Pour info , voici mes 10 premiers albums de jazz achetés de 1962 à 1964 . My first ten Jazz -Albums buyed between 1962 and 1964 . The Big Beat Art Blakey . Kind of Blue Miles Davis . C.Adderley at the jazz workshop ( This Here ). J.Coltrane live at the Village Vanguard . Ray Charles ( What'd i say ) Dizzy Gillespie Big Band Pleyel 1948 . Clifford Brown Blue Note session . Horace Silver Song for my father . Thelonious Monk Blue Note session 1 . Dizzy Gillespie et les Double 6 from Paris . Amitiés .
First time I've done a list type of video and it looks like it's going to be pretty successful! I may try it again with another pocket of jazz releases, or perhaps a similar one for classical. That's a genre that many shy away from and it's so vast. A primer on the basics to start with would be a good one!
I'm just beginning to dip my toe into the world of jazz. I found your suggestions really helpful and now have most the of titles you mentioned and I'm really enjoying them. Thanks for your suggestions.
Your quite welcome! Jazz has been an interesting a rewarding genre for me to explore. I'm very attracted to many things about it. Mostly acoustic instruments, a rotating group of wonderful musicians working in various groups and as leaders. The various labels and their engineers. This particular video highlighted what I felt were 'safe' picks for newcomers, things that I took to right away. I'll be doing another that goes a bit deeper soon. Glad you're enjoying the journey and I'm glad my suggestions were helpful!
Cool! I thought it might be something someone starting out could find useful. All great pics, mostly on the safe side. Had to move the release to Monday at 11
Wonderful recommendations list you have provided there. You hit upon late night listening which is a mystic time to go deep and listen to music. I have spent may of am hours when everyone is asleep I just put on Kind of Blue where it takes to to thoughts that I never knew existed. It is amazing that that the human mind could come up with such musical expression as King of Blue.
Beautiful comment, and I might add, our systems often sound better in the wee small hours of the morning. Everything is much quieter including the electricity that comes into your house and to your system. Lower noise means more low level detail to be heard an an intimate connection to the performance. I've often found I can feel the emotion and intention of the performance much better when the stars align for that special late night listening session. Thank you so much for the insightful comment!
Great choices on this list. I agree that the first 3 are must-haves even though many leave them off of their lists feeling that they are too cliché. I especially love the Billie Holiday Songs For Distingué Lovers pick. Not only do I love Billie with smaller combos rather than big bands, but the recording on that Verve Acoustic Sound Series pressing is phenomenal! I also love the Grant Green and Cannonball Adderley picks. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Absolutely! Thank you for watching and commenting. It is a very basic list for the most part, but these are the records that ignited my taste for jazz. I'm sure I missed many people's favorites, but that leaves room for a sequel. It's interesting because this was done some time ago but seems to be experiencing renewed interest. I love that people can refer to my videos as their interests evolve.
Fantastic video Scott. I am still missing some of those records in my collection, it was great because I can add them to my wish list. Now my only , I would not say problem, it finding some of the new younger jazz musicians. This is where I am at. Yes these recording mostly likely are not going to be of “audiophile “ quality, but still deserve a listen. Cheers
Thank you for your comment. Which albums by those artists? I tried one Don Cherry album and couldn't get into it. That was Where's Brooklyn. Maybe there's another title of his I might like! McCoy Tyner - I've got several and really like The Real McCoy. So many great albums could be in a video like this, and I may do a deeper dive follow up video with some of the bonafide classics like that album, Sidewinder, Moanin' and other top tier classic Blue Notes.
Oh my god I think you are going to love that pressing. If you've never heard the music, you're in for a treat! Thank you for watching, Anthony. Great comment so everyone can source that particular pressing. I'll make note of it in the description. Pleas get back and let me know what you think!
I am a long time fan of jazz, but I watched this out of curiosity about which albums you would choose for a beginner. You did a great job of choosing and presenting the albums. I mostly agree with your choices except for your choice of Billie Holiday's album for an introduction to vocal jazz. For most people Billie Holiday's late career vocals will be an acquired taste because her voice had deteriorated so much from her prime. It is true that this is compensated by the growth of her artistry over time, but that requires a more sophisticated taste than most beginners would likely have. It would be like feeding caviar to a baby. Instead, I think something like the album "Ella and Louis" might be more suitable for most beginners. I would like to have seen at least one up tempo, rhythmic album on the list. I think Herbie Mann's album "Memphis Underground" would be a great selection for a beginner, and for anyone who likes soul jazz. It also shows that the flute is a viable jazz lead instrument.
Yes, perhaps your right about Billie, though in my case I took to it right away. I fell in love with that record. But you're right that Ella might be easier. I did consider Ella and Louis but I ran over 10 choices very easily!
@@ThePressingMatters I went back and listened to "Songs for Distingue' Lovers" again. Although Billie's voice is pretty rough compared to her voice in its prime and to her contemporaries at the time, such as Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, compared to many modern pop and rock female singers' voices, Billie's voice sounds of comparable quality, and her artistry is head and shoulders above most modern pop and rock female singers. Thus, based on this reassessment, I think you are right that this album is a good choice for jazz newbies used to modern pop and rock singers.
