The Top 16 Jazz Albums I Own Post
16. "Moanin'" by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers15. "Live at Caesar's Palace" by the Buddy Rich Big Band
14. "These are the Vistas" by the Bad Plus
15. "Time Further Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
14. "Django" by the Modern Jazz Quartet
11. "Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet" by the Miles Davis Quintet
10. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
9. "Thelonius Monk Quartet and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall" by Thelonius Monk Quartet & John Coltrane
8. "Sketches of Spain" by Miles Davis
7. "Moodswing" by Joshua Redman Quartet
6. "At Carnegie Hall" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
5. "Mingus Ah Um" by Charles Mingus
Best Song - "Better Git it in Your Soul"
Why it's so great - It's the last jazz album I bought and a classic. I'm really into Mingus right now.
4. "Conversations with Myself" by Bill Evans
Best Song - "Love Theme from Spartacus"
Why it's so great - Revolutionary for its time, Evans plays three piano tracks (each amazingly played all in continuously from the begining of the song to the end), literally conversing with himself. I can't describe how beautiful Spartacus is. You just have to hear it.
3. "Getz and Gilberto" by Stan Getz and João Gilberto feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim
Best Song - "So Danco Samba" or "Girl from Ipanema" (original cut)
Why it's so great - Sung almost entirely in Portugese, I am absolutely captivated by the happy-go-lucky Brazillian guitar riffs by Jobim, Getz's saxaphone work, and Gilberto's smooth vocals. Getz makes love through his reed. It's as simple as that.
2. "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis
Best Song - "So What" or "Flamenco Sketches"
Why it's so great - This is the most epic album I own... perhaps the most epic jazz album ever. Miles is what makes Miles so great the entire album through. Evans shows his genius. The drums and bass are both perfect compliments. I listened to this album while falling asleep every night for a good three years, and it has become more of an extension of myself than simply an album.
1. "Time Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
Best Song - The Entire Album
Why it's so great - I do not exaggerate when I say that this album defined me as a musician for the better part of a year and still has a huge influence on my drumming and my thought on myusical theory. I first owned it in 7th grade, discovered it in 11th grade at the same time I first started to get to know Rebeckah, listened to it every day walking my school bus stop, on the bus, and all the way home after school - and after eating a snack, I'd sit down and drum my way through the entire album. Brubeck's experimentation with 3/4, 6/8, 5/4, 6/4, and 9/8 times on this album amazed and inspired me into being the time signature nerd I currently am. This is an album that both the nerdiest of nerd musician and someone who has somehow never even heard music can both listen to and enjoy.
You're missing out on a lot if you down own "Kind of Blue" and "Time Out," at very least. On Amazon.com you can buy the two albums for something like 15 bucks plus S&H for both. That's too good for your to pass up. Go buy them. Now.
posted by Michael @ 7:58 PM
Comments: 1
