For the past year I've been listening exclusively to jazz, and I thought it'd be a great idea to start a thread with everyone's favorite recordings and performances so that we can share listening material. Any standards from the Great American Songbook and beyond, on any instrument and era and movement.

Here are several of my own recommendations to start off, with a few comments. I like reading about others' listening histories and experiences and why they are drawn to particular songs and how songs develop meaning, such commentary would be great to include with your recommendations.

Bill Evans - My Foolish Heart

This was the performance that created my first impression of Bill. Beautiful and serene all throughout. It's such an old recording but it captured the magic of his tone. Bill is also one of the most watchable artists, visually. Being able to see him play is great because he's not at all flamboyant and given to gestures, but at the same time you see how involved he is in his music-making. Maybe the heroin influence too. The lack of theatrics is the best kind of theatrics.​

Bill Evans - Soirèe

One of those songs with very distinct character that I just found ten or so minutes earlier.​

Daniel Volovets - Soirèe

Talented guitarist and arranger playing the same piece. Sounds amazing.​

Bill Evans - But Beautiful - Iowa

Kind of funny harmonies that grew on me.​

Bill Evans Trio - Up With the Lark - The Tokyo Concert

I mostly like it because of this very specific section midway through the performance, he and the bassist were wonderful.​

Bill Evans and Tony Bennett - But Beautiful

This is one of my favorite collaborations. Very rich sounds from Bill and Tony Bennett has one of the most iconic voices ever.​

Bill Evans Trio - But Beautiful - Denmark

Yet another very different version of this tune.​

Oscar Peterson - How Long Has This Been Going On

My favorite Gershwin performance by Oscar. I don't know how to improvise myself, so what I did after listening to this was find a transcription of it and learn what he played. ​

Oscar Peterson - Little Girl Blue

Another moving piece.​

Eldar Djangirov - Someday

A lot of virtuosity, but one of the most moving themes ever. I've listened to over one hundred times and still listen to it regularly. It literally feels like you're on a tropical island beach shore and the ocean is crystalline clear. I've never been to one before, and it's just crazy that a piece can conjure up a vision like that so specifically. It embodies this ideal paradise and an intense sabbatical there in musical form.​

John Coltrane - Naima - Europe, 1961

My favorite Coltrane recording and one of the best jazz ballades ever. ​

John Coltrane - After the Rain

Mellow but interesting things going on there.​

Keith Jarrett - Honeysuckle Rose

Pure entertainment, awesome stride playing from a pianist few really think of as a virtuoso.​

 

This thread needs more replies.

I know very little Jazz, and I hope to rectify that as I enjoy listening to it. Outside of the obvious (Miles Davis), the only one I can think of really is Jamie Cullum. Twentysomething is a great listen, though I'm not entirely sold on his songwriting.

Cheers for the recs, Andro, will check 'em out as best I can.

 

Miles Davis "It Never Entered My Mind"

Jim Cox "Aunt Hagar's Blues"

Ella Fitzgerald "I Remember You"

Julie London "Am I Blue"

Louis Armstrong "London Town"

Nat King Cole "Route 66," "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"

 

Chuck Mangione: All of it. His music does a lot of good calming me down and it's just good, peaceful Jazz. (Bellavia, Children of Sanchez, Hill Where the Lord Hides, Chase the Clouds away, The Land of Make Believe, Feels So Good)

"Sing, Sing, Sing" - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra: Some GOOD hard driving Big Band Jazz.

The Cowboy BeBop Soundtrack: The Seat Belts. Jazz (and other musical styles) of all sorts to fit a lot of moods. Very well done.

 

Didn't think others' memories went back that far. I highly recommend the 'Evening of Magic- Live at the Hollywood Bowl' recording- a double-album of performances collected over a frenzied night in 1978. There's amazing energy between the players, the 70-piece orchestra and the audience that takes already excellent complex jazz pieces and just... yeah.

 

How did I never see this thread? Here's a few of my suggestions. I'll add more later.

I'm more oriented towards Jazz pianists, fyi, so my suggestions will probably lean that way.


