New to Jazz, so What Do You Recommend?

Question

So, if you were just starting out to listening to jazz, what would recommend?

Can you name different styles and artists/songs that best represent it, can you give the best of the best or anything?

Help is appreciated.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Lots of good recommendations here. A great consensus on Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Coltrane can get a little weird, especially when he improvises and was strung out on heroin.

David Burns did a great anthology on Jazz for documentary. You might enjoy watching it along with the soundtrack.

Nina Simone is one of my favorites as well.

Dave Brubeck's song, Take 5, you might recognize and is a great mathmatical and rythmic piece.

Dianna Krall is newer but sings some of the great old song book stuff, and she is hot but sings with the earthiness of Billy Holiday and the clarity of Ella Fitzgerald.

Dinnae Reeves did the sound track for "Good Night and Good Luck" and it is a fabulous compilation of what you people consider jazz. Some of it is recognizable other songs are unknown but wonderful to listen to.

Have fun, Jazz is such fun music to explore.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

There were a couple of great answers, but I don't have the money to buy a whole lotta albums.

Thanks for name checking and telling me what they might sound like. Sounds good, definitely have to work with it.

Answer 2

Jason mraz! hes awesome

Answer 3

Try artist like Bob James, Pat Metheny, Liz Wright, Joe Sample, Nancy Wilson, Andy Bey, if u would like to get a little heavy try Miles, Coltrane, Hancock, Duke, Clarke, Corea, Kenny Garrett, Weather Report, Doug and Jean Carn.

Answer 4

These albums that I am suggesting are easy to like. Yes, Charlie Parker and Dizzy were great, but not for beginners. These albums are perfect for all listeners, and they are all jazz classics.

Miles Davis Kind of Blue album. It's a great album for a beginner, and it's great even if you've heard a whole lot of jazz. Get it.

Thelonious Monk is another great and important master of jazz. I suggest that you start out with the Monk's Dream album.Monk swings the hardest of any jazz musician, in my little opinion.

Roland Kirk's album , The Inflated Tear really turned me onto jazz. I still enjoy it and respect it.

Grant Green's Matador album is a great album, centered around the guitar playing, although McCoy Tyner is at his best (piano player from Coltrane's band). It's another great album that's easy to like.

Wayne Shorter's album Speak No Evil is a great album that you really have to hear. I can't even talk about it. The whole band is amazing.

Herbie Hancock's album, Maiden Voyage is another great and easy to like album. Freddie Hubbard is at his best through the whole album (on trumpet, fluglehorn). It's a concept album, and it really does flow like the sea, as Herbie intended it to.

Horace Silver plays piano with soul. The songs are great and so is the band. Everything works on this album called Song For My father. It's another easy to like album too.

Please trust these suggestions. These are classic albums. They are accessible to any listener. These albums are the best place to start with. I know what I'm talking about.

PS-You can check out accurate reviews of these albums at http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql…

Answer 5

the hard core jazzers will recommend the oldies.

but oldies is only a reference of the roots.

the actual jazz is good .
i recommend You smooth jazz.
like...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvNVBGtB9…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SHwdsPgR…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BZxyyNHi…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyMfYYSZ0…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMStRERJN…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu5wz_8yt…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xp3snTqh…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=180W3_cJI…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkxjkPj4F…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt1ubSiAp…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weoGpyvIq…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSECQtF58…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qi3TTMWo…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12GpDr1As…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMbCeM0Ro…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j46YrtG5W…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4fbD0YBS…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-a_cCBzX…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wbGYHwIt…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F2a_GkLz…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jreJ3m1MD…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGXjqpDYW…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNX3JVFHA…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ClB2ljxZ…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrgP1u5YW…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxs2nRekH…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK2ABpZ4F…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUDshT19j…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPmbT5XC-…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaxkSA49s…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QypA69wJT…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSECQtF58…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5-P9W8kE…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Eruhcvv…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX_7DmnAp…

and The Grand Finale...
The Father of the Jazz..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My9B4uQYJ…

Source(s):

Amateur Jazz Piano player my self.
not prejudistic at all...only music loving.
who ever in the whole world and in any years,making good
POP jazz ,count on me.
or better yet.....
in the bucket of jazz...pitch me in.

Answer 6

Well, first of all, don't expect to be an aficionado overnight. It takes years of listening and understanding to become a true jazz fan. Stay away from the 'smooth jazz' crap that they play on commercial radio - that is not real jazz. Listen to jazz stations that broadcast down in the 88 to 92 MHz frequencies, like NPR. There are lots of really great jazz stations in those frequencies in many cities across the country.

Now, if someone says to me that they want to get into jazz, I suggest the following recordings:

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Giant Steps - John Coltrane
Waltz for Debby - Bill Evans
Take Five - Dave Brubeck
Duke Ellington - Live at Newport 1956
Count Basie - Basie Straight Ahead
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um

That's a good start. Next, read the liner notes and credits from these albums and buy albums with these sidemen as leaders. For example, Cannonball Adderley from Kind of Blue or Wynton Kelly from Giant Steps. Most of what I know about jazz (and other genres) recordings is what I read from liner notes.

Also, go to AllMusic.com and spend a few hours looking around at different key artists and recordings. Sometimes, I get lost for hours browsing through that website - it is the best.

I can't emphasize more about listening to the real thing. Anything worth doing is worth doing right, agreed?

Answer 7

Everyone has different tastes in music, including jazz... I would recommend you either research online websites about the history of jazz and then download some of the famous songs to see what you like... Another great idea would be to visit your local library since most libraries have quite a few CDs you can take out.

Here are some famous jazz artists I enjoy....
Scott Joplin (piano music, early jazz, ragtime)
Louis Armstrong (voice, trumpet)
Dizzy Gillespie (saxophone)
Miles Davis (trumpet)
Count Basie
Duke Ellington (piano & big-band style)
.. etc.. and a ton more.. thats just to get you started

Answer 8

Pat Metheny Group
Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Buddy Rich Big Band

Answer 9

nothing!!!!!
its sucks
well not good.

Answer 10

Lee Ritenour
David Benoit
Dave Grusin
Jim Chapell

Answer 11

Anything by:
Miles Davis
Charlie Parker
John Coltrane

For vocals go with :
Billy Holiday
Sarah Vaughn
Ella Fitgerald

Source(s):

That'll get you started

Answer 12

Try listening to Michael Buble.. He covers a lot of Jazz music, plus he's about 26 and kinda cute.. :]

Source(s):

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

Answer 13

Dave Koz.
Sade.
Kenny G.

Answer 14

Hi there,

Go to itunes and listen to samples that people have suggested before you make purchase.
Also check out the radio stations in itunes.

Best of luck,
Paul

Answer 15

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Billy Cobham - Spectrum (pretty heavy)
Wes Montgomery - Youtube :P
John Coltrane
John Mclaughlin - Industrial Zen (very heavy)
Stanley Clarke - Journey to love

if you like rock style stuff perhaps also check out some Jeff Beck (youtube - Crossroads 2007 Jeff Beck - theres some quality stuff there :] ) also Steve Vai and Joe Satriani... pretty much Instrumental Rock more-so than Jazz but still, Jazz influenced.


and lol@kenny G, always makes me think of that scene in Waynes World with garth in the dentist chair :]

Hope you like some of what I've said...
Took me a while to get into jazz... then again, I'm only 16 which is apparently young :-s

Answer 16

use google much better then yahooA

Answer 17

Jazz is an interpetation. U have 2 rely on what ur feeling at that moment. Here is a few of my favorite artist.
Spyro Gyro
John Coltrane
Pat Metheny Group
Weather Report
Marcus Miller
Staney Clarke
Kirk Whalum