@@luminiferous1960 I glad you had another listen to this album. I came in on Billie in the Verve years so I never knew her earlier voice til much later. I was coming from Rock, and I had no issues with it. I was captivated by the artistry and the jazz standards right away. Great to hear back from you on this album!
@@ThePressingMatters I came to Billie's late career work from the opposite direction from you in my jazz newbie days having heard Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lena Horn first, and after hearing Billie's early work on the album "Billie, Ella, Lena, Sarah!" which was a compilation album from Columbia Records. Just goes to show how our perceptions are colored by our past experiences.
Hi! I'm glad you did! This is a good place to start! I'm still discovering and learning about jazz, but I have some jazz videos coming up soon with some great recommendations. Great to have you here and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Great list Scott! I think I’m going to make a progressive jazz list on my channel soon! You’ve got the classics and I will do the weird 🤓! Another great video!
Scott I bought some blue note records today. I got Andrew Hill Dance With Death Tone Poet. Joe Henderson Inner Urge and Milt Jackson Thelonious Monk Quintet Classic Series and a 70s stereo pressing of Sonny Rollins Night At The Village Vanguard. A good day.
Hi Gary, I'm on the fence with Dance With Death. I'd be curious what you think of it. I'm enjoying the heck out of the new Art Pepper reissue. Kind of blew my mind. I'll be reporting on that one Sunday!
@@ThePressingMatters it's Good Scott. It's nothing like point of departure. Six short tracks. I havent heard any Art Pepper yet but I'll give him a shot. Been listening to Tina Brooks True Blue wow I love it. I need to find a good pressing. I know the first pressing is super rare and expensive.
@@garyrobinson8665 Tina Brooks True Blue is well worth tracking down. It was one of the Music Matters 45s I picked up when they came out. $50 seems like a steal today. It should show up in the BNC series one day.. Minor Move is a Tone Poet and is great too. I'd grab the Art Pepper as soon as you can.
@@ThePressingMatters hi Scott I've been listening to the Art Pepper record today. It's nice and relaxing. His playing is really smooth and soft. Very distinguished.
That is a solid list and a lot of overlap with records that first got me into jazz. FWIW, my own top 10 for newbies would be: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (everyone needs this, even if they hate jazz) Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (the first jazz album I owned - the quintessential gateway) Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (or the Black Orpheus album for any month that's not December) Chet Baker - Chet (we both agree this is underrated) Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (the Meddle to Kind of Blue's Dark Side of the Moon) Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz (or maybe Moon Beams on a different day) Cannonball Adderley & Bill Evans - Know What I Mean (I'm cheating somewhat here) John Coltrane Quartet - Ballads (Blue Train is the better album but this is lovely, easy listening 'restaurant jazz') Hank Mobley - Soul Station (I feel this is underrated too) Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave (is it strictly jazz? I love it either way)
Sometimes I feel deficient as a non-Jazz fan, so I try to stream some jazz to educate myself. It's funny you brought up Getz/Gilberto first because that is the one that I am seeking out! I have streamed Kind Of Blue with mixed results. Figuring that Getz/Gilberto is on my list, I tried to get into Sketches of Spain with mixed results as well. I have Norah Jones, Sade and a couple like that, with one Wynton Marsalis CD for some reason (J Mood) but will keep trying. Midnight Blue looks interesting and I hear other UA-camrs talk up the Brubeck one, so I will keep trying. Cheers
I agree with Gary, it's hard not to fall in love with Getz Gilberto. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love Midnight Blue. I know how you feel, I did the same many times but one thing I can say is if you have a halfway decent setup for vinyl, you'll find the ones I've mentioned will sound so compelling on vinyl vs streaming. I recall streaming most of the Blue Notes and was not particularly keen on many of them, but I still bought the most important ones, and the sound on these reissues just draws you in. It's so different from streaming!
I'm also trying to get into Sketches of Spain. I like it well enough to seek out a copy. Here's something from left field - hopefully you can stream it. It's a soundtrack called Siesta by Miles Davis and Marcus Miller. I think it's excellent, and the original and probably only pressing sounds great.
@@ThePressingMatters I think I could get into that Siesta album! Some of the songs have an I Robot instrumental feel and mood about them. Nice choice, thanks 👍
All good choices. I would have added the Getz-Byrd disc, Jazz Samba, Erroll Garner, Concert by the Sea ( I have the two disc version with Plangent processing. The sound is much improved and the disc includes all the songs not included on the original. Also I love Jazz at the Pawnshop. For some reason, there are some who have expressed disdain for the musicians. I think they’re wonderful, not to speak of the sound. I have the latest HD version- expensive $79 but we’ll done.
I love that disc too, I just tried to limit it to one per artist. My current copy is a reissue, but it's not the best sounding edition. I didn't know of the one you mentioned. I know that process can really help certain recordings and I gather it's pretty transparent. I'll seek it out, thanks for mentioning it.
I really need to get Jazz At The Pawn Shop. I've heard similar criticism and don't put much stock in it. Is the pressing quality top notch on the new one?
@pressing matters Yes. The HD version is pressed by Precision in Canada. Perfect Pressing, great sound. I haven’t compared it to the regular version which sounds wonderful as well and is cheaper. Elusive disc has the HD and maybe even the regular pressings.
