I'm just starting to get into jazz, but its a little overwhelming and I'm wondering where a good place to start is. I really like Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald at the moment. I would like album names because I'd like a lot of music, but the best songs would be good too. These albums that I am suggesting are easy to like. Yes, Charlie Parker and Dizzy were great, but not for beginners. These albums are perfect for all listeners, and they are all jazz classics.
For Peggy Lee, try the album called Peggy Lee Sings the Blues. A very good album.
Miles Davis Kind of Blue album. It's a great album for a beginner, and it's great even if you've heard a whole lot of jazz. Get it.
Thelonious Monk is another great and important master of jazz. I suggest that you start out with the Monk's Dream album.Monk swings the hardest of any jazz musician, in my little opinion.
Roland Kirk's album , The Inflated Tear really turned me onto jazz. I still enjoy it and respect it.
Grant Green's Matador album is a great album, centered around the guitar playing, although McCoy Tyner is at his best (piano player from Coltrane's band). It's another great album that's easy to like.
Wayne Shorter's album Speak No Evil is a great album that you really have to hear. I can't even talk about it. The whole band is amazing.
Herbie Hancock's album, Maiden Voyage is another great and easy to like album. Freddie Hubbard is at his best through the whole album (on trumpet, fluglehorn). It's a concept album, and it really does flow like the sea, as Herbie intended it to.
Horace Silver plays piano with soul. The songs are great and so is the band. Everything works on this album called Song For My father. It's another easy to like album too.
Please trust these suggestions. These are classic albums. They are accessible to any listener. These albums are the best place to start with. I know what I'm talking about.
PS-You can check out accurate reviews of these albums at http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql... Since you like female vocalists, you might be smart to hear as many of them as you can, rather than spread yourself too thin by amassing a lot of different material based on other people's suggestions, which are all going to be subjective.
Julie London was wonderful, if you like Ella and Peggy you'll love her.
Anita O'day and Carmen MacCrae have influenced a lot of people. I find Billie Holiday overrated.
Some of Ella's best work, in my opinion, were her Pablo albums with Joe Pass.
Good luck! spyro gyra's greatist hits
brecker brothers - 34th and lex
brandx - product
lee ritenours greatist hits
al di meola
michael hedges
I'm recommending mostly guitar oriented type progressive jazz fusion. Brandx is excellent, first band that phil collins ever sang a lead track in. Phil just rips the drums in that group. Michael Hedges is so smooth its unbelievable, too bad he died.
enjoy :) Try Astrud Gilberto with Stan Getz ("Girl from Ipanema")
Also the Dave Brubeck Quartet on 'Take Five' - no vocals
The Koln Concert by Keith Jarrett, superb improvisational piano -- see the reviews on Amazon Jazz is a conversation between the musicians and by extension between the musicians and the listeners. I find it is best to start with Jazz that has a tone you already like and then delve into the whole family of music later on.
Because it is a conversation it evokes strong emotion and might best be approached with what do you want to feel right now?
A classic album is Miles Davis " Blue" it is cool and hip at the same time while adding a slow nighttime feel to your emotions.
June Christy serves up a reflective and somewhat blue sound in Something Cool. It is a classic nightclub album with songs you can enjoy and dive into either by yourself or with someone you easily share your emotions with.
If you are into Swing then check out almost anything from Count Basie and his orchestra. He will take you from here to there and back before you know what is going on.
Billie Holiday defines the Jazz Singer and may be the best Jazz Singer ever. check out Lady Sings The Blues and 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Billie Holiday which gives a wonderful overview of some of her best songs.
Don't forget John Coltrane. He played with all he had painting the notes with raw emotion that can transport you to another world. Check out Giant Steps as a place to start.
If you new to Jazz you might buy the best of for your first 10 albums. This approach can serve up a good selection of the conversation that is going on. And don't forget the new musicians that are out there now, they are very good. John Coltrane-Blue Train
Miles Davis-Kind of Blue
Dave Brubeck-Time Out
Diana Krall-Love Scenes
Billie Holiday-Any album All the above comments are worthwhile - but I personally recommend "Pressure Sensitive" by Ronnie Laws as the one jazz album everyone is sure to enjoy.
As for other album titles - try Yahoo! Launcast's "Classic Jazz" station - or fan radio, beginning with your favorites.
Also, Mosaic Records recently released a comprehensive 6CD set by Django Rinehardt, who is the finest guitarist ever recorded - jazz or otherwise. Yes, it's a bit pricey - but there are no substitutes. Enjoy it for life! Miles Davis: Kind of Blue. Many people will tell you that if you only buy one jazz album in your entire life that it should be this one. I would have to agree.
Ella Fitzgerald is a great singer, and almost anything she has recorded would be a worthwhile addition to your collection.
Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite" is a classic example of bebop from the master.
From fusion I would pick up Weather Report's album "Heavy Weather". It's got their landmark song "Birdland", and the whole album features one of the greatest electric bass performances ever from the grand master of the fretless bass, Jaco Pastorius (okay I'm a little biased, seeing as I' m a bass player). Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" would also work nicely here, as would Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters".
The fifth album should either be Brubeck's "Time Out", or Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool".
And I know I recommended three Miles Davis albums, but trust me, each one is a different style of jazz, and he was THAT influential to THAT many different styles of jazz. i prefer big bands...and some of the best are Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band...and the Glenn Miller Big Band...some small band ensemble albums,Count Basie's tracks are pretty good,and i can't think of the artist at this second, but the album is called "Are you hep to the jive?"these are all extremely good.i love that you are trying to get into the jazz scene,its one of the best around.especially if you are a musician of any instrument. | 