Jazz

This too is accessible jazz,blues ballads by Jazz singer Carmen Gomes,SoundLiaison.

Hiromi is a wonderful and wildly energetic jazz pianist.  She has quite a few different takes of jazz fusion, including jazz funk.  Last night I listened to her album Voice (2011) followed by the Stanley Clarke Trio's Jazz in the Garden (2009), where Hiromi plays a strong role, and Clarke returns to the standing bass.

I thought both were solid albums -- very joyful music. I plan to collect everything I can find with Hiromi's name on it.

Hook

My very favourite jazz album is Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm section. It's very cool and very accessible, and highly recommended by yours truly.

Top choice - what a sound! Nearly all his recordings are good. I particularly like the later albums where he makes more extensive use of fractured notes. I even listen to the Winter Moon album - I normally run a mile from jazz players with string sections!

Vlad

If you dig Art Pepper, then treat yourself to copy of this 4-CD set.  Great sound quality and one of the most soulful live jazz gigs ever.  This was also released a couple of years ago as a 7-album vinyl box set under the appropriately named Pure Pleasure label.

Hook

Thanks - I hadn't seen this before. I have the two part issue on vinyl on original release somewhere and the first (blue) one on CD.

Vlad

I've often thought about buying this set but never got round to it. That has now been remedied, though it will make my original CD version of the album redundant. Thanks for the tip.

My other favourite Art albums are the 4 CDs recorded at the Village Vanguard from the 70s. All are really excellent. Start at Thursday, and work through the nights. 

I would like to second (or third or fourth) Kevin W.'s list. It's an excellent place to start.

I would also like to suggest some Charlie Parker, particularly his Dial and Savoy recordings, and Sonny Rollins, particularly Volumes One and Two, Saxophone Colossus and Tenor Madness.

E.S.T is by far my favourite piano jazz trio.

Brian Broomberg Wood 1 and Wood 2 for amazing base and piano.

If you want funk you must hear George Duke "the black messiah"

All the best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW9gbLpLliU

Good choices.If it had not been for Esbjorns tragic death I'd said living Jazz.I sometimes find that we forget that jazz is still very much alive and being played and recorded by great ''living'' musicians.Check out Poul Berner Band feut. Michael Moore on sax  on Sound Liaison.

Sound Liaison is a small Amsterdam based company,with a small but excellent collection.It's studio masters waw files only.you can listen to the tracks on their website before downloading.

www.soundliaison.com

Listed below are a few of the resources I used to learn at my own pace.

I started by listening to the CTI Record label in the 70's.  It had Milt jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine, Deodato and many others.   You can find a CTI sampler and you may enjoy it, but some of it sounds dated today.  Somebody told me to pick up a copy of Coltrane's Giant Steps and explore that period instead of contemporary jazz.    There is a lot of Jazz history to explore, and I did it one purchased record at a time.  Now we have Spotify and it has been a huge resource to Jazz lovers recently since it came to the US.

I started listening to Jazz Radio wherever I could find it.  I discovered WRVR New York, which had the best jazz programming on the planet.  Dizzy Gillespie had an occasional radio show there, they had a Sunday afternoon Salsa show and the best jazz DJ in the industry, the legendary Ed Beach. Later I discovered Gary Shivers on Jazz at WUNC in Chapel Hill, where I discovered such talents as Clare Fischer, Gary Foster, Tal Farlow, Richie Cole and Carol Sloane.  It would be great to find the play lists of these shows.   I sought out KJAZ in the Bay Area as well.

Later, I discovered Mosaic Records, which made a business of completist collections of all the Blue Note catalog.   I have a few sets, but got tired of the warped and noisy vinyl from there.

Of all these experiences, the best way to discover Jazz is to go see it live if you can. During my travels over the years, I have seen Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Mel Torme, Carol Sloane, Richie Cole, Phil Woods, Terence Blanchard, and many others.

Sorry for the rambling post.   If you are looking for a one word answer:  Spotify.

Hi Fred

"Prime mover" is probably the wrong phrase. But he is definitely the key presence. Without him, KOB wouldn't have had that weightless, contemplative quality that it has.

The only post-war pianists I can think of who has had as much influence as BE are Monk, and that is perhaps more as a composer and general presence than as a pianist; and maybe, Jamal and Tyner. But listen to contemporary jazz, and Evans seems to be everywhere - from Jarrett, Hancock and Corea on through to today.

I think you're spot on about Miles as a bandleader, the list of Davis alumni is something to behold. But I wonder whether Duke is not the greatest bandleader of them all. Think of those he led: Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Blanton, Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams, Paul Gonsalves, Ivie Anderson, Al Hibbler, Barney Bigard, Ray Nance, Harry Carney, Sonny Greer, Sam Woodyard... not names that widely known outside of jazz, but all significant musicians nonetheless (and of course many of them stayed with Duke for very long periods and pretty much all of them did their best work with him, which is a testament to his abilities as a leader).