Hi Scott: Nice list and a tough task to narrow it down to 10 er ah I mean 11😉. With one possible exception I don't disagree with any of your picks. I might have picked some others, by some of the same artists. For example for the Grant Green and Bobby Hutcherson LPs, but either way Grant Green and Bobby Hutcherson are solid choices. The only LP I disagree with is possibly Getz/Gilberto. It would depend on who I was making the list for. If it was for someone who is not into rock then yes: Getz/Gilberto. If it was someone more into rock I might have picked Art Pepper + Eleven or possibly Moanin' by Art Blakey. Again, tough task and nicely done!
Those two are a bit harder and I could see the logic in that. I always think Getz Gilberto had universal appeal, but you make a good point that it could be tailored either was. Thanks for watching, Jim
Great list Scott. I've heard nearly all of them. I own dave brubeck, midnight blue, Sunday at the village vanguard, Getz/Gilberto was also my gateway into jazz and I got heavily into the Bossa nova stuff. I own a lot of Bossa Nova and Brazilian records. Bobby Hutcherson is great. He appears or leads a lot of my favourite blue note albums. I don't own any of his stuff yet but I'm planning on rectifying that soon.
Some of Getz other Bossa Nova albums are worth seeking out. I have a Japanese press of the one with the blue artwork, same artist that did the Getz Gilberto painting.
Great recommendation for the jazz newbie’s and all must haves for the jazz aficionados. So glad to see Bill Evans in your recs. Are you related to Keanu Reeves? On multiple occasions I’ve mistaken you for him while scrolling through my feed lol. I said 😮”Keanu’s sharing his vinyl collection!?” Thanks for the great channel!
Those are some great jazz albums for people new to jazz, but I'm truly astounded that you didn't include John Coltrane's A Love Supreme or even Giant Steps in your top ten. 😲 Do you have a video like this for blues albums? I'm curious to see what blues albums you'd recommend.
Regarding Coltrane, I think it's an important album but not one that would be a good choice for your first few jazz albums. It wasn't for me. In fact I really struggled with the Coltrane sound in general when I was starting out. If I did a review on 10 essential jazz landmarks or something of that nature, A Love Supreme would be there for sure. Haven't enough blues yet to do something like this.
It depends what people are already familiar with. For example, Coltrane can often appeal to people who like hard rock music. If someone asked me what top jazz albums I'd recommend to them, I'd ask them what genres of music they like and go from there. The list could be different for different people. @@ThePressingMatters
@@audiophileman7047 Oh for sure, my list was my own personal journey and I came from a rock background, yet I tried to choose easy albums, nothing too challenging. I understand some might find it too easy or even a bit bland. I've got to do a new video of this type that is for more experienced listeners, or focus on a specific aspect, classics, avant garde, or other specific niche. I'm a little better than I used to be regarding Coltrane :-)
It's a good video and I'm listening to Chet right now. You're on the right track for future videos. When I was in college, I remember guys who loved metal and hard rock listening to jazz fusion. They introduced me too it. They knew Al DiMeola as much as they knew Black Sabbath. Fusion was the thing when it came to jazz at that time. Would like to see what your top picks would be for fusion jazz. @@ThePressingMatters
Good choices Scott, and very accessible ones at that, which is important to beginners. I tried to get someone into classical music once by playing Stravinsky, and they commented that the violin section sounds like they're nuts. I think it reminded them of the music in the film Psycho. Before the video I sort of figured Kind Of Blue would be in there. I didn't know what else. I thought maybe Blue Trane or Ballads by John Coltrane. If you had 15 choices I might have included Art Pepper & The Rhythm Section, Soul Station by Hank Mobley (I have that a copy, and it's not the cd!), and maybe Breaking Point by Freddie Hubbard. Maybe some Sonny Rollins and Dave Brubeck too. Some people who have shallow taste in my opinion like other Miles Davis albums better than Kind Of Blue; they like In A Silent Way or Nefertiti. Good albums but not his very best. I wouldn't smirk if someone nominated his Jack Johnson album as his best, although that might be more of a John McClaughlin album. One ranking site chose his Down On The Corner as his best album. I do think I started to get into that one, which is more than I can say for Bitches Brew. One guy said he finally "got" Bitches Brew on the 500th time he listened to it. That's a lot of time spent to see if the critics were right My first Jazz albums that I bought new, were more Jazz Fusion:.. Tom Cat by Tom Scott & The L.A. Express and Tim Weisberg 4. I still use the track The Bruiser from the Weisberg album as my teat for evaluating bass definition.Tom Scott is looked at by some people as little more than a Kenny G. His music was pretty conventional and mainstream, but there's a long track on side 2 of Tom Cat that could singlehandedly quell that notion forever. He really explores and there's even some hot drum solos.Throughout the album Tom Scott and his electric guitarist Robben Ford often play notes in unison. Like a sax guitar. Both Scott and Ford play really sassy in unison on much of the album. A lot of spectacular sounding Jazz records came out during the the half speed master/direct to disc era of the 1980s. You would think that audiophiles would be bonkers over out of print direct to disc lps from Sheffield Labs. Instead, good but not near as good, half speed master lps are the ones they seem to want more.
