Show of hands... how many jazz fans do we have here?

I'm a big fan of Miles Davis. Kind of Blue is an absolutely essential album; no record collection is complete without it. Be careful, though; if you're not, that album just might turn you into a diehard jazz fan.

I like much of Miles' other work, as well, though most of his other recordings sound a bit homogenous. Such is certainly the case with Birth of the Cool; I can't tell many of the songs on that album apart. It still makes excellent background music, though, and the drum solos on "Move" are pure joy for a percussion fanatic like myself.

So, any other jazz fans?

Not a very deep fan, but I've been thoroughly enriched by Coltrane's "A Love Supreme."

Great topic, Josh! I don't have time to post at length, but I'm a big fan, particularly of Blue Note's post-bop recordings. Think Bud Powell, Hank Mobley, JJ Johnson -- many of the recordings that have been remastered under the "RVG" series in recent years.

Miles Davis is amazing. You need to check out the period after "Kind of Blue," with the quintet with Shorter and Hancock. Some of that stuff is very impressive, although not as accessible as "Blue."

I haven't bought much jazz in the past two years, but before I stopped, my favorite contemporary artists were Dave Holland, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall. All of them have some great stuff, and some so-so stuff. Redman, in particular, has fallen off, although his "Moodswing" album is a modern classic in my book. I think Eva Cassidy is one-of-a-kind, but many wouldn't consider her a jazz artist. There are others who aren't popping to mind, but maybe I can add later.

I think Rich Kennedy is a jazz man, too. Rich?

I'm glad you brought up some more modern artists, Christian; I'm totally ignorant to all jazz that came after, say, 1980. Some suggestions on modern albums that are worth hearing would be greatly appreciated.

Jazz is the one style of music that I have always thought I should get to know better. I listen to my copy of Ellington & Basie's First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (an old, old CD -- not the spruced-up CD that came out a few years ago) a fair bit, and I have a couple other albums besides, but nowhere near enough. (Does John Lurie count as jazz? I used to listen to the soundtrack to Get Shorty a lot, and he figures prominently on that.)

I used to run sound at a local bar. On Mondays we had Jazz night and I took along my iBook and recorded a lot of those (I was working off of a digital board so I was able to create a seperate house and recording mix). That makes up most of my Jazz collection.

Being a musician myself, I am in awe of the command of one's instrument one must have to play jazz. If music were sport, classical music would be golf, hip hop would be basket ball, rock would be American football, and jazz would be the X-games.

With me, it's a matter of "I don't know much about jazz, but I do know what I like." It's a rather wide genre of music, though. Where to begin? And who to include?

QUOTE

Where to begin?

Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis.

I'd still like to delve into this, but I'm slammed at work.

Check out Miles' work with composer Gil Evans, Josh. It's great.

Another accessible, magnificent artist is Stan Getz. Try his Verve "greatest hits" collections, if they're still in print. There's a first and second volume, each of which is two discs. Great, great stuff.

Hmm, yes, I just had a listen on Amazon. That second one (Freddy Frogbreath?) began exactly like one I heard on the Proms a couple of years ago, by Johnny Dankworth. A bit of plagiarism perhaps? 8O

(I like Dankworth, btw, but I don't think he is as internationally famous as he may deserve to be, though his wife, Cleo Laine, is.)

QUOTE

I'm glad you brought up some more modern artists, Christian; I'm totally ignorant to all jazz that came after, say, 1980. Some suggestions on modern albums that are worth hearing would be greatly appreciated.

This is tricky, because so many of the albums I've bought in recent years are reissues of recordings from the '60s and earlier. That's the problem with jazz -- everyone keeps buying the old stuff, so the record companies keep remastering their catalog titles. The new stuff can't find an audience, mainly because commercial radio has abandoned traditional jazz as a format.

However, if you're interested in hearing some great jazz each week, check the Web to find out if the syndicated "Legends of Jazz" airs in your hometown. Ramsey Lewis hosts the program, which is marketed to "smooth jazz" affiliates. The traditional jazz music that comprises each show makes for the only two hours I can endure each week on the "smooth jazz" station in D.C. (It airs Sunday nights here, between 9 and 11).

The hottest contemporary acts are vocalists -- Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and Jane Monheit come to mind. There's a label called MaxxJazz that is, exclusively I think, dedicated to contemporary jazz vocalists. I like Carla Cook in particular. Her first CD indicates that she's a Christian, although it's hard to tell in the jazz world. [As an aside, several jazz artists talk about spirituality in their liner notes, some about "God," but you rarely see explicit references to Christ, FWIW.]

