Which artist for a jazz beginner? |
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Shrdlu
Forum Newbie Joined: 31 Jul 2014 Location: Azerbazian Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Posted: 10 Nov 2018 at 3:46pm |
I also recommend the Blue Note label. You Japanese have the best masterings of those, and, unlike the situation in most other countries, CDs still sell well in Japan. For the last year or two, nearly all of my CD purchases have been Japanese. This is because the American remasterers made a pig's ear of many of the CD reissues.
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Shrdlu
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That last suggestion is a good one. Let us also bear in mind that the thread title says "artist" and not "album".
Start out with the top innovators and improvisers, and keep the list reasonably short to begin with. Some definites are Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. If you play any instruments, you will search out the main guys on those. For example, if you play the trombone, you are going to want to hear J.J. Johnson, Jack Teagarden, Curtis Fuller and a few others. With time, you will get to know which labels and sessions are important. I think that Charlie Parker was the greatest and most exciting improviser on any instrument, and he created the new style that he played. There are many live recordings of him, taken from radio broadcasts from 1947 through about 1952, and he is really fiery on those. Studio recording back then was limited to the 3 1/2 minutes of a 78, but the broadcasts give Bird time for several choruses, instead of the one or two on a 78. The sound quality is quite reasonable on most of those, and even when it isn't, you can still hear Bird well, because he had such a penetrating sound. |
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FromArmstrongtoZappa
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One thought for a beginner is to go back to the roots: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Bessie Smith, etc.
Mark
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www.FromArmstrongtoZappa.blogspot.com
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DamoXt7942
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darkshade
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Besides the many great albums already mentioned in this thread, Coltrane's "Giant Steps" is another good "beginner" jazz album.
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js
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You have your whole life ahead of you.
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DamoXt7942
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Thanks all, I'll check as follows;
"Kind of Blue" - Miles Davis "Time Out" - Dave Brubeck Albert Ayler, Eric Dorphy, Sun Ra, Herbie, Weather Report, Mingus, Coltrane ... Oh, a bit busy. |
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Cannonball With Hat
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Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Hancock - EI or MV Brubeck's Time Out is an excellent suggestion too. |
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Hit it on Five.
Saxophone Scatterbrain Blitzberg Stab them in the ears. |
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Abraxas
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The classics from 1959 I think are all good ways to know if you'd like different types of jazz: Mingus Ah Um by Charlie Mingus, Time Out by Brubeck, Kind of Blue by Davis.
Some hard bop is also good to know, probably the most instantly grabbing jazz if you're looking for action. Blue Train by Coltrane or Moanin' by Art Blakey.
And some minimalistic groups (trios, duos, solo) are also a good way to listen to jazz from another angle. Ahamad Jamal's trio, Undercurrent with Bill Evans and Jim Hall. |
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Stooge
Forum Senior Member Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Location: Toronto, Canada Status: Offline Points: 176 |
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I'd usually throw Weather Report out there as a way to get somebody into jazz. While for the most part considered fusion and rather accessible, their earlier work can be a bit more experimental. They mainly got me into jazz because I was learning bass, and wanted to broaden my horizons. I could only ignore Jaco for so long I guess.
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dreadpirateroberts
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Maybe Herbie Hancock too?
My fav is empyrean isles - but Head Hunters is a great jazz/funk pioneering album I also came across KOB and Time Out early on. |
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We are men of action. Lies do not become us.
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js
Forum Admin Group Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 35160 |
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If you are interested in the AG jazz, some of my early favorites are:
Sun Ra "Angels and Demons at Play" "Sun Ra "Atlantis" Sun Ra "Live at Montreaux" Each of those albums is entirely different from each other.
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js
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I think some of the first jazz that really got me was one of those high speed Dizzzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker type jams. Probably any album that features those two together will be good, as long as the recording quality is good.
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snobb
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knowing your taste, I would suggest some early avant-garde jazz :)
Edited by snobb - 23 Jun 2013 at 5:08am |
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js
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Whoops, I meant "Time Out" by Brubeck, I'll fix my post.
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DamoXt7942
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Thanks John.
And your suggestion btw? |
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js
Forum Admin Group Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 35160 |
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One album that a lot of people have pointed out as their first jazz album is "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis. Another one I hear a lot is Dave Brubeck's "Time Out".
These albums aren't necessarily my favorites, but I have heard people mention them many times as one of their first jazz albums to really enjoy.
Edited by js - 23 Jun 2013 at 5:02am |
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DamoXt7942
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As you all know, I'm familiar with avantgarde jazz genre but not with others.
Miles has been suggested as a jazz beginner, and any other recommendations for me?
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