@@ThePressingMatters You gave some good ones but were limited numbers wise. For original pressings that have amazing sound there's a Roland Kirk record that you wouldn't believe, and the music is totally unique and awesome too. I loved it on first listen, but I'm not a Jazz novice. There's a Freddie Hubbard recording too, that the sound just makes you sit up and listen. I saw your advance preview of the Audio Technica AT 33 cartridge. They brought an old AT 32 design out of the mothballs. The shape and everything about it looks just like the old AT 32. Maybe they changed some things inside. The AT 32 was circa 1979 and was their top of the line cartridge. It got a good review by B.V. Pisha in Audio magazine, saying that it will have no trouble holding it's own against other top moving coil cartridges (of the day). He said it had a very fast rise time of 3 microseconds. I don't know if I've ever seen a figure like that. Most good moving magnet cartridges have a rise time of about 18 microseconds. I had for many years, Audio Technica's next top of the line moving coil cartridge; the AT 35E., circa 1981. It was a small silver color cartridge, and the really unusual thing about it was that even though it was a moving coil cartridge; it had a user replaceable stylus. The nice Satin MC cartridges were like that too. It was a much slimmer, much lighter cartridge than the AT 32. It had particularly good focus and localization of instruments. It must have had really good phase response. It had a bit of a rising high end, which was predictable for MC cartridges back then. It did everything well but one thing. The tone colors were not very colorful and vivid. A Sumiko Talisman S (sapphire cantilever) was the cure after that with really wondrous tone colors and more warmth to boot. But not for long. There was an accident. I had to go back to using my AT 35E and I really hated it at first. I liked it more when my memory of the Talisman cartridge faded. It was more focused sounding though, but that was the only thing it did better.
Today I found a copy of The Jacques Loussier Trio Play Bach 5 in a local charity shop. I think this (and probably the others in the series) would qualify as an easy introduction too. It’s on the Decca label and cost me just £3, which may or may not be the normal rate for one of these records.
@@ThePressingMatters Oddly, less than a week after finding that first one, I found Play Bach 2 yesterday having previously never known of the albums. I suppose this means I’ll have to be on the hunt for the remainder now, you know how it is 😀.
Just given that Play Bach 2 a first listen and I’m very impressed with the sound quality. It’s a UK Decca narrow band (Stereo SKL 5023) so if you ever chanced on a copy I’d be interested to hear your opinion.
Hi Darren, yes I've heard it will be the mono, which could be even better. This Craft stereo edition is apparently available directly from Craft according to another comment. Either way, a must have!
Very nice selection! I have 7/11. I’ve been holding off on getting Evans Village Vanguard in the hopes an audiophile version is in print again. I’m hoping it gets reissued in the relaunch of the OJC series. 🤞🏻
That would be awesome, and its companion LP Waltz for Debbie. I have early AP 33s of those and a never opened One Step of Vanguard. When Abraxas skyrocketed, I held off opening it, instead very content with the AP. After all that's happened I don't know what to do with it! Thanks so much for watching and for your comment.
An interesting note, did you know that Musical Heritage Society (yes, that one) reissued both of the Vanguard records? I had them at one time. Pressings were actually very good! Jacket art was severely lacking as are the classical titles)
Sorry. I guess I’m stupid. I thought the squarish Simon to the right of the thumbs down was a thumbs down. Clearly it just indicates the number of responses. Live and learn!
Chet is what got me into jazz. Made sure to play this album all the way threw when my son was first born, so it was his first music he heard.
A great start for him :-)
Pour info , voici mes 10 premiers albums de jazz achetés de 1962 à 1964 . My first ten Jazz -Albums buyed between 1962 and 1964 .
The Big Beat Art Blakey .
Kind of Blue Miles Davis .
C.Adderley at the jazz workshop ( This Here ).
J.Coltrane live at the Village Vanguard .
Ray Charles ( What'd i say )
Dizzy Gillespie Big Band Pleyel 1948 .
Clifford Brown Blue Note session .
Horace Silver Song for my father .
Thelonious Monk Blue Note session 1 .
Dizzy Gillespie et les Double 6 from Paris .
Amitiés .
Great picks! These belong in every jazz fan’s collection. Each one is essential.
First time I've done a list type of video and it looks like it's going to be pretty successful! I may try it again with another pocket of jazz releases, or perhaps a similar one for classical. That's a genre that many shy away from and it's so vast. A primer on the basics to start with would be a good one!
I'm just beginning to dip my toe into the world of jazz. I found your suggestions really helpful and now have most the of titles you mentioned and I'm really enjoying them. Thanks for your suggestions.
Your quite welcome! Jazz has been an interesting a rewarding genre for me to explore. I'm very attracted to many things about it. Mostly acoustic instruments, a rotating group of wonderful musicians working in various groups and as leaders. The various labels and their engineers. This particular video highlighted what I felt were 'safe' picks for newcomers, things that I took to right away. I'll be doing another that goes a bit deeper soon. Glad you're enjoying the journey and I'm glad my suggestions were helpful!
Can’t wait
Awesome
Cool! I thought it might be something someone starting out could find useful. All great pics, mostly on the safe side. Had to move the release to Monday at 11
@@ThePressingMatters Thank you
I look forward to the video.
Have a wonderful evening.
@@djjoeykmusic It's live! Cant wait to hear what you think, Joey!
@@ThePressingMatters Hi Scott, well done.
Great picks! I love it
Wonderful wonderful
@@djjoeykmusic Thank you for watching Joey. I'd love to see some more of your unboxing in the car videos. I loved those.