Instrumentalists that have made waves the past decade are primarliy pianists (Joshua Redman, who plays sax, is a notable exception, as is trumpeter Dave Douglass). Cyrus Chestnut, who does several jazzy gospel tunes in addition to his originals (and who has a great Christmas album called "Blessed Quietness" -- just the antidote I need each year to the overload of jaunty carols and majestic but overplayed choral music), is amazing. Try "Revelation," or seek out a used copy of "Earth Stories" (because it's now out of print, which is a minor tragedy). Brad Meldhu gets a lot of press, but I haven't heard enough of his work to have an informed opinion.

If it's jazz guitar you like, then Pat Metheny continues to make interesting music. I'm a sucker for "Still Life (Talking)," which came out in the '80s during the New Age music boom and incorporates almost chant-like vocals. It sounds dated today, but not in a bad way. It has a weird effect on me. Don't know if that's necessarily a good thing, but it surprises me that the CD can still stir me. Bill Frissell is more edgy, with several CDs that are wildly divergent in style and range. Marc Ribot is even stranger.

I should also plug the Muse recordings reissued by the now-defunct 32Jazz label, but being slowly reissued (again) now by Savoy. Much of that music is from the 1980s. Critics don't seem impressed with it, but I find much of it enjoyable, particularly Woody Shaw (trumpet), Cedar Walton (piano) and Sonny Stitt (sax).

I've gone on long enough...

jazz baby, cool! I love jazz, mostly of the swing to beebop era and that smooth transition into the beatnik groove of cool jazz.

Miles Davis, John Scofield, Charlie Parker, Jaco Pasttorius, Charlie Mingis, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Victor Wooten), Thelonious Monk, JellyRoll Morton...

Louie Prima is also an excellent listen.

I sway towards the bass.

I live over a legendary local Jazz club. A good one. For one reason: I wanted hear Jazz murmurings every night.

Kind of Blue is where everyone should start. But recently I have been really into Bill Evans, a Chicago great. And Decca Tatum, and a little Stan Getz.

But there is also a lot of good recent jazz by younger musicians that is worth tracking down. The following two are worth a peek:

Medeski, Martin, and Wood
Ben Allison

Fantastic musicians.

Christian (or anyone else), are you a fan of "fusion" jazz, ie Bitches Brew?

QUOTE

Christian (or anyone else), are you a fan of \"fusion\" jazz, ie Bitches Brew?

No, not really, but I should probably try to learn a little about the music.

Acoustic jazz is much more to my taste.

I am not really into fusion. It takes a bit for me to listen to it but I would listen to Jaco without too much of an arm twisting.

Hi, first post, like the site, love jazz.

Armstrong, Coltrane, Monk, Mingus, Davis, Chet Baker,
Diana Krall, Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Roach.

Welcome to the board! Some great jazz picks, by the way.

Christian, I finally got around to hearing Joshua Redman today, and man! You were right; masterful stuff. I bought his self-titled album and I'm loving it.

I'm more a Jazz vocals fan than a purist. Love me some Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Pre-"Star Turtle" Harry Connick, Ella and Nina Simone.

Although I've taken a few detours into instrumental... Spefically I love George Winston's triubute to Vince Guaraldi, Claude Bolling's Suite for Jazz Flute and I've got some serious Christmas Jazz compilations that kick yultide ass!

Full disclosure: big jazz fan, not much of a fan of Miles, though Miles in the '50's is nice. If you know any standards, any familiarity, I would suggest starting with some of Ella Fitzgerald's recordings and Frank Sinatra's Capital recordings, particularly his "Swingin' Sessions" backed by Count Basie's band. I believe that this will ease you into the milieu of playing around with the theme in a song. Compare Ella with, say Micheal Feinstein, or listen to how Sinatra breaks up the beat or waits a bit or two longer before singing the next word of an otherwise familiar song.

As for "Kind of Blue", maybe I am too historically wound, but it is important to become familiar with what Miles was trying to simplify or minimalise (namely Parker, Powell, and particularly Gillespie). It is just me, but Baker, Clifford Brown, and Lee Morgan are more a delight in trumpet playing. Baker is an excellent intro too. Easy to follow and gorgeous playing.

