Top Ten *Essential* Jazz Recordings?
SwingDoug
>
> I am looking to expand my *very* limited jazz collection and pick up
> many of the CLASSIC recordings which I am lacking. Was wondering if
> anyone out there has compiled a "top-ten" list of ESSENTIAL jazz
> recordings (in their opinion of course)? I would really like to start
> by buying the "must-haves", so such a list (or lists) would be VERY
> useful.....
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
> yts...@nai.net
GREETINGS-
Well, check out my home page for me and my roommate's list of our fav's
of all time. http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~cds653
Lord above be with me when people see a Wynton disc in my top ten!
--
Doug Wamble
Swin...@aol.com
c-sch...@nwu.edu
Check out my homepage-
http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~cds653
Martin Milgrim
Bill Adams says: "(oh, the hell with it...I'm not going to start this....
)"
You're right Bill. I would have trouble limiting myself to just 10
essential jazz artists much less 10 recordings. These "dessert island"
type questions are totally futile.
Later, Marty
Ytsejam
PRProf
Do we really want to get into this!?
Let's see, there's "Giant Steps," "Kind of Blue," "The Connection,"
"Saxophone Colossus," "Shape of Jazz to Come," "The Genius of Bud Powell,"
"Bird on Dial,"
(oh, the hell with it...I'm not going to start this....)
Bill Adams
Joshua Rosenberg
(Martin Milgrim) wrote:
Who would need jazz albums with all those brownies? Not to mention the
chocolate cake and the apple pie.
SwingDoug
>
> Oh, oh. NOW we're in for it! It's all I'll be thinking about.
>
> Do we really want to get into this!?
>
> Let's see, there's "Giant Steps," "Kind of Blue," "The Connection,"
> "Saxophone Colossus," "Shape of Jazz to Come," "The Genius of Bud Powell,"
> "Bird on Dial,"
>
1. Songbird
2. Silouhette
3. Miracles...The Christmas Album
4. Live!
5.........Well, that's all there is for now, the rest will come in the
future, you just wait!
ADAM BENJAMIN SCHNEIT
: 1. Songbird
: 2. Silouhette
: 3. Miracles...The Christmas Album
: 4. Live!
: 5.........Well, that's all there is for now, the rest will come in the
: future, you just wait!
: --
: Doug Wamble
: Swin...@aol.com
: c-sch...@nwu.edu
: Check out my homepage-
: http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~cds653
Damn! And I thought I was the only one who liked those albums! I guess I
can only add "Live at Red Rocks"...
Vincent Kargatis
here's a previous compilation of DIDs compiles by Cathy Austin and then a
150-essential-jazz-recordings list by Marcel-Franck Simon. This should get
any newbie off to a explosive start. This is *long* and slightly aged:
=========================================================
From: aus...@decisv.ucs.dec.com (Cathy Austin)
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
Subject: July 1992 Desert Island Jazz Recordings (revised list)
Date: 14 Aug 1992 21:41:25 GMT
FWIW I cleaned up the responses from rec.music.bluenote's Desert Island
Jazz Recordings request from June-July 1992.
This is a list of your top ten, all time favorite, right off the top of your
head, Jazz recordings. Thanks to everyone who responded. If anyone wants to
be included feel free to send me your favorites and I'll post it periodically.
-Cathy Austin
aus...@decisv.ucs.dec.com (Cathy Austin)
From: RAR...@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU
From: rst...@geog.albany.edu (Roger Stump)
From: mcg...@ee.UManitoba.CA
From: Paul Homchick <pa...@cgh.cgh.com>
From: zls...@mcchpc.mcc.ac.uk
From: Marc Sabatella <m...@hpfcso.fc.hp.com>
From: gt8...@prism.gatech.edu (MCCARTNEY,JEFFREY ELWOOD)
From: bal...@cogsci.UCSD.EDU (Ken Baldwin)
From: Adrian C Penisson <a...@rice.edu>
From: Andy Gallo <ga...@asel.udel.edu>
From: ew...@npg-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM ()
From: exu...@exu.ericsson.se (Bassam Madi)
From: Andy Jack <ccz...@vax.nott.ac.uk>
From: uj...@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Jeff Beer)
From: stu...@nynexst.com (Rory Stuart)
From: v...@spacsun.rice.edu (Vincent E. Kargatis)
From: The Man Who Invented Himself <stew...@sco.COM>
From: GUIL...@otago.ac.nz
From: tze...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Tze Ken SOH)
From: dou...@laas.laas.fr (Jean-Etienne Doucet,149,6323)
From: AX...@cup.portal.com
From: Jeff Helgesen <j...@guinevere.pubserv.com>
From: aus...@decisv.ucs.dec.com (Cathy Austin)
From: RAR...@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU
Dear Cathy,
Boy it was hard! I could easily come up with 30 DIDs. Narrowing it down to
10 was very difficult. But here goes...
1. Miles Davis KIND OF BLUE
2. Thelonious Monk BRILLIANT CORNERS
3. John Coltrane BLUE TRAIN
4. Clifford Brown STUDY IN BROWN
5. Steps Ahead PARADOX LIVE AT SEVENTH AVENUE SOUTH
6. Keith Jarrett MY SONG
7. Ornette Coleman CHANGE OF THE CENTURY
8. Parker & Gillespie BIRD & DIZ
9. Steve Lacy REFLECTIONS: LACY PLAYS THELONIOUS MONK
10. Sonny Rollins TENOR MADNESS
From: rst...@geog.albany.edu (Roger Stump)
Here's a stab at a top 10 list, in alphabetical order:
1. Ornette Coleman, Shape of Jazz to Come
2. John Coltrane, Afro-Blue Impressions (an old Pablo Live double LP)
3. Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
4. Miles Davis, My Funny Valentine/Four & More (now a 2 CD set)
5. Miles Davis, Nefertiti
6. Miles Davis, Pangaea (also 2 CDs -- I hope these can count as 1!)
7. Miles Davis, Tribute to Jack Johnson
8. Dave Holland, The Razor's Edge
9. Charles Mingus, Mingus at Antibes
10. David Murray, Murray's Steps
Rules for constructing list: 1) must be things I currently own; 2) either
LPs or CDs are okay (I'm assuming a whole bunch of good audio equipment
will wash up on the island with me :-); 3) half of the selections must
be by Miles (I know, it makes for a boring list, but what can I do?).
