My first five jazz LP's (not including kind of blue) were: Miles Davis 'Milestones', John Coltrane 'Blue Train', Sonny Rollins 'Saxophone Colossus', Charles Mingus 'Mingus Ah Um' and Kenny Burrell's 'Midnight Blue'. I bought 'Alfie' recently, it's superb.
My gateway into Jazz was Getz/Gilberto. It blew my mind I'd never heard anything like it so beautiful and easy to listen to. I also love anything by Blossom Dearie especially My Gentleman Friend. I also love Kenny Burrell Midnight Blue. Burrell also features on My Gentleman Friend. Those 3 are very accessible in my opinion.
Finally diving into your channel more Ken. Thanks for your knowledge man, Im having fun discovering albums and artists that I plead guilty to ignoring. Your vids are a great resource!
Thanks Ken. Great video to discover some artists. I like the no Blue Note approach and I like West Coast jazz too like Curtis Counce Group, Hampton Hawes. So thanks for you suggestions !
I have around 100 jazz albums on vinyl. I had 3 of these. Very informative. Can’t wait to hunt some of these down to add to my collection and improve my vocabulary.
Great list thank you! Giant Steps and Kind of Blue were my entry points as a teenager. I like how KOB takes you down the rabbit hole for Chambers, Coltrane, Adderley, and Evans. I think it's fun to introduce folks to the sequence of jazz evolution, with selections from big band, bop, hard bop, into the experimental stuff. And personally, as a guitarist, always include some guitar jazz like Hall, Green, Burrell, Scofield, and MacLaughlin. Cheers!
Just joined Ken, my dad raised me on jazz! I have many records you have shown in some videos. I inherited all my dads records, plus my own! I do not have a big collection, but all I have is very qualified & quality! Glad to be here & get ur take on LP's
Fortunately, the first Charlie Parker recordings that I ever heard was the "Bird Symbols" LP on the Charlie Parker label, which were the Dial recordings. His few tender ballads were there, as well as some great fast stuff. On first listen, the fast recordings were dazzling and puzzling but the ballads reeled me in. I was hooked.
If I told you how many times I have purged mass quantities either for cash or to make space...last year was hard, I comforted myself in vinyl buying. Careful with that credit card Eugene...
Kudos! Man, you know your stuff; I could listen to you all day educate the uninitiated. I have been collecting vinyl albums for over 40 years, have 8,000 records, know a shit-load about jazz, but am humbled by your ease and off-the-cuff expertise. All the best.
I’d probably go with accessible and famous/popular albums. Mingus Dynasty, Brilliant Corners, Jazz Messengers!!!!, Kind of Blue, Take Five, Stolen Moments and so on. Ie, the monster lps. That’s how I got started. It’s a bigger hook to bring you in. Giant Steps is perfect
Kind of Blue, for sure, but I personally think it's overrated. I'm trying to suggest something different and accessible, not the usual KOB, Brubeck, blah blah blah. Popular doesn't equate to brilliance when we're considering Miles. KOB is Miles' easy listening. Trane? Monk? Mose? Eddie Lock? Mobley? Not popular? Egads. Let's serve em up that usual white man's pablum, Brubeck. Oh, let's not. Though "Stolen Moments" or do you mean Blues and the Abstract Truth? Brilliant. And oddly enough, we neither mentioned the artist with two of the best selling jazz Lps of all time, Herbie Hancock.
yes, I meant Blues and the Abstract Truth. It's just that when you are a pop or rock fan for years, like I was, the popular (but brilliant ones) hooked me in. I had a vocal teacher who was a jazz singer and her boyfriend was a music professor and a jazz trumpeter. They gave me tons of suggestions but the popular ones did it. And these are brilliant lps. Mingus Ah Um and Dynasty got me hooked because of the varied shades including blues, gospel and then Brilliant Corners. I couldn't have gone much beyond. Now my personal favourites (beyond those previously mentioned - incl all Mingus and Monk) are Change of the Century, Conference of Birds, Workin', Milestones, Jazz Messengers!!!!, This is Our Music, Brown/Roach Quint, Braxton Montreaux/Berlin, any Bird and Bitches Brew. I can see you were trying to suggest unusual, overlooked etc and not too obvious.
there are different schools of thought I guess. Some people think "throw free jazz at them." Idiotic! I think the blues is a common denominator and everyone digs the blues, hence Eddie Lockjaw which is very accessible as is Mobley, etc. The only toughie in my group was Giant Steps maybe. I work at the Jazz Record Ctr here in nyc on weekends. I've never suggested Time Out, which is cold and sterile to me, or KOB , which puts me to sleep. I suggest the ones in my list and people sometimes come back for more. Again, popular does not always mean good. Myley Cyrus anyone?
