jazz albums

ryanlikealion · #1 11-07-2009, 04:22 PM

Looking for ideas on Jazz albums to listen to. I already have Miles Davies' 'Kind of Blue' and Duke Ellington's 'Money Jungle.

Basically looking for drum inpiration - good use swing rhythms and good phrasing.

Thanks

bilkay · #2 11-07-2009, 05:50 PM

A good place to start might be Amazon. Search on band leaders names or drummers names, then listen to some of the sample tracks.

John Coltrane
Miles Davis
Dave Brubeck
Chick Corea
Herbie Hancock
Sonny Rollins
Lee Morgan
Art Blakey
Roy Haynes
Max Roach
Tony Williams
Bill Stewart
Well, you get the idea.

Steamer · #3 11-08-2009, 12:32 AM

con struct · #4 11-08-2009, 01:26 AM

Your thread inspired me to have a look at my collection of jazz CDs. It's not all that extensive, but here are the ones I grabbed, all with really great drumming:

Milestones - Miles Davis. Philly Joe Jones on drums.
Jacknife - Jackie McLean. Jack DeJohnette on drums.
The Freedom Rider - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. Art Blakey of course.
E.S.P. - Miles Davis' "second great quintet." Tony Williams on drums.
Max Roach + 4 - I'd forgotten that I had this, but it's Max Roach on drums so what more needs to be said.
Straight No Chaser - Thelonious Monk. Ben Riley is a great drummer, perfect for this music.
April In Paris - Count Basie and his Orchestra. Great band with Sonny Payne on drums.
In 'n Out - Joe Henderson. Elvin Jones on drums.
Our Thing - Joe Henderson, again (I love Joe Henderson.) Pete La Roca on drums. I don't know much about Pete La Roca, but this is a great record.

So these are the ones I pulled randomly. I'm pretty sure they're all available on Amazon, Ryan, and they're all really good jazz drumming albums.

Edit: You did specify swing, and this one just kills:

Village Vanguard Live Sessions - Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. Mel Lewis on drums. This live recording is amazing. Listen to how Mel Lewis swings the hell out of the opening tune. Way down in there!

wy yung · #5 11-08-2009, 02:44 AM

I find it incredibly hard to offer any album over another. IMO what you should do is begin reading through the bio's here at DW. Read about the various drummers and who they played for. Miles Davis is always a good place to begin. Learn who his drummers were and begin checking them out 1 by 1. Learn about the big band guys and do the same. Google Be Bop, Swing, Hard Bop, Cool Jazz, avant garde jazz, Dixieland, Free jazz, smooth jazz etc etc. Whatever.

Rather than mentioning any album, here are some drummers.
Zutty Singleton.
Big Sid Catlett.
Gene Krupa.
Buddy Rich.
Davey Tough.
Papa Jo Jones.
Philly Joe Jones.
Elvin Jones.
Adam Nausbaum.
Cosy Cole.
Mel Lewis.
Lionel Hampton.
Paul Motion.
Jimmy Cobb.
Tony Williams.
Brian Blade.
Jeff Watts.
Jack DeJohnette.
Kenny Claire.
Kenny Clark.
Max Roach.
Danny Richmond.

That should get you going.

bilkay · #6 11-08-2009, 03:24 AM

Dammit, Stan!!!

Bill Stewart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQuDAhMXwQA

Art Blakey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2je_TvW549E

Joe Morello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2je_TvW549E

More Bill Stewart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabbvsBLy1s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pRNZ...eature=related

Steamer · #7 11-08-2009, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilkay

Dammit, Stan!!!

Bill Stewart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQuDAhMXwQA

Art Blakey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2je_TvW549E

Joe Morello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2je_TvW549E

More Bill Stewart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabbvsBLy1s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pRNZ...eature=related

Ha! Ha! :}

Seriously here's my point Bill. Back when I was getting my jazz playing and listening skills together in the early 70's before later becoming a pro jazz player myself we [my peers} relied heavily on buying and listening to jazz record albums and going out and checking out all the live jazz we could which was pretty amazing when I think back on it in the day with what I saw. The odd tv spot was a good source for watching the players do their thing too. Mostly it was recordings but no faces to put with the sounds back then.

Now with fewer and fewer jazz clubs available globally YouTube has become a great archive resource of hearing and seeing the very musicians playing the music as it went down, that includes what's happening today in jazz ensemble music too. Not quite the same as seeing it done in a small club or on a concert stage but hey at least gets you in the right zone to see how it really came and comes together on stage for the music especially for watching carefully the drummer but I always suggest listening to and focusing on the whole group concept as a #1 listening/watching priority as well. SUPPORT live jazz by the way!

Nice clips too by the way........:}

con struct · #8 11-08-2009, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wy yung

I find it incredibly hard to offer any album over another.

So do I. But Ryan asked for names of albums so I just went up and grabbed a handful. My little list is in no way meant to represent the best of anything, it's just a list of ten really good jazz records. If you start trying to place one above the other, you know, to pick the best of the best, you'll drive yourself crazy!

Well, best of luck to you Ryan. By the way, I spent a wonderful memorable evening in Manchester once. What a night that was!

bilkay · #9 11-08-2009, 04:05 AM

I agree that youtube is a great resource. I only did a quick search to post some swinging, odd time, and interesting phrasing, and found some favorites to add here. Blakey, Morello, and Stewart provide inspiration for me, and from a drummer/drumming education perspective, well, they all have a lot to teach us. But jazz is a deep ocean, and there are so many great players, past and present, we could post for days and still only have a toe in the water.

Steamer · #10 11-08-2009, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilkay

I agree that youtube is a great resource. I only did a quick search to post some swinging, odd time, and interesting phrasing, and found some favorites to add here. Blakey, Morello, and Stewart provide inspiration for me, and from a drummer/drumming education perspective, well, they all have a lot to teach us. But jazz is a deep ocean, and there are so many great players, past and present, we could post for days and still only have a toe in the water.

Totally agree Bill...........

P.S. just remember folks to shut off the computer and go out and support LIVE jazz if you have the opportunity in your own town or nearby city. If you don't you may LOOSE that opportunity once and for all. It's MUCH different to actually experience this ensemble music in a real room with real acoustics... and yes real musicians in front of you performing it :}

wy yung · #11 11-08-2009, 04:12 AM

If only YouTube paid the rent................................ (sigh)

Steamer · #12 11-08-2009, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wy yung

If only YouTube paid the rent................................ (sigh)

Exactly part of the point I made in my add on comment wy yung.......

Combine YouTube jazz footage with supporting the REAL deal and the musicians playing it.

bilkay · #13 11-08-2009, 04:18 AM

I'm going to list some of my favorite jazz albums:

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers- Moanin'
Miles Davis- Nefertiti
Bill Bruford's Earthworks- A Part and Yet Apart
Hank Mobley- Soul Station
Chick Corea- Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Bill Stewart- Telepathy
Herbie Hancock- Maiden Voyage
Joey Calderazzo- Joey Calderazzo
Dave Brubeck Quartet- Take Five
Wayne Shorter- Speak No Evil
John McLaughlin- After the Rain
Jeff "Tain" Watts- Citizen Tain

Again, this is just a starting point with a couple of contemporary artists thrown in with some of my '50s/'60s favorites.

Pollyanna · #14 11-08-2009, 04:19 AM

If you're looking for something a bit easier to start with but that still has tasty swingy drumming Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive is a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGcJfSXLg-g