If I were to make the list tomorrow it would probably be a little different,
and different from that on the next day. The above is a pretty good
summary of my tastes, though.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with; it should be interesting.
I have found this group to be a very good source of recommendations for
new things to listen to (or old things to listen to again), and so your
results should also be useful. Thanks for the public service.
Roger
From: mcg...@ee.UManitoba.CA
ok, here are *my favorite* 10 jazz recordings, i.e. albums that have sustained
me over the years:
1. DON ELLIS -- Tears of Joy
2. MILES DAVIS -- Kind of Blue
3. JOHN COLTRANE -- Ballads
4. STAN GETZ -- Dynasty
5. BUDDY RICH -- Keep the Customer Satisfied
6. KEITH JARRETT -- Koln Concert
7. VIENNA ART ORCHESTRA -- Nightride of a Lonely Saxophoneplayer
8. PASSPORT -- Sky Blue
9. BURTON & COREA -- Crystal Silence
10.DON THOMPSON -- Country Place
Gord.
--
* * *
From: Paul Homchick <pa...@cgh.cgh.com>
In no particular order:
"Potato-Head Blues" - Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven
"Red Hot Dan" - Thomas Morris and his Hot Babies
"Rhythm-a-ning" - Thelonious Monk
"Brilliant Corners" - Thelonious Monk
"Minor Swing" - Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli
"The Seventh Son" - Mose Allsion
"Minamata" - Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabakin Big Band
"Someday My Prince Will Come" - Miles Davis
"Watermelon Man" - Herbie Hancock
--
Paul Homchick :UUCP {rutgers | uunet} !cbmvax!cgh!paul
From: zls...@mcchpc.mcc.ac.uk
Here is my desert island list. It is in no particular order except that
the first 5 would always appear on it; the second five might vary according
to my mood! Some of them might not even be classified as jazz but so what.
The Inner Mounting Flame The Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Henry Cow Legend Henry Cow
Staircase Keith Jarrett
The Survivors' Suite Keith Jarrett
Implosions Stephan Micus
Tale spinnin' Weather Report
Matching Mole Matching Mole
M John Abercrombie Quartet
Witchi-Tai-To Jan Garbarek/Bobo Stenson Quartet
Destiny's Song and the Image of Pursuance Courtney Pine
--
_____________________________________________________________
Mark Whidby, Distributed Systems, Manchester Computing Centre
From: Marc Sabatella <m...@hpfcso.fc.hp.com>
"Domination Switch Is On"? Hmmm, would I win Brownie points for listing
_Jumpworld_?
My personal top ten list would change with the wind, I'm sure. Today, it was
blowing from the northwest, which made for a pleasant bike ride in, but which I
will regret tonight. Anyhow, the northwest wind brought with it, in no
particular order:
Miles Davis, _Complete Concert 1964_ (My Funny Valentine + Four & More)
John Coltrane, _A Love Supreme_
Thelonious Monk, _Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane_
Ornette Coleman, _The Shape Of Jazz To Come_
Charles Mingus, _Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus_
Steve Coleman, _Motherland Pulse_
Charlie Parker, _Now's The Time_
Cecil Taylor, _For Olim_
Adams/Pullen, _Breakthrough_
Bill Evans, _Waltz For Debby_
From: gt8...@prism.gatech.edu (MCCARTNEY,JEFFREY ELWOOD)
There's a radio show in England that's been running for 30 years
doing this. Well done show, too.
My ten desert island discs:
Robert Farnon: Goes to the Movies
Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire
The Special Magic of Blossom Dearie
Two Jims and a Zoot: Zoot Sims, Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney
Walter Norris and George Mraz: Drifting
Don Pullen: Random Thoughts
Art Tautm: Decca Years
Murray MacEachren: Lazy Afternoon
Ray Anderson: Wishbone
Herbie Hancock: Best of Bluenote
Maybe four of these will get other votes. Two of the artists no one has heard
of. Concerning Robert Farnon: Andre Previn says he's the world's greatest
string arranger.
---
From: bal...@cogsci.UCSD.EDU (Ken Baldwin)
10 Desert Island Disks:
John Coltrane, GIANT STEPS
Miles Davis, BIRTH OF THE COOL
Dexter Gordon, BEST OF (Blue Note)
Thelonious Monk, COMPLETE BLUE NOTE (Mosaic)
Charlie Parker, SAVOY MASTER TAKES
Charlie Parker, COMPLETE DIAL RECORDINGS
Art Pepper, GOIN' HOME
Bud Powell, COMPLETE BLUE NOTE (Mosaic)
Archie Shepp, GOIN' HOME
Archie Shepp, TROUBLE IN MIND
Ken Baldwin
From: Adrian C Penisson <a...@rice.edu>
Well, here goes my list:
1) Charles Mingus --> At Antibes
2) Miles Davis --> Sketches of Spain
3) Dirty Dozen Brass Band --> New Orleans Album (not exactly jazz,
but I'd take it anyway)
4) Duke Ellington --> Blanton-Webster Recordings (easiest way to fit
three discs of Duke into one slot)
5) Wynton Marsalis --> Standard Time Vol. 3
6) Charles Mingus --> Tijuana Moods
7) Thelonious Monk --> The Composer
8) Danny Barker --> Save the Bones
9) Louis Armstrong --> Plays W. C. Handy
10) Bluesiana Triangle --> Bluesiana Triangle (see comment on #3)
Adrian Penisson
From: Andy Gallo <ga...@asel.udel.edu>
Wow, this would be hard! My desert island disks would include
rock and classical as well as jazz.
Here are a few of my jazz fav's:
Miles Davis "Round About Midnight" - a very tasty "Bye Bye Blackbird",
but just about anything by Mr. Davis could be included,
"Bitch's Brew", "Birth of the Cool", "Pangaea", "Sketches of
Spain", etc...
Charles Mingus "Oh Yeah" - great, vibrant, recording
Manhattan Transfer - probably the greatest hits album, sans
"Boy From NYC" and the Twilight Zone crap
Wynton Marsalis "Think of One"
Stanley Jordan "Magic Touch" - "Elenor Rigby" like you've never
heard it before
Maynard Ferguson "A Message From Newport", or something with lots of
screaming high notes 8-)
Bobby McFerrin "Spontaneous Inventi
From: ew...@npg-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM ()
Organization: NCR Corporation, Network Products Group - San Diego
Off the top of my head --
Miles Davis -- "Kind of Blue" (me and everybody else, right?)
