20 albums to begin a Journey into Jazz

[oskaraleman]

My journey into jazz began with an overnite radio program in the late 70's called The Dark Side with Ron Cuzner...obviously long gone.
Here's a happening now music resource y'all might be interested in...14hrs weekly of radio programming dedicated to jazz.

2-5pm Mon-Thurs and 10am-Noon Sat (central standard time).
Community sponsored and in your ears since 1975, https://www.wortfm.org

All Around Jazz (Mon)

Fire Worship (Tues)

Journeys Into Jazz (Wed)

Strictly Jazz Sounds (Thurs)

Entertainment (Sat)

These programs are curated and presented by passionate volunteers and if you can't hear it in real time, the music shows are available for streaming on the WORT archive for 2 weeks following broadcast. An opportunity to expand your knowledge base and hear recordings you might not otherwise be able to access...many of the records I've purchased are the result of having heard the artist on one of these shows.
The music programming from this Madison, WI radio station is really something. Name the genre, and there is likely a 2-3hr program slot presenting it somewhere on the schedule. I live within the broadcast range and am an avid listener for the past 20+ years.

 

[OldPolishGuy]

I'll third, fourth or whatever for Yusef Lateef. Have to put a mention in for Rahsaan Roland Kirk......just because. OPG.

 

[vinowino]

It is a good list, no doubt. But I said to myself "Which of my jazz albums do I play most often?"
I new straight away.
Red Garland Quintet. Reds Good Groove

 

[BLAH BLAH]

Heavy Soul...ike quebec...
The Blues and the Abstract Truth...oliver nelson...
Coltrane plays the Blues...john coltrane...

Are a few i play regularly...

 

[nedseg]

I've been hesitant to jump in here. Most of your "fringe" artists are my go to's.

Cecil Taylor? Really anything by him is great.

And one more... Pharaoh Sanders. His first 10 are all essential.

There are so many more I want to hear! My list is as long as yours.

Great list & suggestions!

I don't have much to add other than I keep going back to Karin Krog's Round About Midnight on the Bill Evans LP Live at The Festival. Bill Evans, Bobby Hutcherson, Karin Krog, Archie Schepp....outstanding track!
(There are other recordings of her doing that song, but none of them quite cross over into WoW territory like this does.)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011XBS0G/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk2

Also, there's a Chick Corea LP called Bliss that never made it to CD, as far as I can tell.
The title track is a mesmerizing piano solo that reminds me of Satie a bit, and hard to get out of your head once you've heard it.
I did get a used one off ebay, but have yet bothered/figured out the best way for me to 'rip' it to a good clean digital copy.

Both these tracks are short, and about the only real 'keepers' from the albums (well, haven't yet listened to all the Live at the Festival Tracks).
Both those tracks (I know, not albums) would be near the top of my 'desert island' top 20 list, though, easily right up there with Johnny Hartman/Coltrane Lush Life.

PS. I met Cecil Taylor several times in the early 70s, while he was a professor at the UW - he lived in the same building I did, and bumped into him on the elevators several times. About the only time I've ever met a 'star' in person 1-1, and, yup, I was totally tongue tied, and must've sounded like a gibbering fool to him....I mean, what do you SAY to a person like that??
Sadly not my cup of tea anymore, but I had almost all his LPs back then...

 

[pdm4606]

Wow!! Brings back some memories.
As a high school senior in 1961 doing home work for my last year listening to KOB with Miles over and over.
I never got bit by the teenage bop rock and roll. But I sure loved Miles and Frank and the Count and many others.
I still have most of my jazz collection. Still listen to them almost daily. I was a nerd and still am and proud of it.
It seemed that "modern progressive jazz" went with modern hi-fi systems. Of course reading Playboy with their monthly articles about cars and hi-fi helped.
I actually read the articles about hi-fi. Couldn't afford the car stuff. Also read "hi-Fi Review" mag later re named "Hi-Fi Stereo Review".

Another source of jazz were the great Jazz DJ's in Chicago at the time. My favorite was Dick Buckley(WNIB, I think) and his nightly program. I learned a lot from him. Mostly that my Jazz favorites were his Jazz favorite.

 

[pdm4606]

Also I liked "Daddio's Jazz Patio" on the NBC radio network that originated in Chi. so it was super high fidelity at the time. "Home of the Gopher's Club" he used to say. "For those who live it, those who love it and those who make a living of it". There were others but my memory is too foggy now to remember. Another station was WEDC, "Emil Dennemark Cadillac", I think. Jazz all night long but not so much in high fidelity. Lot's of 78's and such.

 

[nedseg]

Very Cool. But don't think any of those stations came close to WRTI-FM in Philly in the late 60s...24x7 commercial free 'hard/bop/multi-kulti jazz, including many live studio sessions. THey also ran long 'sets', only interrupting every 30-50 minutes to give track listings! So cool it's a wonder their hips didn't fall off (quote, unquote).
Man was I lucky to have that as my 'studying station' in HS, and also got me into R2R tape decks big time....

 

[Quadman2]

The "Duke" has only been mentioned just the once on this thread and wonder if people see him as a "hard Core" jazz type?

Picked up a couple of LP's of this piano gent, and thought his playing to be right on, and the arrangements nice and tight. Not being an affectionato of the Jazz genre as blues has been the closest that I've come to it, was wondering if some might clue me in on his works/status.

Thanks,

Q

 

[Quadman2]

That was "Duke" as in "Ellington".

Q

 

[jgannon]

That was "Duke" as in "Ellington".

Q

Lol...I think I remember a vague reference about him by Bugs Bunny. He referred to a Duke of Ellington. I also seem to remember a Count of Basie, and Earl of Hines, and a Louis of Armstrong...