Sorry to join so late. I have yet to be able to hear "Over the Rhine". I'm just a roots music fan on a board I thought had passed me by musically.

QUOTE

Christian, I finally got around to hearing Joshua Redman today, and man! You were right; masterful stuff. I bought his self-titled album and I'm loving it.

I just noticed your post, Josh. I'm glad you're enjoying Redman. I'm partial to "Moodswing," but I also like "Wish." He did what most jazz artists do after they find a following with their traditional approach -- he moved toward fusion and funk, with varying degrees of success (check out "Freedom in the Groove," if you like that kind of sound). I haven't heard anything off his last three albums, so I don't know how his career is progressing.

Oh, and a big second on Rich's recommendation of Chet Baker. Indeed, Baker was the first non-smooth-jazz artist whose album I bought. On a whim, during my first or second year of college, I shelled out for a two-disc set called "The Final Concert," or something along those lines. It's beautiful stuff. I bought some more Baker subsequent to that. After I got into Miles/Coltrane, Baker seemed too lush, too soft, more image than genuine jazz talent. But after a few years, I returned to that double-disc, and I had more than just a nostalgic reaction to it: Baker was a great trumpeter, even at his frailest. He may not have pushed himself to be the greatest player he could be, but what he did, he did very well, and it shouldn't be minimized.

I'm not sure I'd include his singing among that which he did "very well," but it sure is distinctive. BTW, if you can ever get your hands on the documentary "Let's Get Lost," I recommend it. It's not riveting, but it's a cool mood piece.

A couple of newly issued (and reissued) titles might be of interest to anyone reading this thread. If you've been thinking about checking out some Stan Getz, some recordings from late in his life have just come out on CD. A strong review of the new collection can be read here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...6-2003Sep9.html

As the review indicates, Getz's albums from this late period ("Anniversary," "Serenity," "People Time") are outstanding, so this one should be good.

Also, one of Thelonius Monk's final recordings has been remastered, to apparently great effect:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2088132/

I've added both to my birthday/Christmas list.

"'Round Midnight" is one of my alltime favorite songs, yet I never liked any of Monk's recordings of it that I'd heard. I have never been able to enjoy his playing. [/i]

I don't think I saw the bassist Dave Holland mentioned here. He's my favorite contemporary jazz artist, and all of his recent quintet and big band recordings are well worth hearing:

What Goes Around
Not for Nothin'
Prime Directive
Points of View

Within the next few weeks, I hope to pick up Extended Play, his recent double-live album. I'm also hoping to check out some of his earlier work.

Another contemporary artist worth mentioning is the saxophonist Kenny Garrett. His style is somewhat reminiscent of Coltrane. Check out Standard of Language, which was released earlier this year.

QUOTE

I don't think I saw the bassist Dave Holland mentioned here.  He's my favorite contemporary jazz artist, and all of his recent quintet and big band recordings are well worth hearing: What Goes Around Not for Nothin' Prime Directive Points of View Within the next few weeks, I hope to pick up Extended Play, his recent double-live album.  I'm also hoping to check out some of his earlier work.

Great mention, Caleb. For some reason, "Points of View" did nothing for me, but "Not for Nothin'" is tremendous.

Another great, recent jazz record I just heard for the first time: "52nd Street," by the Joe Lovano Nonet.

If you're a fan of "smooth jazz" and waded into this thread thinking you might find something about that pablum , here's a link:

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,3...1734253,00.html

Caught a great set by the Regina Carter Quintet last night.

Any other string-jazz fans out there?

Aah, good Detroit girl. She was already famous in high school around here. I love string jazz as you call it. Nobody tops Stephan Grappelli, though. Particulary for mastery of the instrument. My main complaint of her is that she doesn't play like a violinist. She has almost a piano under her chin, but never even tries a diad in her solos, let alone a chord. Almost like listening to a pianist play with two fingers. Still, she can swing.

Hm. She sure hit some double stops and chords last night ...

On the other hand, Grappelli was almost exclusively a single-line player, wasn't he? Can't think of any notable Grappelli double-stop passages.

Love Grappelli but still have a slight preference for Stuff Smith. Get the "Violins No End" disc, where they go head to head...