John Coltrane -- "A Love Supreme"
Charles Mingus -- "Mingus Ah Um"
Thelonious Monk -- "Brillian Corners"
Charlie Parker -- "The Savoy Recordings"
John Coltrane -- "Giant Steps"
Charles Mingus -- "Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus"
Duke Ellington -- "The Blanton-Webster Band"
Miles Davis -- "Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet"
Ornette Coleman -- "The Shape of Jazz To Come"
Dave Ewing
David...@SanDiegoCA.NCR.COM
From: exu...@exu.ericsson.se (Bassam Madi)
Hi Cathy,
Here we go:
1. M. Davis : Kind of Blue
2. Donald Fagen : NightFly
3. Pat Metheny : OffRamp
4. Bob Marley & Wailers : Legend
5. Stan Getz : Au GoGo (With Astrud Gilberto)
6. John Coltrane : Blue Train
7. Rick Stone Quartet : Far East.
8. Pat Metheny : Still Life (Talking)
9. Bill Evans : Empathy + A Simple Matter of Conviction
10.M. Davis : Someday my prince will come.
^
ss
These are not in order of preference, but Kind of Blue would be the
most crucial. The list came of the top of my head ( I guess that's the
point :-)
Take care,
Bassam-------------
From: Andy Jack <ccz...@vax.nott.ac.uk>
No Parker? Ellington? Armstrong? Bechet? I must be getting old.
Of course the really old stuff wasn't done for an LP/CD format. Anyway here are
a few of my favourite swings.
1. Jazz at Massey Hall - Parker/Gillespie/Powell/Mingus/Roach
2. Back to Back & Side by Side - Ellington/Hodges
3. A Love Supreme - Coltrane
4. Armstrong Hot Fives - I've got an old album that's just about worn out.
5. Bechet/Muggsy Spannier Big 4
6. Sonny Rollins - The Bridge
7. Bill Evans/Jim Hall "Undercurrent"
8. OK, I give in - Kind of Blue.
Ye gods, I haven't got Monk in there, or Ben Webster, or 'proper' Mingus or
Ornette, or Gil Evans, or ... No, it's impossible
Happy listening!
Cheers,
Andy
From: uj...@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Jeff Beer)
Subject: Re: Keep those "Desert Island Recordings" coming.
1. Bird / Prestige 2 LP set (includ Bird @ St. Nicks, 1 other)
Bird sounds real "outside" on this, a bit like Ornette and Dolphy.
2. Coltrane / Interstellar Space
The duets between Trane and Rashied Ali. Has always been one of my
favorite.
3. Coltrane / Dark Tape (boot)
Much like the album In Transition. McCoy takes care of a lot of the
business that Elvin normally did, so Elvin sees that, and raises it
more!
4. Miles Complete Plugged Nickel
7 CDs, can pick any at random, and be blown away.
5. Duke Ellington / The Great Ellington Units
Small group with Blanton, Hodges, Rex, and Duke. This is my favorite
Blanton, because you can really hear how strong he lays it down. He is
the one that is making it, and of course, nobody else is a slouch.
6. Ornette In All Languages
Has both Prime Time and acoustic under one roof. Actually, for Prime
Time, my favorite is Body Meta. For acoustic, is is Ornette On Tenor or
CBS' Broken Shadows.
7. Duke/Louis Armstrong Complete Reunion
Duke and Louis together. Enough said.
8. Cecil Taylor / Michael Mantler JCOA project
Big Band stuff with soloists (also Cherry, Gato, Sanders, Coryell on
other compositions) Cecil at his hotest.
9. Charlie Haden / Dream Keeper
Great big band by free players, a bit more postmodern than #8.
10. Dave Holland / Conference of the Birds
The classic New Music album of the 70s with Braxton, Rivers, and
Altschul.
for classical, some of my favorites:
1. Bach Picollo Cello / Bylsma
2. Stavinksy/ Le Sacre / Boulez-Cleveland
3. Messian Chromotr./ L'Ascension
4. Ives Concord
5. Xenakis by IEC (Erato)
7. Bach Flute / Bruggen
8. Berg LuLu Suite
Jeff
From: stu...@nynexst.com (Rory Stuart)
Message-Id: <920625182...@texas.nynexst.com>
To: aus...@decisv.ucs.dec.com
Subject: desert island recordings
Coltrane Quartet "Coltrane" on Impulse
Miles Davis Quintet "Live at the Plugged Nickel"
Steve Lacy "Raps"
Wes Montgomery "While We're Young"
Cedar Walton/George Coleman "Eastern Rebellion"
Weather Report "I Sing the Body Electric"
Billy Harper "Soran-Bushi"
Sonny Rollins -french RCA double-lp set w/ Now's the Time (title?)
Thelonius Monk - "Live in Italy"
Rory Stuart Quartet "Hurricane" (ok, I admit I'm biased ;-))
This is off-the-top-of-the-head, would probably change some with
more thought.
-Rory
From: v...@spacsun.rice.edu (Vincent E. Kargatis)
Oh, and here's my desert island disc list:
In alphabetical order:
1) The Beatles: _Revolver_ (Parlophone)
2) Tim Berne: _Fractured Fairy Tales_ (JMT)
3) Brave Combo: _Musical Varieties_ (Rounder)
4) John Carter: _Castles of Ghana_ (Gramavision)
5) John Coltrane: _A Love Supreme_ (MCA/Impulse!)
6) Marc Johnson: _Bass Desires_ (ECM)
7) Perez Prado: _Voodoo Suite_ (Bear Family)
8) Prince: _Sign o' the Times_ (Paisley Park/Warner Bros.)
9) Rova Saxophone Quartet: _Long On Logic_ (Sound Aspects)
10) Talking Heads: _Remain In Light_ (Sire)
Oh, and if it's an all jazz island, replace the pop with Ornette, Lacy,
Monk, and Taylor. Which ones? Err, ask me later.