Fabulous! Thank you. 13:47: Mel Lewis lived in LA 1957-mid 60's before moving to NYC and did many sessions. Most amazing during those years were the recordings with Terry Gibbs Dream Band live recordings (all the west coast session players of the day). The energy and rawness and you can hear Terry and Mel vocalizing and the crowd -- wow! Love this thank you Ken, so helpful!. (PS anyone wanting a good read on Mel Lewis - "View From Back of Band" by drummer Chris Smith).
Love your mentioning Shelly Manne. Incredible drummer. Way too underrated, One of the most innovative, creative, and swinging drummers ever. Another great Cotemporary recording is "Son of Gunn" (Shelly Manne and His Men Play More Music from Peter Gunn.) Cool tunes, and some really creative solos and fills by Shelly. Shelly was way ahead of his time in his approach to drums (IMHO). He could be very abstact and angular in his playing while at the same time swinging his tail off. What a drummer. One of the best ever. BTW, another recording I don't think I've ever seen reissued is "Manne That Gershwin." John Williams arrangements with a terrific large ensemble paired with performances by Shelly's small group at the time. Very cool recording.
Great list Ken and I am glad you went away from Blue Note for your list. There were several on your list I have never heard and Alfie...I can't tell you how many times I have lost that in eBay auctions. Shelly Manne really gets looked over and he has som great albums.
Thanks so much for the video, Ken. Just getting into Jazz and love your recommendations. I live in the UK so some of those excellent pressings maybe a bit harder to find over here, but I will do my best that my budget will allow. Thanks again.
great selection ken. i have most of those but have to find that monk album. sam records are great. that bud shank is one of my all time favorites!!! peacock, budimer, jones.. give me a break! love chicos albums especially with albert stinson... the magic trio : lafaro, stinson, peacock. shelly manne " boss sounds" with a burning frank strozier is also great on atlantic. i think volume 1 like you said is essential. i have to get rollins alfie, have been putting it off for too long. one of my favorites of all time is jack wilson easterly winds with all those great new york players. cant wait for your next twenty ken. great video!
Appreciate Your Suggestions! It's A Challenge To Find Exactly What I Enjoy Re-Jazz! BUT, You Help Bring Insight To Each Album You Suggest! Thanks! I Enjoy Your Equipment Reviews Too!
Really enjoyed this list, and a third of these I have not heard - I have some homework to do! The Hank Mobley is a Blue Note by the way, but that album is so good you can't pass it up. I would like to get a specific Basie recommendation and really looking forward to part two. Be well!
Obviously I know Mobley is on Blue Note. But I wanted to largely steer away from BLue Note as to place the focus elsewhere. Basie: That was a specific Basie recommendation these are great too: Atomic Swing (Roulette, 1958), String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960), Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (Impulse!, 1962), The Count! (Clef, 1952 [1955]), Basie Jazz (Clef, 1952 [1954]), Basie Rides Again! (Clef 1952 [1956]). Avoid the older Pablo material, good, but nowhere as exciting as the early days.
Ken Micallef Jazz Vinyl Lover .. also breakfast, dance and barbeque. a relaxed, roaring, live early morning hours recording done at a disk jockey convention.
Sure you’ve discovered this by now but in case not here goes. The Title is Les Liaisons Dangereux ( Dangerous Liaisons) and Monk wrote the soundtrack for Roger Vadim’s film of that name. Roger Vadim once being the husband of Brigitte Bardot and I think Jane Fonda. The original source of the story was a four volume novel written in 1642 and was turned into a play in the 60’s performed in the English West End and on Broadway. Hope this is of interest.
Jazzentials, as I'd refer to them. Although I'm not completely on the same bunch of records as you, I would, without doubt, recommend Mobley, Giant Steps, Porgy and Bess and Workin'/Relaxin'/Sleepin'/Steamin' too! Great music!
I love lists! Makes ya go back & listen to the records you have, and go check out the unfamiliar titles. You can always count on 50s/60s Blue Note & Prestige Titles. But don’t forget Verve, Cadet…and so many others. Plus, your favorite artist is likely a sideman on someone else’s great record. Like…Grant Green! It never ends…thus, always fun. Enjoy…
Neat choices. Never seen anyone recommend the fantastic “Alfie “ album before and you’re correct it is a great movie. Michael Caine excels in the title role. Shirley Scott , Grant Green , Ellington “ Far East Suite” it doesn’t have to be Blue Note all the time there’s a lot of great accessible jazz out there.
Loved Gabor Szabo. Both with Chico Hamilton and solo albums. Uniquely distinctive, instantly recognizable sound. One of a kind. --BTW, pronounced Gah-bor, AFAIK. --Like Zsa Zsa and Eva.
Some great selections on here especially Mose Allison. What about Cannonball Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' or Art Blakey's 'Moanin'. Great and accessible LPs.
Thanks for the recommendations! Always looking for jazz stuff to check our....and boy there's so much of it....Cuŕrently I'm digging Bill Evans/Jim Hall - intermodulation......Joe Pass' For Django should be on your next episode....it's a blinder!!!