[quote]Hm. She sure hit some double stops and chords last night ...[/quote]
Good. I've never heard her do such on her recordings. She's played on jazz programs a lot around here.
[quote]
On the other hand, Grappelli was almost exclusively a single-line player, wasn't he? Can't think of any notable Grappelli double-stop passages.
[/quote]
Never saw him play. I've often thought that he did on his solos. Maybe he's tricked me with his fingering. My impression has always been that Regina's technique was much more spare than what I am accostomed to hear in violin playing. My opinion of her has suffered as a result.
[quote]
Love Grappelli but still have a slight preference for Stuff Smith. Get the "Violins No End" disc, where they go head to head...[/quote]
I've known of others, but their names always escape me. This name sounds quite familiar.

I've been wearing out my copy of Porgy and Bess this week. I never fully appreciated it before, but it's really a beautiful jazz record. I *love* "The Buzzard Song," and Miles' version of "Summertime" may very well be my favorite (though it's been a while since I last heard Coltrane's...).

The thing that keeps me coming back to Gerschwin as THE American composer is his universality. EVERYONE will play/sing Gerschwin at some point and will come up with at least a pretty good performance. It's almost impossible to screw it up. Favorite eccentric "Summertime": Janis Joplin with the almost fugueish guitar intro and bridge.

I don't usually go for thematic collections on CD, but "S'Wonderful," the Gershwin collection of vocal music from Verve, is just splendid -- much more enjoyable than the label's instrumental companion collection, "S'Marvelous."

I'm biased because the renditions on "S'Wonderful" were my introdution to many of Gershwin's tunes, and, as I'm sure is the case when we all hear these standards, the interpretations I heard first are the ones that stick -- the ones that define the songs for me. For instance, it's hard for me to warm to versions of "I Loves You Porgy" other than the one by Nina Simone.

Funny, I just tried to pull up the title on Amazon, and it doesn't come up. Maybe it's out of print?

Always have enjoyed Simone. Kind of sad that she is now after her death, getting re-recognised. I believe she was married for a while to Dave Lambert of Lambert-Hendricks & Ross (BIG fan) until he dies in'66.

Gerschwin was the closest thing to popular music that I was allowed. I've had a lifelong love of the repetoire. I don't mean to puff myself when I say that I was beyond original interpretations before I knew what they were. I do have a taste for old Oscar Levant and Earl Wilde for the piano music.

Oh my. I've just discovered KPLU, a jazz station based in Tacoma, Wash. You can listen to it on the Internet, and it plays jazz for SIX HOURS each weekday, in the morning and early afternoons, then again in the evenings. Tremendous! Even better than WPFW, my local Pacifica affiliate, which has been making room for more and more political talk -- at the expense of its commitment to jazz music. Therefore, the station has lost my financial support, and I find myself seeking out online options for jazz. I think I'm gonna bookmark KPLU.

Anyone else have good online jazz station recommendations? I haven't done too much exploring yet.

Don't matter who's in the Whitehouse, Ed Love is still the king! (sorry Waylon) WDET 7:00 to 10:00 (EST) Monday thru Friday. The guy has forgotten more about jazz than most of us will ever be able to investigate.

[quote]Oh my. I've just discovered KPLU, a jazz station based in Tacoma, Wash. ...[/quote]
I can pick up KPLU on my car radio most of the time (through a repeater station in Bellingham), and I love it. Also like All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Car Talk, Piano Jazz and What Do You Know - the latter, mostly because of their jazz combo.

CBC Radio Two has a fabulous jazz program from 10PM to Midnight, called After Hours - though the long-time host with the amazing "jazz" voice, Ross Porter, left the program earlier this year. Still play great stuff, though.

String jazz? I love the Quintet of the Hot Club of San Francisco. When I first moved to Vancouver in the late seventies, there was a hot jazz (and country swing) band I really enjoyed called Mystery Pacific, AKA The Kitsilano Kat Kickers.

Nobody's mentioned Charlie Haden's Quartet West: Haunted Heart and Always Say Goodbye are stunning records. And then there's the Buena Vista Social Club recordings: Ibrahim Ferrer is my favourite.

Miles is my great favourite (in the fifties), and I was always dismissive of Chet Baker until the past couple years. But now I realize Chet's early playing really is gorgeous, especially with Gerry Mulligan, and The Best Of Chet Baker Sings is stunning. (And I'm not nuts about jazz vocals.)

John Coltrane's fifties and early sixties ballads - oh my gosh.

The two (different) NPR stations here (also WUOM in Ann Arbor) both dropped "Piano Jazz" a long time ago, sadly. More than the duet at the end, I always like her interview of the guest. "What Do You Know". I only get to hear this when I'm on the road on a weekend. I love the humor.

