Top 10 (Instrumental) Jazz Starter Albums

Patrick’s Top 10 (Instrumental) Jazz Starter Albums

Thats right, this list is so jazzy; the title font is in Impact.  It took me a while to start listening to jazz, I mean I could usually appreciate it, I just never really had the urge to sit down and listen (Also a lot of jazz listeners aren’t exactly the most humble or unconceited of music fans).  But after listening to certain artists, (many of whom are on this list) i really found myself loving the openness of free jazz, as well as the more rhythmic side of the 50’s hard bop sound.  The following are a list of some of my favorites, as well as albums to check out if your ever interested in delving into the world of jazz. 

#10. Duke Ellington- Live at Newport (1956)

In 1956, Duke wasn’t exactly at the height of his career.  With the rise of bebop and the small group format came the decreasing popularity for many big bands.  So at the 3rd annual Newport Jazz Festival, Duke aimed to please.  Even he didn’t know how historic his set, and most notably Paul Gonsalves’ improvised 27 chorus sax solo on “Diminuendo…”, would soon become. This performance gave Duke some much needed success, a popularity he would maintain for the next twenty years.  This is a great introduction to “Big Bands” and a sheer masterclass in live improvisation.  As usual Duke closed the show with his  trademark line: "You are very beautiful, very sweet and we do love you madly.”  The same words apply nicely to this album as well.

Favorite Track: “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue”

#9. Charles Mingus- Mingus Ah Um (1959)

Charles Mingus is probably (Outside of maybe John Entwistle of “The Who” ) one of my favorite bass players ever.  He also happens to be one of the greatest composers in jazz history.  Go figure.  This record features many of Mingus’s best known songs, like the haunting wince of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”, to the bitter protest song “Fables of Faubus”.  The loose interplay and raw talent on this recording ensure they’ve never been played better.  This is a great jazz starter because the album itself is, in a way, a tribute to Mingus’s jazz ancestors.  The frenetic, and often beautiful, sounds of this album ensure its place as one of Jazz’s finest.

Favorite Track: “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”

#8. John Coltrane- Giant Steps (1959)

Coltrane had to be somewhere on this list, and I think his first, and most accessible, record is a great place to start.  This was the first time Coltrane composed every track on an album, but you wouldn’t know that at first listen.  The title track is so iconic, it has become a practice template for would-be sax aficionados, and a real improvisational proving ground for future tenor sax players.  In fact I would go so far as to say this may be THE jazz saxophone record, and a great place to get into Coltrane or the hard bop sound.  There's not much more I can say about this one that hasn’t already been said, just go check it out!

Favorite Track: “Giant Steps”

#7. Theolonius Monk- Brilliant Corners (1956) 

The “Corner”-stone (see what i did there) of post war American jazz, Brilliant Corners is a landmark album in the hard bop style.  It contains some of Monk’s most complex compositions, (a full take of the title track was never completed, the album track is pieced together from 3 separate sessions).  Saxophonist Ernie Henry apparently nearly had a mental breakdown due to its difficulty, and Monk’s desire for perfection.  It all makes for a thrilling, though unconventional, listen.  While not as easy to pick up and play as the rest of these albums, it rewards tenfold. 

Favorite Track: “Brilliant Corners”

#6. BadBadNotGood- BBNG2 (2012)

Probably the freshest jazz album released in years, BBNG2s tracks pay homage to hip-hop just as hip-hop has taken homage from jazz throughout its history.  The trio flirt the line between improvisational jams, and written composition. With just keyboards, bass, and drums on most of these tracks, the band manage to create a truly full and unique sound. This record can definitely be a transitional record into jazz for many hip-hop lovers as everyone from Tyler the Creator to Pharrell and Feist are covered. Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” builds for eight minutes until finally crashing down in an truly epic instrumental freakout, and its well worth it. The band's original compositions are a highpoint as well; with “UWM” being one of the best written songs they’ve released so far.  The fact that none of these guys was over 21 when this album was recorded should only make you feel slightly inadequate.

