# Jazz fans: I desperately need recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2005, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197 "2005-03-06T09:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/1 "2005-03-06T09:13:02Z")
I need some new stuff, new artists in particular. By new I mean new to me, not new to the jazz scene. And please, not that disconnected jazz that sounds like everyone’s playing a different piece; I want jazz with some rhythm, some flow. Mellow or snappy, doesn’t matter to me. I like Chet Baker, Miles, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, T.S. Monk, and I just bought NuJazz Italia, which I like a lot, too. Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/2 "2005-03-06T09:22:51Z")
Try Dave Brubeck or Oscar Petersen. Or my favorite unheard-of record, the eponymous album from [The Vince Guaraldi Trio](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000000Y8M/qid=1110101886/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/104-9476329-7379108). (He’s the guy who did the Peanuts soundtrack, but he recorded this album way before that. It’s terrific.) ---
**Author:** ![Aagramn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Aagramn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aagramn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/3 "2005-03-06T14:07:57Z")
You could try The Cinematic Orchestra. You can listen to some of their tracks here: > **[The Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe](https://www.cinematicorchestra.com/)** > > 'To Believe' the new album from The Cinematic Orchestra, released 15 March 2019 via Ninja Tune. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/4 "2005-03-06T14:22:10Z")
The album _Time Out_ by Dave Brubeck is one of those all-time jazz classics. A compilation would work too, but just make sure it has “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” Brubeck’s piano and Paul Desmond’s smooth alto sax work great together. I’m a sax player, so I’ve always been fondest of the jazz saxophone greats. You already mentioned Parker (greatest of all time), but I also love Stan Getz, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins, the aforementioned Paul Desmond. All of those guys are “smooth/cool” players, rather than honky and harsh. I would definitely not recommend Ornette Coleman, who plays the “free jazz” you specifically dislike. John Coltrane is one of the best ever, although he had some honky moments himself. The album _Giant Steps_ would be your best bet, or if you don’t have it already, Miles Davis’ _Kind of Blue_. If you like big band swing, Duke Ellington and Count Basie were some of the best around. For vocals, I love the faster, more upbeat stuff from Ella Fitzgerald. Jimmy Smith was a beast on the Hammond B3 organ, blending soul with jazz, if you’re into that sort of thing, and going back to Paris in the 1920s and '30s, guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli played “hot jazz” in the clubs and bistros that you will love. I recommend you go to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) and listen to samples from all of those legendary masters! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/5 "2005-03-06T14:23:43Z")
I like [Either/Orchestra](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4791FDB47A57020CE873B5DDEB17AF501CA4EFB803E2D595B92B63E45911E7AE84AF095CEAEFC6AB679AFFA62AD500FD7C0EF5FECAD1B&uid=CAW010503060902&sql=11:68q5g40ttv2z~T0) (they’ve been around 20 years, so I guess they’re not "new to the scene 😉 ). My favorite album of theirs is _Afro-Cubism_. Another great, great album is [_In This House On This Morning_](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4791FDB47A57020CE873B5DDEB17AF501CA4EFB803E2D595B92B63E45911E7AE84AF095CEAEFC6AB679AFFA62AD500ED4C0EA57ECAD1B&sql=10:4s881va8zzba) by Wynton Marsalis. I realize he’s kind of a self-righteous prick – but this is a truly astonishing piece that I never get tired of. (Hm, come to think of it, I should go revise my Desert Island Album list… that really should be on it.) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/6 "2005-03-06T14:28:19Z")
**Aagramn** – _excellent_ username! /OT ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/7 "2005-03-06T15:16:02Z")
Try Dexter Gordon, Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Wes Montgomery (just avoid the muzaky albums of '60s pop songs like _California Dreaming_ and _A Day in the Life_; check out his recordings on Riverside), Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, and the aforementioned Sonny Rollins. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/8 "2005-03-06T15:19:27Z")
Check out some Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis’ **Birth of The Cool** , and Clifford Brown. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/9 "2005-03-06T17:30:38Z")
Dexter Gordon - Go Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus; Blue Note Greatest Hits Cannonball Adderly - Somthin’ Else Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue Ben Webster - King of the Tenors Teddy Edwards - Sunset Eyes Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster Lee Morgan - Tomcat; The Sidewinder Any of these are top tier jazz CD’s that would enhance any jazz lover’s shelf. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Aagramn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Aagramn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aagramn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/10 "2005-03-06T18:35:05Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > **Aagramn** – _excellent_ username! /OT OT Thank you. Can’t claim I invented it though, I nicked it from somewhere (no idea where now). /OT ---
**Author:** ![PearlyPacific](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@PearlyPacific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PearlyPacific)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/11 "2005-03-06T19:20:12Z")
My dh is a big jazz fan and plays jazz guitar every now and then…flipping through his cd’s I see Roy Hargrove, Charles Mingus, Jimmy Bruno, Bill Evans, Joe Henderson, Ron Eshcete, and alot of the others mentioned above as well. Oscar Peterson gets played alot around here. We saw Roy Hargrove a few years ago (when we could actually go out without rounding up a babysitter a month in advance) and he was wonderful. That might be a good place to start. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/12 "2005-03-06T21:50:53Z")