--
| Vincent Kargatis | "...it was more really like, |
| Dept. of Space Physics and Astronomy | here are some Ginsu knives - how |
| Rice University, Houston, TX | many can you hold in your bum?" |
| [v...@spacsun.rice.edu] | -- Nigel Tufnel, Spinal Tap |
From: The Man Who Invented Himself <stew...@sco.COM>
Here's my picks, some unquestioned classics plus some idiosyncratic
personal favorites:
Thelonious Monk, Complete Riverside Recordings (but I'll settle for
just Brilliant Corners in a pinch)
Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um
Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Blacknuss
John Coltrane, My Favorite Things
Herbie Nichols, Complete Blue Note Recordings
Duke Ellington, At Newport
Clifford Brown & Max Roach, Brown & Roach Inc.
Ray Anderson, What Because
David Murray Big Band, At Sweet Basil's vol. 1
Sonny Rollins, Volume 2 (Blue Note)
That's today's, anyway, tomorrow my list might be different...
From: GUIL...@otago.ac.nz
I'm not the hugest of jazz fans (not that into it yet) but I do
like DID lists:
A Love Supreme
Full Force (AEC)
Feels Good to Me (Bruford -- jazz to me)
Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition
The Rotter's Club (Hatfield and the North -- closer to jazz than
the jazz fusion people ever got, really -- I went to a Spirogyra
concert once so I know)
Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column)
The Big Gundown (Zorn)
Mysterious Traveler (Weather Report)
The Hapless Child (Gorey/Mantler)
anything by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers -- the titles are kind
of amorphous -- how about "A Night in Birdland?" Volume something,
I think.
Some real white boy jazz here. Actually this is a "ten favorite
jazz records list," since to be honest I would take a lot of things
not on this list, and not even dishonestly commendable as jazz, to
the desert island. Also I've only heard about one one-hundredth of
what I need to've to be able to send this top ten....
Bill Guilford
From: tze...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Tze Ken SOH)
My all-time favourites are:
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Giant Steps - John Coltrane
Serenity - Stan Getz
Alone with Three Giants - Marcus Roberts
Alone - Bill Evans
Current listenings include:
Proper Angle - Charles Fambourgh
People Time - Stan Getz/Kenny Barron
Tzeken
From: dou...@laas.laas.fr (Jean-Etienne Doucet,149,6323)
Hi Cathy,
I hope I'm not too much late...
Here's my list, with no special order:
Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
Sonny Rollins: Our Man In Jazz (reissued as On The Outside)
Ornette Coleman: Chappaqua Suite
Duke Ellington: 1927-1931 Recordings (RCA)
Cecil Taylor: The World Of Cecil Taylor (also called Air)
Pat Metheny: Offramp
(various artists): That's The Way I Feel Now - A Tribute To Thelonious Monk
Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers: Au Club St Germain, 1959
John Coltrane: Ole!
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um
It's hard to just take 10...
Cheers.
From: AX...@cup.portal.com
I don't know why I like these list gimmicks, but I get to blather.
Top 10:
10."Blue Train": John Coltrane
9. "Rhythm and Blues" World Saxophone Quartet
8. "In All Languages": Ornette Coleman
7. "Ming": David Murray
6. "Jack Johnson": Miles Davis
5. "Tenor Madness": Sonny Rollins (w/John Coltrane on the title cut..Wow)
4. "Spirituals": David Murray
3. "Revue": World Saxophone Quartet
2. "Kind of Blue": Miles Davis
1. "A Love Supreme" Coltrane
Hey. What can I say. I have my faves and play 'em alot (Murray,Davis,Trane)
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 92 11:44:56 -0500
From: Jeff Helgesen <j...@guinevere.pubserv.com>
Favorite recording: Search For The New Land (Lee Morgan)
Favorite artist: Woody Shaw (Clifford Brown a close second!)
...Jeff
From: aus...@decisv.ucs.dec.com (Cathy Austin)
Here's my list (Cathy A.)
Andrew Hill - Point of Depature
Andrew Hill - But Not Farewell
Greg Osby - Man Talk for Moderns Vol X
Geri Allen - Twilight
John Coltrane - Africa Brass Sessions Vol 2
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
Bobby Watson - Post Motown Bop
Charles Fambrough - The Proper Angle
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
Cassandra Wilson - Jumpworld
--
Freedom Child
===================================================================
From: min...@usl.com (Marcel Franck Simon)
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
Subject: "The best 150 records of all time" type lists...
Date: 3 Feb 1993 13:11:47 -0500
Way back when mail.jazz was happening, someone had asked for the "start-up
list of 100 albums", and I actually spent time compiling such a list.
Well, I tend never to throw things away, so... (search, unarchive, blow
away dust and voila!) Here it is, for your enjoyment. This is from:
Jazz Mailing List, Volume 3, Issue 08
Sunday, October 4th 1987
I echo Sandeep's reminder to use this at your own risk :-) In particular,
it is of its time, and does NOT reflect reissues since then. Nor does it
reflect how the music (or my own tastes :-)) have changed in 5+ years :-)
------------------------------
From: attunix!mingus Marcel Simon
Subject: A list for Patrick Curran's friend
Per Patrick Curran's request for his friend, I have put together a list
of albums that would make a good start toward a comprehensive jazz collection.
It is *not* in itself comprehensive; to sketch out all of jazz history would
require on the order of 1,000 albums, not 100; a fully comprehensive jazz
discography would require on the order of 5,000 albums, in my opinion.
I say this knowing that the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies, which is
probably as close to having *everything* as anyone ever will be, had some
60,000 records (piano rolls, 78s, 45s, 7, 10 and 12 inch LPs) as of five
years ago; and according to Susan Griffin, who ran the place from day to day
(at the time; she has retired) they had some "egregious" holes still.
All that to say that this list is not *not* NOT *NOT* **NOT** complete.
And sorry, Patrick, I could not get down to 100 records. Just to make 150, I
had to combine several "Volume 1 and 2" into single entries. And thank God
for anthologies that combine several albums' worth of material into one box.
Any serious jazz fan could come up with a list that differs significantly
from this one. That's OK, and I'd like to see what people would/would not
include; that's how we get further into the music.
The format is:
Name TITLE (Label issue date; recording date(s)). A `-' issue date
means "unknown"; a missing recording date means it's same as issue date.
`-> (number)' means see number in the list for more by this artist. [CD]
means get the CD rather than the LP. Otherwise LP and CD are equivalent.
+ means this is really two records (volumes) even though I have grouped them.
* means out of print. I have made no effort to stick to records that are
in print since there is a huge re-issue effort under way, and since with
a little effort (and a bit more money :-) one can find most of this stuff.