HI Ken, watched a few of your vids and enjoyed um a lot, Into the early hrs here in Malta listening to "The jazz sides of miss D" a live album that Dinah Washington did in L.A. in 1954, have you ever heard it? the musicians are Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Herb Geller, Harold Land, Junior Mance, Richie Powell, Keter Betts, George Morrow and Max Roach, Great line-up a guy called Bob Shad introduces the ensemble on track one, its a big fav of mine and makes me feel like i am there in that small smoky Jazz club. Max roach is superb and a nice part is when Dinah wants Hogey Carmichael thrown out for messing up an intro to a song. sure you have heard it but if not well worth a listen, had it on vinyl once now only on c.d. Ciao from Al Malta.
Build a Jazz Collection of Bop & Post Bop is more like it. Before you get to this, you've got to understand Dizzy who led the way for everyone of the people you mentioned. If you wanna build anything, you have to have a foundation!
I saw Dizzy live in a club in South Central L.A. once, when the cab driver asked if I really wanted to go there. The only other white guy in the place was Tom Waits. True story. A very enjoyable second show of the night, indeed.
Unusual choices, respectfully. I get this question a lot as well and I usually ask the person what THEY think it sounds like or what they want it to sound like in their minds. I think people are generally drawn to Blue Notes because (besides the fact that they’re often great and the cover design is artful and trendy) they’ve seen similar images in other places (mainly hip hop) and it doesn’t seem dated. Also, that BN sound in the mind of someone who hasn’t heard a lot of jazz is what they think jazz is supposed to sound like- paired with a monochromatic image of a hip, well dressed horn player with sunglasses on in a smoky studio. It’s the stereotype of modern jazz. Anyway, I’d go with the greats through some different eras and wouldn’t yet suggest anything that they might think they have to “get” to “hear”. Armstrong Hot 5s and 7s in the 20’s, Basie, Lester and Billie Holiday on Columbia and Ellington classics in the 30’s, Bird and Dizzy on Savoy in the 40’s, Miles and Trane on Prestige and Blakey and Silver on Blue Note in the 50’s. Mobley and Morgan on Blue Note in the 60’s. Maybe some 60’s organ trios, or Django 30’s, Mingus Ah Um and Time Out, Getz Bossa, Sonny Side Up, Dexter One Flight Up, Bird with Strings etc. There are many branches that can grow in different directions from those great records and I’d say from there they could get a handle on what’s working and what isn’t. It’s all wonderful music but some won’t like the old sounds and others won’t like organs. Haha. You never know. But moving forward someone WILL start to know if they can get with Dolphy or Giant Steps or Ornette, Impulse, McLean, Ra etc. What they think they’re looking for, or think it sounds like is a good place to start until they learn what they really like and want to hear more of. Very quickly they won’t have to ask anyone else what to buy next... My two cents. 👌🏽🙏🏽
Marcelo, from my favorite country in the world, Brazil! remember Modern Record Shoppe in Rio? Loved that place. Thanks for your kind words 28,670 CDs!!!! man, start a youtube channel.
Ken Micalef ...with a name like that you've got to be a Scot like me ? (well maybe it's Mic rather than Mac ) ...anyhoo hearing your thoughts on the excellence of mono recordings makes me think of the difficulty I have of persuading some people of the beauty of black and white movies ( don't get me started on some folks resistance to subtitles ) .... a perfect example being the Polish movie Cold War .... absolutely lustrous b/w photography and wonderful music including some smoky jazz cellar scenes. Love your videos though my finances are being shot all to hell following up your recommendations Slainte ! Jim Glasgow.
That McCoy Tyner album is excellent but I think a better choice for this list would have been his "The Real McCoy" album. McCoy, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones, Ron Carter. Pure bliss.
Excellent presentation. Not the usual google-researched top starter albums! EDIT: Two relaxed albums I like are Duke Jordan "Flight to Jordan" on Blue Note and Gerry Mulligan "Night Lights" on Phillips.
Hey Ken, great stuff, watch all of your videos:) and thanks by the way for putting me on to Alfie, that record is just amazing. I’m curious, what are your thoughts on Eric Dolphy’s music, and Charles Mingus? .. Thanks again and greetings from Holland:)
What are some good jazz bass albums? I’ve played jazz guitar for a while, and recently I started branching out to other instruments, but bass is my main focus. I especially like more experimental and avant-garde jazz, but I enjoy all styles.
Wilbur Ware-anything he did. Cop the complete “Live at the Village Vanguard” series by Sonny Rollins-sry the standard for how a bass violinist could hold a rhythm section down without a pianist which is quite a feat since the harmony is implied by the interplay by the single lines of the soloist and the bass violinist. Check out some Dave Holland also if you want to get into some newer bass violinists. Happy listening!