Wonderful recommendations list you have provided there. You hit upon late night listening which is a mystic time to go deep and listen to music. I have spent may of am hours when everyone is asleep I just put on Kind of Blue where it takes to to thoughts that I never knew existed. It is amazing that that the human mind could come up with such musical expression as King of Blue.
Beautiful comment, and I might add, our systems often sound better in the wee small hours of the morning. Everything is much quieter including the electricity that comes into your house and to your system. Lower noise means more low level detail to be heard an an intimate connection to the performance. I've often found I can feel the emotion and intention of the performance much better when the stars align for that special late night listening session. Thank you so much for the insightful comment!
@@ThePressingMatters Oh In The Wee Small Hours, Sinatra's ode to late night loneliness. :)
@@thejoyofthemusicinmylife7897 Yes, a good reference :-)
Great choices on this list. I agree that the first 3 are must-haves even though many leave them off of their lists feeling that they are too cliché. I especially love the Billie Holiday Songs For Distingué Lovers pick. Not only do I love Billie with smaller combos rather than big bands, but the recording on that Verve Acoustic Sound Series pressing is phenomenal! I also love the Grant Green and Cannonball Adderley picks. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Absolutely! Thank you for watching and commenting. It is a very basic list for the most part, but these are the records that ignited my taste for jazz. I'm sure I missed many people's favorites, but that leaves room for a sequel. It's interesting because this was done some time ago but seems to be experiencing renewed interest. I love that people can refer to my videos as their interests evolve.
Fantastic video Scott. I am still missing some of those records in my collection, it was great because I can add them to my wish list. Now my only , I would not say problem, it finding some of the new younger jazz musicians. This is where I am at. Yes these recording mostly likely are not going to be of “audiophile “ quality, but still deserve a listen. Cheers
It's a whole other world. This list was definitely classic era audiophile oriented. Thank you Brian!
All essential.
Great recommendation! I myself discovered Don Cherry & McCoy Tyner by their album cover.
They’re now two of my favorite artists.
Thank you for your comment. Which albums by those artists? I tried one Don Cherry album and couldn't get into it. That was Where's Brooklyn. Maybe there's another title of his I might like! McCoy Tyner - I've got several and really like The Real McCoy. So many great albums could be in a video like this, and I may do a deeper dive follow up video with some of the bonafide classics like that album, Sidewinder, Moanin' and other top tier classic Blue Notes.
@@ThePressingMatters Try "Brown Rice" by Don Cherry, it's melodic wow
@@ergloo6660 Thanks, I will!
Excellent choice for the first 10 jazz albums.🙂
Thank you Dan! Of course I have more that could have been in this batch so maybe a follow up is in order! Thank you for watching!
Impecable taste.
Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for the list Scott. I just ordered Chet at Craft Recordings. It's the only record I didn't have in my collection.
Oh my god I think you are going to love that pressing. If you've never heard the music, you're in for a treat! Thank you for watching, Anthony. Great comment so everyone can source that particular pressing. I'll make note of it in the description. Pleas get back and let me know what you think!
I am a long time fan of jazz, but I watched this out of curiosity about which albums you would choose for a beginner.
You did a great job of choosing and presenting the albums. I mostly agree with your choices except for your choice of Billie Holiday's album for an introduction to vocal jazz.
For most people Billie Holiday's late career vocals will be an acquired taste because her voice had deteriorated so much from her prime. It is true that this is compensated by the growth of her artistry over time, but that requires a more sophisticated taste than most beginners would likely have. It would be like feeding caviar to a baby.
Instead, I think something like the album "Ella and Louis" might be more suitable for most beginners.
I would like to have seen at least one up tempo, rhythmic album on the list. I think Herbie Mann's album "Memphis Underground" would be a great selection for a beginner, and for anyone who likes soul jazz. It also shows that the flute is a viable jazz lead instrument.
Yes, perhaps your right about Billie, though in my case I took to it right away. I fell in love with that record. But you're right that Ella might be easier. I did consider Ella and Louis but I ran over 10 choices very easily!
@@ThePressingMatters I went back and listened to "Songs for Distingue' Lovers" again. Although Billie's voice is pretty rough compared to her voice in its prime and to her contemporaries at the time, such as Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, compared to many modern pop and rock female singers' voices, Billie's voice sounds of comparable quality, and her artistry is head and shoulders above most modern pop and rock female singers. Thus, based on this reassessment, I think you are right that this album is a good choice for jazz newbies used to modern pop and rock singers.
@@luminiferous1960 I glad you had another listen to this album. I came in on Billie in the Verve years so I never knew her earlier voice til much later. I was coming from Rock, and I had no issues with it. I was captivated by the artistry and the jazz standards right away. Great to hear back from you on this album!
@@ThePressingMatters I came to Billie's late career work from the opposite direction from you in my jazz newbie days having heard Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lena Horn first, and after hearing Billie's early work on the album "Billie, Ella, Lena, Sarah!" which was a compilation album from Columbia Records. Just goes to show how our perceptions are colored by our past experiences.
@@luminiferous1960Yes it's true, and I still have yet to discover the earliest recordings. Not a bad spot to be in!
ive discovered your channel and it has started an interest in Jazz.. just dipping my toes in.. thanks for the recommendations .
Hi!
