jazz - where do i start?

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Does anyone have the 4 CD box set rerelease of Bitches Brew? I've decided I want to get it, and I'm wondering if the booklet and packaging are nice enough to make it worth buying the hard copy, or if I should save $15 and pick it up on iTunes (where--you've got to love it--it's sold as B*****s Brew).

 

If anyone is interested in jazz and literature, I recommend the journal Brilliant Corners. A former professor of mine is the founding editor, and he's the one who's taught me most everything I know about jazz. It's a great journal.

[markosis]

who died and made wynton marsaslis the authority on jazz?

 

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, to name a few...

[jff]

Does anyone have the 4 CD box set rerelease of Bitches Brew? I've decided I want to get it, and I'm wondering if the booklet and packaging are nice enough to make it worth buying the hard copy, or if I should save $15 and pick it up on iTunes (where--you've got to love it--it's sold as B*****s Brew).

 

I don't have that one, but I have looked at a few of the Miles box-sets, and I own the Jack Johnson box. From what I've seen, I think you will want the hard copy. The books and packaging are excellent.

[LouieB]

I don't have that one, but I have looked at a few of the Miles box-sets, and I own the Jack Johnson box. From what I've seen, I think you will want the hard copy. The books and packaging are excellent.

I have the Jack Johnson one also (nice quotes from Nels in the booklet by the way.) I have always liked JJ better than BB anyway and it includes a bunch of stuff that ended up on other LPs at a later time. It is interesting how they cobbled the original LP together.

 

Yea, Miles, Coltrane and Evans died..but not necessarily for Wynton's sins....

 

LouieB

[mountain bed]

I just wanted to bump this thread and say to anyone who cares at all about fusion GO and see Return to Forever if they're in your area. They played here in Indy tonight and smoked the place. Stanley Clarke took a few bass solos that were songs in themselves - he is still the gold standard imo. Al played like a demon all night. He made me not want to pick up a guitar again for a long time. Chick is still the man of consummate taste...

 

Really nice to see a 2200 seat theatre almost sold out - these guys haven't played together or made an album in 25 years, but the crowd was wildly enthusiastic. I guess folks are still starved for chops!

 

The second set was acoustic and was dedicated to Miles. I'm so glad I got to see this lineup - I missed the original go-round ( a tad too young) but I listened to those first records obsessively when I was in my early twenties.

 

Once again, they're in Columbus OH real soon, and a later leg of the tour (after Europe) will be on the East coast so go check 'em out.

[markosis]

I have to add that I was absolutely blessed to see Kenny Burrell perform in Bel Air last Tuesday. It was surely a treat to see a living legend in the flesh.

[Littlebear]

For me, it's Joni Mitchell's music that made me want to get into jazz. A few years ago, all I've ever loved was Billie Holiday. So I needed to know more, and purchased a lots of classics recommended by the specialists. Today I can make a Top 10.

 

Concerning instrumental jazz, I was especially impressed by Charlie Parker. I got my hands on the Rhino 2CDs compilation, Yardbird Suite, which is hard to find (but I was lucky to find it used, at reasonable price). The Dial and Savoy recordings are certainly recommended, if you don't find Yardbird Suite.

 

Other instrumental stuff I love: Louis Armstrong Hot 5 and Hot 7 Recordings, and Duke Ellington's Centennial Edition (a too short comp, but great to start with, I can attest!). Both were geniuses (Ellington being comparable to classic composers), and made a music full of charm and poetry.

 

After that, I fall for vocal jazz. I'm not crazy about Miles Davis nor John Coltrane, nor free jazz in genral, which is often tiresome for me. Give me vocal jazz anyday!

 

Here are some dear favorites:

 

Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (mentionned in page 3): it's the top. Just the sound of her voice opening "Lulllaby of Birdland" can make you cry. This recording is what art should always be: a miracle.

