All That Jazz: The All-Purpose Jazz Thread

[Adam Crocker]

I'm looking the bulk up my jazz selection in my music collection a bit and am specifically looking at work by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Coleman Hawkins. I'm specifically asking about these artists because I am interested in them, but I can't make heads or tails of their large discography (laden with reissues as it is) so I don't know where to start. (With Miles, 'Trane, and artists closer to the LP era its a bit easier to identify albums and such.) So I'm asking what works by them that are out there that are worth checking out. I'm willing to get a good compilation, though usually I'm an album man, though I'm not sure how much that format applies to many of these musicians. Your suggestions will be much appreciated.

[Punchy]

Unfortunately those guys put out so much work on smaller record labels and on singles, there really aren't specific albums of theirs available. So we mostly have compilations and retrospectives. Gillespie has a lot of work from the late 50s on that you can buy albums of, but his best stuff is before that.

I find in the case of bebop that this isn't a bad thing. I, like you, much prefer albums. But our idea of an album (a body of material representing a singular idea or period of time for the artist) doesn't really apply to bebop. I'm not sure any of their work in the 40s was even released on LP.

My advice for you would be to buy a two or three disc set of their complete works on a certain label. For example there are sets available of Charlie Parker's complete recordings for Dial, Savoy, Verve, etc. I have a good one from Gillespie, his complete RCA/Victor recordings.

There are also live recordings which you might prefer since they were usually recorded from one concert or club engagement.

Other than that here are some good records to check out. Most of the re-releases include alternate takes, extras, etc:

The Quintet (Parker, Gillespie, Mingus, Roach, and Powell) Jazz at Massey Hall
Charlie Parker Charlie Parker With Strings
Dizzy Gillespie Something Old/Something New
Dizzy Gillespie Sonny Side Up

[Adam Crocker]

Thanks Punchy. I suspected that the album didn't really apply to these guys. I'll be sure to check out the compilations out there as well as the CDs you reccommended.

[Super Macho Man]

Which is the better genre of music?

[literally exaggerated]

Jazz. J-pop doesn't just blow, its highly derivative of stuff which blew in the first place. Jazz basically lead to a lot of modern music, plus it has a ton of fantastic musicianship.

[d00m]

Theres nothing to debate here... jazz absolutely blows j pop out of the water man!

(though I do enjoy the Pillows and the 5.6.7.8.s ;)) but theres just no comparison.

[Sanagi]

There are J-Pop songs I like, but it's pop music, which is almost by definition a more limited genre than jazz.

That's as long as we're generalizing, of course. Genre is illusionary.

[Punchy]

I hate categorization too but is this even a legitimate question? GEEZ!

[Adam Crocker]

I hate categorization too but is this even a legitimate question? GEEZ!

That's what I was going to say, but I then I realised that I didn't have an appropriate response for what obviously must be a joke thread.

But the REAL question is, what is more evil? Norwegian Death Metal or J-Pop? :evilsmile

[The Defenestrator]

I feel J-Pop is more ironic when bludgeoning a person to death with a brick or shoe, but Jazz stylistically matches strangulation and asphyxiation better.

:evilsmile

[Rob H]

Many Jazz fans here?

I haven't heard much but I've got a bit....

My brother gave me a Charlie "Bird" Parker album when I was quite young and that kinda paved the way for my interest. I went with Miles Davis' "If I were A Bell" back towards the beginning of high school and didn't care for it all that much. A year or so ago, I picked up Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" which was fantastic. Eventually branched out to a couple of other artists; John Zorn(didn't do all that much for me but Naked City rocks) and Frank Zappa(I guess you can call him jazz). I've just recently picked up Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" which kicks major arse.

I know there're a few Miles Davis fans out there. What're you into?

[Jonathan Bogart]

My favorite period of jazz is from its slow development through ragtime and whorehouse party music to the rise of bop in the late thirties and forties. Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Sidney Bechet, Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti, Eubie Sissle. I especially like the edges of early jazz, where it fades into show music (as with George Gershwin or Ethel Waters), or blues (as with Bessie Smith or Pinetop Perkins), or country (as with Bob Wills or the Mississippi Sheiks).

I love early jazz because it has the same youthful energy, the same something-to-prove attitude and joy in its ability to express it, that characterizes early rock & roll, the rock explosion of the late sixties, and punk.

I'm pretty familiar with the rest of jazz history, but it's a whole different kind of appreciation, less pop thrill and more disciplined listening.

[Rob H]

Out of the names listed, I've heard some Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong. I've always wanted to give Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and a little more Coltrane a try. The only exposure I've ever had to Ella is Summertime and that was to play at my "Performance platform" class back at uni.

How does Jazz fade into Country? Maybe I should give Bob Wills and the Mississippi Sheiks a listen.

[estee]

I'm a big Be-Bop fan...Miles, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Jackie McLean, all those cats.

When I started listening I heard All Blues one day on the radio and had to have it. So I bought Kind of Blue. Right off the bat I had the finest jazz album ever made.

I'm sorta sliding into Fusion now, and Latin jazz too. Its all good.

[Valmore]

I'm a heretic, because I like the Big Band sound - Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Artie Shaw - stuff like that.