School Days - Stanley Clarke Blow By Blow - Jeff Beck Birds Of Fire - Mahavshnu Orchestra Light As A Feather - Return To Forever Bitches Brew - Miles Davis Emergency - Tony Williams’s Lifetime Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock So many great choices. I’m certain that I have forgotten. I love John Coltrane so I could do a top ten of just his albums.
There were only 4 records in that Miles Davis Quintet series, and you named all 4 of them. They were recorded in 2 days (not 2 consecutive days, but in 2 sessions a couple of months apart). Also, according to Wikipedia, Alfie was recorded by Van Gelder in NJ. And it seems it was also mastered by him, at least the stereo version has VAN GELDER in the runout: www.discogs.com/Sonny-Rollins-Original-Music-From-The-Score-Alfie/release/1585843
Thanks for that informative knowledge and the corrections! Damn, should've checked the deadwax. Why did I think it was 5? TWO DAYS!!! holy toledo. Nuts.
Giant Steps is a great record but I prefer Blue Train. The songs are funkier and more fun and it has Lee Morgan. Giant Steps is technically impressive but it just doesn't swing as hard to my ears. I really like your choices though, results may vary!
And later...both volumes of “The State of the Tenor,” which coincidentally has been reissued, if I am not mistaken. By the way, if you like Henderson, check out the dates he was on with Kenny Dorham-great listening!
![Sean Rii, Karyon, Sharzkii - Taungule [My Love] (Official Visualizer)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eJoMuypbSzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Very interesting. Jazz has so many styles, something for everyone.
This is gold! So many great records to discover from this video. Thank you sir!
Thank you very much for this non standard jazz classic listing. I'll look into it.
Again, thanks for sharing your view, and greetings from Spain.
Just discovered your channel - great knowledge, enthusiasm and records - will be checking out the rest of your channel - thanks! Mark
My first five jazz LP's (not including kind of blue) were: Miles Davis 'Milestones', John Coltrane 'Blue Train', Sonny Rollins 'Saxophone Colossus', Charles Mingus 'Mingus Ah Um' and Kenny Burrell's 'Midnight Blue'.
I bought 'Alfie' recently, it's superb.
My gateway into Jazz was Getz/Gilberto. It blew my mind I'd never heard anything like it so beautiful and easy to listen to. I also love anything by Blossom Dearie especially My Gentleman Friend. I also love Kenny Burrell Midnight Blue. Burrell also features on My Gentleman Friend. Those 3 are very accessible in my opinion.
I keep coming back to this video to pickup a new album - love it
Finally diving into your channel more Ken. Thanks for your knowledge man, Im having fun discovering albums and artists that I plead guilty to ignoring. Your vids are a great resource!
Love the more esoteric hidden gem suggestions. That Hank Mobley is on master tape recording on 'Tidal'. So amazingly dynamic. Thanks much.
Great stuff love your passion n knowledge!!
Thanks for watching and the nice comment
I'm new to your channel and enjoying your videos.
I had never heard the Shelly Manne live albums but can't stop listening to them. Remarkable sound.
Thanks Ken. Great video to discover some artists. I like the no Blue Note approach and I like West Coast jazz too like Curtis Counce Group, Hampton Hawes. So thanks for you suggestions !
Some interesting fresh choices. I'll certainly look out for some of these. Cheers E
I have around 100 jazz albums on vinyl. I had 3 of these. Very informative. Can’t wait to hunt some of these down to add to my collection and improve my vocabulary.
Great list thank you! Giant Steps and Kind of Blue were my entry points as a teenager. I like how KOB takes you down the rabbit hole for Chambers, Coltrane, Adderley, and Evans. I think it's fun to introduce folks to the sequence of jazz evolution, with selections from big band, bop, hard bop, into the experimental stuff. And personally, as a guitarist, always include some guitar jazz like Hall, Green, Burrell, Scofield, and MacLaughlin. Cheers!
Another excellent video! Thank you sooo much for the tips. Really been enjoying your channel and all the info. Cheers
Just joined Ken, my dad raised me on jazz! I have many records you have shown in some videos. I inherited all my dads records, plus my own! I do not have a big collection, but all I have is very qualified & quality!
Glad to be here & get ur take on LP's
thank you and lucky you!
Ken, I’m snappin’ my fingers in appreciation. Nice job.
Nice job Ken, so many titles and grooves to try to squeeze in...
Thanks for this amazing dissertation, Ken. Planning to make a trip to the store and will be sure to say hi.
See ya then!
great record Shelly Manne ... thank you very much
Stanley Turrentine and Hank Mobley beautiful tone on the sax
great presentation...and totally agree with you about Art Taylor...
Fortunately, the first Charlie Parker recordings that I ever heard was the "Bird Symbols" LP on the Charlie Parker label, which were the Dial recordings. His few tender ballads were there, as well as some great fast stuff. On first listen, the fast recordings were dazzling and puzzling but the ballads reeled me in. I was hooked.