There's so much material by Ellington. A good way to get an idea of what's out there would be to go over to Discogs or Ebay, and just see what's listed.

A couple of nice albums are:

The are number of incarnations of the band. There's a lot of great stuff going back to the 20's. There are some great LP and CD compilations of his early work.

Another great LP of just Duke playing with just bass and drums is:

 

[Quadman2]

Hey, Ig, ...thanks for the share. Will follow up your leads.

Will also share in turn the two records that I picked up. I like his renditions, but have only heard the one LP to date.

Q,

 

[jgannon]

Hey, Ig, ...thanks for the share. Will follow up your leads.

Will also share in turn the two records that I picked up. I like his renditions, but have only heard the one LP to date.

Q,

Cool, Quadman. Would like to see what records you are talking about.

 

[red 111]

no one mentioned CHARLES LLOYD he has a new lp 7/14/17....new charles lloyd quartet....passin thru....if you remember him doing that cut with CHICO HAMILTON....PASSIN THRU lp...Fantastic cut....hope the new version is half as good.

 

[KrisM]

Hey, Ig, ...thanks for the share. Will follow up your leads.

Will also share in turn the two records that I picked up. I like his renditions, but have only heard the one LP to date.

Q,

There are a few of us that are Duke nuts over in the jazz playlist thread. Come on over and throw up what you're spinnin'.

For small group stuff I love Piano In The Foreground.
For big band stuff I love Blues In Orbit. Among (many) others.
For screwing with people I love Plays Mary Poppins. First impressions are usually something like, "You know this music is from Mary Poppins, right?". Myself included.
And then when it's finished you realize how much it swings, and how great it is.

Also, every Christmas season the first play is his and Strayhorn's take on The Nutcracker. And always will be.

 

[Ken Boyd]

My idea and break into jazz LP's when I was young and listened to mostly rock were groups like, Weather Report, Zappa, Herbie Hancock, and Steely Dan. The latter was the easiest for those that thought our Weather Report LP's were a bit out there. And this was quite a while back when I was in my teens.

 

[olson_jr]

My journey into jazz began with an overnite radio program in the late 70's called The Dark Side with Ron Cuzner...obviously long gone.
Here's a happening now music resource y'all might be interested in...14hrs weekly of radio programming dedicated to jazz.

2-5pm Mon-Thurs and 10am-Noon Sat (central standard time).
Community sponsored and in your ears since 1975, https://www.wortfm.org

All Around Jazz (Mon)

Fire Worship (Tues)

Journeys Into Jazz (Wed)

Strictly Jazz Sounds (Thurs)

Entertainment (Sat)

These programs are curated and presented by passionate volunteers and if you can't hear it in real time, the music shows are available for streaming on the WORT archive for 2 weeks following broadcast. An opportunity to expand your knowledge base and hear recordings you might not otherwise be able to access...many of the records I've purchased are the result of having heard the artist on one of these shows.
The music programming from this Madison, WI radio station is really something. Name the genre, and there is likely a 2-3hr program slot presenting it somewhere on the schedule. I live within the broadcast range and am an avid listener for the past 20+ years.

My little Sister went to UWM and loved WORT, as did I when visiting her. Good to hear that it is still on the air.

The Dark Side with Ron Cuzner may be long gone but he was not forgotten. His podcasts are available on the web, with 300 free from iTunes, of all places. Tune in and take a trip back in time, but please forgive the occasional FM noise or edits necessary to create these podcasts.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-side-with-ron-cuzner/id482531748?mt=2

 

[olson_jr]

no one mentioned CHARLES LLOYD he has a new lp 7/14/17....new charles lloyd quartet....passin thru....if you remember him doing that cut with CHICO HAMILTON....PASSIN THRU lp...Fantastic cut....hope the new version is half as good.

Charles Lloyd / The Marvels ~ I Long to See You got a bunch of airplay on my devices since it's release, but I am somewhat of a Bill Frisell fan. Will have to check out the new Charles Lloyd release.

 

[nedseg]

MMmm. Forest Flower Sunrise, Forest Flower Sunset (Monterey Festival)...gotta dig that one out again!

 

[Quadman2]

There are a few of us that are Duke nuts over in the jazz playlist thread. Come on over and throw up what you're spinnin'.

For small group stuff I love Piano In The Foreground.
For big band stuff I love Blues In Orbit. Among (many) others.
For screwing with people I love Plays Mary Poppins. First impressions are usually something like, "You know this music is from Mary Poppins, right?". Myself included.
And then when it's finished you realize how much it swings, and how great it is.

Also, every Christmas season the first play is his and Strayhorn's take on The Nutcracker. And always will be.

Hey, thanks for the invite! Will share my starter stuff in the near future.

Never quite got into the Jazz scene, just the blues. Got some buds who swear by this jazz genre however.

To date, I tend to enjoy the Bruback type of sound, as in "Take 4" as it's been my only LP of this genre. Guess I'm the listener who tends to look for the theme/melody and how they weave around this idea of arrangement. On the other hand, if the musicians take off on a new unrelated strand of a riff, it throws me for a loop as I can't anticipate where the direction is going...but maybe that what jazz is all about? I know blues can be like that at times, when one of the group goes for a solo.

I'm attempting to master the blues harp at this time, but have not had the time to dedicate enough time to get sufficient progress. Again, with this type of instrument, one can't dictate wherein the next note is gonna be hit as you are backing the lead. Guess in a way, this is what jazz is all about, and contains this stumbling mental block I have in letting the music go where ever you LET it go, eh?

Sorry for this rant, just sharing my ignorance and mental ceilings that I've had had to endure. Time to mod, I guess.

Q