I'm glad you did! This is a good place to start! I'm still discovering and learning about jazz, but I have some jazz videos coming up soon with some great recommendations. Great to have you here and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Great list Scott! I think I’m going to make a progressive jazz list on my channel soon! You’ve got the classics and I will do the weird 🤓! Another great video!
That is something I'd love to see! Please do it! And to everyone please check out Matt's channel. A wealth of great info and insight there.
Scott I bought some blue note records today. I got Andrew Hill Dance With Death Tone Poet. Joe Henderson Inner Urge and Milt Jackson Thelonious Monk Quintet Classic Series and a 70s stereo pressing of Sonny Rollins Night At The Village Vanguard. A good day.
Hi Gary, I'm on the fence with Dance With Death. I'd be curious what you think of it. I'm enjoying the heck out of the new Art Pepper reissue. Kind of blew my mind. I'll be reporting on that one Sunday!
@@ThePressingMatters it's Good Scott. It's nothing like point of departure. Six short tracks. I havent heard any Art Pepper yet but I'll give him a shot. Been listening to Tina Brooks True Blue wow I love it. I need to find a good pressing. I know the first pressing is super rare and expensive.
@@garyrobinson8665 Tina Brooks True Blue is well worth tracking down. It was one of the Music Matters 45s I picked up when they came out. $50 seems like a steal today. It should show up in the BNC series one day.. Minor Move is a Tone Poet and is great too. I'd grab the Art Pepper as soon as you can.
@@ThePressingMatters hi Scott I've been listening to the Art Pepper record today. It's nice and relaxing. His playing is really smooth and soft. Very distinguished.
That is a solid list and a lot of overlap with records that first got me into jazz. FWIW, my own top 10 for newbies would be:
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (everyone needs this, even if they hate jazz)
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (the first jazz album I owned - the quintessential gateway)
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (or the Black Orpheus album for any month that's not December)
Chet Baker - Chet (we both agree this is underrated)
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (the Meddle to Kind of Blue's Dark Side of the Moon)
Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz (or maybe Moon Beams on a different day)
Cannonball Adderley & Bill Evans - Know What I Mean (I'm cheating somewhat here)
John Coltrane Quartet - Ballads (Blue Train is the better album but this is lovely, easy listening 'restaurant jazz')
Hank Mobley - Soul Station (I feel this is underrated too)
Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave (is it strictly jazz? I love it either way)
That's a great list too!
I really need to get a copy of Wave!
@@ThePressingMatters I have a ‘67 stereo OG but it really needs the AAA reissue treatment.
I bet they'll start mining titles like Wave soon. I'd like to wait for a quality reissue.
@@ThePressingMatters Yep, same.
Good and interesting choices … I have all the artists, but different choices for Grant G, OP and BillieH … nice ones to get into the genre …
Sometimes I feel deficient as a non-Jazz fan, so I try to stream some jazz to educate myself. It's funny you brought up Getz/Gilberto first because that is the one that I am seeking out! I have streamed Kind Of Blue with mixed results. Figuring that Getz/Gilberto is on my list, I tried to get into Sketches of Spain with mixed results as well. I have Norah Jones, Sade and a couple like that, with one Wynton Marsalis CD for some reason (J Mood) but will keep trying. Midnight Blue looks interesting and I hear other UA-camrs talk up the Brubeck one, so I will keep trying. Cheers
Getz Gilberto is fantastic I think it's the best album on the list. A must own.
I agree with Gary, it's hard not to fall in love with Getz Gilberto. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love Midnight Blue. I know how you feel, I did the same many times but one thing I can say is if you have a halfway decent setup for vinyl, you'll find the ones I've mentioned will sound so compelling on vinyl vs streaming. I recall streaming most of the Blue Notes and was not particularly keen on many of them, but I still bought the most important ones, and the sound on these reissues just draws you in. It's so different from streaming!
I'm also trying to get into Sketches of Spain. I like it well enough to seek out a copy. Here's something from left field - hopefully you can stream it. It's a soundtrack called Siesta by Miles Davis and Marcus Miller. I think it's excellent, and the original and probably only pressing sounds great.
@@ThePressingMatters I think I could get into that Siesta album! Some of the songs have an I Robot instrumental feel and mood about them. Nice choice, thanks 👍
Great, the pressing is very good too. Worth seeking out.
All good choices. I would have added the Getz-Byrd disc, Jazz Samba, Erroll Garner, Concert by the Sea ( I have the two disc version with Plangent processing. The sound is much improved and the disc includes all the songs not included on the original. Also I love Jazz at the Pawnshop. For some reason, there are some who have expressed disdain for the musicians. I think they’re wonderful, not to speak of the sound. I have the latest HD version- expensive $79 but we’ll done.
I love that disc too, I just tried to limit it to one per artist. My current copy is a reissue, but it's not the best sounding edition. I didn't know of the one you mentioned. I know that process can really help certain recordings and I gather it's pretty transparent. I'll seek it out, thanks for mentioning it.
I really need to get Jazz At The Pawn Shop. I've heard similar criticism and don't put much stock in it. Is the pressing quality top notch on the new one?
@pressing matters
Amazon has it. It’s called THE COMPLETE CONCERT BY THE SEA. Phenomenal! Two discs
@pressing matters
Yes. The HD version is pressed by Precision in Canada. Perfect Pressing, great sound.
