Essential J*** - the 20 al***s that you just have to have...

Hi John,
Here are a few of my favorite pre-1970 Blue Note recordings that I think are essential:

1. Song for My Father: Classic cut by Horace Silver, still sounds fine today and is often copied. The bass line was used by Steely Dan

2.New Perspective : Donald Byrd with voices. I love Cristo Redentor. Listen to Herbie Hancock's Piano interplay

3.One Flight Up: Dexter Gordon playing my favorite cut: Tanya. If you have seen Ken Burns Jazz series, you have heard it. Features Donald Byrd on trumpet

4.Empyrean Ilses: Herbie Hancock's compositions. He had several great releases on the label, but this one is my favorite

5.No Room for Squares: Hank Mobley, who replaced Trane in Miles' group. My favorite cut is Up a Step

This is a start. There are several (too many!) classic albums from several lables including Atlantic, Impulse, Columbia, Riverside, Verve, etc. I hope this helps and I will post more in the next few days.

Anthony

Charles Mingus- Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Art Blakey- A night in Tunisia
and the oft-derided 'cool school' ( Chet Baker, Stan Getz et al)
Oh, and LOTS of Thelonious Monk.

Thanks - I've now got some things to look out for. Any others?

John

The two Blue Notes that are permanently in my "played recently" pile

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue

Mike

Hi John,

You mentioned not having any Bill Evans. I think that Waltz for Debbie and How My Heart Sings are required acquisitions. On a great system, the ambient night club sounds on Waltz for Debbie are almost spooky with the lights out. Also, the applause is very restrained and not at all obtrusive, unlike the cacaphony between tracks on more contemporary live albums (it was recorded in a more civilized era).

Norman

Some Miscellaneous Classic Blue Note Albums:

Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Wayne Shorter - Footprints, Ju Ju, Speak No Evil
Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame, Hub Tones
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin’
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Grant Green - Idle Moments
Horace Silver - Song for My Father, Blowin’ the Blues Away
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Moanin’
Cannonball Adderly - Somethin’ Else (w/ Miles Davis)
Andrew Hill (one of my favorites) - Point of Departure (w/ Eric Dolphy), Judgment, Black Fire
Joe Henderson - Page One
Dexter Gordon - Go, Ballads, Swiss Nights (on Steeplechase), Doin’ Allright, Swingin’ Affair, Our Man in Paris

You won't go wrong buying Blue Note from that era, and HMV have a load on offer at 4.99.

Particular favourites at the moment:
Cannonball Adderley: Mercy Mercy Mercy; Somethin' Else
Mingus: Blues and Roots; Live at Antibes
Coltrane: A Love supreme (esp the deluxe with some of it played live)
Davis: Birth of the Cool
Jimmy Smith: The Sermon
Lee Morgan: Sidewinder; Lee-way
Rollins: Complete Prestige recordings (7 CDs - if you enjoyed Saxophone Colossus then there's plenty more in similar vein in this set)
Oliver Nelson: Blues and the absolute truth; More blues and the absolute truth
Ben Webster meets Oscar Peterson

Much of my Jazz-buying has been prompted by Sideshowbob's Introduction to Jazz posting on Zerogain - well worth a read.

Happy listening.

S.

and it's not just blue note!

Oscar Peterson - we get requests
Miles Davis - Bag's Groove ( with Milt Jackson)
Stan Getz - Jazz Samba
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah-Um
Duke Elington Back to Back and Side to side
Shelly Manne and his Men - Live at the BlackHawk

I second Ben Webster meets Oscar Peterson and also Oscar Peterson Trio – We Get Requests ("You Look Good to Me" is an all-time favourite - great double bass).

Then I would add:

Ben Webster meets Gerry Mulligan
Ben Webster – Soulville
Peterson & Count Basie – ‘Satch & Josh’
Vols I through VI of Peterson’s “Especially for my friends” collection – especially Vol III “The Way I Really Play” (which, reputedly, Peterson regards as his best).

Definitely “Blues in Orbit” by Duke Ellington’s All Stars.

Then there's the likes of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli - and you can listen to them playing together if you can track down some Quintet de Hot Club de Paris.

Grappelli + Yehudi Menuhin together is interesting - 'Fascinatin' Rhythm' is the best known.

Then, for a bit of difference, I would recommend some Jacques Loussier Trio. They do jazz versions of Bach (mainly) and some Debussy.

Dan

Hi, you could probably do with buying 20 Ellington albums (yes I am that predictable) for starters look at Live at Newport, Far East Suite, New Orleans Suite, 'And his mother called him Bill', Such Sweet Thunder... Also what about Thelonious Monk, start with Genius of modern music Vol 1 & 2. Benny Carter is an over looked gem try New Definitions and Further Definitions.

Koln Concert - Keith Jarrett

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[QUOTE]Originally posted by woodface:
Hi, you could probably do with buying 20 Ellington albums (yes I am that predictable) for starters look at Live at Newport, Far East Suite, New Orleans Suite, 'And his mother called him Bill', Such Sweet Thunder...
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