Great selection there Ken. I think I need to go shopping again.
If I told you how many times I have purged mass quantities either for cash or to make space...last year was hard, I comforted myself in vinyl buying. Careful with that credit card Eugene...
Kudos! Man, you know your stuff; I could listen to you all day educate the uninitiated. I have been collecting vinyl albums for over 40 years, have 8,000 records, know a shit-load about jazz, but am humbled by your ease and off-the-cuff expertise. All the best.
thanks. But you should start a channel, man! Im sure you know loads I don't. Cheers
We love your channel Ken! We just subscribed! Keep up the great work sir.🙏🏻🎧
Thank you sir.
Gary Burton Passengers. Great band, great tunes.
Great albums man!!
VERY good list!!
Your the best,ever -inside of the music not just an information guy.
great to see different records on this list to 'start collecting',
I’d probably go with accessible and famous/popular albums. Mingus Dynasty, Brilliant Corners, Jazz Messengers!!!!, Kind of Blue, Take Five, Stolen Moments and so on. Ie, the monster lps. That’s how I got started. It’s a bigger hook to bring you in. Giant Steps is perfect
Kind of Blue, for sure, but I personally think it's overrated. I'm trying to suggest something different and accessible, not the usual KOB, Brubeck, blah blah blah. Popular doesn't equate to brilliance when we're considering Miles. KOB is Miles' easy listening. Trane? Monk? Mose? Eddie Lock? Mobley? Not popular? Egads. Let's serve em up that usual white man's pablum, Brubeck. Oh, let's not. Though "Stolen Moments" or do you mean Blues and the Abstract Truth? Brilliant. And oddly enough, we neither mentioned the artist with two of the best selling jazz Lps of all time, Herbie Hancock.
yes, I meant Blues and the Abstract Truth. It's just that when you are a pop or rock fan for years, like I was, the popular (but brilliant ones) hooked me in. I had a vocal teacher who was a jazz singer and her boyfriend was a music professor and a jazz trumpeter. They gave me tons of suggestions but the popular ones did it. And these are brilliant lps. Mingus Ah Um and Dynasty got me hooked because of the varied shades including blues, gospel and then Brilliant Corners. I couldn't have gone much beyond. Now my personal favourites (beyond those previously mentioned - incl all Mingus and Monk) are Change of the Century, Conference of Birds, Workin', Milestones, Jazz Messengers!!!!, This is Our Music, Brown/Roach Quint, Braxton Montreaux/Berlin, any Bird and Bitches Brew. I can see you were trying to suggest unusual, overlooked etc and not too obvious.
there are different schools of thought I guess. Some people think "throw free jazz at them." Idiotic! I think the blues is a common denominator and everyone digs the blues, hence Eddie Lockjaw which is very accessible as is Mobley, etc. The only toughie in my group was Giant Steps maybe. I work at the Jazz Record Ctr here in nyc on weekends. I've never suggested Time Out, which is cold and sterile to me, or KOB , which puts me to sleep. I suggest the ones in my list and people sometimes come back for more. Again, popular does not always mean good. Myley Cyrus anyone?
Thank you for these wonderful gems...
Just got the " Jazz Bug " last year.
Thank you Eraserhead sir.
It's a virulent strain 😉
Very nice, thanks.
The Shape of Jazz to Come!!
I just heard Jim hall... omg... thank you so much
Nice vid. Scott LaFaro would've been 82 today. Subscribed. Keep up the good work!
You know your stuff dude! 🙌
Excellent knowledge of jazz, number one here on youtube
Fabulous! Thank you. 13:47: Mel Lewis lived in LA 1957-mid 60's before moving to NYC and did many sessions. Most amazing during those years were the recordings with Terry Gibbs Dream Band live recordings (all the west coast session players of the day). The energy and rawness and you can hear Terry and Mel vocalizing and the crowd -- wow! Love this thank you Ken, so helpful!. (PS anyone wanting a good read on Mel Lewis - "View From Back of Band" by drummer Chris Smith).
I see now you mention the book in your excellent "Jazz Books" video. Indeed, highly recommended.
Nice video Ken !! You know your jazz ... Jimmy ...
Jimmy? Thank you sir
Love your mentioning Shelly Manne. Incredible drummer. Way too underrated, One of the most innovative, creative, and swinging drummers ever. Another great Cotemporary recording is "Son of Gunn" (Shelly Manne and His Men Play More Music from Peter Gunn.) Cool tunes, and some really creative solos and fills by Shelly. Shelly was way ahead of his time in his approach to drums (IMHO). He could be very abstact and angular in his playing while at the same time swinging his tail off. What a drummer. One of the best ever. BTW, another recording I don't think I've ever seen reissued is "Manne That Gershwin." John Williams arrangements with a terrific large ensemble paired with performances by Shelly's small group at the time. Very cool recording.
