Entire genres that only need one thread #1: "Jazz"

[liebzz]

Yeah, it’s a tremendous undertaking and I want to mix this in (jazz heavy at the start since it is pseudo-chronological), mostly to avoid burnout.

[liebzz]

That is an excellent list of recordings -- looking forward to following along with this part of the journey. I'll resist the urge to throw out a million titles but here are a few I feel like you need:

Duke Ellington "The Blanton Webster Band" 1940-42 -- This is commonly regarded as his artistic pinnacle. Some of the vocal numbers are a bit hokey by today's standards but IMO a lot of it is up there with the best music ever made.

Billie Holiday "Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday" - best of Columbia recordings from 1933-44 or thereabouts. No survey of jazz is complete without Billie and this is her best stuff.

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - "Getz/Gilberto" -- one of the bestselling jazz albums of all time and per Wikipedia, "the album that popularized bossa nova worldwide." A truly beautiful record, pure ear candy.


I'd also try to find at least a few things to represent 1980-present in addition to Kamasi. I'm glad to throw out some recommendations but there's way less consensus during this period so it would just be personal favorites. I do think you would really enjoy Brad Mehldau and Bill Frisell.

Good luck!

Getz/Gilberto added.

There’s Lady Day: the Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia Records that’s 11 hours long. Is that the one?

Looking for that Duke Ellington one. Sadly doesn’t appear to be on Spotify.

[doug rr]

great list...your sonny pick made me throw on blue 7

[Kevin Davis]

That is an excellent list of recordings -- looking forward to following along with this part of the journey. I'll resist the urge to throw out a million titles but here are a few I feel like you need:

Duke Ellington "The Blanton Webster Band" 1940-42 -- This is commonly regarded as his artistic pinnacle. Some of the vocal numbers are a bit hokey by today's standards but IMO a lot of it is up there with the best music ever made.

Billie Holiday "Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday" - best of Columbia recordings from 1933-44 or thereabouts. No survey of jazz is complete without Billie and this is her best stuff.

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - "Getz/Gilberto" -- one of the bestselling jazz albums of all time and per Wikipedia, "the album that popularized bossa nova worldwide." A truly beautiful record, pure ear candy.


I'd also try to find at least a few things to represent 1980-present in addition to Kamasi. I'm glad to throw out some recommendations but there's way less consensus during this period so it would just be personal favorites. I do think you would really enjoy Brad Mehldau and Bill Frisell.

Good luck!

Getz/Gilberto added.

There’s Lady Day: the Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia Records that’s 11 hours long. Is that the one?

Looking for that Duke Ellington one. Sadly doesn’t appear to be on Spotify.

Billie:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3W6pih1iirtTZksCtjaWZ6
(I'm sure the 11-hour one is great too, but...that's a lot of music, and probably comprises multiple takes of the same songs in a lot of places)

Duke:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2gVe4gvBXKlCLDeS3BaUfL

[liebzz]

Found the Duke Ellington.

[liebzz]

That is an excellent list of recordings -- looking forward to following along with this part of the journey. I'll resist the urge to throw out a million titles but here are a few I feel like you need:

Duke Ellington "The Blanton Webster Band" 1940-42 -- This is commonly regarded as his artistic pinnacle. Some of the vocal numbers are a bit hokey by today's standards but IMO a lot of it is up there with the best music ever made.

Billie Holiday "Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday" - best of Columbia recordings from 1933-44 or thereabouts. No survey of jazz is complete without Billie and this is her best stuff.

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - "Getz/Gilberto" -- one of the bestselling jazz albums of all time and per Wikipedia, "the album that popularized bossa nova worldwide." A truly beautiful record, pure ear candy.


I'd also try to find at least a few things to represent 1980-present in addition to Kamasi. I'm glad to throw out some recommendations but there's way less consensus during this period so it would just be personal favorites. I do think you would really enjoy Brad Mehldau and Bill Frisell.

Good luck!

Getz/Gilberto added.

There’s Lady Day: the Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia Records that’s 11 hours long. Is that the one?

Looking for that Duke Ellington one. Sadly doesn’t appear to be on Spotify.

Billie:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3W6pih1iirtTZksCtjaWZ6
(I'm sure the 11-hour one is great too, but...that's a lot of music, and probably comprises multiple takes of the same songs in a lot of places)

Duke:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2gVe4gvBXKlCLDeS3BaUfL

1 hour 45 mins is much more manageable!

[liebzz]

This is getting me all excited to do this.

[coptheriotact]

looking forward to following this..

i was reading a miles davis autobiography on the plane and now im back in jazz mode.

[VinylGuy]

yeah, that Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - "Getz/Gilberto album is a must.

Can i put into some local jazz from argentina? just one album.

Jorge Lopez Ruiz - B.A. Jazz

[liebzz]

yeah, that Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - "Getz/Gilberto album is a must.

Can i put into some local jazz from argentina? just one album.

Jorge Lopez Ruiz - B.A. Jazz

I believe in inclusion. That is how Essential Live Albums went from about 125 to 540 albums.

[doug rr]

you should throw in some Art Ensemble of Chicago in your list...

[tragabigzanda]

[VinylGuy]

New Jeff Parker slays. Late addition to my favorite albums of the year.

is it out already? i thought it was december

[Kevin Davis]

Revisiting the new Kamasi Washington this morning — there is a lot of stuff I really like on it but overall I think I like it least of his three major albums as a leader (behind “The Epic” and “Heaven and Earth,” in that order). But, lots of great flavors throughout. This track in particular is quite a journey:

[liebzz]

More complete thoughts to come in the studio albums thread, but halfway through Duke Ellington’s Never No Lament: the Blanton-Webster Band. It’s pretty incredible. The sense of control while still having the generosity to give all these soloists their moments…these guys are playing the shit out of their instruments yet not a hair seems out of place. Incredible.

[tragabigzanda]

[VinylGuy]

New Jeff Parker slays. Late addition to my favorite albums of the year.

is it out already? i thought it was december

Man do I love this album. So much humanity, so much groove. It's jazz, but there's a hiphop element that underpins the whole thing, and even a little reggae in the last song. And some minimalist elements peppered throughout. The sum is greater than the parts; there's a real sense of specific place from this live recording.

Beautiful pressing too. 2LP with one song per side; each song is pretty long, so it's a very convenient layout vis-a-vis leaving my chair and flipping records.

Spotify says its out next week you liar

[tragabigzanda]

[VinylGuy]

LIAR!!!

nah i know, i know.

Looking forward to it. Both singles were great.

[Jorge]

Revisiting the new Kamasi Washington this morning — there is a lot of stuff I really like on it but overall I think I like it least of his three major albums as a leader (behind “The Epic” and “Heaven and Earth,” in that order). But, lots of great flavors throughout. This track in particular is quite a journey:

It's so good. I also put it below Heaven and Earth but I think it surpasses The Epic