 

The Boswell Sisters: Shout, Sister, Shout! (CD living era): go back to the 30's! This is the best vocal girl band ever. Lots of creativity in rhythms and vocal harmonies. I'm not sure any girl band did better than that. And always the poetry of the swing era (like early Armstrong and Ellington).

 

Billie Holiday: Gold. I still plan to get some originals of her, but so far I keep listeing to this great 2 CDs compilation. She's not always THAT great on some recordings, her voice sometime is too much broken, but on say, half of the stuff, she's totally unique and moving, and always with great, great bands.

 

Peggy Lee: Black Coffee. Not many people may be aware of it, but Peggy Lee (mostly known for "Fever" or "It's a Good Day" or some Walt Disney songs) went close to perfection with the cool jazz album Black Coffee, in 1953 (adding other tracks in 1956). Splendid reissue from Verve.

 

Anita O'Day: maybe my favorite white female jazz singer (right after Connee Boswell of the Boswell Sisters). This movie made her famous: http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1V3n1u0JI8

 

I bought several albums, and my favourite is This Is Anita (1956).

 

Two other jazz singers I like a lot:

 

Lee Wiley: Night in manhattan (1950 - the collector's choice collection has it all entirely, with a great sound and original cover art inside)

 

Mildred Bailey: The Rocking Chair Lady (CD living era - mono recordings 1929-1947)

[LouieB]

Don't forget this....

 

It's nice to see Return to Forever get a revival. Fusion is a type of jazz that is in need of a re-evaluation.

 

They have certainly been barnstroming the midwest this weekend.

 

LouieB

[Littlebear]

Don't forget this....

 

LouieB

 

I paste some stuff I read from your link:

 

Unlike rock where you can pinpoint certain albums as important, jazz predates the LP era, but there are influential sides which constitute the first 50 years of its history. (History lesson: all music used to come as singles with one three-minute song on each side of a 78 RPM record.) There are certainly albums to mention, and even the most unaware rock fan knows at least two albums that are great by any standard: Kind of Blue by the Miles Davis Quintet and A Love Supreme by the John Coltrane Quartet. Both of these albums are must haves. There seems to be little more to say about them, with the first having Miles Davis and John Coltrane together with Bill Evans and Cannonball Adderley and the second being one of the great cohesive musical works by one of the great ensembles of all time.

 

The story of Miles Davis may be familiar to many rock fans, at least the major points: Miles cuts his teeth with Charlie

[quarter23cd]

Not to deny all these interesting observations and statements, but I have a little trouble with them nonetheless: when people start to read introductive books about jazz, and statements about Miles Davis and John Coltrane being "must haves", won't they be trying to hear what they read about them, instead of simply hearing them?

Definitely a worthwhile question. To put this in rock terms, I did not grow up with Dylan or the Beatles, but I did grow up aware of the mythology and hype surrounding them. When I finally got around to trying out the music, I found it nearly impossible to just hear the music. Is that what you're saying?

 

Getting back to jazz, there's no doubt that Miles and Trane are the most common entry points for most rock fans. That's how it was for me, too. (along with Monk and Mingus) In my case I really hadn't read much didn't know that much about the music when I began.(pre-internet, I guess) I only knew names ("check out this guy") and I went from there.

 

I suppose there is danger in labeling anything a "must have" and having people perceive it as the be-all, end-all of the genre. Certainly that's not the case, but I do think that it helps people who aren't familiar with the genre at all get an idea of what it's about.

[Littlebear]

Definitely a worthwhile question. To put this in rock terms, I did not grow up with Dylan or the Beatles, but I did grow up aware of the mythology and hype surrounding them. When I finally got around to trying out the music, I found it nearly impossible to just hear the music. Is that what you're saying?

 

That was a part of what I was saying, yes -- in my second language (I'm French), so sometime it's hard for me to put my thoughts and feelings clearly.

 

I suppose there is danger in labeling anything a "must have" and having people perceive it as the be-all, end-all of the genre. Certainly that's not the case, but I do think that it helps people who aren't familiar with the genre at all get an idea of what it's about.