Glad I found this channel! I'm a newbie (to jazz, not records)! I have a few LPs, looking to greatly expand!
Going to cost you
Jazz is expensive
I like this video, this is not the normal top jazz albums bla bla. I have a few, but will check the others out. Keep these videos coming!
Thank you paradiddle. As a flam tapping ratamacue, I concur! Really, thanks.
Agree, nice to see more diverse offerings other than the staples
Great list Ken and I am glad you went away from Blue Note for your list. There were several on your list I have never heard and Alfie...I can't tell you how many times I have lost that in eBay auctions. Shelly Manne really gets looked over and he has som great albums.
Thank you sire, and sir!
Thank you!
Thanks so much for the video, Ken. Just getting into Jazz and love your recommendations. I live in the UK so some of those excellent pressings maybe a bit harder to find over here, but I will do my best that my budget will allow. Thanks again.
Barry, good luck. Many wonderful pressings out of the UK too.
Ken are there any you can recommend from the UK, Cheers
thank you so much for this
Nice vinyl collection I want to get in jazz music
Just listened to them all in Qobuz without the scratches…:-) wonderful! and that’s why I’m going to try my best to find some of them
One of my favorites you’ve done Ken. When’s part two coming?
Thanks James. Maybe tomorrow
great selection ken. i have most of those but have to find that monk album. sam records are great. that bud shank is one of my all time favorites!!! peacock, budimer, jones.. give me a break! love chicos albums especially with albert stinson... the magic trio : lafaro, stinson, peacock. shelly manne " boss sounds" with a burning frank strozier is also great on atlantic. i think volume 1 like you said is essential. i have to get rollins alfie, have been putting it off for too long. one of my favorites of all time is jack wilson easterly winds with all those great new york players. cant wait for your next twenty ken. great video!
Thanks Alan, I always look past Easterly Winds. Thanks for the heads up!
Appreciate Your Suggestions! It's A Challenge To Find Exactly What I Enjoy Re-Jazz! BUT, You Help Bring Insight To Each Album You Suggest! Thanks!
I Enjoy Your Equipment Reviews Too!
Really enjoyed this list, and a third of these I have not heard - I have some homework to do! The Hank Mobley is a Blue Note by the way, but that album is so good you can't pass it up. I would like to get a specific Basie recommendation and really looking forward to part two. Be well!
Obviously I know Mobley is on Blue Note. But I wanted to largely steer away from BLue Note as to place the focus elsewhere. Basie: That was a specific Basie recommendation these are great too: Atomic Swing (Roulette, 1958),
String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960), Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (Impulse!, 1962), The Count! (Clef, 1952 [1955]), Basie Jazz (Clef, 1952 [1954]), Basie Rides Again! (Clef 1952 [1956]). Avoid the older Pablo material, good, but nowhere as exciting as the early days.
Ken Micallef Jazz Vinyl Lover .. also breakfast, dance and barbeque. a relaxed, roaring, live early morning hours recording done at a disk jockey convention.
"How deep are your roots "terrific track on this album. ( Shelly Manne, ( Live at the Black Hawk)
Great track from Vol 5 though
great stuff
Pete Jolly - Little Bird
This is a masterpiece
Would be nice if he'd mention the album titles on some of these.
Just started my jazz collection I picked up an first pressing of Acker Bilk and his paramount jazz band. Thanks for the suggestions
acker bilk? That's the Brit version of Lawrence Welk.
Ken Micallef Stereophile Audiophile Yeah he's well know over here in the uk. I'll have to give a listen to Lawrence welk
@@harryhorn5102 i ove his hit, something by the shore? Very easy and sentimental, but more easy lisetning perhaps?
Sure you’ve discovered this by now but in case not here goes. The Title is Les Liaisons Dangereux ( Dangerous Liaisons) and Monk wrote the soundtrack for Roger Vadim’s film of that name. Roger Vadim once being the husband of Brigitte Bardot and I think Jane Fonda. The original source of the story was a four volume novel written in 1642 and was turned into a play in the 60’s performed in the English West End and on Broadway. Hope this is of interest.
Jazzentials, as I'd refer to them. Although I'm not completely on the same bunch of records as you, I would, without doubt, recommend Mobley, Giant Steps, Porgy and Bess and Workin'/Relaxin'/Sleepin'/Steamin' too! Great music!
Thanks for checking in Jurrien.
My first jazz album was smokin at the half note.
I love lists! Makes ya go back & listen to the records you have, and go check out the unfamiliar titles. You can always count on 50s/60s Blue Note & Prestige Titles. But don’t forget Verve, Cadet…and so many others. Plus, your favorite artist is likely a sideman on someone else’s great record. Like…Grant Green! It never ends…thus, always fun. Enjoy…
Neat choices. Never seen anyone recommend the fantastic “Alfie “ album before and you’re correct it is a great movie. Michael Caine excels in the title role. Shirley Scott , Grant Green , Ellington “ Far East Suite” it doesn’t have to be Blue Note all the time there’s a lot of great accessible jazz out there.
