I'm in need of updating my jazz collection ~ need help!

I likes em all! Here's two of my favorites.

Birds of Fire - John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra

Light as a Feather - Chick Corea and Return to Forever

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, and Sketches of Spain. MfSD.

Carmichael song "The Nearness of You".  Sexy stuff.

Could someone please, precisely define what constitutes "Jazz" in its pure form?  

Please don't just say Miles Davis, or Louie Armstrong types of music!!!

These are my among my favorites:

The Magic of Satie -- Erik Satie (Composer), Jean-Yves Thibaudet

And for an interesting African Jazz fusion sound, I recommend:

Nothing's in Vain -- Youssou N'Dour; Audio CD

Rough Guide to Youssou N'Dour & Etoile De Dakar -- Youssou N'Dour, Etoile De Dakar; Audio CD

Moffou -- Salif Keita; Audio CD
Ali (Score) [SOUNDTRACK] -- Lisa/ Bourke, Pieter/ Murray, Ray Gerrard (Composer), et al; Audio CD

Almost anything by Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck and Billie Holiday.  And the definition of Jazz?  It just is, man.

music"

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, Branford Marsalis and Dave Spector (Dave's music has a heavy blues influence)

If you like Jazz from the 40's try Great Ladies of Jazz, which features Ella, Billie, Lena, Dinah, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln and Shirley Horn.

Another lady from that era is Peggy Lee with The Dave Barbour Band. (I’m Confessin, I’ve Had My Moments and I Should Care are  my favorite songs on the CD)

Marcella

Reefining Jazz ...Part 1.........long

By Alan Lawrence

What is jazz? Those three words form one of the toughest questions in music. Ask a hundred people and you are likely to get as many different answers.

Few things have given me more pleasure in life than listening to the music we call jazz. Even after hearing several thousand recordings in over 15 years and seeing countless live shows, I cannot offer a definitive definition of the word "jazz."

The challenge may lie in the term "jazz" itself. Can a living music, one that may well be the most colorful and varied art form in the world, be defined by a single word? After pondering that question for this feature, I'd have to say no. The music that falls into the jazz idiom takes on infinite faces and influences including swing, bebop, cool, fusion, smooth and avant-garde. As jazz spread across the globe, the music took on more and more sounds.

Let's go back to our fictional survey of 100 people. What kind of responses would we get? Some may call anything with saxophone or trumpet jazz. Others may base their definition on the feel of the music. Does it swing? Still others base their views of what defines jazz on the reputation of the musicians. Some say there must be improvisation for it to be jazz.

There is little argument that two key elements of jazz are improvisation and swing. Let's briefly look at each:

Unquestionably, most jazz involves a degree of improvisation. In most jazz settings, someone is usually improvising. But, not all improvised music can be called jazz. The Grateful Dead rarely played what was written, but they certainly are not considered a jazz band. Conversely, not all music found in the jazz bins is improvised. Consider some of Duke Ellington's tightly arranged suites. While improvisation is without a doubt an integral part of jazz music, it is not an absolute.

Swing is even harder to define. What is swing? It is a feeling more than a concrete concept. Swing is that element that makes you move your body or want to dance. It is a buoyancy that lives in much of what we call jazz...the propulsive beat and forward momentum. But, does jazz always swing? Absolutely not. Anyone familiar with the works of Cecil Taylor or Anthony Braxton knows that their music is the antithesis of swing, yet most would define their music as jazz.

So, that brings us back to the main topic, "What is jazz?" In his book "Jazz Styles," Mark Gridley offers that music need only to be associated with the jazz tradition to be called jazz. Instead of a strict definition, we use the word "jazz" to describe a character of the music. The lines have been blurred. Is Bitches Brew jazz or rock? I'd file it under jazz. My father would call it rock.

What you call jazz, I might not consider jazz at all. I can't tell you how many times I mention my love of jazz, only to hear "Oh, I love Kenny G." To me, Kenny G and the rest of his so-called smooth jazz cronies, do not play jazz. It certainly neither swings nor contains much, if any, improvisation. To them, Cecil Taylor or Sun Ra is the furthest thing from jazz. They might think it is noise.