Of all jazz musicians Miles has had more influence outside of the music than anyone else; but because they were there at the beginning, Armstrong and Ellington (the former especially) are more influential within it. And great as many of Miles' compositions and albums are, his work is not at the very centre of 20th century musical culture as Ellington's are.

That said, when it came to choosing sidemen and underlings, Miles was unmatched in the acuity of his his judgement.

Seconded, Mike. However, as a singer, Carol Kidd knocks Diana Krall for six IMO ! The OP should grab this if he's into laid-back soft jazz. CK has such a lovely voice - and is a fine Scottish lass to boot.......

I love this album - and I'm not really a Jazz fan at all !!

hmmm, dianna krall jazz?!? 

on vocal laid back jazz this is it.

And  supremely  well recorded.

www.soundliaison.com

Absolutely ... why not? Except maybe for her current album, Glad Rag Doll, which explores other genres and is not jazz by intention.

"That said, when it came to choosing sidemen and underlings, Miles was unmatched in the acuity of his his judgement."

At the top - for sure.  But I think the guy who brought these cats along might be at least an even match for him:

Piano

Wynton Kelly, Joanne Brackeen, Donald Brown, Walter Davis, Jr., Sam Dockery, Kenny Drew, Benny Green, John Hicks, Keith Jarrett, Geoffrey Keezer, Mulgrew Miller, Johnny O'Neal, Horace Silver, Bobby Timmons, Cedar Walton, James Williams

 Reeds

Dale Barlow, Gary Bartz, Kenny Garrett, Lou Donaldson, John Gilmore, Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, Billy Harper, Donald Harrison, Javon Jackson, Carter Jefferson, Branford Marsalis, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Bill Pierce, David Schnitter, Wayne Shorter, Ira Sullivan, Jean Toussaint, Bobby Watson

 Trumpet

Terence Blanchard, Clifford Brown, Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham, Bill Hardman, Philip Harper, Freddie Hubbard, Brian Lynch, Chuck Mangione, Wynton Marsalis, Lee Morgan, Wallace Roney, Woody Shaw, Valery Ponomarev, Charles Tolliver

 Trombone

Steve Davis, Robin Eubanks, Curtis Fuller, Frank Lacy, Tim Williams

 Bass

Mickey Bass, Spanky DeBrest, Charles Fambrough, Dennis Irwin, Jymie Merritt, Curly Russell, Clarence Seay, Victor Sproles, Doug Watkins, Wilbur Ware, Reggie Workman, Riccardo Del Fra, Stanley Clarke

 Guitar

Bobby Broom, Kevin Eubanks

DrMark, of course you're referring to the great Art Blakey, and he is definitely one of the greatest bandleaders of all time. And probably close to an even match with Miles for spawning not just great musicians but pioneers in their own right, which is the benchmark I've been using.

All the players mentioned in your post are good, many are great and a high percentage of those are among the greatest ever. And a fair number of them are truly innovative pioneers who have left their mark on the music ... some are even giants.

most mainstream acts use jazz chords, structures, and/or bits of improvisation, but that doesn't necessarily make them jazz (at least to my ears).

Not that I have heard much of her music (except the odd TV appearance) but, calling it popular melancholy with touches of good old dinner jazz would seem more appropriate. (Pop for short)

Jazz allows you to aquire a collection in nice small iterative steps.  It is almost unique in that regard I'd say.  

I'd definitely not buy a big bumper box set of fragments as a way in, rather settle on a recording you really enjoy and work out from there. G

Lots of jazz records demand to be listened to in one sitting, almost like a movie soundtrack.  One of my earliest jazz titles was Quincy Jones "Walking in Space".  Very soundtrack-like with a 70's feel.  Also try "Streetlife" by the Crusaders.  

One artist I have begun to discover on Spotify is the late Don Ellis, the late master of odd meter jazz.  Check out his Live at Fillmore or Live in 3 2/3 /4 Time.  Pussy Wiggle Stomp and Freedom Jazz Dance in 7!   While on the subject, check out Multiple Personalities by Milcho Leviev, playing the music of Don Ellis. This is not necessarily for every day, but it is a testament to how broad, interesting, and listenable  the genre is.  I just noticed that Milcho was the leader and pianist when Art Pepper recorded Live at Ronnie Scott's. There is a lot more music out there beyond Miles Davis and the hard bop Blue Notes.  

Art Blakey has SUCH a large catalog.  A list of a few renowned recordings would be really appreciated.

One of my favourite Art Blakey albums.