I would squeeze in Dave Brubeck’s Jackpot album as well 🤙
Loved Gabor Szabo. Both with Chico Hamilton and solo albums. Uniquely distinctive, instantly recognizable sound. One of a kind. --BTW, pronounced Gah-bor, AFAIK. --Like Zsa Zsa and Eva.
Some great selections on here especially Mose Allison. What about Cannonball Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' or Art Blakey's 'Moanin'. Great and accessible LPs.
Thanks for the recommendations! Always looking for jazz stuff to check our....and boy there's so much of it....Cuŕrently I'm digging Bill Evans/Jim Hall - intermodulation......Joe Pass' For Django should be on your next episode....it's a blinder!!!
Which pressing of For Django do you recommend?
Great job! I learned a lot and have a lot of music to look forward to. Thanks!
Thank You
OK…I love Blue Note, but a no-Blue Note list and kicking off with Shelly Manne at the Black Hawk?? Love it!
“People never heard jazz before.” Those poor souls. Never knew what they’ve been missing all their lives.😊 great list btw.👍🏾
It would be nice to have a list of artists and albums in the description.
You need more time in your life man . Take it. Watch the Video!
Porgy and Bess is really all "covers." It's Davis' and Evans' arrangements of the songs from the George Gershwin opera of the same name.
HI Ken, watched a few of your vids and enjoyed um a lot, Into the early hrs here in Malta listening to "The jazz sides of miss D" a live album that Dinah Washington did in L.A. in 1954, have you ever heard it? the musicians are Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Herb Geller, Harold Land, Junior Mance, Richie Powell, Keter Betts, George Morrow and Max Roach, Great line-up a guy called Bob Shad introduces the ensemble on track one, its a big fav of mine and makes me feel like i am there in that small smoky Jazz club. Max roach is superb and a nice part is when Dinah wants Hogey Carmichael thrown out for messing up an intro to a song. sure you have heard it but if not well worth a listen, had it on vinyl once now only on c.d. Ciao from Al Malta.
Thanks Al!
How about my favorite, "Structurally sound" by Booker Ervin and his BIG TEXAS TENOR.
I don't think it's been on vinyl but the Ocean's Eleven remake soundtrack is amazing.
The Black Hawk was a club in San Francisco. I've got a 2 record set of Miles Davis live at the Black Hawk.
Build a Jazz Collection of Bop & Post Bop is more like it. Before you get to this, you've got to understand Dizzy who led the way for everyone of the people you mentioned. If you wanna build anything, you have to have a foundation!
I saw Dizzy live in a club in South Central L.A. once, when the cab driver asked if I really wanted to go there. The only other white guy in the place was Tom Waits. True story. A very enjoyable second show of the night, indeed.
In Shelly Manne & His Men album "At The Blackhawk" the bass player is Monty Budwig not Scott LaFaro but offcourse is an excellent album
Unusual choices, respectfully. I get this question a lot as well and I usually ask the person what THEY think it sounds like or what they want it to sound like in their minds.
I think people are generally drawn to Blue Notes because (besides the fact that they’re often great and the cover design is artful and trendy) they’ve seen similar images in other places (mainly hip hop) and it doesn’t seem dated. Also, that BN sound in the mind of someone who hasn’t heard a lot of jazz is what they think jazz is supposed to sound like- paired with a monochromatic image of a hip, well dressed horn player with sunglasses on in a smoky studio. It’s the stereotype of modern jazz.
Anyway, I’d go with the greats through some different eras and wouldn’t yet suggest anything that they might think they have to “get” to “hear”. Armstrong Hot 5s and 7s in the 20’s, Basie, Lester and Billie Holiday on Columbia and Ellington classics in the 30’s, Bird and Dizzy on Savoy in the 40’s, Miles and Trane on Prestige and Blakey and Silver on Blue Note in the 50’s. Mobley and Morgan on Blue Note in the 60’s. Maybe some 60’s organ trios, or Django 30’s, Mingus Ah Um and Time Out, Getz Bossa, Sonny Side Up, Dexter One Flight Up, Bird with Strings etc. There are many branches that can grow in different directions from those great records and I’d say from there they could get a handle on what’s working and what isn’t. It’s all wonderful music but some won’t like the old sounds and others won’t like organs. Haha. You never know. But moving forward someone WILL start to know if they can get with Dolphy or Giant Steps or Ornette, Impulse, McLean, Ra etc.
What they think they’re looking for, or think it sounds like is a good place to start until they learn what they really like and want to hear more of. Very quickly they won’t have to ask anyone else what to buy next... My two cents. 👌🏽🙏🏽
I have the entire Impluse Record catalogue on vinyl!
They could be your retirement fund
I was a huge prog rock fan and started my jazz life listening to Bitches Brew. I worked back from that.