I haven’t compared it to the regular version which sounds wonderful as well and is cheaper. Elusive disc has the HD and maybe even the regular pressings.
@@ericlubow4354 I used to see that record a lot in the thrift shops. Never realized what it was. It was pretty popular!
Hi Scott:
Nice list and a tough task to narrow it down to 10 er ah I mean 11😉. With one possible exception I don't disagree with any of your picks. I might have picked some others, by some of the same artists. For example for the Grant Green and Bobby Hutcherson LPs, but either way Grant Green and Bobby Hutcherson are solid choices. The only LP I disagree with is possibly Getz/Gilberto. It would depend on who I was making the list for. If it was for someone who is not into rock then yes: Getz/Gilberto. If it was someone more into rock I might have picked Art Pepper + Eleven or possibly Moanin' by Art Blakey. Again, tough task and nicely done!
Those two are a bit harder and I could see the logic in that. I always think Getz Gilberto had universal appeal, but you make a good point that it could be tailored either was. Thanks for watching, Jim
Great list Scott. I've heard nearly all of them. I own dave brubeck, midnight blue, Sunday at the village vanguard, Getz/Gilberto was also my gateway into jazz and I got heavily into the Bossa nova stuff. I own a lot of Bossa Nova and Brazilian records. Bobby Hutcherson is great. He appears or leads a lot of my favourite blue note albums. I don't own any of his stuff yet but I'm planning on rectifying that soon.
Some of Getz other Bossa Nova albums are worth seeking out. I have a Japanese press of the one with the blue artwork, same artist that did the Getz Gilberto painting.
I like everything I've heard Bobby Hutcherson on, both his leader dates and as a sideman. He definitely adds wonderful texture to everything he does.
@@ThePressingMatters yes that's also fantastic jazz samba encore. I've got that on vinyl
@@garyrobinson8665 That's the one!
Great recommendation for the jazz newbie’s and all must haves for the jazz aficionados. So glad to see Bill Evans in your recs. Are you related to Keanu Reeves? On multiple occasions I’ve mistaken you for him while scrolling through my feed lol. I said 😮”Keanu’s sharing his vinyl collection!?” Thanks for the great channel!
Thanks for your comment! No, no relation, but I've heard that on occasion and also Chuck Norris lol! I don't see it but that's pretty cool lol.
Those are some great jazz albums for people new to jazz, but I'm truly astounded that you didn't include John Coltrane's A Love Supreme or even Giant Steps in your top ten. 😲 Do you have a video like this for blues albums? I'm curious to see what blues albums you'd recommend.
Regarding Coltrane, I think it's an important album but not one that would be a good choice for your first few jazz albums. It wasn't for me. In fact I really struggled with the Coltrane sound in general when I was starting out. If I did a review on 10 essential jazz landmarks or something of that nature, A Love Supreme would be there for sure. Haven't enough blues yet to do something like this.
It depends what people are already familiar with. For example, Coltrane can often appeal to people who like hard rock music. If someone asked me what top jazz albums I'd recommend to them, I'd ask them what genres of music they like and go from there. The list could be different for different people. @@ThePressingMatters
@@audiophileman7047 Oh for sure, my list was my own personal journey and I came from a rock background, yet I tried to choose easy albums, nothing too challenging. I understand some might find it too easy or even a bit bland. I've got to do a new video of this type that is for more experienced listeners, or focus on a specific aspect, classics, avant garde, or other specific niche.
I'm a little better than I used to be regarding Coltrane :-)
It's a good video and I'm listening to Chet right now. You're on the right track for future videos. When I was in college, I remember guys who loved metal and hard rock listening to jazz fusion. They introduced me too it. They knew Al DiMeola as much as they knew Black Sabbath. Fusion was the thing when it came to jazz at that time. Would like to see what your top picks would be for fusion jazz. @@ThePressingMatters
Good choices Scott, and very accessible ones at that, which is important to beginners. I tried to get someone into classical music once by playing Stravinsky, and they commented that the violin section sounds like they're nuts. I think it reminded them of the music in the film Psycho. Before the video I sort of figured Kind Of Blue would be in there. I didn't know what else. I thought maybe Blue Trane or Ballads by John Coltrane. If you had 15 choices I might have included Art Pepper & The Rhythm Section, Soul Station by Hank Mobley (I have that a copy, and it's not the cd!), and maybe Breaking Point by Freddie Hubbard. Maybe some Sonny Rollins and Dave Brubeck too. Some people who have shallow taste in my opinion like other Miles Davis albums better than Kind Of Blue; they like In A Silent Way or Nefertiti. Good albums but not his very best. I wouldn't smirk if someone nominated his Jack Johnson album as his best, although that might be more of a John McClaughlin album. One ranking site chose his Down On The Corner as his best album. I do think I started to get into that one, which is more than I can say for Bitches Brew. One guy said he finally "got" Bitches Brew on the 500th time he listened to it. That's a lot of time spent to see if the critics were right
My first Jazz albums that I bought new, were more Jazz Fusion:.. Tom Cat by Tom Scott & The L.A. Express and Tim Weisberg 4. I still use the track The Bruiser from the Weisberg album as my teat for evaluating bass definition.Tom Scott is looked at by some people as little more than a Kenny G. His music was pretty conventional and mainstream, but there's a long track on side 2 of Tom Cat that could singlehandedly quell that notion forever. He really explores and there's even some hot drum solos.Throughout the album Tom Scott and his electric guitarist Robben Ford often play notes in unison. Like a sax guitar. Both Scott and Ford play really sassy in unison on much of the album.