Vince Guaraldi Trio - Anything by them is highly recommended. Vince Guaraldi is probably better off known for his contributions to the music he composed for the Cartoon Show Charlie Brown, but his passion always laid with Jazz. He was always my, I guess, 'idol' to be when playing piano. His music has a definable and tangible signature to it that I've never found in any other musicians. It's both catchy, clever, and innovative. I highly highly recommend. I should note that his protege is George Winston, who produced the unreal music in the child's cartoon The Velveteen Rabbit. Winston is not jazz but worth checking out if you have the time.

Peter Cincotti - This guy is somewhat new, and is a nice combination of piano and voice. Piano is definitely his strong point and he puts some unique spins on some songs you wouldn't expect. I believe he has two cd's out and they are excellent.

Art Tatum - One of the greatest jazz pianists ever, but largely unknown I feel. He was essentially blind but was a child prodigy and had perfect pitch. I highly doubt many people have heard innovation like this guy gives. A lot of his recorded work is not high quality but these past two years have seen the emergence of some very authentic digital remastering.


And I agree - this thread needs to be much larger.

 

Art Tatum is legend. Tiger Rag, Sweet Lorraine, Tea for Two, a lot of good music from him.

More Bill Evans:

Alice in Wonderland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSXRvgFea-0

How Deep is the Ocean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJLe3o8IrNA

At the very, very least, listen to the last minutes if you feel that the recordings aren't holding your interest.

 

So What - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4TbrgIdm0E

The entire 'Kind of Blue' album is something I listen to frequently. I played a fair bit of jazz (trumpet) when I was younger, and fully appreciate the magic this man makes.

 

Two live jazz recordings that I recorded a few years back. Some very awesome stuff.

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Some more work from Eldar Djangirov.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dONPwoY2C-I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBhrP-fkYL8

 

I found this little gem from Bill Evans, a piece called "Quit light (little secrets)". It has this humbly magical, restful atmosphere that I like very much:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFK3FX_9ZYA

 

I am so glad I found this thread.

I grew up idolizing Maynard Ferguson. Even though I'm a percussionist and not a trumpet player just hearing him go "into the stratosphere" gives me chills every time. That and when you get 5 guys, (him plus 4 backups) all circular breathing notes above octave C all the way up to "super C", your jaw hits the floor.

Best Example Ever.

If your face doesn't melt at 2:25, something is seriously wrong with you.


As a kid learning jazz was almost a right of passage. Drumming is so different on that end of the spectrum. I remember having to learn "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck and it changed everything I knew about drumming, forcing me to play 5/4 and opening my eyes to the world of poly-rhythms.

Take Five


And it's already been mentioned on this thread. But ANYONE who wants to learn about jazz or just hasn't heard it yet, needs to check out Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. The whole album. 'Nuff said.

 

I liked the Spanish flavor and bits of Malaguena by Lecuona. It has this feeling of madness, something it has in common with Eldar Djangirov's electronic music. Very cool.

 

This is an amazing song by one of the few living legends we have left, Tony Bennett, singing with Alejandro Sanz: Yesterday I Heard the Rain

 

Am I Blue.

By the GODDAMN BATMAN.

 

Currently, my favourites are:

Lee Morgan's Filet of Soul and Sunrise, Sunset

Art Barkley and The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'

Johnny Griffin - Nice and Easy

Grant Green - No. 1 Green Street

Medeski, Martin and Wood's Uninvisible and End of the World Party

Tavitjan Brothers - New York

EDIT: I forgot my newest favourite,

Galt MacDermot - Coffee Cold

 

I used to hear this a lot, since the jazz band would practice it while I was in the vicinity doing marching band stuff.

There is a lot of good music to be heard, jazz and otherwise, among the vast catalog of Cowboy Bebop music.

Hell yeah. I spent most of the Christmas season listening to the instrumental stuff off the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, while I read fanfic, browsed the net, and so on.

His stuff is probably most children's first (and, in many cases, only) exposure to jazz.

Sadly, I don't buy much music, compared to most, so I only really have...

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1997 Remaster)
and
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (Deluxe Edition)

Which basically make up your standard, entry-level to a jazz collection.

And I have the three part "jam master" Grant Green set (and the aforementioned Guaraldi Peanuts stuff).

I was considering Miles Davis's Bitches Brew...

 

Blue Serge by the Bill Evans Trio is a great one. I love the part at 3:00 between Bill and the bassist, Eddie Gomez, and how Bill reenters at 3:38.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxDXMvudEoU