Hi Everybody.
As we’re all hunkering down to deal with the coronavirus I though I’d give you something to do. If you’ve got a budding musician in the house (or you are one yourself) this list is for them (or you). *You do not need to be a musician to enjoy this music. These records are still wonderful even if you only play the radio.
Hopefully in this mandated isolation, you’re finding time to practice. If so, awesome! and I envy you. (I’m spending most of my time attempting to home school my kids.) Practicing is great. And very necessary. But there is so much more to creating music than just the physical mechanics. You must listen and be inspired. You’ll never be able to play great music, if you don’t know what great music sounds like. I realize this is highly subjective, but hey, it’s my blog.
I chose these records, not only because they’re amazing (which they are), but because they can open the door to new musical discoveries. These records all fall into the “jazz” category, but they are vastly different from each other. They come from different eras (the 50’s, 70’s, and 90’s respectively) and represent different styles. I’m only giving to you three because it’s a digestible amount. Not as overwhelming as 100, 50, or even 10. Anyone should be able to handle three.
So here we go, and… you’re welcome.
Kind Of Blue – Miles Davis. This might be my favorite record of all time. Soft, subtle and moody. Perfect for romance or reflection. I can still remember where I was when I first heard it (sitting on the floor of my dorm room listening to compilation CD that came with my Jazz History textbook.) This supergroup will open your ears to the sounds of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.
Headhunters – Herbie Hancock. This was Herbie’s full-on dive into jazz/funk. Four tunes of pure 70’s magic. Extended funk jams from a jazz point of view. Thick layers of groovy happiness. An excellent study on groove and feel.
One More Once – Michel Camilo. Funky latin jazz that is pure energy. Michel is a monster pianist in any setting. Here he is backed by a full big band and it is spectacular. If this doesn’t get you moving, you might need to get your ears checked.
That’s it. See? Easliy digest-able chunks. Three is the magic number.
These records should be a launching point into the world of jazz. If you already know them, good for you. If they are new, I hope you gain as much from them as I have. There is so much amazing music out there, all you have to do is find it! I’ll put up more lists in the future, to steer you towards some of my favorites. But this should keep you busy for the next few days (or years).
I’d love to hear about the records that have impacted your life. I’m always on the look out for something new and interesting.
For me, “Milestones” more than “Kind of Blue”. It shows the burning side of that band and its versatility. (New) “Milestones”, is a modal tune recorded before “Kind of Blue”. Two blues, one fast and one slow. A feature for just Cannonball and Trane. And a feature for just the rhythm section.
Then a compilation album that doesn’t exist anymore: John Coltrane’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 which included the 1963 live Newport recording of “My Favorite Things” and the 1966 live recording at the Village Vanguard of “Naima”. It was also the first time I really heard McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones.
A record that was huge in the mid-1970s that I still marvel at is Weather Report’s “Black Market”. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that the technology Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter using at the time, (the first polyphonic synthesizers were just coming out and it was still the pre-midi, pre-digital era), was primitive by today’s standards but you wouldn’t know it from listening to “Gibraltar”. Plus, it was probably the first time people heard a guy named Jaco Pastorious.
More recently, I really like Snarky Puppy’s “Ground Up” and “We Like It Here” and Chris Potter’s “Follow the Red Line” and “Circuits”
A lot of great choices here, for sure! I’ve spent some time with those Snarky Puppy records as well.
Writing about this music tells me I need to go and practice.