Bottom line: If it feels like jazz to you ---- It is jazz. That's the beauty of this music!

Reefining Jazz ...Part 2..long

By Jason West

What is jazz? According Wynton Marsalis jazz is music that swings. According to Pat Metheny jazz is not the music of Kenny G. According to Webster's jazz is characterized by propulsive syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre. Personally, I prefer the definition found in the old musician's joke about jazz being "better than sex, and it lasts longer."

Certainly, the question is a highly subjective one. Ask 100 different people "What is jazz?" and you're likely to get 100 different answers. The debate becomes even more confusing given the fact that the history of jazz is relatively well documented.

It's no secret that jazz music started in the black ghettos of New Orleans at the end of the 19th century. In the 1920s jazz moved up river to Chicago and New York as African Americans migrated north in search of a better life. The 1930s saw the evolution of swing bands like those lead by Duke Ellington and Count Basie. At the same time great soloists emerged, virtuosi like Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. In the 1940s be bop hit, personified in the music of Charlie Parker. The Mozart of his day, Bird took all of the melodic and harmonic information available and crystallized it into bebop. But, even in 1955, at the time of Bird's death, most people could answer with confidence when asked, "What is jazz?"

Why then, less than half a century later, can't we agree on a working definition? Part of the reason is because jazz has always been and remains today a living art form, ever changing and ever growing. Subsequently, after Bird took bebop to its logical conclusion, musicians like Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman invented new forms like modal playing and "free" jazz. In the 1960s musicians began incorporating R&B, rock and new electric instruments into their jazz. John Coltrane gave us "sheets of sound." The Modern Jazz Quartet mixed jazz and classical music. Everything exploded and suddenly jazz was all over the place.

In their effort to market these musical voyages, major record companies have added to the mystification, bombarding us with labels to ponder: Contemporary jazz, mainstream jazz, smooth jazz, alternative jazz, avant-garde jazz, Latin jazz, fusion, etc. At present, it seems that there are almost as many names for jazz as there are jazz groups. Still puzzled? Me too.

But not worried. Once again, each one of us is left with our own purely subjective views on jazz. My guess is that, if asked, even musicians - the men and women who are currently dedicating their life to creating this music - would likely disagree on the meaning of jazz.

So perhaps a better question is: What do you like? From Jelly Roll Morton to Lee Morgan, from James P. Johnson to John Zorn, the answer is out there, preserved on record for our learning and listening pleasure. Yes, experiencing all the different styles of jazz is a daunting task, but the rewards are great; and the more you listen, the more you'll find similarities within the styles. What's more, jazz elements can be heard outside of its own genre - in rock, R&B, Latin music, African music - the list is endless.

Yet, one thing is sure: Jazz remains America's only original living art form. Today, its influence envelops the globe. It's expressive. It's enriching. Call it what you like - jazz is here to stay.

Several have already recommended 'Kind of Blue,' though if you currently have any kind of jazz collection and that's not already in it then shame on you.  Seriously though, here are some things I've picked up lately plus a couple favorites:

Jazz After Dark on the Playboy Jazz label.  A two-disc set, disc one is instrumental (Miles, Monk, Ellington, Scott Hamilton, to name a few) and disc two has some great vocal numbers by the likes of Patti Austin, Mel Torme, Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett, Curtis Stigers, etc.

Benny Green & Russell Malone: Jazz at the Bistro.  Live recording from a piano/guitar duo.  Some of the finest improv I've heard in a long time.

Verve Remixed.  Remixed versions of some great vocal standards like Don't Explain (Billie Holiday), Feelin Good (Nina Simone), Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby (Dinah Washington).  Not for everybody and definitely stretches the definition of jazz.

Diana Krall -- hard to go wrong but her 'Love Scenes' is my favorite.

Pat Metheny Group -- again, is it jazz?  The record stores always puts their stuff there out of need for categorization.  Check out Still Life Talking, The First Circle or the self-titled CD (which goes waaay back and may be harder to find).

Personally, I prefer to download and burn my own "favorite" CD. Nothing better than having so many great artists all together on 1 disc.