Favorite Track: “Flashing Lights”

#5. Herbie Hancock- Headhunters (1973)

An album rooted in Jazz, but with rhythms and instrumentation firmly planted in funk and R&B music; Herbie Hancock forged one of the best jazz fusion albums of his era (and probably ever) and finally brought the synthesizer into jazz music.  Though derided by jazz purists at the time, the album has held up extremely well and proved a major influence on many Hip/Hop, Funk, and Soul artists.  I mean, the band is just exceptional, Paul Jackson lays down the cool baseline grooves over Harvey Mason’s stellar drumming, while Bernie Maupin’s saxophone provides an excellent melodic counterpart to Hancock’s driving synth grooves.  An easily accessible album due to its funk and R&B influences, its perfect for fans of these genres to get a start.

Favorite Track: “Chameleon”

#4. Dave Brubeck- Time Out (1959)

The genius of Dave Brubeck’s Time Out (the first jazz album to go platinum), is that while it pushed boundaries as one of the most rhythmically diverse albums in jazz (9/8 and 5/4 are amongst its strange time signatures), it still remains so highly listenable, as though it were doing nothing impressive at all.  Brubeck’s highly experimental composing blends jazz into classical form, and even folk music, all the while being pulled together by Joe Morello’s exceptionally tight drumming.  It’s legacy as a coffeehouse staple betrays its overwhelming influence and quality.   

Favorite Track: “Time Out”

#3. Stan Getz & João Gilberto- Getz/Gilberto (1963)

While there are a few better picks for a first time jazz listener, and although it only places at #3, Getz/Gilberto is probably my favorite jazz record of all time.  Released during the early sixties Bossa Nova craze, Getz/Gilberto only heightened its popularity ten-fold.  Its fusion of jazz with Bossa Nova rhythms resulted in a world wide smash.  

 Everything from the colorful compositions, largely handled by Antonio Jobim, to the core duo of Getz’s seductive saxophone and Gilberto’s fantastic guitar rhythms, is handled with masterful energy and chemistry. Lead single “The Girl from Impanema” featuring vocals from Joao’s wife Astrud Gilberto, was a worldwide smash hit catapulting the duo to the top of the charts. It all combines brilliantly on the album, creating an effortlessly smooth listen throughout.  

Favorite Track: “Girl From Impanema”

#2. Miles Davis- Kind of Blue (1959)

There isn’t much I can write about Kind of Blue that hasn’t already been said thousands of times over, but i guess i can give it a shot (otherwise this entry would be pretty blank).  As one of the best selling and most highly acclaimed and influential jazz albums ever recorded, Miles Davis’s modal jazz classic: Kind of Blue, has the danger of becoming “over-hyped”.  Luckily the album has yet to disappoint (personally) and while i may prefer Davis’s In A Silent Way (1969), this is really THE album many point to for first time jazz listeners.  Why?  Well, for starters it contains one of the most stellar bands in jazz history comprised of fellow jazz legends John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Jimmy Cobb, amongst others.  That's not to say Miles is overshadowed, his genius is all over this album, from the compositions to the composing to the subtle key shifting solos. Smooth bass lines and gentle piano chords help to promote a relaxed feel that flows throughout the album.  Great for background music & great for closer listening, this albums is just, well…great.

Favorite Track: "So What"

#1. John Coltrane- A Love Supreme (1964)

Yeah I put two Coltrane albums on this list, sue me! Arguably the pinnacle of Coltrane’s tragically cut-short career, A Love Supreme is a monumental achievement in not only jazz, but music as a whole.  The final album recorded by Coltrane’s classic quartet line-up, the album also serves as a definitive statement of sorts.  It effortlessly melds his past innovations with his more current spirituality and offers a glimpse into what was yet to come from the prolific saxophonist.  The album comes in four parts, each part progressing the album's key themes of love and spirituality.  It’s excellently composed, and clocking in at just over thirty minutes; its not an incredibly arduous listen.  Coltrane’s solos burst with emotion but never grow self indulgent, and the quartet backs him up wonderfully.  I love the opening gong crash and following structural bass line that kick the album off, and of course the iconic chanting theme later in that part is beautifully haunting as well.  In the final movement, Coltrane performs a “wordless recitation” of a poem (included in the liner notes), with his sax.  I know that sounds dumb but the passion that pours out of every note really is breathtaking.  What makes this album so great is that for all its musical complexity and concept, it remains a thrilling yet accessible listen.     

Favorite Track: “Part 3: "Pursuance"/Part 4: “Psalm”'