So without further ado:
1) James P. Johnson THE ORIGINAL JAMES P. JOHNSON (Folkways -; 1943-45)
*or* JAMES P. JOHNSON (Biograph -; 1917-21)
The latter has worse sound, but has the famous "Carolina Shout"
2) Luckey Roberts and Willie "The Lion" Smith HARLEM PIANO (Good Time 1958)
3) Fats Waller PIANO SOLOS (RCA -; 1929-41)
4) Louis Armstrong THE GENIUS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG VOLUME 1 (Columbia 1975;
1923-33)
-> (13) , (67)
5) LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND EARL HINES (Smithsonian -; 1928)
6) Earl Hines THE INDISPENSABLE EARL HINES VOLUMES 5 AND 6 (RCA 1982; 1944,
1964, 1966)
7) Bessie Smith NOBODY'S BLUES BUT MINE (Columbia 1965; 1925-27)
Choosing this one is stricly personal preference. ANY WOMAN'S BLUES,
THE EMPRESS, EMPTY BED BLUES and THE WORLD's GREATEST BLUES SINGER
are all equally excellent
8) JELLY ROLL MORTON (Milestone -; 1923-24)
9) Sidney Bechet JAZZ CLASSICS VOLUMES 1 and 2+ (Blue Note 1952; 1939, 1940,
1945, 1946, 1951)
10) Fletcher Henderson DEVELOPING AN AMERICAN ORCHESTRA (Smithsonian -;
1923-37)
11) Duke Ellington THE WEBSTER BLANTON BAND (RCA 1987; 1940-42)
12) Duke Ellington ELLINGTON AT NEWPORT (Columbia 1956)
13) Duke Ellington ECHOES OF AN ERA WITH LOUIS ARMSTRONG (Roulette 1961)
14) Duke Ellington MONEY JUNGLE [CD] (BLue Note 1963)
15) Duke Ellington THE FAR EAST SUITE* (RCA 1967)
16) Count Basie THE BEST OF COUNT BASIE (MCA 1980; 1938-39)
This period is also ably represented by SUPER CHIEF (Columbia 1972); GOOD
MORNING BLUES (MCA 1977); and THE EARLY YEARS (Book of the Month Club
Records 1982)
17) Count Basie APRIL IN PARIS (Verve 1955)
-> (40)
18) Charlie Christian SOLO FLIGHT (Columbia 1972; 1939-41)
19) Lester Young THE ALADDIN SESSIONS (Blue Note 1975; 1945-48)
20) Lester Young BIRD AND PREZ: THE '46 CONCERTS (Verve 1977; 1946)
21) Lester Young PREZ AND TEDDY AND OSCAR (Verve 1976; 1952, 1956)
-> (29) (22)
22) Coleman Hawkins CLASSIC TENORS (Flying Tenors 1971; 1943)
23) Coleman Hawkins DUKE ELLINGTON MEETS COLEMAN HAWKINS (Impulse 1962)
24) Coleman Hawkins TENOR GIANTS (Verve 1977; 1957, 1959)
-> (10), (43)
25) Ben Webster ATMOSPHERE FOR LOVERS AND THIEVES (Black Lion 1965)
-> (11), (24), (33), (37)
26) Lucky Thompson LUCKY STRIKES (Prestige 1964)
-> (60)
27) Benny Carter FURTHER DEFINITIONS (Impulse 1962)
28) Benny Carter CARTER - GILLESPIE INC (Pablo 1976)
-> (37)
29) Billie Holiday LADY DAY (Columbia 1955; 1935-37)
30) Billie Holiday STRANGE FRUIT (Atlantic 1972; 1939, 1944)
31) Billie Holiday ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL (Verve 1978; 1955, 1956)
32) Art Tatum MASTERPIECES (MCA 1973; 1941, 1944)
33) Art Tatum TATUM GROUP MASTERPIECES - TATUM/WEBSTER (Pablo 1975; 1956)
34) Charlie Parker THE VERY BEST OF BIRD (Warner Brothers 1977; 1946-47)
35) Charlie Parker BIRD/THE SAVOY MASTER RECORDINGS (Savoy 1976; 1944-48)
36) Charlie Parker THE GREATEST JAZZ CONCERT EVER (Prestige 1973; 1953)
37) Charlie Parker NORMAN GRANZ JAM SESSIONS (Verve 1976; 1952)
38) Dizzy Gillespie IN THE BEGINNING (Prestige 1972; 1945-50)
39) Dizzy Gillespie BIG BAND IN CONCERT (GNP 1954; 1948)
40) Dizzy Gillespie THE GIFTED ONES (Pablo 1979)
-> (28), (36)
41) Thelonious Monk THE COMPLETE BLUE NOTE RECORDINGS (Mosaic 1983; 1947-49,
1951, 1957)
42) Thelonious Monk MONK (Prestige 1953)
43) Thelonious Monk BRILLIANT CORNERS (Prestige 1954)
44) Thelonious Monk MONK/TRANE (Prestige 1973; 1957)
45) Thelonious Monk LIVE AT THE FIVE SPOT (Milestone 1977; 1958)
46) Art Blakey MOANIN' (Blue Note 1958)
47) Art Blakey THE BIG BEAT (Blue Note 1961)
48) Art Blakey THREE BLIND MICE (United Artists 1963)
49) Art Blakey ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Timeless 1981)
50) Horace Silver BLOWIN' THE BLUES AWAY (Blue Note 1959)
51) Bud Powell THE COMPLETE BLUE NOTE RECORDINGS (Mosaic 1986; 1949-58)
52) Bud Powell THE GENIUS OF BUD POWELL VOLUME 1 (Verve 1976; 1949, 1950, 1951)
-> (36), (69)
53) Clifford Brown CLIFFORD BROWN/MAX ROACH INC. (Mercury 1955)
54) Clifford Brown JORDU (Trip 1955)
-> (55)
55) Sonny Rollins SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS AND MORE (Prestige 1975; 1956)
56) Sonny Rollins MORE FROM THE VANGUARD (Blue Note 1975; 1957)
57) Sonny Rollins WAY OUT WEST (Contemporary 1957)
58) Sonny Rollins THE FREEDOM SUITE (Riverside 1958)
-> (41), (42)
59) Modern Jazz Quartet THE LAST CONCERT (Atlantic 1975)
60) Miles Davis WALKIN (Prestige 1954)
61) Miles Davis PORGY AND BESS (Columbia 1958)
Choosing between this one an SKETCHES OF SPAIN (Columbia 1959) is purely
personal preference; they are equally good
62) Miles Davis KIND OF BLUE (Columbia 1959)
I think this is the greatest album of all time.