 

There are so much things to hear beside the Beatles, the Stones and Dylan. And when we have heard many other things, we often observe the Beatles, the Stones and Dylan don't deserve to be more praised than the others.

 

And those who say the opposite have just read lots of books about Dylan, the Beatles and the Stones.

 

I can listen to many different records of many different artists in a row, and I hardly hear any clear superiority, at least not at every level. It's always a matter of world, sound, and if I have preferences, they're always affective, not rational. Rationality has few to do with music.

[LouieB]

Wow, okay.....sure.

 

The whole point of the article is that both Coltrane and Miles are great and they are the way MOST folks get into jazz, but clearly they are not the only way, nor are they the only thing people should listen to in jazz. How many times here when people talk about their favorite jazz artista are Trane and Miles like the only people that are mentioned. Hell, Miles got mentioned in my thread on the AACM (I am always up for talking about the AACM but I am nearly the only one) and somehow Miles' autobiography gets mantioned. Heck Miles didn't even like free jazz, in fact he hated it. (Side note again to Littlebear, you should read the AACM book for the rather extensive discussion on european jazz and the French reaction to the AACM; facinating reading.)

 

As for Dylan, we are grinding those wheels like crazy if you check out the threads currently in circulation. While I am honored you would quote me so extensively, somehow you didn't cut and paste all the other stuff I said about the myriad of musicans I crammed into 5000 words (not an entire book just a quick and dirty overview.)

 

Oh and yea, Coltrane is one of the greatest musicians in all of jazz, I don't think anyone who has listened to him extensively can deny that (well some have and I mention those too), but his influence on modern jazz can't be diminished. Miles on the other hand I think is a mixed blessing, but certainly influenced rock maybe more than anyone. And again the point of the article is that Miles and Trane are a major entry point for most rock fans getting into jazz. But if you read my lists they are not even mentioned (something my editor at GloNo didn't quite understand. My list of other figures of note is certainly not exhaustive, but it is far large and varied in both time periods and types of jazz. (Also if you read the comments I was correctly taken to task for not putting more emphasis on Charlie Parker.) Meanwhile the general public still buys copies of Kind of Blue and Love Supreme in the thousands per week, a feat that is unmatched by any other jazz releases.

 

LouieB

[cooperissup3r]

Kind of Blue is a great place to start. (Miles Davis).

[LouieB]

Kind of Blue is a great place to start. (Miles Davis).

Yea, really..why not. It has some of the greatest musicians in the entire history of jazz and the tunes are great. There was a pretty good book about the making of it a few years back. Definitely worth the read.

 

LouieB

[Littlebear]

I didn't realize LouieB wrote that book!

 

Sorry for having sounded tough, I was just expressing a personal feeling I had while reading some stuff I quoted from the link.

 

Readings are important, it's useful to learn a lot of things.

 

Still, I think my question is interesting, about being influenced, etc...

[Littlebear]

Still from the link above, here's a list of 20 items by LouieB:

 

1. King Oliver - Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings (Archeophone, $30.49, 2CD)

2. Louis Armstrong - 25 Greatest Hot Fives & Sevens ($11.98)

3. Jelly Roll Morton - Birth of the Hot: The Classic Chicago "Red Hot Peppers" Sessions 1926-27 (RCA, $11.98)

4. Bix Biederbecke - Volume 1: Singin' the Blues (Columbia, $6.97)

5. Artie Shaw - Personal Best: The Bluebird / Victor Years (1938-45) (out of print, available used from $9.12)

6. Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday (Columbia, $15.97, 2CD)

7. Duke Ellington - The Best Of The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition (RCA, $11.98)

8. Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings ($18.99, 3CD)

