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What Is The Best Jazz Album Ever???

Impossible to give one answer.

Amongst the very many fabulous sounding jazz records, honourable mention must go to:

Count Basie & His Orchestra
"88 Basie Street"

- Originally on Pablo 2310-901 (1984)

- Reissued by Analogue Productions AJAZ 2310-901 (2003)
"Thanks in part to recording engineer Allen Sides plus the trusted remastering team of Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at AcousTech Mastering and not neglecting all the plating and pressing steps to achieve such an outstanding reissue of reference calibre; Acoustic Sounds' Analogue Productions should be commended highly. The better your system, the bigger the reward soundwise. A definite must have!

This 45 rpm reissue is non compressed or limited, has wide dynamic range, full-range sound, warm richly dense mids reaching deep down in the bass and up to the highest overtones. All tracks had a perfect blend in the mix of the many musicians making every melodic line easy to follow. No listener fatigue whatsoever from beginning to end. Startling, lightning fast kick-ass dynamic drum kit. Although Basie has been generally well served soundwise throughout the years, this is most probably the crème de la crème.

Top 10 All Time for piano weight and realism. Also for articulate, dynamic shading shifts in a drum kit and rhythm section in a jazz Big Band ensemble. In additionfor Big Band brassy tone, grandeur, realistic size, panoramic imaging portrayal and intimacy. Crisp and warm at the same time with sweet extended top end and spot on treble detail, level and tonal balance."

Agree whole-heartedly:
Source: http://soundevaluations.blogspot.ca/2010/08/count-basie-his-orchestra-88-basie.html
 
c.coyle said:
Now there's a good question: What record got you into jazz in the first place? I was a rocker in the broadest sense (still am) when I accidentally heard someone playing a Benny Goodman record. That clarinet blew me away! Bunny Berigan's solo on Sometimes I'm Happy blew me away! The live cut off some 1939 radio broadcast blew me away!

And the whole thing just swung like crazy! I went on a 5 year jazz buying spree.
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Easy for me it was Kind of Blue....The start to 'So What' and booom hooked!!
 
So in my original opening post may be I should have questiioned it differently not what Do You condsider the best but rather what Do You think the general consenses believe to be the best or ranked no.1 in the world>? for that I'm sure there would only be handful or less....Otherwise it turns in to a what is your Favourite? There are so many Lists of top-ten albums who would be considered the most un-biased?
 
qdrone said:
Go to Music Matters website. The 33 1/3 issue is the one to own. Rave reviews, on everything they touch from Gatefold to pressing.
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I need a second for free shipping, suggestions?

Edit: Nevermind, picked up another Art Blakey.
 
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As many have said, it is impossible to pick the greatest of anything, and if you really want metaphorical fist fights, join a discussion about violin bows ....

Kind of Blue has been a gateway for so many people. For me it was The Art Ensemble of Chicago. I was a mid/late 70's punk rocker, and when I heard them I was amazed that people could do this. They still remain a big favourite and lead me me to Monk, Coltrane, Evans etc.
 
No Money said:
As many have said, it is impossible to pick the greatest of anything, and if you really want metaphorical fist fights, join a discussion about violin bows ....

Kind of Blue has been a gateway for so many people. For me it was The Art Ensemble of Chicago. I was a mid/late 70's punk rocker, and when I heard them I was amazed that people could do this. They still remain a big favourite and lead me me to Monk, Coltrane, Evans etc.
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That's nuts, Art Ensemble is how I discovered jazz is cool, and not just the Yellowjackets and Weather Report.
 
daza152 said:
So in my original opening post may be I should have questiioned it differently not what Do You condsider the best but rather what Do You think the general consenses believe to be the best or ranked no.1 in the world>? for that I'm sure there would only be handful or less....Otherwise it turns in to a what is your Favourite? There are so many Lists of top-ten albums who would be considered the most un-biased?
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I'm guessing the consensus numero uno is Kind of Blue.
 
daza152 said:
So in my original opening post may be I should have questiioned it differently not what Do You condsider the best but rather what Do You think the general consenses believe to be the best or ranked no.1 in the world>? for that I'm sure there would only be handful or less....Otherwise it turns in to a what is your Favourite? There are so many Lists of top-ten albums who would be considered the most un-biased?
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I don't think there's a way for anybody to be unbiased when it comes to lists like this. And that's cool.

My take is that if you really enjoy jazz(same for any genre), listen to the top whatever albums, sort out what you like and don't, and then branch out.

It doesn't take much to realize that so much of the appeal of Coltrane's Blue Train was Curtis Fuller. Go down that rabbit hole and there's a ton of great solo material. Or The Jazztet. Get to The Jazztet and now you're talking about Benny Golson and Art Farmer. Yet another rabbit hole(or more). You're also going to run into Grachan Moncur, who joined after Fuller.
Or go back to Blue Train and sub in Lee Morgan in my comment about Fuller. Fuller and Morgan will both lead you to Art Blakey.
It just goes on and on.

My point is that the lists have all been done to death, and are often quite similar. Read and enjoy them, but don't forget to keep looking for the good stuff. A ton of it isn't wrapped up in a bow with a "#__ Jazz Album Of All Time" sticker on it.
 
I have to agree with Chicks and KrisM,but what's with all the accolades for "Kind of Blue"? What,no love for "Birth of the Cool"? "Move" has a cool opening too....
 
charles64 said:
I have to agree with Chicks and KrisM,but what's with all the accolades for "Kind of Blue"? What,no love for "Birth of the Cool"? "Move" has a cool opening too....
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IMO, BotC doesn't even live in the same state as KoB. Cool jazz wasn't really Miles Davis' thing... it's like listening to Coltrane trying to play like Ornette Coleman (what the heck record am I thinking of?): it sort of sounds like Ornette, but doesn't.
 
This question is like asking "How long is a ball of string?"; there is no definitive answer. My favorite varies by the day (if not by the minute) - it's a mood thing.
 
daza152 said:
Hey guys as far as I knew it was easily Kind of Blue, not sure which version is best however....I recently went to a great little record store to be told it was an album called Jazz at the Pawnshop. and is well known as one of the finest Jazz recordings of the 20th century? what are your thoughts please....
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Hard to say. It may not have been produced yet. Ever is a long long time.
 
qdrone said:
Go to Music Matters website. The 33 1/3 issue is the one to own. Rave reviews, on everything they touch from Gatefold to pressing.
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went there pretty pricey and I don't know why? but I played Somethin'Else last night on YouTube and well.....it's great!! Thanks for bringing that to my attention I had heard of it but never listened to it.
 
daza152 said:
went there pretty pricey and I don't know why? but I played Somethin'Else last night on YouTube and well.....it's great!! Thanks for bringing that to my attention I had heard of it but never listened to it.
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They're pricey because they aren't just mass market repressings. Same reason Mo-Fi and ORG are so expensive.
 
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