63) Gil Evans GREAT JAZZ STANDARDS* (World Pacific 1959)
This is also part of an out of print Blue Note twofer called PACIFIC
STANDARD TIME, which also includes a similar album of jazz classics
called ROOTS, that features Cannonball Adderley.
-> (61)
64) SARAH VAUGHAN (Mercury 1955)
65) Sarah Vaughan CRAZY AND MIXED UP (Pablo 1982)
66) Carmen McRae "LOVER MAN" AND OTHER BILLIE HOLIDAY CLASSICS (Columbia 1962)
67) Ella Fitzgerald ELLA AND LOUIS (Armstrong) (Verve 1957)
68) Ray Charles 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW BUSINESS SALUTE (Atlantic 1971; 1946-70)
69) Dexter Gordon OUR MAN IN PARIS (Blue Note 1963)
GO (Blue Note 1962) is usually recognized as Gordon's best record; I prefer
this one because of the presence of Bud Powell.
70) Jimmy Smith PRAYER MEETING (Blue Note 1964)
71) Wes Montgomery THE SMALL GROUP RECORDINGS (Verve 1976; 1965, 1966)
72) Cannonball Adderley 74 MILES AWAY* (Capitol 1965)
73) Bill Evans THE VILLAGE VANGUARD SESSIONS (Milestone 1973; 1961)
74) Bill Evans "PEACE PIECE" AND OTHER PIECES (Milestone 1975; 1961-63)
In place of either of these one can pick up THE COMPLETE RIVERSIDE
SESSIONS, a monstrous box issued in 1986
-> (62), (101)
75) Art Farmer SING ME SOFTLY OF THE BLUES (Atlantic 1965)
76) Miles Davis MILES SMILES (Columbia 1966)
77) Miles Davis FILLES OF KILIMANJARO (Columbia 1968)
78) Wynton Marsalis BLACK CODES FROM THE UNDERGROUND (Columbia 1985)
-> (49)
79) John Coltrane GIANT STEPS (Atlantic 1959)
80) John Coltrane LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD (Impulse 1961)
Taking this one over IMPRESSIONS is pure preference. LIVE has "Spiritual"
and "Chasing the Trane" while IMPRESSIONS has "India" and the title tune.
They're both great
81) John Coltrane A LOVE SUPREME (Impulse 1964)
82) John Coltrane BALLADS (Impulse 1963)
-> (43), (62)
83) Lee Konitz MOTION (Verve 1961)
84) Joe Henderson THE STATE OF THE TENOR VOLUMES 1 and 2+ (Blue Note 1986)
85) Charles Mingus TIJUANA MOODS (RCA 1962; 1957)
86) Charles Mingus BLUES AND ROOTS (Atlantic 1959)
87) Charles Mingus THE COMPLETE CANDID RECORDINGS (Mosaic 1985; 1960-61)
88) Charles Mingus THE BLACK SAINT AND THE SINNER LADY (Impulse 1963)
89) Charles Mingus MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MONTEREY, NOT HEARD, PLAYED IN ITS
ENTIRETY AT UCLA (East Coasting 1966)
90) Charles Mingus CHANGES ONE (Atlantic 1975)
-> (36)
91) Eric Dolphy OUT TO LUNCH (Blue Note 1962)
92) Eric Dolphy JITTERBUG WALTZ* (Douglass 1976; 1963)
-> (80), (87), (101)
93) Booker Ervin LAMENT FOR BOOKER ERVIN (Inner City 1976; 1965)
94) Randy Weston LITTLE NILES (United Artists 1958)
95) McCoy Tyner ECHOES OF A FRIEND (Milestone 1972)
96) McCoy Tyner ENLIGHTENMENT (Milestone 1973)
97) McCoy Tyner SUPERTRIOS (Milestone 1977)
-> (80), (81), (82)
98) Jackie McLean LET FREDOM RING (Blue Note 1962)
99) Herbie Hancock MAIDEN VOYAGE (Blue Note 1965)
100) Herbie Hancock with VSOP LIVE UNDER THE SKY (Columbia [Japan] 1980)
101) Oliver Nelson THE BLUES AND THE ABSTRACT TRUTH (Impulse 1961)
102) Toshiko Akiyoshi INSIGHTS (RCA 1976)
103) Ornette Coleman THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME (Atlantic 1959)
I picked this one over CHANGE OF THE CENTURY and THIS IS OUR MUSIC
literally at random. These three taken together show what Ornette
was up to when he hit New York; they are incomplete when taken separately
104) Ornette Coleman FREE JAZZ (Atlantic 1960)
105) Ornette Coleman LIVE AT THE GOLDEN CIRCLE STOCKHOLM VOLUMES 1 AND 2+ (Blue
Note 1965)
106) Ornette Coleman SKIES OF AMERICA* (Columbia 1972)
107) Ornette Coleman IN ALL LANGUAGES (Caravan of Dreams 1987)
108) Cecil Taylor THE WORLD OF CECIL TAYLOR* (Candid 1960)
109) Cecil Taylor NEFERTITI, THE BEAUTIFUL ONE HAS COME* (Arista 1973; 1962)
110) Cecil Taylor UNIT STRUCTURES (Blue Note 1967)
111) Cecil Taylor SPRING OF TWO BLUE JAYS* (Unit Core 1974)
112) Cecil Taylor SILENT TONGUES* (Arista 1975)
113) Albert Ayler WITCHES AND DEVILS* (ESP 1964)
114) Sun Ra SUNRISE IN DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS (Hat Hut 1979)
115) Sun Ra REFELCTIONS IN BLUE (Black Saint 1987)
116) Max Roach WE INSIST! FREEDOM NOW SUITE (Columbia 1960)
117) Max Roach THE LONG MARCH (Hat Hut 1980)
118) Max Roach M'BOOM (Columbia 1980)
-> (36), (44), (53), (54), (55)
119) Art Ensemble of Chicago PEOPLE IN SORROW* (Nessa 1969)
120) Art Ensemble of Chicago URBAN BUSHMEN (ECM 1982)
121) Air AIR LORE* (Arista 1979)
122) Charlie Haden LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA (Impulse 1969)
-> (103), (104), (107)
123) Tony Williams EMERGENCY* (Polydor 1969)
-> (76), (77), (98)
124) Sam Rivers SAM RIVERS/DAVE HOLLAND VOLUMES 1 AND 2+ (IAI 1976, 1977)
-> (125)
125) Dave Holland CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS (ECM 1973)
-> (124)
126) Andrew Hill JUDGEMENT* (Blue Note 1963)
127) Archie Shepp FOUR FOR TRANE* (Impulse 1964)