Some good recommendations here. I like early jazz. I’m not a huge fan of later jazz - even Miles Davis and Coltrane are too much for me. So you might not be crazy about some of this stuff, but here it is anyway. Duke Ellington is one of my favorites. Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, and James P. Johnson are great early jazz pianists who play “stride” (left hand gives it a ragtime sound). As far as ragtime goes, Scott Joplin is another awesome pianist. You know, the guy who wrote “The Entertainer.” 🙂 You have to be careful buying Joplin CDs though because it’s usually not an original recording (which bothers _me_, but might not be a big thing for you) Some good female vocalists: Ethel Waters & Ella Fitzgerald have more of a “showtunes” feel to them, but with amazing voices and some really catchy tunes. Nina Simone and Billie Holiday had nice deep voices. I love Bessie Smith, but she definitely has more of a bluesy feel. If you’re into the swing thing, you should definitely check out Benny Goodman (clarinet). Oh, and here’s another vote for Django Reinhardt and Count Basie. And of course my favorite: Louis Armstrong. Hope this is coherent. I had a long night last night. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/13 "2005-03-06T23:22:34Z")
[Sheila Jordan](http://s94519757.onlinehome.us/sheila2/Home.html) is a jazz vocalist I particularly like. My favourite album of hers is **The Crossing**. ---
**Author:** ![bookbuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bookbuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookbuster)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/14 "2005-03-07T00:47:23Z")
someone already said it, but i want to second Duke Ellington as being the best at jazz with strong rhythm. I highly reccomend the Ken Burns Jazz Collection Duke Ellingtion CD for the best scholarly compilation on one CD at a good price. not on the list are Stan Getz in his Bossa Nova years with his classic version of Girl from Impanea and you should totally watch Ken Burns documentary Jazz, it is at most libraries, it is a wonderful ride, and by the end you will have a long list of musicians to check out (it is something like 10 DVD’s long, but each movie is a thrill) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/15 "2005-03-07T03:35:12Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > The album _Time Out_ by Dave Brubeck is one of those all-time jazz classics. A compilation would work too, but just make sure it has “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” Brubeck’s piano and Paul Desmond’s smooth alto sax work great together. I’ve always maintained that Brubeck’s _Carnegie Hall_ was not only their best album, but arguably one of the best live albums ever. They were at the peak of their artistry and hit it completely out of the park. Morello’s performance on the _Castilian Drums_ cut was simply the most phenomenal exhibition of jazz drumming ever recorded, and he accomplished it on a _five-piece trap_. I can’t think of a bad cut on this album, and yes, it includes _Rondo_ and _Take Five_, along with _Unsquare_ and a knockout version of _Pennies From Heaven_. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/16 "2005-03-07T04:10:31Z")
That’s neat that you mentioned Sheila Jordan, Savannah. Have you heard the duet album she made with Harvie Schwarz? Pretty cool. I will check out The Crossing. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/17 "2005-03-07T04:21:21Z")
I was thinking about Savannah’s post and it occured to me that jazz vocals is a great way to get jazz that’s not too out. Joe Williams and Mark Murphy are my two fave guys. Abbey Lincoln is my fave lady, but I love Carmen McRae (Carmen Plays Monk is a desert island disc for me) Anita O’Day, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald of course, Betty Carter can be an acquired taste. The Velvet Fog, Mel Torme. The Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley album is a can’t miss. Andy Bey. Jimmy Scott is a kick of raw emotion. Mr. Five by Five, Jimmy Rushing, and Big Joe Turner. June Christy. Rosemary Clooney is way fine. Her Sings Duke Ellington is righreous. I’ll stop now. I didn’t mention Tony Bennett on purpose. I’m probably the only jazz fan who doesn’t care for him. I think he is a bit of an oaf. But hey, the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans album is a winner, despite of Tony. I’d mention Frank, but I also am not a huge big band fan, and Frank almost always has a big band behind him. ---
**Author:** ![Berserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Berserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berserker)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/18 "2005-03-07T04:54:11Z")
Medeski Martin and Wood. You’re guranteed to love this group. Any of their albums are great, but I’d say Friday Afternoon in the Universe is their best. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/19 "2005-03-07T05:01:43Z")
Mingus. Charles Mingus is one of the genre’s geniuses, and it always seems to me like he gets ignored in these. Listen to _The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady_ - it’s probably my most-played album ever. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197/20 "2005-03-07T05:12:47Z")
Thanks for all the great recommendations! I have Miles’ Kind of Blue, and Sarah Vaughan and Coltraine, and of course, Ella. I did see pieces of the Ken Burns Jazz documentary, but that was ages ago and I should see it in its entirety. I wonder if I can get it at Netlix? **Aamgramn** , I _really_ liked Cinematic Orchestra! **Big Bad Voodoo Lou,** I _do_ like the soul/jazz thing, and will avoid Coleman like the plague, thank you. I’ve been having a hard time finding a web site where I can listen to all the suggestions, though; I didn’t have any luck at [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). I just signed up for [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com) but then couldn’t get logged on. ☹ I really wanted to listen to Reinhardt and Grappelli (the violin is my favorite instrument of all time). And **Jackelope** , I’ll definitely check out The Vince Guaraldi Trio; I have that Peanuts theme piece set as my ringer on my phone. 😉 Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions - I’ll check them all out. Keep 'em coming! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-fans-i-desperately-need-recommendations/293197.md?page=2)