Big John Patton - Let The Good Times Roll
Dexter Gordon - Go
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Grant Green - I Am Blue
Grant Green - Idle Moments
Medeski, Martin & Wood - Combustication
Charlie Hunter -Duo
Stanton Moore - All Kooked Out
John Scofield - A Go Go
Jimmy Smith - Sermon
Charles Lloyd - Hyperion with Higgins
Art Blakey - Moanin'
Art Blakey - A Night in Tunisia
Getz/Gilberto
Dave Brubeck - Time Out

She has become the mainstay in my cd player. That haunting lilt she has to her voice reminds me of the old Lena Horne style. A true gem

xoxo
L

and a damn sexy one at that *wink*

Depends on what you needs are: Here are a bunch of great new & recent releases

The Funky side:

New Soulive is live and killer
The Bad Plus
Happy Apple
Roy Hargrove's RH Factor (Whoops coming Mid-May but smokin)
John Scofield Up All Night (brand new with the Uberjam band)
Various Artists: Red Hot & Riot (a tribute to Fela Kuti with an All-Star cast)
Los Hombres Calientes: Vol. 4 Vodou Dance

Solo piano and piano trio

New one from Eric Reed that's very Gospel oriented
Jessica Williams All Alone is pretty amazing
Bruce Barth: Live at The Village Vanguard
Jacky Terrasson: Smile
Rachel Z: Moon At The Window (all Joni Mitchell music)
Fred Hersch & Norma Winstone : Songs & Lullabies

More Straight Forward

Wayne Shorter: Alegria
Babtunde Lea: Soul Pools
The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration

Vocals and others

Lyambiko: Out of This Mood
Pat Metheny will have a new solo Cd out in mid-May that's wonderful

Anyway just a sampling worth checking out.

JT

So said Sonny Terry (or was it Brownie McGhee) in an interview.

was Norah Jones.  If you get her concert DVD shot at the House of Blues in New Orleans, you'll see that she is a very shy, very "young" woman, even though her voice and phrasing while singing are those of a sophisticated woman in her thirties.
Amazing.  But very sexy.

is that I can't fantasize about having sex with her anymore.  Well, actually, guess I can fantasize about it, as long as I don't do it - LOL

-- Modified on 4/23/2003 5:47:02 PM

I have that dvd, just how old is she anyway??

I believe 23 now.

The following is an excerpt from a standup performance by Paul F. Tompkins:

"Jazz is all about making the common man feel dumb.  That's all it is.  Its a bunch of guys all playing different songs at the same time.  Its just a racket.  Just noise.  Its like a whole genre of music is defying you to like it. Ya know?  What's the matter man? Don't you get our smart people's music?  Maybe you're too dumb dummy!  Its the notes we're not playin'.  What??"

How many albums can you burn on one music cd? What brand cd is the best for burning CD's and the longest for holding multiple cd's?

Thanks to the magic of MP3's.  I've condensed my entire 200 CD collection down to 24 disc.  I have over four thousand songs which I can easily take in my car or down to my boat.  I used a $50 MP3 walkman and just plug it into my stereo.  I can hardly notice the difference in sound quality.  I use whatever blank CD's that are on sale.

To this list, I'd like to add the soundtrack to "Stealing Beauty" although it does contain some rock music as well including a funky remix of the Jimi Hendrix classic "If 6 was 9."  Speaking of jazz-tinged don't forget Portishead.

What about Acid Jazz?  Anybody still into that?

I've got about 400 jazz discs, mostly from what I consider the "golden era" of about 1956-1961.  There's enough good music from that period that you'd be "dumb" not to experience it.  The Free Jazz period that followed got a little crazy for most people, and for some odd reason, it seems to be what most casual observers associate with jazz.  But in the process they overlook all the great work that preceded and followed it.

I'd love to post a couple hundred "must have" great discs for any collection, but I'm just too busy right now.  There are other audio sites that have these sort of lists in the discussion threads if you search a bit.  Even Amazon's list feature is a good place to start.

I did retire...but I still lurk...I don't provide comment often because I'd sound kinda shrill now since I don't hobby, but I couldn't let the jazz thread go by (some people might remember that jazz is one of my minor passions).