Oh Christian, I meant to say, "Don't matter who's in the Whitehouse,". That transalates the thought better. Last night, Ed Love had live music in the studio for the first hour. He usually does that on Wednesdays. As a radio brat, I love the way he signs off of the live segment before the news the old fashioned way. A sort of, "Live from Studio B," etc. listing all the personnel and credits over the bands noodling around. You don't hear that sort of thing much anymore. Even Garrison Keilor kind of parodies it.

I love jazz for two reasons:

1. It can encompass every other style of music, if you want it to. It's all about improvising, so bring in a rock beat here, a string orchestra there. Swing it or not. It's never played the same way once anyway.

2. It's a music that's all about WHO. Classical music centers on the composer, the conductor, maybe a soloist. Rock bands are groups, with maybe a leader. In jazz, each individual is important as a soloist, as a rhythmist, as a mind in the collective. McCoy Tyner didn't restrict himself to Coltrane's group. He played on many Blue Note sessions with other cats, like Shorter and Henderson. Paul Chambers plays bass on like 80 percent of all discs.

If you want to get into jazz, it's easier than you think. Just start with a single album and follow the WHOs.

Here's a neat path.

Bill Evans plays on Miles' Kind of Blue
Scott LaFaro plays on Evans' Waltz for Debby
Scott LaFaro plays on Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz
Eric Dolphy plays on Free Jazz
Eric Dolphy plays on Mingus' Live at Antibes
Bud Powell plays on Live at Antibes
Mingus and Bud play on Jazz at Massey Hall
Charlie Parker plays on Jazz at Massey Hall
Charlie Parker plays on Miles' Collector's Items
Sonny Rollins plays on Collector's Items
Monk plays on Rollins' Volume Two
Coltrane plays on Monk's Music
McCoy Tyner plays on Coltrane's A Love Supreme
McCoy plays on Joe Henderson's Inner Urge
Joe Hendeerson plays on Andrew Hill's Point of Departure
Eric Dolphy plays on Point of Departure
Tony Williams plays on Dolphy's Out to Lunch
Tony Williams plays on Miles Smiles

and so on and so on for ever and ever and ever. There is no end to the amount of jazz out there. It's one big collective.

Furthermore, since it's mostly improvised, it's like one of God's gifts, kind of like speaking in tongues.

QUOTE

Furthermore, since it's mostly improvised, it's like one of God's gifts, kind of like speaking in tongues.

Heh, heh. I got into jazz around the time I was shedding straight fundamentalism and was not so comfortable then with the more charismatic gifts. The analogy I made (and still do) was that the solos could be likened to testimonies in a church service (am I dating myself?).

Just wanted to plug Getz’s “Bossas and Ballads: The Lost Sessions,” given to me for my birthday. Great, great Getz stuff here, especially if you’re a fan of his late work.

Interesting perspective: My family is staying with my parents while our house is repaired, and I find that the Getz disc works splendidly in their 6-disc CD carousel, alongside Enya (they play that disc so often I’ve grown numb to it … oh wait – that’s the point with Enya, right?) and the rest of their “easy listening” music. Thing is, the Getz disc is beautiful because it works splendidly as background music, as dance music (lots of Bossa Nova), and as well-executed jazz. It should appeal to the casual listener and the jazz technician. It’s highly accessible.

Lookee here. I just logged onto Slate, found an
article on the best jazz albums of 2003, and see Getz's "Bossas and Ballads" among the entries:

"Stan Getz's Bossas and Ballads: The Lost Sessions (Verve), dating from 1989, is a very different thing—a perfect, straight-ahead, romantic-ballads jazz album. Getz was in poor health when he made it (he died in '91), but he was blowing his tenor sax* as gorgeously as ever. There's nothing fancy in his playing; he veers close to the melody. But the way he stretches a note or holds it back, the poignant wisp of vibrato at the end of a phrase, the fine sense of rhythm in the placement of his pauses—he treats a song the way a great singer would. His quartet was a balladeer's ideal back-up band, providing ballast and contrast—George Mraz on bass, shifting the pivot of the beat; Victor Lewis, brushing rhythms within rhythms on the drums; and Kenny Barron, coaxing lush harmonies and color-tones from the piano."

My first post to the board and to a thread that perhaps died some months ago. Anyway, let's see what happens.

