Can you recommend some really good jazz?

Question

I don't know squat about jazz, but I like Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday... the classics. What are some of your favorites?

Answer 1

You had to ask. Here you are:
CD - (Miles Davis) Kind Of Blue, (The Crusaders) Chain Reaction, (Charlie Parker) Yardbird Suite
GUITAR - Larry Carlton, Django Reinhart, Lee Ritenour, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, T Bone Walker, Stanley Jordan, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Joe Pass, Steve Laury, Charlie Christian, Allan Holdsworth, Al Dimeola, Kenny Burrell, Ross Freeman (The Rippingtons), Larry Coryell, Lenny Breau, Barnie Kessel
SAXOPHONE - Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Paul Desmond, Wayne Henderson (The Crusaders), Ronnie Laws, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Phil Woods, Joshua Redman, Eddie Harris, Branford Marsalis, Benny Carter, Bill Evans (not the pianist with the same name), Wayne Shorter, Steve Marcus (Larry Coryell Band), Ernie Watts, Kenny Garrett, Joe Farrell
PIANO / KEYBOARDS - Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Teddy Wilson, Jan Hammer, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Kirkland, Joe Sample (The Crusaders), Bob James, George Duke, Red Garland, Jimmy Smith (organ)
ELECTRIC BASS - Jaco Pastorious, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Victor Bailey, John Pattitucci, Abe Laboriel, Foley, Steve Swallow, Jeff Berlin, Marcus Miller, Gerald Veasley
ACOUSTIC BASS - Charlie Mingus, Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland, Jimmy Garrison
DRUMS - Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, Jack De Johnette, Peter Erskine, Steve Gadd, Elvin Jones, Lenny White
FLUTE - Hubert Laws, Dave Valentin, Joe Farrell
TRUMPET - Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Louie Armstrong, Randy Brecker, Roy Hargrove, Clark Terry
VIBES - Gary Burton, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Dave Samuels (Spyro Gyra)
VIOLIN - Jean Luc Ponty, Stephane Grappelli, Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Joe Venuti
FEMALE VOCALS - Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Ross, Cassandra Wilson, Flora Purim (Brazilian jazz), Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall
MALE VOCALS - Joe Williams, Louie Armstrong, Jon Hendricks
MISC - (Clarinet) Benny Goodman / (Harmonica) Toots Thieleman / (Trombone) JJ Johnson, Benny Green / (Flugelhorn) Chuck Mangione, (Mandolin) David Grisman / (Vocal Group) Lambert Hendricks & Ross
CLASSIC JAZZ SONGS - Duke Ellington - Take The A Train & In A Sentimental Mood, Billie Holliday - God Bless The Child, Dave Brubeck - Take Five, Chick Corea - Spain, Ella Fitzgerald - A Tisket A Tasket, John Coltrane - My Favorite Things & Naima, Benny Goodman - Sing Sing Sing, George Benson - Breezin, Count Basie - One O Clock Jump, Charlie Mingus - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Stan Getz - Girl From Ipanema, Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man, Art Blakey - Moanin, Django Reinhart - Nuages, Weather Report - Birdland, Cannonball Adderley - Work Song, Mercy Mercy, Miles Davis - So What, Pat Metheny - Last Train Home, Les Paul - How High The Moon, Dizzy Gillespie - Night In Tunisia, Charlie Parker - Scrapple From The Apple, Thelonious Monk - Round Midnight, T Bone Walker - Stormy Monday Blues, Manhattan Transfer - Birdland, Wes Montgomery - West Coast Blues

Answer 2

Other classic jazz artists I like: Chick Webb, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jack Teagarden, Lester Young, Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Art Tatum.

Slightly more modern than that, try Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Thelonious Monk, all of whom are more or less in the style called bebop.

Beyond bebop, jazz goes in various directions. One of the greats is Miles Davis. Miles refused to stand still and played many different styles over the years. His Kind of Blue is one of the greatest jazz albums ever, and introduced the cool sound of modal jazz. With Miles on that album was John Coltrane, who later recorded some great stuff with Thelonious Monk, and went on to lead his own groups. Blue Train and Giant Steps are a couple of his classic albums. A Love Supreme is a bit more challenging, but in my opinion, the most sublime jazz music I've ever heard. His version of My Favorite Things (two or more versions available on various CDs) will show you what the soprano sax can do when played by a master.

There's lot's more, some of which gets very strange. One contemporary band that draws inspiration from classic swing is the Millennial Territory Orchestra.

One of my favorites in the very strange category is Sun Ra. Much of his stuff is his own bizarre flavor of free jazz and definitely an acquired taste. I recommend Space is the Place as one of his more accessible free jazz efforts, and Holiday for Soul Dance for his postmodern interpretations of some old standards.

If you haven't already, you should sign up at http://www.allmusic.com/ . There you can listen to snippets of music and find artists linked by genre and influence.

Some of the online jazz stations I like are KPLU.org, sky.fm Modern jazz, bebopnation.com, and 1dot4fm classic jazz.

Enjoy!

Answer 3

Try these:

Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
John Coltrane- Blue Train
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers- Moanin

All three are classics and all have deep feeling and virtuosic playing. Plus they will introduce you to the playing of such masters as Bill Evans, Lee Morgan, Cannonball Adderley, Benny Golson and Bobby Timmons and encourage you to look into their individual catalogues.

Answer 4

You might want to get into some Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and the Cab Calloway Orchestra, Charile "Bird" Parker, Count Basie, Stanley Turrentine, and some Miles Davis.

Answer 5

I'm a big fan of Big Band Jazz, I would suggest trying out Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. It's a band of professional players out of L.A. Many of whom play for movies and musicals and such. Either XXL or Swinging for the Fences are good CD's I prefer XXL but they are both fantastic.

Answer 6

Oscar Peterson

Answer 7

If you want some new/different/funky jazz you should check out Michael Bellar/the As-Is Ensemble. They are great, quirky, and so very talented.

Answer 8

Bill Evans Trio - Live at the village vanguard

Answer 9

miles davis-kind of blue album
john coltrane-giant steps album
the dave Brubeck quartet-time out are my favorites

o yeah kenny g isnt real jazz, any jazz musician willl tell u that

Answer 10

Del Paxton, Stevie Ray Vaughn is a blues artist, but he's awesome, BB King, those are all that I can think of.