1 for the Pandora suggestion.

[Elizabeth]

I am 61 years old. i did not have any interest in Jazz (except perhaps "Take Five").
Then, about ten years ago I watched "Ken Burns' JAZZ", and suddenly realized what those guys were all doing and was amazed.
i have been trying to learn more ever since.
So my first recommendation is the watch Ken Burn's JAZZ series. Borrow it from your local library..
ANyway, for the easiest way to hear early Jazz in the best sound: Proper Boxes (English brand, available through Amazon)
The Properboxes are all 4CD boxes of early Jazz, by artist. And though they all played with each other, the Proper Boxes do not duplicate any performances.
Fantastic resource. I own at least 40 boxes of the ProperBox Jazz titles. Four CDs and the average cost is about $15. Such a deal!

Then another resouce which is very useful is a book called "All Music Guide to Jazz". It has several editions. And is out of print, but again, Amazon usually has copies for sale. I have used it for years to read about which albums are the better ones of each artist, etc.
For some recommendations:
Properboxes. Must have great music of many of the great players:
"Jazz at the Philharmonic The First Ten Years" ProperBox #82
"Bebop Spoken Here" ProperBox #10
Then other albums:
Gene Ammons "Boss Tenor" on Prestige
"Louis Armstrong Plays W.C.Handy" on Columbia
Box set: Count basie the Complete Decca Recordings" on Decca/GRP
Wayne Shorter: "Juju" on Blue Note
Kenny Dorham "Afro-Cuban" on Blue Note
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Check your local library. many libraries have Jazz collections to loan.
I have managed to collect about 1,800 Jazz on LP, and about 700 Jazz albums on CD.

[minotaur]

Thanks Elizabeth, I'd like to point out that "Jazz" is available on Netflix DVD/Watch Instantly (streaming) as well. I just added it to my queue

[wgscott]

Thanks, Elizabeth.  That is extremely helpful advice.  I'm pushing 50 and only now starting to think I might have missed something.

[etcarroll]

 "All Music Guide to Jazz"

Just got my copy from Amazon last week, I think I paid $10 for a copy listed as 'used - in very good condition', the paperback version that arrived looked like it was brand new. It's already proving a great resource.

I turned 54 2 weeks ago, and I've been exploring/collecting Jazz and Classical for last 16 months, you're never too old.

[jmc207]

Get a subscription to Jazziz.

+1, The CD's with the magazine are very good and seem to always have several selections I like. A lot of variety but doesn't represent the full breath of jazz. Go here:  http://www.jazziz.com/

[lonewolfny42]

You can explore here as well....

http://www.allmusic.com/explore/genre/d196

[hifitommy]

there are a couple of jazz stations available online that can widen your tastes.  you can also click on their 'playlists'  and most of the time, the titles played are listed with the times they were played and the album they are from.  some will provide a link to buy.

www.kkjz.org

www.kcsm.org

www.wbgo.org

the programming is wide including blues and other offshoots. 

[gundam91]

Another for Pandora. I'm currently using it on finding all the alternative rock/ new wave stuff from the 80s.

Besides the names already listed, I would add:
Bill Evans
Sonny Rollins
Thelonious Monk
Lee Morgan
Hank Mobley
Getz/Gilberto
Ornette Coleman
Eric Dolphy
Ella Fitzgerald
Diana Krall
Nat King Cole
Jane Monheit

I picked names from a cross section of various styles within Jazz so you can determine whether you like particular style or not. Some artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane went from a more traditional sound to some experimental stuff at later stages of their lives, so listen to a few tracks. Good thing about Pandora is that while the song is playing you get to read aboutnthe artist/album/song. You could always look up online for more info.

FrankC

[jimdgoulding]

Soft Machine for starters.  And what Mjosef said.

[Deftone]

Been listening to jazz for a fair bit now.Both vocal and mainly all instruments jazz.Can some one in here be kind enough to explain all the genre applicable to jazz.Acid,bebop,cool etc.etc.Thank you for your input,expertise and patience.

[richidoo]

Been listening to jazz for a fair bit now.Both vocal and mainly all instruments jazz.Can some one in here be kind enough to explain all the genre applicable to jazz.Acid,bebop,cool etc.etc.Thank you for your input,expertise and patience.

Impossible to describe a musical genre with words. Like explaining the colors.

Might be more useful to list specific artists or tracks that embody each niche in jazz.  These are only my favorites from each genre, not an authoritative list. I deliberately left out singers because each is a style unto themselves. There are probably a dozen more sub-genres of jazz. Today anything with a horn is jazz, like Boney James, etc.

Genesis - Louis Armstrong
Swing - Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Lionel Hampton, Art Tatum, Stan Getz
Bebop - Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker at Town Hall 6/22/45 on Uptown Jazz Records, and The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume 1 on Blue Note Records.
Cool Jazz - Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond on Fantasy Records, and Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker on Pacific Records
Big Band - Count Basie Live at Birdland on Roullette Records, and Stan Kenton Today on Decca Records, Duke Ellington Live at Newport on Columbia Records.
Post Bop - Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers on Blue Note Records, Miles Davis Kind of Blue on Columbia Records, Art Blakey Moanin.
Blue Note genre - Jackie McLean Capuchin Swing on Blue Note Records, Lee Morgan Sidewinder on Blue Note Records, Joe Henderson Mode for Joe
Progressive - Chick Corea Now He Sings, Now He Sobs Blue Note Records, John Coltrane Giant Steps on Atlantic Records, Miles Davis ESP on Columbia
70s - Freddie Hubbard Red Clay, Weather Report Heavy Weather, David Sanborn
Crossover - Maynard Ferguson Conquistador on Columbia, Chuck Mangione Feels So Good, Tijuana Brass on A&M, Miles Davis Sketches of Spain, Kenny G
80s Renaissance - Wynton Marsalis Black Codes from the Underground on Columbia,
Contemporary - Eric Alexander

[bladesmith]

I started listening to jazz back in the 80's, it was very nice to round out my collection of music with it..
Mostly listened to contemporary stuff.

Now I listen to the old stuff, Count Basie and Slide Hampton, they have some jazz that will "kick it"...

good luck..

[Deftone]

Had a few from Miles,Grover,Hiroshima,Hiromi,Peter White,John Scofield,FourPlay,Chris Botti and a few more jazz artist.Not forgetting John Coltrane