# Greatest Jazz music?



## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Hi there,
I am a classical musician and I am also in love in Jazz. I love Bill Evans and Gershwin.
Can you please recommend some more high quality Jazz? 
Thanks!


----------



## Chopiniana93 (Sep 6, 2015)

I love jazz too, especially the sounds of trumpet and saxophone!! 
Gerschwin is one of my favourite, but I can recommend you Enrico Rava, Massimo Urbani and Paolo Fresu (three well-known Italians), Horace Silver, Chet Baker and of course, the *immortal* Louis Armstrong!   I can post some of my favourite songs too, if you want.


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Gershwin was a classical composer, his songs are standards and he was influenced by blues and jazz but he wasn't a jazz musician at all.


----------



## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Of course he was a classical composer and not a jazziest. I have never said he was a Jazziest. But his songs with the interpretation of Ella Fitzgerald are what you would call Jazz music. It may be politically correct to say they are classical, But he is so influenced by Jazz that it can be called "Classical Jazz".
Anyway, Do you have any recommendations?


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Gustav Mahler said:


> Of course he was a classical composer and not a jazziest. I have never said he was a Jazziest. But his songs with the interpretation of Ella Fitzgerald are what you would call Jazz music. It may be politically correct to say they are classical, But he is so influenced by Jazz that it can be called "Classical Jazz".
> Anyway, Do you have any recommendations?


it's not a matter of politically correctness, jazz means first of all improvisation and his compositions were not improvised. His songs are played by many jazz musicians but jazz musicians play also the songs of Jerome Kern who viscerally hated jazz, not to mention the fact that there are also jazz renditions of classical, pop and rock pieces but that doesn't transform Bach or Kurt Cobain in jazz musicians.
Anyway I can recommend both jazz music and music without improvisation with a deep jazz influence, but it must be said that there are many topics about it in the non classical section:

http://www.talkclassical.com/25580-favourite-jazz-songs.html.
http://www.talkclassical.com/37331-your-favourite-jazz-albums.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/36517-name-your-top-favorite.html
http://www.talkclassical.com/15483-sharing-our-favorite-jazz-9.html

etc, or a thread about jazzy classical music (Gerswhin and similar stuff)
http://www.talkclassical.com/22211-jazzy-classical-music.html


----------



## Clairvoyance Enough (Jul 25, 2014)

You already listed Bill Evans, but for anyone else in this thread - if you never listen to any other Evans, at least listen to his Conversations With Myself Albums, his experiments with overdubbing. It's by far the most beautiful jazz piano I've ever heard and I think it would appeal to fans of classical music.


----------



## Machiavel (Apr 12, 2010)

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk.

If none of those appeals to you then you might forget Jazz except for Bill Evans who has a style that is the closest to classical I would say.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

See the Jazz Hole thread in the non classical music section. There's tons of stuff there.


----------



## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Machiavel said:


> If none of those appeals to you then you might forget Jazz except for Bill Evans who has a style that is the closest to classical I would say.


Not to mention Dave Brubeck--especially the Prelude and Fugue on Bop Themes for octet!


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

What got me into jazz were the old Quincy Jones Big Band albums. The good stuff ended when he started fooling around with the Brothers Johnson. But everybody who is anybody is on them, and the improvising is very well done.


----------



## Oscarf (Dec 13, 2014)

Kind of blue, milestones, miles away or sketches of spain by Miles Davis, mingus ah-hum by charles mingus, saxophone colossus by sonny rollins, something else by cannonball adderley, the melody at night with you by keith jarrett, anything by duke ellington and his marvellous orchestra, also anything by john coltrane (though a love supreme might be a tough nut to crack) just to mention some of my favourites... Hope this will help


----------



## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Interesting that I turn to this particular "jazz post" on the "classical wing" of this Forum today, because just today in the mail I received my copy (Special Limited Edition number 05352) of MoFi's 2 disc, 45 RPM LP reissue of the classic 1959 Miles Davis album _Kind of Blue_. This will be my umpteenth copy of the Davis classic (I have several issues on both LP and CD and SACD, mono and stereo, uncorrected tape speed pitch and corrected tape speed pitch), but I'm suspecting (and hoping) that this MoFi Original Master Recording will prove the best sounding version I have. (Though I do have some great sounding versions, especially a Japanese pressed SACD version.)

In other words, _Kind of Blue _is an essential to a jazz collection. If you don't yet have a copy, get one. Everything else in jazz, in my opinion, is either "before _Kind of Blue_" or "after_ Kind of Blue_." It's that good.