HI KEN, CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR BEST CHOICE IN ART... JAZZ... KEEP GOING, I AM FROM BRAZIL.. I GOT ABOUT 200 VYNIL... AND 28.670 CD'S JAZZ THE CREAM.
Marcelo, from my favorite country in the world, Brazil! remember Modern Record Shoppe in Rio? Loved that place. Thanks for your kind words 28,670 CDs!!!! man, start a youtube channel.
Ken Micalef ...with a name like that you've got to be a Scot like me ? (well maybe it's Mic rather than Mac ) ...anyhoo hearing your thoughts on the excellence of mono recordings makes me think of the difficulty I have of persuading some people of the beauty of black and white movies ( don't get me started on some folks resistance to subtitles ) .... a perfect example being the Polish movie Cold War .... absolutely lustrous b/w photography and wonderful music including some smoky jazz cellar scenes. Love your videos though my finances are being shot all to hell following up your recommendations
Slainte !
Jim
Glasgow.
That McCoy Tyner album is excellent but I think a better choice for this list would have been his "The Real McCoy" album. McCoy, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones, Ron Carter. Pure bliss.
I agree! Thanks for your comment, and for watching the video, Gary.
Excellent presentation. Not the usual google-researched top starter albums!
EDIT: Two relaxed albums I like are Duke Jordan "Flight to Jordan" on Blue Note and Gerry Mulligan "Night Lights" on Phillips.
THANKS for your kind comments. Gotta check that Mulligan.
Hey Ken, great stuff, watch all of your videos:) and thanks by the way for putting me on to Alfie, that record is just amazing. I’m curious, what are your thoughts on Eric Dolphy’s music, and Charles Mingus? ..
Thanks again and greetings from Holland:)
Hi Marijn, Love Mingus, all the Atlantic and Columbia stuff. Not as big a fan of Dolphy, that s just me. I need to do a Mingus video
Thanks for the reply,
that would be very nice indeed:)
What are some good jazz bass albums? I’ve played jazz guitar for a while, and recently I started branching out to other instruments, but bass is my main focus. I especially like more experimental and avant-garde jazz, but I enjoy all styles.
Wilbur Ware-anything he did. Cop the complete “Live at the Village Vanguard” series by Sonny Rollins-sry the standard for how a bass violinist could hold a rhythm section down without a pianist which is quite a feat since the harmony is implied by the interplay by the single lines of the soloist and the bass violinist. Check out some Dave Holland also if you want to get into some newer bass violinists. Happy listening!
School Days - Stanley Clarke
Blow By Blow - Jeff Beck
Birds Of Fire - Mahavshnu Orchestra
Light As A Feather - Return To Forever
Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
Emergency - Tony Williams’s Lifetime
Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock
So many great choices. I’m certain that I have forgotten. I love John Coltrane so I could do a top ten of just his albums.
These are records you’d recommend to someone new to jazz? Ridiculous choices
Would you recommend a good Rhapsody in Blue recording? I am looking for huge dynamic range and giant crescendos with the full orchestra.
OH that's out of my wheel house. Try classical music on vinyl on facebook
There were only 4 records in that Miles Davis Quintet series, and you named all 4 of them. They were recorded in 2 days (not 2 consecutive days, but in 2 sessions a couple of months apart).
Also, according to Wikipedia, Alfie was recorded by Van Gelder in NJ. And it seems it was also mastered by him, at least the stereo version has VAN GELDER in the runout:
www.discogs.com/Sonny-Rollins-Original-Music-From-The-Score-Alfie/release/1585843
Thanks for that informative knowledge and the corrections! Damn, should've checked the deadwax. Why did I think it was 5? TWO DAYS!!! holy toledo. Nuts.
I certainly wouldn't take Wikipedia as gospel on any subject.
Time to go to spec savers
New to your videos and plan to stick around! Can you give a little information on the LP racks behind you? Thanks
Thanks. Simple IKEA Kallax
Giant Steps is a great record but I prefer Blue Train. The songs are funkier and more fun and it has Lee Morgan. Giant Steps is technically impressive but it just doesn't swing as hard to my ears. I really like your choices though, results may vary!
Great selection. Not the standard picks
.
again a great education! can you recommend a starter lp/cd for Joe Henderson? Thank you!
Page One on Blue Note.
And later...both volumes of “The State of the Tenor,” which coincidentally has been reissued, if I am not mistaken. By the way, if you like Henderson, check out the dates he was on with Kenny Dorham-great listening!
Walkin’ was the Miles you were forgetting. Soul Station is blue note.
Many thanks for sharing. Would be very helpful if you could include the album title for each one of these. Do you have fav Pat Metheny album?
Hi Ash, if I have to choose, Still Life Talking.
@@kenmicallefjazzvinylaudiop6455 Hi Ken, many thanks for the feedback. I don't have that one yet so will definitely check it out. Happy listening!
Linda coleção