Everything is just fine, thanks for asking. Mrs. MLAM is expecting, and I am really psyched.

I know what you're thinking...why do you lurk? To be honest, I am not totally sure. Partially because I have too much time on my hands, no doubt...lol. Partially because reading some posts serve to remind me why I don't hobby any longer. Also, admittedly there is also a vicarious / voyeuristic thrill on some level.

Still, it remains true...no hobbying since...hmmm...early 2002? And in fact I haven't even been to a strip club (another of my 'passions') in months, since the bachelor party. I still have two lap dance chips from my favorite local club sitting on my desk...but no real urge to use them. I just find it difficult to justify the expense...I will soon have diapers to buy, and college tuition to save for. Such indulgences just somehow seem frivolous now (I also haven't purchased a new watch in over a year either). I have kinda decided to make use of these last two chips when my best friend comes to town to see the kid however...I'm sure he'll buy the booze, so, two lap dances and free drinks equals a good time at no additional expense for me (can you think of a better way to celebrate the birth of a newborn??)

So far, marriage the 2nd time around suit me real well. I am pretty happy. I fully realize that it hasn't been very long, but having taking this trip before, I now realize the importance of choosing the right partner for the journey.

Still...yeah...I do regret having never actually made the acquaintance of some of my favorite, sexy, big booty providers like Misty and Nicole...but...Mrs. MLAM keeps dropping hints that while she is outta commission for a couple month post delivery I am free to "do what I need to do". In fact, just this morning she mentioned that she understood that sometimes "sex is just sex"...

Hmmmm.....

totally agree!! A defining album from the great Miles Davis.
And John Coltrane is on it as well..

Any jazz collection is incomplete without this classic.

yOU NEVER answered the question of what you consider Jazz?
Do you like Blues, Cool, Bee boop? Fusion? It goes on and on

Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington
You will notice alot of Miles Davis listed in this thread. Miles is like the Picasso of Jazz. He constantly was metamphorizing into different styles. Listen to Kind of Blue, and then buy Bitches Brew, which is the first definitive Fusion album.

Check out Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie.

9 out of 10 people will tell you that Parker was the greatest Jazz Sax player that ever lived. The other 1 out of 10 will tell you it was John Cotrane. My favorite things and Love Surpreme are wonderful albums..

You might like Grover Washington (live at the Bijou), Ronnie Laws (pressure sensitive album), Bob James,Spiro Gyra, Jeff Lorber Fusion Band, Pat Methany, the list goes on....

It's so refreshing having your comments on this board and I for one, love to read them. I'm a fan of modern jazz such as Grover, Bob James, Jeff Lorber, etc.

Cheers!

I am flattered by your endorsement. I think you have gotten alot of excellent recommendations here but don't assume that you would like everything I like. Musical taste is very personal.. Are you familiar with all that is being recommended here? Do your tastes run the more traditional, transitional, fusion? Who do you really like? It appears that everyone universally agrees that Miles and Coltrane need to be in your collection, but after that it is all over the place...

1950s
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Thelonious Monk: Brilliant comers
Charlie Parker: anything.
Dave Brubeck :Time Out

1960s

John Coltrane: A love Supreme
John Coltrane: My favorite THings
Chic Corea:  Inner Space
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
Charlie Mingus: The Black Saint


1970s

Grover Washington:  Winelight and Mr. Magic
Herbie Hancock:     Headhunters
Weather Report:      Weather Report
Pat Metheny:         American Garage


1980s

Spyrogyra  Carnival
David Sanborn  Voyeaur
Wynton Marsalis: Wynton Marsalis

-- Modified on 4/25/2003 7:38:18 AM

Looking at my collection, I see a few must-haves:

1) Columbia's 9 volume "The Quintessential Billie Holliday"

2) "Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane" Riverside OJCCD-039-2

3) "Monk's Music" Riverside OJCCD-084-2

4) "The Thelonius Monk Quartet featuring John Coltrane*Live at the Five Spot" Blue Note CDP 0777 7 99786 2 5

5) "Mingus Ah Um" Columbia/Legacy CK 65512

6) "Miles Davis/ Kind of Blue" Columbia/Legacy CK 64935

7) "Miles David/ Porgy and Bess" Columbia/Legacy CK 65141

8) "Duke Ellington/ The Far East Suite - Special Mix" Bluebird 66551-2

9) "Count Basie/ The Complete Decca Recordings" Decca GRD-3-611

10) "Coltrane live at Birdland" Impulse IMPD-198

There are so many more, but this is a solid core of ten.