*Mobile Fidelity 180g 45RPM 2LP Box Set*

Features:
• Numbered, Limited Edition
• 45rpm Speed Edition
• Half-Speed Production and Mastering by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
• Specially Plated and Pressed on 180 grams of High Definition Vinyl
• Special Static Free - Dust Free Inner Sleeve
• Heavy Duty Protective Packaging
• Mastered from the Original Master Tapes

Musicians: 
Miles Davis, trumpet, band leader
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, alto sax (except on "Blue in Green")
John Coltrane, tenor sax
Paul Chambers, double bass
Bill Evans, piano (except "Freddie Freeloader")
Wynton Kelly, piano ("Freddie Freeloader")
Jimmy Cobb, drums

Selections: 
_Side 1_
1. So What
_Side 2_
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue in Green
_Side Three_
4. All Blues
_Side Four_
5. Flamenco Sketches


----------



## Funny (Nov 30, 2013)

Fletcher Henderson, Bix Beiderbecke, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton.


----------



## Guest (Oct 4, 2015)

Perhaps this thread should not be in the classical music section?....


----------



## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Mingus' _The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady_ is a great entry point for classical listeners - it's like a symphony.


----------



## Guest (Oct 6, 2015)

If you like the jazz standards of George and Ira Gershwin performed by Ella Fitzgerald, you would probably like her Songbook series of albums full of songs written by the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, and Duke Ellington. Also the concept albums of Frank Sinatra on Capitol Records recorded during the 50s are spectacular. Serious jazz lovers may not consider those to be "Jazz". Nevertheless they are amazing works.


----------



## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Thank you all.
I indeed love Sinatra too. 
I really like the "romantic" jazz. Any other good albums?


----------



## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

If you like Sinatra you might be more inclined to the Big Band and Swing than the Miles Davis and John Coltrane stuff. I'd work my way up from the late 20s and up to the 50s and 60s. 

Nelson Riddle was Frank's most frequent collaborator. Nelson had a lot of albums with just his orchestra and he also played with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra which was also fronted by Frank Sinatra in the 40s. 

Paul Whiteman is a very good guy to dip your toes into. His orchestra premiered Rhapsody in Blue with Gershwin at the piano. Ferde Grofé who later composed The Grand Canyon Suite was the arranger on that piece. 

A lot of great musicians that went on to be great orchestra leaders got their start with Paul Whiteman. Bing Crosby was a unknown before he started singing for Whiteman.

Nat King Cole is a good guy for his piano playing and his great singing voice. He worked with Nelson Riddle as well on several hits. Peggy Lee is another. Helen Forrest had some great songs with Harry James and Artie Shaw who are also some good names to look at. 

Then of course, I'd dig into as much Miles Davis as you can if it speaks to you. John Coltrane has some pieces that will make you melt. 

Jazz has seen a lot of changes and branched off into so many directions it's hard to give a definitive answer as to what to listen to.


----------



## CDs (May 2, 2016)

I think one Jazz pianist that gets overlooked a lot is Hank Jones. One that I really like by him is _Ain't Misbehavin'_

http://www.allmusic.com/album/aint-misbehavin-mw0000259411

But his most well know work was as a sideman on Cannonball Adderley's _Somethin' Else_ which also included Miles Davis as a sideman.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somethin'_Else_(Cannonball_Adderley_album)


----------



## motoboy (May 19, 2008)

Warren Vache. Small group swing on the cornet.


----------



## Hildadam Bingor (May 7, 2016)

norman bates said:


> it's not a matter of politically correctness, jazz means first of all improvisation and his compositions were not improvised.


If jazz means improvisation, then a lot of Duke Ellington wouldn't be jazz. If it sounds like jazz, it's jazz.

Best jazz is 20s Louis Armstrong.


----------



## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Here are some that I really like:
Ahmad Jamal-"Poinciana"




Clifford Brown-"Sandu"




Tadd Dameron's "Hot House" done by Barry Harris and his group.




Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger's-"Oh by the way"




Wynton Marsallis "Angel Eyes"(watch out for that solo)




Mingus-"Moanin"


----------



## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

All of you above: if you like jazz that much, why not visit the rest of us that do also more often in the Non-Classical Department, for instance The Jazz Hole!


----------



## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Casebearer said:


> All of you above: if you like jazz that much, why not visit the rest of us that do also more often in the Non-Classical Department, for instance The Jazz Hole!


I'm just rekindling some deeper interest in that art form. I'll pop in and see what you guys are up to.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Casebearer said:


> All of you above: if you like jazz that much, why not visit the rest of us that do also more often in the Non-Classical Department, for instance The Jazz Hole!


I was wondering what this thread is doing in this section


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Pugg said:


> I was wondering what this thread is doing in this section


Maybe a moderator can move it.

How about a great jazz song by a non-jazz artist? 




Of course, he borrowed a jazzy lady for this one.


----------



## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Florestan said:


> Maybe a moderator can move it.


It is done.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Gustav Mahler said:


> I really like the "romantic" jazz. Any other good albums?


Get some Ben Webster or Johnny Hodges. Ben's King Of The Tenors, and Mulligan Meets Webster.


----------