A lot of spectacular sounding Jazz records came out during the the half speed master/direct to disc era of the 1980s. You would think that audiophiles would be bonkers over out of print direct to disc lps from Sheffield Labs. Instead, good but not near as good, half speed master lps are the ones they seem to want more.
Yes, ten records went by so fast, I could have daily gone on and some of those you mentioned would be in my next batch.
@@ThePressingMatters You gave some good ones but were limited numbers wise. For original pressings that have amazing sound there's a Roland Kirk record that you wouldn't believe, and the music is totally unique and awesome too. I loved it on first listen, but I'm not a Jazz novice. There's a Freddie Hubbard recording too, that the sound just makes you sit up and listen.
I saw your advance preview of the Audio Technica AT 33 cartridge. They brought an old AT 32 design out of the mothballs. The shape and everything about it looks just like the old AT 32. Maybe they changed some things inside. The AT 32 was circa 1979 and was their top of the line cartridge. It got a good review by B.V. Pisha in Audio magazine, saying that it will have no trouble holding it's own against other top moving coil cartridges (of the day). He said it had a very fast rise time of 3 microseconds. I don't know if I've ever seen a figure like that. Most good moving magnet cartridges have a rise time of about 18 microseconds.
I had for many years, Audio Technica's next top of the line moving coil cartridge; the AT 35E., circa 1981. It was a small silver color cartridge, and the really unusual thing about it was that even though it was a moving coil cartridge; it had a user replaceable stylus. The nice Satin MC cartridges were like that too. It was a much slimmer, much lighter cartridge than the AT 32. It had particularly good focus and localization of instruments. It must have had really good phase response. It had a bit of a rising high end, which was predictable for MC cartridges back then. It did everything well but one thing. The tone colors were not very colorful and vivid. A Sumiko Talisman S (sapphire cantilever) was the cure after that with really wondrous tone colors and more warmth to boot. But not for long. There was an accident. I had to go back to using my AT 35E and I really hated it at first. I liked it more when my memory of the Talisman cartridge faded. It was more focused sounding though, but that was the only thing it did better.
Today I found a copy of The Jacques Loussier Trio Play Bach 5 in a local charity shop. I think this (and probably the others in the series) would qualify as an easy introduction too. It’s on the Decca label and cost me just £3, which may or may not be the normal rate for one of these records.
I have heard of that, I think I've even seen it in a thrift one time. Didn't know what it was. Thanks for the heads up!
@@ThePressingMatters Oddly, less than a week after finding that first one, I found Play Bach 2 yesterday having previously never known of the albums. I suppose this means I’ll have to be on the hunt for the remainder now, you know how it is 😀.
@@robertmorgan9205 what good fortune! How many are there?
@@ThePressingMatters I’d have to check but I seem to remember there being 5 of them.
Just given that Play Bach 2 a first listen and I’m very impressed with the sound quality. It’s a UK Decca narrow band (Stereo SKL 5023) so if you ever chanced on a copy I’d be interested to hear your opinion.
You can't go wrong with those 11 Scott. Nice choice. The only one I don't have is the Bill Evans, which pressing do you have?
I have the first AP reissue from way back. Good one, at 33.
Chet is a RSD 2023 title, that might be a good pick up
Hi Darren, yes I've heard it will be the mono, which could be even better. This Craft stereo edition is apparently available directly from Craft according to another comment. Either way, a must have!
Very nice selection! I have 7/11. I’ve been holding off on getting Evans Village Vanguard in the hopes an audiophile version is in print again. I’m hoping it gets reissued in the relaunch of the OJC series. 🤞🏻
That would be awesome, and its companion LP Waltz for Debbie. I have early AP 33s of those and a never opened One Step of Vanguard. When Abraxas skyrocketed, I held off opening it, instead very content with the AP. After all that's happened I don't know what to do with it! Thanks so much for watching and for your comment.
An interesting note, did you know that Musical Heritage Society (yes, that one) reissued both of the Vanguard records? I had them at one time. Pressings were actually very good! Jacket art was severely lacking as are the classical titles)
@@ThePressingMatters I did not know that. I’ll look them up.
How do you feel about free jazz?
So far I can't get into it. I'm collecting a lot of Blue Note and Impulse, Prestige and so forth but if it gets too crazy, I'm out! Lol
I don’t understand people who give thumbs down to some of the posts here. What’s going on? None of the posts are that controversial. Weird!
I don't see that on my end. Wouldn't they be highlighted? The symbol hasn't been activated unless it's black.
Sorry. I guess I’m stupid. I thought the squarish Simon to the right of the thumbs down was a thumbs down. Clearly it just indicates the number of responses. Live and learn!
@@ericlubow4354 Now, it's a mistake anyone could make :-)
I'm glad no one was doing that!
"InA Silent Way"_trumps, "Kind Of Blue" although Miles never made a bad record
Vasquez Jazz
This turned out great Scott. Great list! I know a few folks that might benefit from this presentation like my buddie @musictalkwithjohn 🎷
Great that's just who it is geared towards. Thanks for referring it to him! I appreciate that!