Jazz is intense... unlike many classical pieces and most pop music, it is pretty rare to hear a jazz piece and just say "oh, I like it". You really need to learn to listen to jazz, especially Monk, who you might even hate at first.

You really experience jazz when you have that first epiphany, like when you are listening to Mingus or Monk and suddenly your brain switches from "noise" to "my God", and you suddenly discern the complexity of the music, and the raw emotion coded into it.

Of these, Basie and Holliday are "easy" to listen to; there intensity in many cases comes from the social commentary hidden in the lyrics, like in Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit".

Ellington, a stunning genius in multiple genres, really bridges the gap between more big band sounds (like some of his great collaborations with Mahalia Jackson) to more experimental fusions like the here-mentioned Far East Suite.

Mingus, Coltrane, and especially Monk are difficult to listen to at first, but you just persevere and the feeling will come.

The Monk recordings by Riverside are especially interesting. Monk, who was extremely erratic and almost impossible to work with, did these recordings in a friend's mother's house because he couldn't get studio time, and it is just Monk indulging in his music for himself... I think Monk's wife had the recordings published after his death.

In any case, these are ten recordings that any serious music collection needs. Enjoy!

Just don't get me started on Classical... that's my real forte.

O.

You know what is amazing?  Not one mention of Dizzie G. or Charlie Parker (Bird) in any of the threads?  

I disagree with your assessment that Coltrane is hard to listen to. I found him quite easy to listen to. It is interesting that he and Miles Davis seem to be the two that everyone mentions repeadly. More amazing when you consider that Coltrane has been dead for almost 40 years and was only 42 when he died.

For the more modern easy listening types.. what about Joe Sample, or Earl Klugh?

What about Stanley Clarke?? I love Stanley Clarke.

I absolutely love Stanley Clark and will definitely add Earl & Joe to my cd collection when touring NY next month.

I was very skeptical of listening to him when it was first suggested since he is a bass player, and how interesting could a bass player be?? Boy was I wrong.. It blew me away..

TER is quite addictive.

Good to know that everything is well.

Take care and best wishes.

GC

Anything by Art Blakey or Horace Silver.

Parker is a big oversight on my part, indeed.

Dizzy I would say is a great *performer*, but I'm not sure how important he is as a shaping force of jazz.

Our different experiences with Coltrane nicely illuminate the great power of jazz... it is intensely personal. Everyone reacts differently. Look at a typical concert (classical, rock, whatever) and see how the music brings the people in sync... they sway together, dance together, there is a cohesion in the crowd that is set by the music. Now look at a jazz concert... everyone is doing their own thing, some dance, some sway, some tap their toes or tables, but they are all expressing their pleasure individually, personally. It is quite noticeable, and very interesting. All music is powerful, but it is this lack of commonality of interpretation that makes jazz "unique", and that I think comes as close as anything to defining it as a genre.

I confess an ignorance of modern jazz (post 60s, basically) so I am not qualified to comment on Klugh et. al. or on the fusion experiments in the 70s and beyond. Someday, hopefully...

O.

"With a beatific, dusky voice that far outshines cookie-cutter jazz divas like Diana Krall or Jane Monheit, Norah Jones is the real deal. And she writes her own songs".

So just learned her boyfriend is her bassist Lee Alexander.  Anybody know how old he is?

greatly admired posting here.

Watching the war coverage in TV was simply exhausting.  I think many members are feeling the same way.  Good to catch today's NFL draft though.

Have fun.  Carpe Diem.

Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
Weather Report - Heavy Weather
Marcus Robert Trio - In Honor of Duke
Wynton Marsalis - Anything by....Including Blood on the Fields

My desert Isle jazz CDs