Last year's big discovery for me was Eric Dolphy, especially his clarinet playing. Warm, melodic, dynamic with an edge. Thinking about it has me running to the table to slap it on.

I started with Miles "Kind of Blue" and Chet Baker Sings. Now I'm big fan of Coltrane, Evans, Pepper, Mingus and Monk. Coleman Hawkins blows an inviting sax, Sonny Rollins and his colossal Saxophone Colossus or Stan Getz takes us from South America to finishing his standout career with the political and edgy singer Abby Lincoln. Of course, there's the Count, Ellington, Ella and her fellas and Billy Holiday.

For new stuff, I like Branford Marsalis, king of Chicago vocalese Kurt Elling and too-cool-for-fools post modern and beyond Patricia Barber (look for the live albums of the last two). Recently, a buddy from San Fran, has been hitting the used bins at Amobea and Rasputins and sending me free jazz care-packages and I'm liking it: Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane, Chalie Haden, etc.

Faith reflected in jazz? Listen to Mingus yelling in the background of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" or "Better Get Hit In Your Soul". Pianist Hampton Hawes waiting to begin a ten year sentence for narcotics charges records "The Sermon": a collection of hymns and spirituals. Went to workshop once lead by former Diana Krall guitar player Russell Malone. He talked at length about his musical beginnings in church and how those influences are a part of his playing.

And somebody in the thread was asking about jazz on the radio in the Vancouver, BC area. Don't forget CBC Radio Canada (French radio 90.7 me thinks). Weekday afternoons are devoted to jazz with not too much talk. Great for the drive home.

Also look for jazz in the church. Sunday afternoons at one of the two stone chuches on Burrard and Nelson in downtown Vancouver one can attend jazz vespers. A liturgical service with the music provided by local jazz musicians.

Anyway, hello!

Clive

javascript:emoticon(':jazzband:')

Kind of Blue, is arguably, the greatest post bop record ever made. (Some owuld argue it's the greatest signle jazz record ever made, but I don't think you can narrow it down that far.) Someone else here pointed out that everybody should start with it. I agreee heartily with that because it sums up the past and points to everything that came after it. I have written extensively about Miles Davis ad you can check our site (http://allmusic.com) for a solid critical presentation of virtually everything that's out there.

While we could write endelssly about jazz--we put out a 1400 page book, the All-Music Guide ToJazz--and only scratxched the surface, if you are wondering about music from that period in jazz, there are numerous titlers that could create a solid shelf in your collection from the same era (within a copuple of years before or after). Just a few that come to mind--in no particular order-- are:

Soul Station (1960) - Hank Mobley
Brilliant Corners (1956) - Thelonioius Monk
Blue Train (1957) - John Coltrane
Music From The Connection (1960)- Freddie Redd
Cool Struttin' (1957) - Sonny Clark
My Favorite Things (1960) - John Coltrane
Time Out (1961) - Dave Brubeck
Bluesnik (1961) - Jackie McLean
The Sidewinder (1963) - Lee Morgan
Meets The Rhythm Section (1957) - Art Pepper
Go Man! (1956) or, Jazz USA (1957) - Sonny Criss
Blues and Roots (1959) - Charles Mingus
Mingus Ah Um (1960) - Charles Mingus (this one first, I think, but bnoth are awesome)
Soulville (1957) - Ben Webster
The Bridge (1961)- Sonny Rollins
Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus (1962) - Vince Guaraldi
Such Sweet Thunder 1959) - Duke Ellington
Rights Of Swing (1960)- Phil Woods
The Big Beat (1959) - Art Blakey
Blowin' The Blues Away (1960) - Horace Silver
Midnight Blue (1963) - Kenny Burrell
Takin' Off (1962) -Herbie Hancock
The Shape of Jazz To Come (1959) - Ornette Coleman

I hope this helps--it is by NO means meant to be complete; these are just some of my faves.

I have no idea how I forgot:
Jazz Samba (1962) - Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd

And the other thing is that Michgian homeboy Rich Kennedy knows EXACTLY what's up in jazz and with the radio--Ed Love is still IT!!!!!!!

[quote="thom_jurek"we put out a 1400 page book, the All-Music Guide ToJazz[/quote]

Thom, it's great to have you on board here. Thanks to you and Clive for bringing this thread back to the top of the "Albums, Musicians" folder.

