Jazz 101
A while back a colleague of mine, wanting to get into jazz, asked me to put together a list of records to help him get started. I thought it might be a good list to put here, for someone to refer to, or add to, or disagree with. Anyway, here are some jazz greats and a few of their classic recordings, in no particular order:
JOHN COLTRANE, tenor saxophonist
–Giant Steps
–A Love Supreme
–My Favorite Things
SONNY ROLLINS, tenor saxophonist
–Saxophone Colossus
–Live at the Village Vanguard (two discs)
–Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1
MILES DAVIS, trumpeter/bandleader
(With the first “great” quintet, featuring Coltrane):
–Round About Midnight
–Workin’
–Cookin’
–Relaxin’
(With the second “great” quintet, with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter):
–The Sorcerer
–Nefertiti
–E.S.P.
–Miles Smiles
(Miles’s orchestral records with Gil Evans):
–Porgy and Bess
–Miles Ahead
–Sketches of Spain
(Great miscellaneous Miles records):
–Kind of Blue (reportedly the best-selling jazz album of all time)
–’58 Miles
–Milestones
JULIAN “CANNONBALL” ADDERLEY, alto saxophonist
–Somethin’ Else
–Know What I Mean?
–Verve Jazz Masters 31: Cannonball Adderley
ART BLAKEY (drummer) AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS
–Moanin’
–Free for All
–A Night in Tunisia
CHARLIE PARKER, alto saxophonist
–Bird and Diz (with Dizzy Gillespie)
–The Complete Dial Masters (two discs)
–Savoy Recordings, Vol. 1
THELONIOUS MONK, pianist/composer
–Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1
–any Monk record with John Coltrane
–Monk’s Dream
COLEMAN HAWKINS, tenor saxophonist
–Verve Jazz Masters 34: Coleman Hawkins
–At the Opera House (with trumpeter Roy Eldridge; a little hard to find but worth it)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG, trumpeter
–any Hot Five recordings from the 1920s, with “Wild Man Blues,” “Potato Head Blues,” and “West End Blues”; they retain their power to this day
DUKE ELLINGTON, pianist/bandleader
–Far East Suite
–New Orleans Suite
–Such Sweet Thunder
BEN WEBSTER, tenor saxophonist
–Ben Webster & Associates (with Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, and others)
CHARLES MINGUS, bassist/composer/bandleader
–The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
–Blues & Roots
–Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964
LEE MORGAN, trumpeter
–The Sidewinder
–The Gigolo
LESTER YOUNG, tenor saxophonist
–Although Young was one of the three or four most important tenor sax players of the 20th century, along with Hawkins, Coltrane, and Rollins, his recordings are scattered. I did hear about an expensive boxed set, but for the economy-minded, you’re probably best off getting the Ken Burns recording of his music, as annoying as that idea is.
4 Responses to “Jazz 101”
2 favorites of mine, which I can make no claim to being “classic”: Mingus, “Better Git it in Your Soul” & poor doomed Clifford Brown, “Living with You.” Trumpet sounding uncannily like a human voice.
Thanks for the list. For that distant day when I actually get around to purchasing an ipod, or one of the kids hands one down to me.
aaah i’ve got ta “school you” young man…you know ‘how it goes’: of course, i’ve got to go back to the rack, the shelves, the collection…..dust em off…take notice/re-call it all….oil ‘em…:….. Then,…. BALLADS (trane)……….A MUSICAL ROMANCE…… -verve??- (pres and lady day)…..BLUES AND THE ABSTRACT TRUTH.. (oliver nelson)…DIZ AND ROY..in various re-issues…(dizzy and roy)..TONS OR ALL OF CLIFFORD (brownie that is) including one of the many heralded brown/max roach waxicons..this one, under the original emarcy (?) wax was called EASY (with brown, max, sonny,land etc.)..exquisite ain’t it…HMMMM…WORKTIME (newk)…..DESAFINADO…(hawk)…….note: if this appears at first glancearooni to be “old hat..’light’..err…etc….let me pull your coat baaby!!!….more to follow (maybe even “The Dial Sessions” -dexter and wardell- or-….. MINGUS AT CARNEGIE HALL…later in his career?……….even….ELLINGTON AT NEWPORT..56′ (with paul gonsalves’ legendary solo on diminuendo and crescendo in blue………………blue…blue…..desert isle……bluuue
hey, Cliff, late to the party — Great list. Yes, Brown/Roach quintet needs to be on here. Ellington needs representation from the Blanton/Webster era. Some late 30s Billie, too. Trying not to be esoteric, as this is supposed to be 101 for a new listener. Misterioso, from Monk. Then kick back and wait to see what your friend likes.
I have never personally been crazy about the music from Ellington’s Blanton/Webster days (see the post “I’m Supposed to Like It, But I Don’t,” from a while back), so I would have felt hypocritical putting that on the list. But you’re right, Brown/Roach and Billie do belong there.
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