Jazz is the original and true American art form. Its development over the years tells a great deal about the country’s past and present. This is not an attempt to sum up the history of jazz and its correlation to American history; it is merely a list of must-have albums by some of the genre’s most notable icons. Like other genres, the name is general and can refer to many types of music. And like other genres, there are good and bad artists, albums, and sub-genres; you need to know what era of jazz you like most and who the key players are from that era. I’m chiefly a bebop fan myself, so you’ll notice fast tempo and musical mastery in improvisation, and some musical mode changes throughout the albums listed below. If you know a thing or two about jazz, these will already be in your library (at least they should be). If you don’t know enough, and want to get into it, I strongly suggest you look for these records (listed in order of year released):
- Erroll Garner’s The Elf (1945): This album features a number of jazz standards played so rhythmically and eloquently. Listen to this on a walk through town and you will instantly be living in a Woody Allen movie. It’s romantic and timeless. I quite like “Stardust,” “Confessin’,” and “All Of Me.”
- Thelonious Monk’s Alone in San Francisco (1959): A solo recording of Monk’s amazing piano. It puzzling to me that he seemingly plays the wrong notes at times and still manages to sound so good; his compositions are brilliant and unpredictable. My favourites are “Ruby My Dear,” “Everything Happens to me,” and “Reflections.”
- Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue (1959): This is the best-selling jazz album of all time, and one of the greatest records of any genre in the last century. The meditative mood this album evokes is of a blues nature, and is highly sophisticated and—I hate to use this word, but—loungy. It’s hard to name favourites from an album that plays so well from beginning to end, but “Freddie Freeloader” and “All Blues” are my picks.
- Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Time Out (1959—great year for jazz): This experimental record employs some eccentric musical times, and does it so effortlessly that you won’t even notice. The songs are cleanly and beautifully composed. Check out “Blue Rondo A La Turk,” “Take Five,” and “Kathy’s Waltz.”
- John Coltrane’s Giant Steps (1960): An obvious choice and one of the most recognized jazz albums in history. It’s impossibly upbeat in parts, and mellow in others. Melodic and chaotic all at once. Coltrane’s saxophone skills, particularly in the title track, are awe-inspiring. My favourites here are “Giant Steps,” “Mr. PC,” and “Naima.”
- Hank Mobley’s Soul Station (1960): Another talented saxophonist with great moving rhythm. As the album title would suggest, this is a soulful and yet dark recording. Check out “Remember,” “Dig Dis,” and “If I Should Lose you.”
- Grant Green’s Green Street (1961): This ominous sounding album is arguably Green’s best. The guitar skills heard here are impeccable and boast the signature Grant Green punchy tone. The must-hears on this recording are “No. 1 Green Street,” “’Round About Midnight,” and “Alone With You.”
- Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron’s Night and the City (1996): Never have two instruments sounded so rich and layered. This slow tempo live recording of Haden’s bass and Barron’s piano is hauntingly beautiful. My favourites on this album are “Twilight Song” and “Spring is Here.”
The list can very well go on and on, but I will stop here so not to ramble and bore you. I will be looking forward to more jazz talk in the future, as well as wrapping up the year in music releases; it’s been great so far, and there’s still more to come. Until then…
