Your five "go-to" jazz albums

md92468 · « **on:** 21 Jan 2016, 05:46 pm »

Hey guys,

I've noticed over the years that while I truly enjoy a variety of music, there are a handful of albums I come back to again and again in my collection. They aren't necessarily "the greats or classics" (although they certainly can be) – just albums that I tend to turn to more than others.

I wonder if this is true for you folks, and if you'd share the four or five albums you find yourself returning to regularly...here are five of mine (there are more, but let's keep it at five) to get the ball rolling:

Concierto, by Jim Hall
Piccolo, Ron Carter Quartet Live
My Favorite Things, John Coltrane
Triple Exposure, Hal McKusick
Root Down, Jimmy Smith

ArthurDent · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 05:57 pm »

Tough one......

Timeless - John Abercrombie
Mysterious Traveller - Weather Report
Odyssey - Terje Rypdal
House Party - Jimmy Smith
Silent Feet - Eberhard Weber

Jazzman53 · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 06:47 pm »

Café Blue - Patricia Barber
Foundations - Jodi Proznick Quartet
Idle Moments - Grant Green
Dreamer - Eliane Elias
Fever - Connie Evingson

Starchild · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 07:21 pm »

Very difficult to select but these are a good place to start. These only reflect my recent playing. I could very easily have listed 5 Miles Davis albums.

Diana Krall - Wallflower
Mark Whitfield - True Blue
The Montgomery Brothers - Groove Yard
Joe Williams - Ballad and Blues Master
John Coltrane - Coltrane Plays the Blues

mcgsxr · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 08:47 pm »

As noted by others, 5 is a tight grouping but I will play.

No doubt since my exploration into jazz has mostly been through sax, it will shine through in my list.

Coleman Hawkins encounters Ben Webster
Boss Tenors - Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt
Diana Krall - Live in Paris
Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
Ben Webster meets Oscar Peterson

md92468 · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 08:58 pm »

Some interesting responses here – thanks all for chiming in. Picking 5 was just a way to get lots of responses, and to see some of the under-appreciated titles that don't make it on to "best of all time" lists. Keep em' coming....

AKLegal · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 09:14 pm »

I'll avoid listing classics and go with more contemporary stuff.

Live at Tonic - Christian McBride
Canvas - Robert Glasper
Juju - Wayne Shorter
Esperanza - Esperanza Spalding
Treelines - Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra

mcgsxr listed two I would have picked (Krall and Cassidy's double cd)

garyalex · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 Jan 2016, 10:40 pm »

A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
Live at the Golden Circle (vol. 1) - Ornette Coleman Trio
ESP - Miles Davis
On This Night - Archie Shepp
Mode for Joe - Joe Henderson

S Clark · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 12:50 am »

Am I really the first one to include Brucbeck's "Time Out"? Just because it was popular doesn't mean it wasn't one of the best ever.
Sketches of Spain-Miles
Song for my Father-Silver
Autumn Leaves- Manhattan Jazz Quintet
Then a Coleman Hawkin or Sidney Bechet or Lou Donaldson or Grant Green or Zoot or Rollins or Bill Evans or...

EarPal · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 08:02 pm »

I play these the most:

The Art Farmer Quintet - The Time And The Place

Jimmy Heath - The Time And The Place

Hal Singer - Blues And News

Gruppo Jazz Marca - Mitteleuropa

Eddie Harris - The Real Electrifying Eddie Harris

jhm731 · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 08:47 pm »

Astor Piazzolla –The Central Park Concert
Marian McPartland & Friends - 85 Candles, Live in New York
Jessica Williams - Live At Yoshi's, Volume 1
Joe Locke & The Milt Jackson Tribute Band - Rev-elation
Paul Motian- Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1

ACHiPo · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Jan 2016, 04:35 pm »

What amazes me is how little overlap there is. I'm also amazed that many of folks' top 5 I have not heard. I agree 5 is pretty tough

Miles Davis--Kind of Blue
Dexter Gordon--Go
Sonny Rollins--Saxophone Collossus
Art Pepper--Blues for Fisherman
Mel Torme and Friends at Marty's

*Scotty* · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 02:34 am »

I enjoy many of the albums already mentioned above, these are some of my newer favorites subject to change without notice.
Pancho Sanchez-Conga Blue
Michel Camilo- Live at the Blue Note
Aaron Neville,Linda Ronstadt-Nature Boy:The Standards Album
Hank Jones-July 5th--July6th Live at Birdland
Jack DeJohnette- Special Edition 24/96 ECM
Scotty

md92468 · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 03:53 am »

Quote from: ACHiPo on 24 Jan 2016, 04:35 pm

What amazes me is how little overlap there is. I'm also amazed that many of folks' top 5 I have not heard.

You just articulated both of the reasons I started this thread. I'm usually more interested in people's subjective "best of...for me" lists than I am in objective, "these are the records you should appreciate" lists. Sure, there's something to be learned by knowing what's important from a historical perspective in watershed recordings, but there's also something vital to exploring what connects with people not because they should like it, but because they're drawn to it.

I'm learning a lot here...thanks guys. Let's keep it going...

CSI · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 03:54 am »

These were among my first jazz albums and I still love them the best. Never gotten tired of listening to them.

Gerry Mulligan - Quartet with Chet Baker
Mose Allison - Back Country Suite
Oscar Peterson - At the Stratford Shakespearean Festival
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

DogsPart2 · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 03:49 pm »

Maynard Ferguson - MF Horn 3
Don Ellis - Soaring
Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High
Keith Jarrett - Solo Concerts

Sorry, cannot keep it to 5, so....

Honorable mentions:
Patrick Williams - Threshold
Brian Auger/Oblivion - Straight Ahead

dapoun · « **Reply #16 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 03:59 pm »

I know you've asked for "five", but any of the Frank Hewitt albums will do. Small Records have released 6 of them and they are sublime.

md92468 · « **Reply #17 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 04:09 pm »

Quote from: dapoun on 27 Jan 2016, 03:59 pm

I know you've asked for "five", but any of the Frank Hewitt albums will do. Small Records have released 6 of them and they are sublime.

Wow, Dapoun, I had never heard of Frank Hewitt but just listed to a few samples on Amazon...Amazing! Reminds me of Bud Powell. Thank you...looking forward to hearing more!

dapoun · « **Reply #18 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 04:41 pm »

md92486 you can read a lot more on Smallsrecords.com website about this overlooked genius. Yes, definitely in the school of Bud Powell

md92468 · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 Jan 2016, 04:47 pm »

Quote from: dapoun on 27 Jan 2016, 04:41 pm

md92486 you can read a lot more on Smallsrecords.com website about this overlooked genius. Yes, definitely in the school of Bud Powell

Thank you – I went to the Small's website after I heard the clips on Amazon. Just ordered Out of the Clear Black Sky. So again, my thanks....

A return of the favor (perhaps): did you know you can stream live shows from Small's for free? I've been a subscriber for a month an it's pretty amazing...I now do the $10/month package to support their artists. If you haven't already, check it out when you have a moment...

https://www.smallslive.com/events/live-stream/

Also, I just saw in another thread that you're contemplating the Spatial M4s...FWIW, I have a pair and they are wonderful...