128) Archie Shepp LOOKING AT BIRD (Steeplechase 1981)
-> (108), (136)
129) Wayne Shorter SPEAK NO EVIL (Blue Note 1966)
130) Wayne Shorter SCHIZOPHRENIA (Blue Note 1969)
131) Wayne Shorter SUPER NOVA (Blue Note 1969)
132) Wayne Shorter NATIVE DANCER (Columbia 1975)
-> (47), (48), (76), (77)
133) Charles Tolliver LIVE AT SLUGS VOLUMES 1 AND 2*+ (Strata East 1972)
134) Keith Jarrett SOLO CONCERTS BREMEN LAUSANNE (ECM 1973)
135) Muhal Richard Abrams THE VIEW FROM WITHIN (Black Saint 1985)
136) Abbey Lincoln GOLDEN LADY (Inner City 1981)
-> (116)
137) Arthur Blythe LENOX AVENUE BREAKDOWN (Columbia 1979)
138) Arthur Blythe ILLUSIONS (Columbia 1980)
139) Jack DeJohnnette ALBUM ALBUM (ECM 1984)
140) Amina Claudine Myers SALUTES BESSIE SMITH (Leo 1980)
141) Dewey Redman IN WILISAU (with Ed Blackwell) (Black Saint 1985; 1980)
142) Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) WATER ROM AN ANCIENT WELL (Black Hawk
1985)
143) George Adams - Don Pullen LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD VOLUME 2 (Soul Note
1986)
-> (90)
144) Henry Threadgill WHEN WAS THAT (About Time 1982)
-> (121), (147)
145) World Saxophone Quartet WSQ (Black Saint 1980)
146) World Saxophone Quartet PLAYS ELLINGTON (Nonesuch 1986)
147) David Murray MURRAY'S STEPS [Octet] (Black Saint 1983)
148) David Murray MORNING SONG [Quartet] (Black Saint 1984)
149) David Murray BIG BAND LIVE AT SWEET BASIL VOLUME 1 AND 2+ (Black Saint
1985-86)
-> (139), (145), (146)
150) James Newton THE AFRICAN FLOWER (Blue Note 1985)
--
Marcel-Franck Simon min...@usl.com, usl!mingus
" Papa Loko, ou se' van, ou-a pouse'-n ale'
Nou se' papiyon, n'a pote' nouvel bay Agwe' "
-
Vincent Kargatis Address: Code 631
Archive Scientist, Hughes STX Goddard Space Flight Center
PH 301-286-6128 Greenbelt MD 20771
FAX 301-286-1771 e-mail: karg...@xfiles.gsfc.nasa.gov
Jim Nickel
That's all fine and dandy if you want to learn about
hard-core jazz saxophone, but in the tradition of hard-core
pianists I would recommend anything recorded live at the
Acropolis. Oh yeah, any album by a musician with long wavy
hair may be considered a "classic" jazz album as well.
Oops. Thought I was posting this to rec.music.crappy!
Jack Regan
Shoney's? And shouldn't somebody suggest the Smithsonian Collection to
this fella for a taste of what jazz is about?
Take care,
Fats
Martin Milgrim
you won't catch me at Shoney's. As for the Smithsonian, it is excellent.
Marty
PRProf
while back called (unabashedly) "The 101 Best Jazz Albums." It's actually
kind of fun; has a good discography and some neat pix. Woth checkin' out.
Won't settle anything, but kind of cool anyway.
PRP...@aol.com (Bill Adams)
DRick47540
Andrew Hill-Point of Departure
Eric Dolphy-Out to Lunch
Charles Mingus-Mingus at Antibes
Ellington-Blues in Orbit
Bobby Hutcherson-Dialogue
Dave Brubeck-Time Out
Dexter Gordon-Go!
John Coltrane-Giant Steps
That's what I like, anyway.
Dave
Randy Hudson
PRP...@aol.com (Bill Adams)
I'll second this recommendation; this book crossed my path a few years
ago when I was just starting to explore jazz, and it turned me on to a
lot of great recordings.
-- Randy Hudson r...@inmet.com
Jeff Volkman
On Thu, 1 Feb 1996, Joshua Rosenberg wrote:
> (Martin Milgrim) wrote:
> >
> > Bill Adams says: "(oh, the hell with it...I'm not going to start this....
> > )"
> > You're right Bill. I would have trouble limiting myself to just 10
> > essential jazz artists much less 10 recordings. These "dessert island"
> > type questions are totally futile.
> >
> Who would need jazz albums with all those brownies? Not to mention the
> chocolate cake and the apple pie.
Cheese cake.
PRProf
It's nifty, but WARNING! It's about a zillion pages. My printer went
nuts.
Oh, and on this "Top Ten" thread we all persist in not taking seriously,
how about the little-known Buddy Bolden Edison wax cylinder of New Orleans
second-line covers? I've run some Monster cables from the Victrola into a
set of high-performance Bose bookshelves. Great sound; purists think the
cylinders are even better than old BN Deep-Grooves. Put a little green
tinge on the edges and, man, do they wail!
By the way, the Deep Grooves are playing at a local club this weekend.
PRP...@aol.com (Bill Adams)
Hey! This is a SERIOUS newsgroup.
Uncle Fester
Most people would list more than one by a single artist. It's a very
personal thing. Maybe a better way to approach it is to ask what the
most popular, accessible or "best" album is by 10 particular major
artists. And maybe their earliest "essential" work, just to get a flavor
of their development.
Louis Armstrong * Vol. IV Louis & Earl Hines 1927-1928 (Includes the
great "West End Blues")
* Vol. I: The Hot Fives 1925-1926
Ornette Coleman * Change of the Century (59)
* Something Else! (58)
John Coltrane * My Favorite Things (60)
* Giant Steps (59) Most people tend to want everything he's
done up to at least A Love Supreme (64).
