Here's My Favorites - You Might Be Surprised
Jul 20 '00 (Updated Oct 16 '05)
The Bottom Line Each one of these recordings can "Fly Me To The Moon"
All the reviewers so far have done such a nice job with this topic. I hope that you'll be able to say the same about my offering.
Like some of the others, I approached this from the perspective of "Which are MY 10 Favorites? - Which Music Couldn't I Do Without For Long?" That is a different question that which are the 10 best in jazz history. It's a different question because music communicates emotions and feelings. There is great communicative value to the musician and the listener. I perform and listen to music because of the way it makes me feel. Pure and simple. I can define some of my tastes better than others, but sometimes my enjoyment just IS. The recordings listed are selected because each has a profound effect on me when I listen to it.
In putting this list together, I noticed that more than a few were albums I got during my high school and college years and included pieces I performed at the time. Some are out of print. A few could be on the "Ten Greatest in Jazz History", although I suspect that others wouldn't. In keeping with the remaster/reissue theme prevalent nowadays, there is even a bonus track!
So, here is my list, in no particular order.
1. John Coltrane - Blue Train. A Love Supreme and Selflessness/My Favorite Things were contenders. Blue Train, is most enjoyable to me because of his playing throughout, Technically adept, yet very communicative, with a strong supporting cast, including Lee Morgan. Enjoyable throughout. I have this on LP, but I will check out the remastered version.
2. The Crusaders - Southern Comfort. Larry Carlton plays guitar on this album, with the regular Crusaders cast - Wayne Henderson, Trombone, Wilton Felder, Tenor and Soprano, Joe Sample, Piano, Stix Hooper, drums. This album, released in the mid-70s was a big seller for them, but before they became more commercially rhythm and blues oriented. Wilton Felder's wonderful, big-sounding tenor work on "Whispering Pines" and warm Soprano work on "Lilies of the Nile" got me through many a late night study session and their remembrance got me through a few killer tests, including the CPA exam. In print and readily available.
Just as a quick aside, one of the things I enjoy about music is the ability to hear things in my head whenever I want. it's like an internal soundtrack of material. It's not as good as performing or REALLY listening, but it's quite enjoyable when neither of them in available.
3. Gerry Mulligan - The Age of Steam. This was sort of a small big-band date. Lots of interesting compositions and arrangements. Great sidemen, including Sweets Edison on muted trumpet, a young Tom Scott on tenor and exuberant soprano, Bud Shank on alto and flute and the under-appreciated Howard Roberts on guitar. A warm, west-coast feel from beginning to end. This was briefly reissued on CD, but it's now out of print. You'd do well to find it.
4. The Count Basie Band - Kansas City Suite, arranged by Benny Carter. Wonderful ensemble work on Miss Missouri and Vine Street Rumble. This band swings hard! Whenever one of my students want to start work on jazz, I suggest that they take some Basie music out of the public library and listen to it. This was reissued on LP in the 70s, but it's since out of print. I hope it's reissued. I'd like to get it on CD.
5. The Buddy Rich Band - Keep The Customer Satisfied. A live recording, it has great enthusiasm, great arrangements, great solos by Pat Labarbera on tenor, Richie Cole on alto, George Zonce on Trumpet, great saxophone ensemble work. This was one of my earliest albums. I even got Richie Cole to sign it at a jam session. It's been reissued on CD in England bundled with Buddy's "Swinging New Big Band" album, another winner.
6. Dexter Gordon - Go. - a 1962 release, this is my favorite Dexter. When I first heard this, it felt like a revelation. I've taken a lot of inspiration from Dexter's sound and hard-swinging, yet thoughtful and deliberate solos, throughout his career, but especially on this CD. This is a quartet date, with Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren, bass, Billy Higgins Drums. It's no surprise that material from this album has shown up on some of Dexter's compilations. He's great on every cut. I'm most satisfied by "Three O'Clock In The Morning" but there's "Love for Sale", "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry", "Cheesecake" and more. I've just completed my review of this CD. It can be found at:
http://www.jazzman.epinions.com/musc-review-4F97-B8776BF-3984F394-prod1
7. Zoot Sims - On The Korner. Another quartet album, this was recorded live in 1983, a couple of years before his death. It features Zoot on tenor and soprano, with Shelly Manne in the quartet. Zoot, a marvelously swinging, warm-sounding tenor player, also had a HEAVENLY sound on soprano. My soprano play finds great inspiration in his music in general and "Pennies from Heaven" on this CD, in particular. "I Hear a Rhapsody", which he played on tenor is also wonderful I can listen to this entire album for hours. Readily available. I've complted a separate epinion on this cd which can be found at:
http://www.jazzman.epinions.com/musc-review-51E4-FAA3AEA-398F8AD4-prod1
8. Stan Getz - Getz/Gilberto. I really enjoy Getz's playing. His bossa nova work, especially on this CD, is always a pleasure. I LOVE the sound of a sax and guitar combination. My favorite band for performing is a sax-guitar quartet. This CD is readily available.
9. Ken Nordine - Best of Word Jazz, Vol 1. You may not have heard of Ken Nordine, but you've heard him. He's had a great career as a voice on commercials. His word jazz work consist of spoken stories, generally stream of consciousness utterances (think beatnik poetry)which are pretty weird but not risque, with improvised jazz in the background. It's an incredible experience. The supporting players on this recording are Paul Horn, on woodwinds, including saxes. This album is in print as a reissue. There are a couple of more recent recordings available from the Grateful Dead Web Site, which I will review eventually. I got to meet him at one of my festival performances - he's a neighbor of a former accounting student. She knew about the commercials, but had no idea about the word jazz. Very nice man - and he later signed some of his LPs for me.
10. Charlie Parker - On Dial. I played alto primarily from early high school through a couple years after college. On alto, Bird was my main man. There's so much good material available on him. My most enjoyable cuts are the ones, Cool Blues and Bird's Nest. Erroll Garner is on Piano. Great Stuff. This is readily available and some of it might be public domain, because I've seen these cuts on obscure labels in budgie bins. "Parker's Mood" was a contender, as was "A Night in Tunisia".
Bonus track - Carole King - Jazzman. A pop album, but for me as a college student and wanna-be musician, Carole's lyrics and Tom Scott's incredible tenor solo said it all. Jazz can still " lift me...above the old routine". I hope that it does the same for you.
Honorable mentions: Too many to list. I listen to a lot of jazz, saxophone and otherwise. Just because a recording is not here does not mean that I don't like it.
If you've gotten this far, please accept my thanks for reading. I hope this epinion has been entertaining and I hope you'll consider giving some of these recordings a listen.
Thanks for reading. God Bless!
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If you like mainstream and fusion jazz, check out my web site, www.jazzobsession.com. You’ll find information on my newly-released CD, The Power of Two by John Temmerman's Jazz Obsession Quartet. It is available through Amazon.com and www.cdbaby.com. However, I have a special discount available on sales through my web site. Come on by!
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