I hope you don't mind my posting elsewhere on the board about my preference for The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, which, although not as comprehensive as the All Music guide, has provided me with most of my education in jazz music.

I own the 3rd Edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz, but I don't see your name among the contributors. Are you a recent addition to their stable of writers? A guy named Scott Yanow seems to have written most of the summaries in the 3rd Edition.

Let me conclude with a few questions about jazz developments in the past couple of years. First, what's your take on Cyrus Chestnut? The guy is an amazing pianist, but he's tried to crossover with his past couple of albums. The most recent one of his I own is the one with the two Anita Baker vocals; I heard Soul Food but didn't have much of a response to it.

Also, I know vocals are the big trend in jazz right now, building on the Norah Jones phenomenon, so I'm curious as to your take on the JazzMaxx label, which features contemporary vocalists. Has it been commercially successful? The only album I have off the label is Carla Cook's first CD, which I like quite a bit.

And that leads to my third question. Who in the jazz world right now expresses the Christian faith? Based on liner notes, I'm guessing that Chestnut and Cook are two, although it's hard to tell from the generalized "God language" of their liner notes. It seems that "spirituality" has been "in" for a long time in jazz music, but explicit Christianity is hard to find. I wonder if it's considered too narrow or offensive in the jazz world. Any thoughts?

Hi Christian,

I have no problem whatsoever with the Penguin Guide To Jazz. Before we were updating our guides it was the only one out there, and it is different enough in tone and astethic from our own that I like both a lot.

As for me not contributing to the Third Edition of the All-Music Guide to Jazz, that is true. I came on board as a freelancer with them while conceiving the fourth edition. I now work as senior staff writer. I wrote the introduction to the fourth, contributed a few essays, and hundreds of reviews to it. Yanow, who is busy writing books these days doesn't have the time to contribute as often as he did to either the site or the bound volumes.

As for jazz vocals, I think there are some distinctions to be made. For one, I (and this is only MY opinion, I speak with no more authority than anyone else), don't really think Norah Jones is a jazz singer even though she records for Blue Note. She is a very sophisticated pop vocalist who embraces jazz among the many styles she incorporates. Madeline Peyroux is closer, but she is also a pop singer. Diana Krall, on the other hand is a jazz singer and instrumentalist who embraces pop--particularly on her forthcoming Girl In the Other Room album--Cassandra Wilson does too. While I could sit here and go over a bunch of reasons why, I think the listener will do a better job just in juxtaposing the two. These are obviously contemporary examples, but another great singer who walked that line very well is the recently deceased Nina Simone. Tierney Sutton is another example of a fine modern jazz vocalist who works wonders with pop and Holly Cole another fine pop singer who can work wonders with jazz.

As for current jazz artists who profess a Christian world view I would most certainly point the drummer Brian Blade's two brilliant albums for Blue Note: The Brian Blade Fellowship and Brian Blade Fellowship: Perceptual. In addition, the avant garde jazz saxophonist and pianist Charles Gayle is another case in point. Gayle's music while completely outside in the free jazz realm are deeply spiritual recordings with biblical themes in each composition. would also recommend Kurt Elling's most recent album, Man In the Air; the references are not exactly hidden, but he is not didactic about it. (Elling is a former divinity student.) I am sure I can think of others but this is what immedaitely comes to mind on a Saturday morning.

In the blues world I would suggest recent instrumental recordings by Ronnie Earl (Language of the Soul-Bullseye/Rounder, and Feel like Goin' On -TelArc) and the gospekl album by Lucky Peterson with Fontella Bass.

Elling is a man of faith? Ooh YEAH! First time I heard him, I thought Mark Murphy had made an eternal youth pact with the Devil. Thom, thanks for the kudos. OTOH, with my broad interests now getting away from me, I'm falling behind on everything and your album compendium only highlights that for me. Haven't heard a lot of that in a looong time and have had little opportunity to hear any Mingus or Maclean. Brubek, Blakey, Silver, and Morgan are alltime faves.

Back to vocals, how would you classify Connick? Though he seems to be getting face and air time as a crooner these days, his big band shows are all over the map and he seems able to sing almost anything. I'd say that when he's with his band, he's got just about the best large ensemble show going today.

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Time Out (1961) - Dave Brubeck

An excellent selection, Thom. I consider this one to be absolutely essential jazz listening, and, in fact, it's my personal favorite non-Miles Davis jazz album of all time.