# Recommend a beginner some jazz



## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I've been listening to some jazz lately on Spotify, and I'm beginning to like it. The albums I've liked include:

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
Clifford Brown & Max Roach: does this album have a name? Seems like it's just labelled after the performers.

I like all of these, although I probably like "Kind of Blue" the best. So, where should I go next?


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

My picks

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
Sun Ra - Sleeping Beauty
Pharoah Sanders - Karma
Then just get all the Miles Davis albums. I'd go for Sketches of Spain next.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Xaltotun said:


> I've been listening to some jazz lately on Spotify, and I'm beginning to like it. The albums I've liked include:
> 
> Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
> Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
> ...


Here's my list:

John Coltrane: _Giant Steps_ (Atlantic)
Thelonious Monk: _Monk's Music_ (Riverside)
Sonny Rollins: _The Bridge_ (RCA)
_Charlie Parker with Strings/Charlie Parker/Charlie Parker Jam Session _ (all on Verve)
Pat Metheney: _Bright Size Life_ (ECM)
_Jaco Pastorius_ (CBS/Epic)
Clifford Brown: _Study In Brown, More Study In Brown_ (EmArcy)
Tal Farlow: _Chromatic Palette_ 
Kenny Burrell: _A Night at the Vanguard_ (Chess)
Pat Martino: _Exit, Consciousness, Joyous Lake_


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

If you like Kind of Blue, please do check out some Bill Evans. Bill Evans is the pianist on Kind of Blue and guided much of the album in terms of his playing and ideas. 

Pick up either Everybody Digs Bill Evans, Portrait In Jazz, or Waltz for Debby.

Other recommendations

John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser or Brilliant Corners
Miles Davis - Live-Evil/In a Silent Way for more fusion stuff. There are a billion more Miles albums to recommend which give you a good grasp of prevailing styles through the times and star side-men to sample to further your search. Try Miles Smiles/Nefertiti, Sketches of Spain, Birth of the Cool, Workin'/Relaxin', Porgy and Bess/Milestones/Miles Ahead for a real good taste. (Sorry! I just love Miles too much)
Charles Mingus - Mingus, Ah Um or Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Sun Ra - Jazz In Silhouette
Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus and Max Roach - Money Jungle

Some other stuff
Jazz Orchestra: Check out Duke Ellington's "Ellington At Newport (1956)"
Gospel Inspired: Bobby Timmon's This Here is Bobby Timmons and Little Barefoot Soul
Jazz Guitar: 
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of...
Joe Pass - Virtuoso 
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue

Also, The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Oh yeah, can't forget Eric Dolphy and his "Out to Lunch!"

Once you're through with all of that, 

Perhaps you could check out some jazz from this decade as well

Ben Allison - Little Things Run the World
Bill Frisell - History, Mystery
The Stanley Clarke Band - Self-titled
Satoko Fujii - Kitsune-bi
Hiromi - Time Control (Modern fusion), Voice (Piano Trio), or Place To Be (Solo Piano)
Susie Ibarra - Folklorio
Esbjorn Svensson Trio - Seven Days of Falling (This group is a favorite of member Samurai)

Older musicians have also released great albums this last decade such as 
Ornette Coleman - Sound Grammar
Andrew Hill - Time Lines
Sonny Rollins - Without a Song
Keith Jarrett Trio – Inside Out

Could also check out Paul Motian, Dave Holland, John Abercrombie, John Zorn and his billion side projects, and those types

If you want something more "difficult" older stuff, you could try

Art Ensemble of Chicago 
Wadada Leo Smith
Pharoah Sanders
Mid-to-late Sun Ra
Albert Ayler
Anthony Braxton

I would personally like to add in some albums written by Carla Bley

Gary Burton - A Genuine Tong Funeral 
Charlie Haden - Liberation Music Orchestra
Carla Bley - Social Studies or Big Band Goes to Church or The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu

What Jazz isn't complete without Bossa Nova?
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto
Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

