Jazz
 

Jazz. I must admit that by and large it ain't my thing.

However Moonie Junior is getting into the groove.

Any suggestions on essential jazz recordings for him?

I found this article: 10 Starter Albums for the Jazz Novice

Which I guess is a good start but I would like to mix in some more modern influences....

Tops on my essential jazz discs - Charles Mingus "Let My Children Hear Music"
Best track - "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive-Ass Slippers.

Complex, symphonic, multi-layered, but also tremendously entertaining and accessible.

One thing that might help make the association between jazz and modern music is Acid Jazz. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend any particular artists/albums/songs (other than US3's "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"

Otherwise, I am a bad resource as other than the classics, I don't know the names of the artists/songs.

I love older Jazz and Jazz Vocals. I'm by no means an expert but I have familiarity with the basics.

I liked this list quite a bit and I've highlighted my favorites:

1. Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis
2. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
3. Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus
4. Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk
5. Time Out - Dave Brubeck
6. The Blues & The Abstract Truth - Oliver Nelson
7. The Incredible Jazz Guitar - Wes Montgomery
8. Song For My Father - Horace Silver
9. Out To Lunch - Eric Dolphy
10. The Shape Of Jazz To Come - Ornette Coleman
11. Virtuoso - Joe Pass
12. Giant Steps - John Coltrane BUY IT NOW!
13. In A Silent Way - Miles Davis
14. Somethin' Else - Cannonball Adderley
15. Idle Moments - Grant Green
16. Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
17. Sax Colossus - Sonny Rollins
18. Speak No Evil - Wayne Shorter
19. Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra
20. Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
21. Birth Of The Cool - Miles Davis
22. Black Codes (From The Underground) - Wynton Marsalis
23. Conference Of The Birds - Dave Holland
24. Monk's Dream - Thelonius Monk
25. Bright Size Life - Pat Metheny
26. Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
27. My Favorite Things - John Coltrane
28. Milestones - Miles Davis
29. Percussion Bitter Sweet - Max Roach
30. Return To Forever - Chick Corea
31. Midnight Blue - Kenny Burrell
32. Birds Of Fire - Mahavishnu Orchestra
33. Go - Dexter Gordon
34. Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto BUY IT NOW!
35. And His Mother Called Him Bill - Duke Ellington
36. The Real McCoy - McCoy Tyner
37. Romantic Warrior - Return To Forever
38. Elegant Gypsy - Al DiMeola
39. Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
40. Moanin - Art Blakey
41. Night Hawk - Coleman Hawkins
42. Django - Modern Jazz Quartet
43. Now He Sings, Now He Sobs - Chick Corea
44. Spectrum - Billy Cobham
45. Supersonic Jazz - Sun Ra
46. Bird & Diz - Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie
47. Blue Train - John Coltrane
48. The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus
49. Mister Magic - Grover Washington Jr.
50. One Of A Kind - Bill Bruford
51. Bumpin' - Wes Montgomery
52. Miles Ahead - Miles Davis
53. Heavy Weather - Weather Report
54. Headhunters - Herbie Hancock
55. Where Have I Known You Before - Return To Forever
56. Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock
57. Cool Struttin' - Sonny Clark
58. The Great Summit - Duke Ellington/Louis Armstrong
59. Blues & Roots - Charles Mingus
60. Invitation To Openness - Les McCann
61. Rip, Rig & Panic - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
62. Soul Station - Hank Mobley
63. For Django - Joe Pass
64. Open Sesame - Freddie Hubbard
65. Hand Jive - John Scofield
66. Ezz-thetics - George Russell
67. Point Of Departure - Andrew Hill
68. Living Legend - Art Pepper
69. Byrd In Flight - Donald Byrd
70. Life Time - Tony Williams
71. Solo Flight - Charlie Christian
72. Takin' Off - Herbie Hancock
73. Karma - Pharoah Sanders
74. Back At The Chicken Shack - Jimmy Smith
75. Study In Brown - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
76. Black Unity - Pharoah Sanders
77. Breezin' - George Benson
78. Solo Guitar - Ted Greene
79. Gateway - Dave Holland
80. Electric Guitarist - John McLaughlin
81. Infinity - McCoy Tyner
82. Play - Mike Stern
83. The Far East Suite - Duke Ellington
84. We Free Kings - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
85. Timeless - John Abercrombie
86. Secret Story - Pat Metheny
87. Out Of The Cool - Gil Evans
88. Pure Desmond - Paul Desmond
89. Upfront - David Sanborn
90. Arbour Zena - Keith Jarrett
91. Blues Dream - Bill Frisell
92. Return - Bill Connors
93. Mosaic - Art Blakey
94. Unit Structure - Cecil Taylor
95. Crossing - Oregon
96. Snide Remarks - Bill Stewart
97. Thembi - Pharoah Sanders
98. Plays W. C. Handy - Louis Armstrong
99. Spaces - Larry Coryell
100. Unity - Larry Young


ALso, Django Reinhardt, Dave Brubeck Live at Oberlin, Fats Waller.

Vocals:
Diana Krall
Peggy Lee
Julie London
Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerals
Anita O'Day
Chet Baker
Etta James
Louis Prima / Keely Smith
Harry Connick Jr.
Alberta Hunter
Louis Jordan
Ruth Brown
Big Joe Turner

(I KNOW I'm missing some faves here)

Dave Brubeck Quartet "Time Out"
"Ellington '55"
Bill Evans "Complete Village Vanguard Recordings"

These are all amazing recordings.

Where's Jazzman when you need him? ;)

Yeah, I think he could probably shed some light on some newer stuff. I'm clearly and old woman when it comes to jazz - a COOL old woman. :D

Taking a slightly different side track:

Nostalgia 77, The Garden.

Early Amon Tobin.

One of my big loves right now is Nina Simone. She's wonderful.

Interestingly enough, I found some questionable items on Lisa's list, although not if you only go by her recommendations. Stick to them and you can't go wrong.

Personally, as far as modern artists, a few of my favorites are The Christian McBride Band, Diana Krall (who is simply amazing), Bela Fleck (jazz banjo mixed with a whole lot of other styles) and (at least his more recent stuff) trumpeter Chris Botti (his earlier offerings are a little on the "smooth" side and I'm more of a traditionalist.) I'm also partial to almost anything by Vince Guaraldi, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Charlie Mingus and Chick Corea.