A list of recommended Jazz recordings

Posted by: Ebor on 19 August 2013

I have been having Jazz piano lessons for just over a year with an excellent teacher who is a pro jazz pianist/arranger on the London scene. He gives new pupils a 'listening list' to act as homework between lessons which I've found really useful. I've discovered some real gems using it and, given how many times the Music Room seems to have postings from people asking for Jazz recommendations, I thought it may prove useful.

 

The list was titled 'Essential Jazz Recordings: a wide range of styles and genres, including recordings which had particular historical impact on the development of Jazz'. My teacher was at pains to point out that it was not necessarily his favourite recordings, but those which would be useful from a teaching point of view. Nevertheless, I still think it's worth sharing:

 

1926-28 Louis Armstrong: The complete hot fives and hot sevens

1929-49 Coleman Hawkins: Picasso (Collection)

1932-44 Art Tatum: The Art of Tatum – 25 greatest solo performances

1933-44 Billie Holiday: Lady Day’s 25 greatest

1934-40 Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli: The Amazing…

1944-48 Charlie Parker: The complete Savoy & Dial recordings

1947 Dizzy Gillespie: Diz ‘n’ Bird at Carnegie Hall

1949-51 Bud Powell:The Amazing Bud Powell vol 1

1950 Miles Davis:The Birth of the Cool

1952-57 Gerry Mulligan: The best of the GM Quartet with Chet Baker

1954-55 Clifford Brown & Max Roache: Verve Jazz Masters series, no 44

1956 Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport 1956 (complete)

1956 Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus

1956 Thelonius Monk: Brilliant Corners

1957-58 Jimmy Smith: The Sermon!

1958 Cannonball Adderley: Somethin’ Else

1958 Miles Davis: Porgy & Bess

1959 Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um

1959 Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

1959 John Coltrane: Giant Steps

1961 Oliver Nelson: The Blues and the Abstract Truth

1961 Bill Evans: Sunday at the Village Vanguard & Waltz for Debby

1962 Quincy Jones: Soul Bossa Nova

1962-65 Herbie Hancock: Canteloupe Island

1964 John Coltrane: A Love Supreme

1964 Stan Getz: Getz/Gilberto

1964 Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil

1964 Frank Sinatra/Count Basie: Sinatra Live at the Sands

1973 Herbie Hancock: Headhunters

1973 Chick Corea & Return to Forever: Light as a Feather

1975 Keith Jarrett: The Koln Concert

1976 Weather Report: Heavy Weather

1987 Wynton Marsalis: Marsalis Standard Time vol 1

1989 Keith Jarrett Trio: Tribute

1990 John Scofield: Time on my Hands

1992 Pat Metheny: Secret Story

1993 Cassandra Wilson: Blue Light till Dawn

1996 Diana Krall: All for You – tribute to the Nat King Cole trio

1997 Courtney Pine: Underground

1998 Herbie Hancock: Gershwin’s World

2002 Joe Zawinul: Faces & Places

Posted on: 24 August 2013 by GregU

A nice list.

 

 

Anyone could say "but what about......."      But I feel compelled to suggest adding The Shape of Jazz to come.

Posted on: 25 August 2013 by Ebor

Absolutely - it was meant to get people (musicians) started on a useful and stimulating collection, not finished! Interestingly, when I asked my teacher about Ornette Coleman in a different context, he freely admitted that he'd never really got on with his music, which might explain why it's not on the list above.

 

From my further listening, I'd probably argue for Art Blakey's Moanin' to be added, and probably Bitches Brew as well. What would I take off the above list to make space for them? I suspect I couldn't say without starting a big argument...