If you like saxophone, I would highly recommend some Cannonball Adderley Quintet stuff, such as the _*San Francisco Workshop *_and _*Live in New York gigs*_. Also, if you like Trane, I'd strongly urge on you *Crescent, *as well as _*Coltrane's Sound*_ and _*The John Coltrane Quartet*_ {album name}. I believe that a good part of these works are available on *Spotify.* As an added bonus, for these Coltrane sessions, he was teamed with one of the greatest jazz pianists to ever grace the keyboards, namely McCoy Tyner. They--along with drummer Elvin Jones--made up one of the greatest jazz units ever.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

@ CNote, Some really nice choices you have there! 
:tiphat:


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I agree with samurai. Tyner was one of the most interesting pianists in Jazz history and Elvin just happens to be my favorite drummers. Coltrane is my favorite saxophonist as well. 

I would further recommend the following Coltrane albums

Blue Train, My Favorite Things, Olé Coltrane , African/Brass, Crescent, Coltrane (1962, which may be the "The John Coltrane Quartet" album samurai is speaking of. Either that or he's referring to "The John Coltrane Quartet Plays")

I also check Ascension. That might be a little out there though.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Furthermore, if you like the Miles Nefertiti/Miles Smiles era, as well as the Elvin Jones/John Coltrane stuff, make sure to check out Wayne Shorter's albums with Elvin on the drums: Night Dreamer, JuJu, and Speak No Evil. 

If you like the guitar stuff, Elvin had quite a few albums with Grant Green, who is another fantastic guitar player. 

Sidemen in jazz are really the best way to explore. When you listen to a disc, make sure to pay attention to who is playing on the session. This will lead you on a life long journey that never ends! Discographies are so extensive and amount of talented players so expansive that it is impossible to hear everything worth hearing.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

I don't know if this work has been mentioned already, but I'd really like our fellow member to listen to Afro-Blue, also by John Coltrane, and available on *Spotify. *


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Just go out and buy every Coltrane box set! 

There is also the disc "Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane" that is highly worthy of listening.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Also, the Monk and Trane gig at Carnegie Hall.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings and Discovery by Thelonious should round out that Coltrane/Monk collection nicely.

Also, don't forget to listen to "Monk's Music" as recommended by millionrainbows.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Perhaps this is getting a tad too overwhelming...


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Some great choices so far. I would add any of Ornette Coleman's Atlantic albums - especially Change of the Century and This Is Our Music from 1959/60. The style is pretty sparse (no piano) and the rhythms are what I would call 'rubbery'. I also recommend Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus, a hard bop classic from 1956, and East Broadway Run Down, a 1966 album in a more modern style but still accessible (no piano here, either), which was his last before taking a long break. I could go on, but I'm interested in seeing more suggestions from other people.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Check out George Russell, here with Eric Dolphy as the featured soloist, on alto sax. This solo has such profound emotion: sort of humorous, yet tragic and desperate. It really gives you that "big city" feel.






The George Russell on Riverside are the ones to get: _Ezz-thetics, The Stratus Seekers, etc._

Here's another one, also from _Ezz-thetics,_ also featuring a profoundly moving Dolphy solo, this time on_ bass clarinet._


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

These types of threads always result in an overload of information. But if you really like Kind Of Blue, Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else w/ Miles is recommended. Also Adderley/ Bill Evans-Know What I Mean. And you can chip away at the Miles catalog for the rest of your days. The 60s Quintet albums being at the top of my list. Starting with 1965's ESP.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

I'll second the recs of Sonny Rollins- Saxophone Colossus and Art Blakey Moanin'.
Rollins' Way Out West is also great, just a trio (no piano), and kind of funny at times.
Miles Smiles is my favorite Miles.