Miles Davis * Kind Of Blue (59)
* The Birth of the Cool 1949-1950
Duke Ellington * The Blanton-Webster Band 1940-1942
* The Okeh Collection 1927-1930
Charles Mingus * The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (63)
* Pithecanthropus Erectus (56)
Thelonious Monk * Brilliant Corners (56)
* The Genius of Modern Music 1948-1952
Charlie Parker * The Legendary Dial Masters 1946-1947
* The Savoy Recordings 1944-1948
Sonny Rollins * Saxophone Collosus (56)
* Work Time (55)
Sun Ra * Heliocentric Worlds (65)
* Jazz In Silhouette (58)
I think even to a casual jazz listener, you can't go wrong with certain
box sets, like the complete Atlantic recordings for both Ornette Coleman
and John Coltrane, Charles Mingus on Columbia and Candid.
Aw hell, here's a few more:
Albert Ayler * Spiritual Unity (64)
Count Basie * The Complete Decca Recordings 1937-1939
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers * a Night at Birdland (54)
Eric Dolphy * Out to Lunch! (64)
Bill Evans * Sunday At the Village Vanguard (61)
Coleman Hawkins * Body And Soul (39)
Art Tatum * The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces 1953-1955
Cecil Taylor * Unit Structures (66)
Enjoy. UF
Gordon G. Blewis
>As to the "best" jazz albums, one might check out the book Len Lyons did a
>while back called (unabashedly) "The 101 Best Jazz Albums." It's actually
>kind of fun; has a good discography and some neat pix. Woth checkin' out.
> Won't settle anything, but kind of cool anyway.
>
>PRP...@aol.com (Bill Adams)
I bought that book when it came out in 1980 and actually bought a lot of the
albums on it. His list is pretty good if you leave out the 70's fusion albums
that dominate the end of his list (chronologically arranged). Nobody's list
today would have George Benson's "Weekend in L.A." or"The Best of Chuck
Mangione."
William G. Sacks
Oh well, "me too," I suppose. What is it about our culture which
compels us to take such pleasure from the idle creation of shopping lists?
At any rate, here're a baker's dozen (rules? who needs rules? we're
talking about consumerism here!), with brief notes:
1. Art Blakey Quintet, _A Night At Birdland, vols.1&2_ (Blue Note): My
very favorite Clifford Brown recording, among other things. Even the
intros and between-song banter are memorable.
2. Ornette Coleman, _Something Else!_ (Contemporary/OJC): Some day
mainstream American culture will catch up with Ornette. I hope I'm there to
see it... the question is, will he be? This is his first date as a leader,
and one of the late Don Cherry's brightest moments.
3. John Coltrane, _Newport '63_ (GRP/Impulse): His classic quartet at the
height of its powers. An absolutely superlative version of "Impressions"
is what sets this one apart (although the other live records from '63-4
are singular documents in their own right). The last cut on the disc is
from an earlier date, with Eric Dolphy playing his face off.
4. Miles Davis, _The Complete "Live At The Plugged Nickel"_ (Sony/Columbia):
Hereafter referred to as "the edifice." I confess that I haven't even gotten
to the last set yet, yet I assert this monstrosity's singular greatness just
the same. The Age of Bebop ends here, its inheritors flailing it
into something else entirely...
5. Miles Davis, _Bitches Brew_ (Columbia): Someone asked Miles how he
wanted his epitaph to read, and he replied, "He changed music six or
seven times"...By my count, at least two of those changes can be heard on
this set. Call it my Peter Watrous Honorary Selection, and remember to
call your complaints in to the Times.
6. Duke Ellington, _Uptown_ (Columbia): This is the revisionist's Duke,
from the period when he'd all but given up trying to direct a _dance_
band- the result is that some of his most familiar material is taken to
whole new structural levels. As such, it's the Ellington closest to the
hearts of many Mingus fans. The Newport performance from the following
year (also on Columbia) is further proof that Ellington's genius was of
that rare kind which can endure great shifts in aesthetic fashion.
7. Bill Evans, _Explorations_ (Riverside): His great early trio at the
peak of their collective power. This is the head from which the contemporary
piano trios sprung (almost fully formed).
8. Joe Henderson, _Lush Life_ (Verve): From where I'm sitting, the most
original "tribute" album in the history of the art, and the most recent
recording on my list. All such revisitations should be fired by this kind
of adventurousness. Maybe another decade of having to play behind
Henderson would straighten Wynton out...
9. Charles Mingus, _Town Hall Concert_ (Jazz Workshop/OJC): Another
amazing performance from Eric Dolphy, and one of Mingus's very finest
compostions ("Meditations On Integration," aka "Meditations On A Pair of
Wire Cutters," aka "Praying With Eric") on display in the fullness of its
intricacy. In our own time, I think only the Threadgill Sextett has really
sought to innovate the achievements made here.
10. Thelonious Monk, _The Genius Of Modern Music, vols. 1&2_ (Blue Note):
The irrefutable proof that Spengler was dead wrong. Teach these songs to
your children while you still have time.
11. Wes Montgomery & the Wynton Kelly Trio, _Smokin' At The Half Note_
(Verve): I'm a guitar player. I live every day of my life in awe and fear
of what went on at this show. Legendary bootlegs aside, Wes never quite
captured this level of intensity on record again, so it's a good thing Kelly
had the tapes running.
12. Charlie Parker, _The Legendary Dial Masters, vols.1&2_ (Stash): If
you want to understand why a generation of musicians worshipped Bird the
way, say, young atheletes currently idolize Michael Jordan, these are the
recordings to hear. I don't think George Gershwin had all this in mind
when he wrote "I Got Rhythm," but it's my understanding that Ira did get the
joke once the punch line finally arrived.
13. The Quintet, _Jazz At Massey Hall_ (Debut/OJC): A one-night-only
meeting of Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Max Roach, and a
young Mingus in Toronto, 1953. This was a final high point for Bird, with
Max driving him on the way Elvin Jones would drive Coltrane a decade later.
The version of "Salt Peanuts" alone is worth the price of the disc.
Consider it my guilt inclusion for having left Powell's Blue Note and
Gillespie's RCA/Victor recordings off the list.
Those with a jazz background will notice that I have a particular
fondness for recordings made in the early-to-mid '60s (the period of
the civil rights movement, funny enough)... to them I ask, what exactly were
we putting in the water at that point?