# Jazz- recommend me something sleepy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026 "2005-06-13T01:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GCU\_Stout\_Heart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gcu_stout_heart/32/3032_2.png) [@GCU\_Stout\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GCU_Stout_Heart)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/1 "2005-06-13T01:18:22Z")
NB: I know nothing about music, so go easy on me. I was watching a TV drama recently and noticed that a lot of the incidental music was very pleasing to my ear. It was instrumental jazz, very sleepy and relaxing. Made me think of lying on a peaceful grassy riverbank in sunshine. I think it was probably quite old style, but my complete ignorance precludes any more definitive description! I’m interested in buying some similar stuff to de-stress to, so: can anyone recommend me some jazz that fits the above bill? Spread the word on your favourites… Thank you, Lou ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/2 "2005-06-13T01:39:30Z")
Miles Davis, _Kind of Blue_ Clark Terry, _Color Changes_ ---
**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:** [June 13, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/3 "2005-06-13T01:49:30Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Miles Davis, _Kind of Blue_ 'Nuff said. Everyone should own this album anyway, but it sounds exactly like what you want. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/4 "2005-06-13T02:17:30Z")
Mrs. Plant bought me _The Most Relaxing Jazz Music in the Universe_ in self defense. 🙂 It’s on Denon. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/5 "2005-06-13T02:23:27Z")
Try some of Bill Evans’ piano trios. That would be piano, bass, drums, for you non-jazz types. [Sunday at the Village Vanguard](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005QY2Q/qid=1118629902/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-8155842-3177423) is good. So is [Waltz for Debby](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004UEIF/qid=1118629902/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/103-8155842-3177423). Jimmy Guiffre would be good, too. Saxophone, guitar, bass. Try [The Jimmy Guiffre Three](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002JMG/qid=1118630064/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-8155842-3177423) (with Jim Hall). ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/6 "2005-06-13T03:04:00Z")
Kind of Blue is a must have for anyone looking to get into Jazz. Nuff said. Now if you want to add albums in that relaxed vein, I would recomend you look to [Charlie Parker with Strings](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000046WK/qid=1118632140/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9311619-1588708?v=glance&s=music) (my old jazz music prof also swears that it is the perfect “get lucky” soundtrack for a date) and [the complete birth of the cool](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000006Q6B/qid=1118632312/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9311619-1588708?v=glance&s=music) which is personally my favorite miles davis album. It’s also in that Cool Jazz style you seem to be looking for. Really you can almost never go wrong with Miles Davis or Bird, great music all the time. And now I will leave the thread before I get tempted to convert you to hard bop. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/7 "2005-06-13T09:18:17Z")
Harold Land: [A Lazy Afternoon](http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/123550/haroldland?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple1). That’s the first CD to pop into my mind when I saw the title of the thread. Others: Paul Winter: Canyon Stan Getz: Focus Gerry Mulligan: Night Lights George Shearing: anything he’s done An old one that may be hard to find is Koto and Flute. Bud Shank on flute and Kimio Eto (or maybe Ito) on koto. Other such semi-jazz, semi-oriental things exist. And there are many “environmentals” recordings of babbling streams, waterfalls, surf, even thunderstorms. My wife made a tape of The Doors’ “Riders On The Storm” that lead right into a 30-minute thunderstorm recording. We’d use that to go to sleep by until it got so predictable. I rarely heard the thunderstorm start up. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/8 "2005-06-13T14:00:55Z")
What? No Kenny G? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/9 "2005-06-13T14:04:05Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > What? No Kenny G? 😃 Yo! I was gonna mention that sort of schlock, but the OP wanted to relax, not go into a coma! 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/10 "2005-06-13T14:23:11Z")
I never miss a chance to plug [this](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4791FDB47A57020CE873B5DDEB17AF501CA4EFB803E2D595B92B63E45911E7AE84AF095CBAEFB76AB7BAFFF2BE85B0FD9C9EB5CFFD4764C40&sql=10:nqc8b5c49sqe) album by trumpeter Jon Hassell. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/11 "2005-06-14T08:49:10Z")
You might like the Chick Corea(piano)/Gary Burton(vibes) collaboration called _Crystal Silence_, it’s got that kind of ambient/atmospheric sound. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/12 "2005-06-14T17:52:35Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > 'Nuff said. Everyone should own this album anyway, but it sounds exactly like what you want. And is there a more relaxing song than _So What?_ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/13 "2005-06-14T21:01:30Z")
Well, I was listening to Miles’s somnambulistic 1971 album _In a Silent Way_ last night, and the first half is called “Shhhh – Peaceful.” “Relaxing” isn’t the word. You’ll go into a coma. ---
**Author:** ![Zahava424](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/76d3ee/32.png) [@Zahava424](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zahava424)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/14 "2005-06-15T02:12:17Z")
So, this is sort of sacrilegious in a thread where people are suggesting legiimately amazing jazz, but if you’re just looking to relax and don’t care about objective musical awesomeness, you might consider the “Jazz for a \_\_\_\_\_ Day” series, particularly “Jazz for a Lazy Day” and “Jazz for a Rainy Day.” ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/15 "2005-06-15T04:48:58Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Harold Land: [A Lazy Afternoon](http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/123550/haroldland?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple1). > > That’s the first CD to pop into my mind when I saw the title of the thread. Great album. Tenorist Scott Hamilton does some relaxing jazzy stuff. Modern Jazz Quartet, too. Problem with **Kinda Blue** is that every Borders plays it in heavy, heavy rotation, as if that’s Miles’ only work. BTW, nothing wrong with “Jazz for a \_\_\_ Day” compilations. If it’s the original artist, what’s the problem? It’s a “best of” CD. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/16 "2005-06-15T05:44:38Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > Well, I was listening to Miles’s somnambulistic 1971 album _In a Silent Way_ last night, and the first half is called “Shhhh – Peaceful.” > > “Relaxing” isn’t the word. You’ll go into a coma. I really don’t want to nitpick here but _In A Silent Way_ was recorded (and to the best of my knowledge released) in 1969. This is important because these recordings preceded _Bitches Brew_ either one of which started the fusion movement. The following are some additions to the list addressing the OP’s request: [ul] [li]Geri Allen “Maroon’s”[/li][li]Chet Baker “Chet Baker in New York” (or any of his now available Fantasy OJC CD’s)[/li][li]Marilyn Crispell “Overlapping Hands”[/li][li]Miles Davis “Davis & Evans Studio Recordings” (Porgy and Bess is a classic)[/li][li]Duke Ellington “Black, Brown & Biege” + “Ellington at Fargo, N.D.”[/li][li]Bill Evans any of his Fantasy OJC releases (Pre 1970)[/li][li]Errol Garner “Concert by the Sea” (this is a must)[/li][li]Dexter Gordon any of his Blue Note recordings[/li][li]Keith Jarrett any of his solo performances including “Koln Concert”[/li][li]Modern Jazz Quartet “Complete Last Concert”[/li][li]Gerry Mulligan “California Concerts”[/li][li]Oliver Nelson “More Blues and the Abstract Truth” [/li][li]Oscar Peterson “Exclusively for My Friends”[/li][li]Ben Webster “Ballads”[/li][li]Lester Young “Lester Young Story” (if still available - listening will remind you of why Billie Holiday fell in love with him)[/li][/ul] I have tried to not include previously referenced recordings and many of the above artists were the height of “swing”, “cool jazz” and other late 50’s and 60’s jazz recordings. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jazz-recommend-me-something-sleepy/308026/17 "2005-06-15T06:26:05Z")
Nina Simone - “Lilac Wine.” Not instrumental, but lovely.