Other favorites of mine:
Lee Morgan- Sidewinder
Duke Ellington- Far East Suite
Lester Young/Teddy Wilson- Pres and Teddy


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Thanks, everyone!! Yes, it's an overwhelming mass of music, but I'm not complaining; I'd rather get an overwhelming response than no response at all. I've now listened to a couple of these suggestions (many more still to try!); out of those, Miles Davis' "Scetches of Spain" seems really pleasant.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Good to hear some of that music from George Russell's Ezz-thestics. Dolphy's playing is phenomenal. This brought to mind another favorite. Mal Waldron's The Quest.










The Oliver Nelson albums with Dolphy are gems as well. Including:

Stolen Moments
Straight Ahead
Screamin' The Blues


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

starthrower said:


> Good to hear some of that music from George Russell's Ezz-thestics. Dolphy's playing is phenomenal. This brought to mind another favorite. Mal Waldron's The Quest.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Indeed, that is a classic jazz album. My favorite tune is Waldron's "Duquility." The oliver Nelsons are good; Dolphy is also on Ken McIntyre, and Chico Hamilton albums.

"Jazz Abstractions" also, by John Lewis:

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----------------------->








Despite that cover design, this is a fantastic album. It features Jim Hall on guitar, and a Dolphy solo track,_ The Stranger._


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

Giving Mal Waldron a listen now, I like it. I'll have to go through this thread.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Max Roach's Percussion Bittersweet w/ Dolphy is another good one.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

starthrower said:


> Max Roach's Percussion Bittersweet w/ Dolphy is another good one.


I was unaware of that! Thanks, I'm a Dolphy completist.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

For those of you interested in 12-tone music, here is some 12-tone _jazz._ With Atilla Zoller on guitar.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••>


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

millionrainbows said:


> Despite that cover design, this is a fantastic album. It features Jim Hall on guitar, and a Dolphy solo track,_ The Stranger._


I haven't played that one in years. I also like the album Lewis recorded with Albert Mangelsdorff on Atlantic.

Here's a few of my favorites from Oliver Nelson.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

------------------------------>








Jim Hall keeps on making these great albums.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I don't know if you have Spotify but I found a really great list called "1000 Jazz Albums you should hear before you die" and I have worked through the first 250 and have found over 200 of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. I have bot heard a loser yet but I do like jazz a lot. Here is the list:

http://groovenotes.org/2010/03/06/1000-jazz-albums-you-should-hear-before-you-die-the-first-500/#.ULrOJoPAfh5

Kevin


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Interesting and diverse list, Kevin. Some of my favorite, lesser known titles in there including Nina Simone's first album, Yusef Lateef's The Centaur And The Phoenix, Joe Henderson' Power To The People, and Abdullah Ibrahim's Water From An Ancient Well.

John Scofield's Ray Charles tribute wouldn't be my first choice. I'd go with Time On My Hands, or Grace Under Pressure.

Another one on that list that I used to listen to a lot is One More Once by Michel Camilo. A fantastic, modern Latin Big Band album. The tunes and arrangements are superb!


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Well, that isn't the whole list. There are still 500 more to go! Sadly, they break them up into really small lists after the first 500...

After going through much of the list, I'm sad to see there is no Bobby Timmons and surprised not to see someone like Krzysztof Komeda. Non-American Jazz doesn't seem too heavily represented on here. Happy to see some of my favorites on there like Hiromi and George Benson, but I definitely wouldn't have picked those recordings for them. 

Interesting list though! Glad to see Liberation Music Orchestra (Charlie Haden)


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

A few albums that I think people should check out off of that list are definitely 

Oscar Peterson + One (Clark Terry) 
Dexter Gordon's "Our Man In Paris" and "Go" (Glad to see both made the list)

I think the Wes picks are interesting... I don't think they picked his best albums whatsoever 

I actually think they did a generally mediocre job picking the recordings guitarists. Jim Hall for instance (I'm looking the 750 list, so perhaps they put other Jim Hall albums) Although I like the Joe Pass picks. 

Point of Departure isn't on this list, but I saw that it was included in the other 250. Does anybody have a link to the whole list on one page?