9. Charlie Parker - Best of The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings ($11.97)

10. Bill Evans - The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 ($14.99, 3CD)

11. Thelonious Monk - The Complete Blue Note Recordings ($55.98, 4CD)

12. Clifford Brown & Max Roach ($14.99)

13. Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, $8.97)

14. Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic, $8.97)

15. Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (Blue Note, $7.97)

16. Charlie Christian - Genius of the Electric Guitar (import, $15.99)

17. Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus ($10.99)

18. Andrew Hill - Point of Departure (Blue Note, $7.97)

19. Django Reinhart - Hot Club of France ($16.98)

20. Albert Ayler - Live In Greenwich Village: The Complete Impulse Recordings ($19.98, 2CD)

 

I put in blue those I already have. For Monk, I have two originals (Brilliant Corners & Monk's Dream), for Parker, Holiday and Armstrong, different compilations (I recommend the Armstrong Columbia/Legacy one, great sound and lovely package).

 

Funnily enough, I still don't know well Django Reinhart's stuff. That shows that being of the same country doesn't necessarily help if you don't buy the CDs!

 

PS: Miles Davis and John Coltrane aren't there cause LouieB supposes everybody has Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme already.

 

BUT I'm not sure of that at all! When I started to get into jazz, I had to purchase Davis and Coltrane as every other (as I said above, I only had a Billie Holiday comp).

[LouieB]

I didn't realize LouieB wrote that book!

 

Sorry for having sounded tough, I was just expressing a personal feeling I had while reading some stuff I quoted from the link.

 

Readings are important, it's useful to learn a lot of things.

 

Still, I think my question is interesting, about being influenced, etc...

Didn't bother me a bit. I was in fact agreeing with you. I do get tired of hearing about Trane and Miles like they are the only figures of note in jazz. They are certainly towering figures in "modern jazz" but there are many more in the entire history of jazz that should be paid attention to.

 

LouieB

[Littlebear]

Oh, and it's not a book, but just an article. Oh well.

 

Let's swing.

[mfwahl]

Richard "Groove" Holmes, is a great organist, and some of his early recordings, feature a young Pat Martino on guitar.

His stuff with guitarist Boogaloo Joe Jones is pretty hip, too.

[uwmryan]

[LouieB]

Oh, and it's not a book, but just an article. Oh well.

 

Let's swing.

Actually the longer list was my original list. The GloNo folks insisted I do a list with single or double albums rather than sets, so that is what I came up with. The last four or so selections could be subsituted for about a hundred other single albums, but I figured those were pretty good. I was trying to make the point that listening to jazz isn't as shallow as finding one or two albums that is representative.

 

LouieB

[markosis]

I implore everyone to try to uncover some Duke Ellington piano recordings, particularly these:

They are a great look at a true master, not only a master composer and arranger, but a master pianist. Check them out.

[WaronWar]

I've heard good things about "Piano Reflections" and I am most likely going to buy it hopefully this summer.

[LouieB]

I suppose I should post this under the stuff to do in Chicago thread, but I am constantly amazed by how much great music is available to us Chicagoans. The Hyde Park Jazz Fest is bigger and better (I have never been so maybe this year) with tons of great local jazz talent including Niki Mitchell, Fred Anderson, Reginald Robininson, Willie Pickens etc. Check it out.

 

LouieB

 

Hyde Park Jazz Festival expands roster, venues

By Howard Reich | Tribune critic

June 25, 2008

Ragtime piano virtuoso Reginald Robinson, avant-garde flutist Nicole Mitchell and tenor saxophone icon Fred Anderson will headline an expanded version of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival.

 

The second annual event will start at noon Sept. 27 and run until 2 a.m., with performances unfolding in multiple settings, indoors and out, across the neighborhood.

 

Last year's debut event attracted overflow crowds (more than 5,000 attended), prompting festival planners to expand this year's roster to 29 artists from 15. In addition, several new venues have been added.

 

"We're trying to spread out the festival, with more artists in more venues, so it doesn't get overcrowded," says Carolyn Albritton, music producer of the event since its inception. "We have the schedule set up so that someone is starting a new set, somewhere, every 30 minutes."

