Jazz for a Beginner

[jcamero]

Looking for suggestions. I only have 1 LP as of now, and that's Vince Guaraldi Trio's Greatest Hits. Any era, I like the sound of a woman's voice too.

 

[sqlsavior]

Dave Brubeck started it for me. Time Out is a classic. I also like Time Further Out. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue is another classic that almost everyone enjoys. I happen to treasure Gato Barbieri - Caliente, Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good, and an all-instrumental Atlantic collection The Best of Ray Charles. ...Etta James...

 

[elcoholic]

Start here and figure out what you like before you start buying. http://www.kkjz.org/programming/listen/ and/or try some Kenny Burrell for guitar, Count Basie for Big Band, Sonny Stitt for Sax, Theloneous Monk for piano, and Miles Davis for trumpet. For female vocals don't start with Ella Fitzgerald or all the other ladies won't sound nearly as good

 

[gusgranite]

If you like female vocal then Helen Merrill does it for me.

 

[oron17c]

I am also starting to enjoy jazz music. I am coming from a classic/hard rock background. I started by getting Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" and John Coltrane "Blue Train". A little while later I picked up a great record for 50 cents from goodwill featuring John Coltrane and Kenny Burrell. On the first track I instantly fell in love with the sound of Burrell's guitar. Right now I am listening to Dave Brubeck Quartet "Time Out", which is new to me, and love it. I am looking forward to checking out "Time Further Out".

I also find myself listening to my local jazz/classical station while in the car more often recently.

 

[cgutz]

Dave Brubeck started it for me. Time Out is a classic. I also like Time Further Out. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue is another classic that almost everyone enjoys. .. Chuck Mangione ....Ray Charles..

Almost my experience exactly. Got into jazz two years ago when given my first tube amp. They just seemed to go together.

If you have Pandora, or something similar, set up a "Dave Brubeck" or "Miles Davis" channel and start taking notes!

 

[vasyasvl]

If you like female vocal, be sure to check Laika's tribute to Billie Holiday. It's very nice – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CJF6qRep1U

Check Karin Krog "We could be flying" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lZoaMTJZXE

And then listen to Steve Kuhn's LP - http://www.discogs.com/Steve-Kuhn-Steve-Kuhn/release/583904

And here's my one of my favourite jazz LP Dizzy Gillispie's "Portrait of Jenny" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsYafl7o98M

 

[reggaenaut]

Check this site and discover what you like.

www.accujazz.com

 

[noogies]

I made this suggestion on a similar thread: get ahold of the soundtrack from Ken Burns's "Jazz" documentary on PBS. It takes you on an historical, chronologically-ordered trip through jazz history from the 19th century to the end of the 20th. Few of the greats are neglected. You should be able to figure out what you like and branch off from there.

'Course, you could get the DVD too, and learn some fascinating stuff about jazz history in the bargain.

 

[dumptruck]

I agree with checking out radio/documentary until you zero in on an era/genre/artist/etc. that really grabs you, explore that, expand from there. It's not exactly a narrow genre. I mean, you could be asking "so, I hear people like this thing called rock and roll music.. what should I listen to? Elvis?"

If I had been introduced to jazz with Brubeck, I might never have listened to any of it.

 

[Karmices]

Agreeing with the Brubeck. Great intro to jazz and his albums pop up in barter town often at good prices. Oscar Peterson and Stan Getz are a couple others that will test the waters of your jazz taste and their albums pop in barter town fairly often.

 

[BillyBatts]

Welcome to the AWESOME world of Jazz! Very cool that you have a new-found appreciation for it.

Jazz is vast. Lots of different types. YOU and ONLY YOU can determine what you like. None of us can do it for you. We can make suggestions, but the best way is to listen and find what you really like.

I always recommend going to an online streaming service like Xbox and putting in JAZZ in the search box. Listen for a minute to as many artists as you can. It's free, so you can spend an evening or a weekend listening to hundreds of cuts for free, and then you can decide what you like.

Google "Torch Jazz" or "Female Jazz Singers" to get some. Again, I'm not going to give you my likes. They are mine. Find your own and enjoy doing so!

Take a look at my thread "THIS DAY IN JAZZ" that is updated daily giving you what happened on THIS DAY in the Jazz world. Lots of good artists there.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=562353&highlight=this+day+in+jazz
Great way to learn about Jazz as well.


Also go to the great thread "Today's JAZZ Playlist". Awesome thread to find out what other Jazz lovers are playing.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=58686&highlight=this+day+in+jazz

Welcome and ENJOY!

Billy

 

[shacky]

Since you like Vince check out A Charlie Brown Christmas. I'm a huge Pat Metheny Group fan. Good start there is Still Life Talking, First Circle (except for first 2 tracks), and Letter From Home :yes:

 

[Christian B]

Try Getz and Gilberto - great sax and one of my favorite female vocalists.

 

[hank520]

I started with Brubeck's Time Out and Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Have quite of few of both performers' albums now. There are some jazz top 100 lists on the internet that give you a good list to start with. I think that jazz100 list is pretty good and gives you some of the best from different eras and musicians. I have picked up a bunch of these albums (CDs) at the thrift shops over the years.

 

[Condorsat]

Yusef Lateef

One of my many favorites ...

Yusef Lateef
Eastern Sounds: Rudy Van Gelder Remasters

 

[Condorsat]

The Bird with Strings

Charlie Parker with Strings

Charlie Parker - alto saxophone; Mitch Miller - oboe