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I also think Earl Bostic should have been included somewhere in this list.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Your right, Cnote11. There are some great English, German, and Polish artists. Earlier this year I picked up Winobranie by Zbigniew Namyslowski, and Leosia by Tomasz Stanko. Two great albums. John Surman has done a lot of great work over the years. I love the archival release Way Back When, on Cuneiform records.

ESP Disk released an obscure Czech jazz album that I can recommend by one Karel Velebny.
http://www.espdisk.com/official/catalog/1080.html


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I'll be sure to check that out. There are a huge amount of Japanese, French, Swedish, English, Italian, German, and Polish artists that I feel deserve to be on the list. Those countries have had a pretty strong showing in the genre. They aren't alone either... 

Another guy I really like that I didn't see on the list is Ahmed Abdul-Malik. He didn't release much as a leader, but I feel that East Meets West is an album that should be included. Great music with an all-star cast that delivers. Another one I recommend to the thread starter :lol:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have a bunch of Andrew Hill releases. I really like the albums with Joe Farrell, and the Mosaic Select set which features some great recordings with Bennie Maupin, and Sam Rivers. I wish the Elvin Jones albums with Joe Farrell were still available.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

Expectations...









Charlie Haden

Dewey Redman

Paul Motian

Sam Brown

Airto Moreira

and... Keith Jarrett

It is a masterpiece full of strength, rhythm and temper.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

Certainly there is a whole lot of great jazz not on the list but what I was trying to do was give Xaltotun a good resource where a diverse selection of jazz could be looked into. I was really amazed by how many of the albums are available on Spotify. 

And Cnote11 as for a link to the complete list I don't think there is one because the list is not yet completed. It's still a work in progress. I hope they do finish it.

Kevin


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

As samurai knows, Spotify has a great wealth of recordings available. I've used it a few times to listen to albums I couldn't find anywhere or were too expensive to buy. They're never finished, it seems. I wonder when it will be complete. Either way, it is nice to have another resource to peruse whenever I want new jazz albums to listen to. Thanks for posting it, Kevin.


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## Chrythes (Oct 13, 2011)

You could also try Mingus' Let My Children Hear Music. It's scored for a big ensemble, the music, at times is very influenced by classical music, especially the track "Adagio ma Non Troppo".


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

^^^^^^^^^^^
I gave that Mingus album a spin about a month ago. Some very fine music, although it's missing some of that characteristic raucousness of the Atlantic albums Oh Yeah, or Blues and Roots.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Has a through-composed piece for orchestra, 
cond. by Gunther Schuller.

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷>


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

Xaltotun, if you liked Kind of Blue maybe this one can be a good recommendation, too.

Gerry Mulligan with Paul Desmond









or this one!

Charles Lloyd _'The Water is Wide'_


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

I love the Herbie Hancock Blue Note Albums, particularly Emyprean Isles and Speak Like A Child, both pretty accessible


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I wonder how this went for him... I wonder if he got around to it with the new baby and all.


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## dionisio (Jul 30, 2012)

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue"
Miles Davis "Birth of cool"
John Coltrane "A love supreme"
Duke Ellington at Newport 1956
anything by Duke Ellington

anything written by Cole Porter

Ella Fritzgerald singing Cole Porter

Ella Friztgerald singing anything 

These are fine introductions to Jazz, although a beginner should leave Miles Davis and John Coltrane for last.


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

I don't know much jazz, but here are is some accessible music which I am quite sure is highly regarded by those in the know:

Duke Ellington: Black, Brown and Beige; Three Black Kings; New World A-Comin'; Harlem 
Hal Willner's 1992 tribute album Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus (experts can point you to the original Mingus performancs and recordings, but I really like this album).


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## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

dionisio said:


> Miles Davis "Kind of Blue"
> Miles Davis "Birth of cool"
> John Coltrane "A love supreme"
> Duke Ellington at Newport 1956
> ...


Why leave them for last? I started with them


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## Balhor (Sep 24, 2013)

"Charles Mingus - Moanin'"
And "Dave Brubeck - Take Five" (masterpiece)


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