 

Like last year, all the shows will be free, and free shuttle buses will take listeners to performance destinations (though many are within walking distance of one another).

 

The event is produced by the Hyde Park Cultural Alliance, the University of Chicago and the Hyde Park Jazz Society.

 

The new venues are Little Black Pearl, at 1060 E. 47th St.; Experimental Station, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave.; Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.; and International House, 1414 E. 59th St.

 

Several of last year's venues again will present festival events: DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl.; Oriental Institute, 1155 E. 58th St.; Quadrangle Club, 1155 E. 57th St.; Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave.; Checkerboard Lounge, 5201 S. Harper Ct.; Robie House, 5757 S. Woodlawn Ave.; Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave.; and the Midway Plaisance, on 59th Street, between Ellis and Woodlawn Avenues.

 

Following is the complete schedule:

 

Noon: Jazz Institute Jazz Links Ensemble (DuSable Museum).

 

1 p.m.: Reginald Robinson (DuSable Museum); M.A.D.D. Rhythms (Midway Plaisance); Bethany Pickens (Little Black Pearl).

 

2 p.m.: Henry Johnson (DuSable Museum); Nicole Mitchell (Smart Museum).

 

2:30 p.m.: Zach Brock (Quadrangle Club); Ron Haynes (Little Black Pearl).

 

3 p.m.: Fred Anderson (Hyde Park Art Center); Chicago Jazz Orchestra (Midway Plaisance).

 

3:30 p.m.: Robert Irving, III (Smart Museum).

 

4 p.m.: Ari Brown (Quadrangle Club); Two for Brazil and Grazyna Auguscik (Robie House).

 

4:30 p.m.: Corey Wilkes and Kahil El'Zabar (Hyde Park Art Center).

 

5 p.m.: Charlie Johnson (Midway Plaisance); Maggie Brown (Experimental Station).

 

6 p.m.: U. of C. High School Lab Band (Oriental Institute).

 

6:30 p.m.: Khari B (Experimental Station); Greg Spero (Checkerboard Lounge).

 

7 p.m.: Dee Alexander (Rockefeller Memorial Chapel); Peter Lerner (Oriental Institute); Edwin Sanchez (Midway Plaisance); John Wright (International House).

 

8 p.m.: Joan Collaso and Larry Hanks (Checkerboard Lounge).

 

8:30 p.m.: Orbert Davis (International House).

 

9 p.m.: Sax in the City (Midway Plaisance).

 

9:30 p.m.: Willie Pickens (Checkerboard Lounge).

 

10 p.m.: The Greatest Guitars, with Henry Johnson, Curtis Robinson and Buddy Fambro (International House).

 

Midnight: Midnight Slam Jam (International House).

 

For more information, visit hydeparkjazzfestival.org

[calvino]

Definitely looking forward to this years Hyde Park Jazz Fest. Last year was indeed great. I live in Hyde Park and it was great to see an influx of people coming down to the South Side to enjoy the music. I was hoping for the great turn out and it surpassed my expectations. A person who is involved with the booking and p.r. for the fest lives on my floor and she was beaming for a month afterwards, last year.

 

Last year one of the last events at the Art Center had to stop letting people in before the show started because they reached capacity, so they opened all the windows and doors so the people along the sidewalk and street could listen and watch. It was pretty impressive.

 

Its great that got Fred Anderson to play down here this year, definitely looking forward to that.

 

It's going to be a bit like lollapalooza this year. Nicole Mitchel is playing at 2 at the Smart Museum and Fred A. is playing at the Art Center at 3pm, which is a bit away...Choices...Choices....kinda like the whole Wilco/Rage against the Machine conflict. Though seeing Wilco is a no brainer, I was kinda looking forward to see Rage against the Machine, since I never saw them live before. (sorry for the off topic blurb, here)