10 obvious piano jazz records
- Thread starter mesak
- Start date
guybat
[+]
1. Bill Evans: Complete Live at The Village Vanguard
2. Keith Jarrett: Whisper Not
3. Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell
4. Michel Petrucciani on Joe Lovano: One From The Soul
5. McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy
6. Herbie Hancock on Miles Davis: ESP
7. Andrew Hill: Point Of Departure
8. Brad Mehldau: Songs Art Of The Trio Vol. 3
(scratches head)
2. Keith Jarrett: Whisper Not
3. Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell
4. Michel Petrucciani on Joe Lovano: One From The Soul
5. McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy
6. Herbie Hancock on Miles Davis: ESP
7. Andrew Hill: Point Of Departure
8. Brad Mehldau: Songs Art Of The Trio Vol. 3
(scratches head)
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
I would definitely second the complete Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard, something was in the air at these gigs.
Something by the following four should be in there, I think, I've reccomended one in each case:
Oscar Peterson (The Norman Granz Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings from the early 50's are exceptional, I have them on an old verve double LP, not sure what they're on now)
Earl Hines (Any sessions with Barney Kessel are particularly fine, again, not sure on current availability)
Art Tatum (The V Disc recordings he did for the US forces overseas are great way in, but anything by him should flip your wig)
Erroll Garner (again, anything, but for a pure display of great technique, the Soliloquoy lp is very good)
Something by the following four should be in there, I think, I've reccomended one in each case:
Oscar Peterson (The Norman Granz Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings from the early 50's are exceptional, I have them on an old verve double LP, not sure what they're on now)
Earl Hines (Any sessions with Barney Kessel are particularly fine, again, not sure on current availability)
Art Tatum (The V Disc recordings he did for the US forces overseas are great way in, but anything by him should flip your wig)
Erroll Garner (again, anything, but for a pure display of great technique, the Soliloquoy lp is very good)
sideshowbob
Champagne fascia aficionado
I would honestly recommend buying 10 Monk records and spending a few months listening to them, and nothing else.
-- Ian
-- Ian
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
Ian,
Monk has such an idiosyncratic approach to music, I think one might find your taste so skewed after that, that you'd be dead to a lot of other great music. A friend of mine listens to NOTHING BUT Sun Ra and Monk and I think he's missing out on a lot, although, obviously, he disagrees with me.
Anyway, which 10 Monk LP's would you recommend?
Tony L
Administrator
I’d highly recommend the two volume Blue Note Genuis of Modern Music albums as a starter. They are far from the best recorded Monk (not that they are 'bad' in any way, just mono and fairly early - very listenable), but they really nail home what he’s all about. In many ways everything else I’ve heard from Monk, whilst phenomenally good, tends to be a dilution / refinement of ideas initially laid down on these two wonderful LPs.
Tony.
Some great recommendations there, but I'd add Horace Silver's 'Song for my Father' and 'Tokyo Blues'. Also Keith Jarrett's 'Koln Concert' and Herbie Hancock's 'Empyrean Isles'.
Anything by Tatum is fine by me (what an astonishing player!), likewise Bill Evans.
I have a soft spot for Oscar Peterson's 'Night Train' - not really a late night record (as the title might suggest) but contains some lovely bluesy playing.
Cheers
Martin
Anything by Tatum is fine by me (what an astonishing player!), likewise Bill Evans.
I have a soft spot for Oscar Peterson's 'Night Train' - not really a late night record (as the title might suggest) but contains some lovely bluesy playing.
Cheers
Martin
sideshowbob
Champagne fascia aficionado
Any of them, really, apart from the very late London recordings, which are for completists only. The Genius of Modern Music records Tony mentions are a great place to start, throw in 3 or 4 Riversides and 3 or 4 Columbias and you can't really go wrong. Solo Monk, especially, contains just about everything any music needs. Off the top of my head, all or any of Thelonious Alone in San Francisco, Brilliant Corners, Monk's Music, Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane, Live in Japan, Misterioso, Monk Alone, Live at the It Club, are all exceptional.
Since you mentioned him, Sun Ra's St Louis Blues is a fantastic, and surprisingly straightforward, solo piano record.
-- Ian
lordsummit
Moderator
Can't believe no-ones mentioned Mingus plays piano. I'm exceedingly fond of this record
space cadet
dronefed and floating
I was expecting Ian to suggest 10 Cecil Taylor records, nothing else. There you go, the man's full of surprises...
I've only got two CT albums, 3 Phasis and Olu Iwa - both awesome, but there might be better out there, only Ian knows.
I've only got two CT albums, 3 Phasis and Olu Iwa - both awesome, but there might be better out there, only Ian knows.
sideshowbob
Champagne fascia aficionado
If Cecil's made a bad record, I don't know about it, and I've got most of them.
But spending a few weeks or even months with just Monk is a good thing for anyone to do.
-- Ian
But spending a few weeks or even months with just Monk is a good thing for anyone to do.
-- Ian
Tantris
pfm Member
Another option would be this.
I mentioned one of Irene Schweizer's (solo) records above, but can't help also mentioning her duos with drummers, which seem to prefigure Cecil Taylor's recordings with them a couple of years later.
sideshowbob
Champagne fascia aficionado
Great record(s), I agree - although "as well" rather than "instead of", I reckon.
-- Ian
-- Ian
Unregistered
pfm Member
More Oscar: Night Train is the obvious recommendation and Piano Moods is a decent compilation if you don't already own any OP. You need a live album, too, The Trio (live from Chicago) is great; 'Sometimes I'm Happy' from this album is one of my favourite Oscar moments.
Can't go wrong with Monk. I'll give a shout-out to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk along with Thelonious Monk / Sonny Rollins...if you don't mind a bit of sax with your piano.
Art Tatum seems to be rated and is clearly an influence of Oscar Peterson's. Might be worth checking out to see if he tickles your fancy...but the 2 albums I own (20th Century Piano Genius and Group Masterpieces vol.8) left me cold. Need to get from not A to note B? Then, play a run/scale from one to t'other and you're done. Not my thing. Happy to be educated if I'm showing my ignorance here
I'm a big Ellington fan and really like his economical style, however, most of his albums showcase the band, rather than The Duke. That said, the trio LP Money Jungle, with Charles Mingus & Max Roach is a must have. I'm also intrigued by This One's For Blanton, a tribute to former bassist Jimmy Blanton, recorded in '72, featuring Ellington and Ray Brown. Not heard this yet, though...anyone here care to comment?
Cheers,
Rich
Can't go wrong with Monk. I'll give a shout-out to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk along with Thelonious Monk / Sonny Rollins...if you don't mind a bit of sax with your piano.
Art Tatum seems to be rated and is clearly an influence of Oscar Peterson's. Might be worth checking out to see if he tickles your fancy...but the 2 albums I own (20th Century Piano Genius and Group Masterpieces vol.8) left me cold. Need to get from not A to note B? Then, play a run/scale from one to t'other and you're done. Not my thing. Happy to be educated if I'm showing my ignorance here
I'm a big Ellington fan and really like his economical style, however, most of his albums showcase the band, rather than The Duke. That said, the trio LP Money Jungle, with Charles Mingus & Max Roach is a must have. I'm also intrigued by This One's For Blanton, a tribute to former bassist Jimmy Blanton, recorded in '72, featuring Ellington and Ray Brown. Not heard this yet, though...anyone here care to comment?
Cheers,
Rich
sideshowbob
Champagne fascia aficionado
A bit sketchy and impressionistic (Duke wasn't exactly in the prime of his creative life by that point), but well worth having.
-- Ian