quote:

Can i just say, i'm not really qualified to fully follow up on what i'm about to say here, but no one seems to have mentioned any vocal jazz. I just got the Verve Billie Holiday box set and there is really little on it that isn't killer- class A musicianship, songs and definitely one of the best singers ever.

I just recently picked up Holiday's Decca box, and I think it might be my favorite period from her. I've got a lot of Columbia reissues, and they are great, but I really like the Decca years, she sounds a little older, but not quite as ragged as on the Verve years.

I just bought the reissue of Herbie Hancock's "Sextant." Within five minutes of playing it, my wife said, "Ahhh! Please turn that noise off!" I love "Head Hunters," but I sort of understood where she was coming from.

What do you think of "Sextant"?

Heh, if you were looking for something along the lines of Headhunter, D,E, Sextant had to be the aural equivalent of having a bucket of water unexpectedly dumped on your head.

Sextant is, so far as memory serves, Hancock's closest flirtation with the avant garde. I think it owes more to the Impulse! label than it does the direction fusion as a whole was going. I like the album, personally, but I don't love it. As much as I love and admire Hancock and am an enormous fan of the avant garde, Sextant feels a bit too mannered to me, perhaps even a bit studied and sterile, which are not words I would generally associate with the man or the genre.

It's been some time, though, perhaps I am due to discover it in a whole new light?

Were you looking for something along the lines of Headhunters and have you checked out his earlier career with Blue Note?

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Hey LT - Space is the Place is amazing! Much thanks!

You're very welcome, v. I'm glad you've enjoyed it.

Keep in mind, that's not even his best work!

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My library has both of the Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra discs. I think I'll listen to that one next. Any other recommendations?

Back when I was first getting into Sun Ra, not a lot was in print including both volumes of Heliocentric Worlds. My saxophone teacher highly recommended them, though, so I went out of my way to track them down and am glad I did.

Other than that, virtually any of the reissues you can find on the Evidence label are well worth picking up. Sun Ra's recording history was wildly idiosyncratic. He operated his own label, Saturn, long before musicians did such a thing, operating out of the house he shared with many of his musicians, creating cover art by hand in some cases, and selling the records at their live appearances. Original pressings are very, very collectible and Evidence has done an exemplary job over the years of tracking these recordings down and creating reissues that are true to the original releases while featuring extensive and well-researched liner notes. Honestly, anything you pick up on Evidence is going to be well worth a listen.

What you'll often find though are live recordings. While the Arkestra really had to be seen live to get the full effect (I was fortunate enough to have the experience once), the many, many live recordings available are of wildly varying quality both in terms of sound and performance. Still, since you're acquiring vinyl, when you see them they're a worthwhile addition to your listening and your collection.

Happy hunting and happy listening, v.!

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Wile I was performing my morning ritual of look on-line for a copy of Jaki Byard's "Live at Maybeck Recital Hall", I came across THE BEST JAZZ ALBUMS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS

Lots of my favorites were on this long list of 529 albums. Note that not all of them have made it to CD yet. Caution: this could be an expensive visit!

I've been having a love affair with the Blue Note reissues over the past few years. Most of these are easily obtained for less than ten (US) dollars and each one is a gem:


Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Freddie Hubbard - Ready For Freddie
Cannonball Adderley - Something Else
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Dexter Gordon - Go!
Hank Mobley - Soul Station
Stanley Turrentine - That's Where It's At
Tina Brooks - True Blue
Joe Henderson - Page One
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
Jackie McLean - Destination Out

My recommendation of Jazz Albums for somebody coming from a rock background. In alphabetically order

1. Louis Armstrong - The Hot Fives
2. Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue
3. Count Basie - Count Basie Swings - Joe Williams Sings
4. Dave Brubeck Quartest - Time Out
5. Cab Calloway - Are You Hep to the Jive?
6. Holly Cole - Don't Smoke in Bed
7. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
8. Miles Davis - Brith of Cool
9. Duke Ellington - Money Jungle
10. Artie Shaw - The Gramercy Five Sessions

I stumbled across this thread quite by accident, but felt I might contribute some suggestions of jazz vocal recordings, augmenting the fabulous Billie Holliday and Patricia Barber mentions above. I'm by no means a jazz expert, but here is my current top 10 list of jazz vocal albums:

Peggy Lee Black Coffee
Julie London Round Midnight
Patricia Barber Companion
Eddie Jefferson Letter from Home
Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers Everybody's Talkin' Bout Miss Thing
Chet Baker Chet Baker Sings
Nina Simone at Town Hall
Frank Sinatra at the Sands
Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley (Eponymous) *
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book

NOTE: All of Ella's "Songbook" series recordings on Verve are outstanding, including the recent Very Best of the Song Books

* Technically, this is not purely a jazz vocal album, as there are several instrumental tracks. But IMO, it is the female-male/vocal-sax equivalent of the oft-mentioned Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane collaboration.

Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by LT:
You're very welcome, v. I'm glad you've enjoyed it.

Have you ever seen the movie 'Space is the Place?' I got it via some interlibrary loan deal. Amazing and flimsy, prophetic and whimsy. Sun Ra looks completely out of place on earth, and he's really good at looking out of place.

I have never, ever seen it, v., though I have heard of it. I remember for a time in the 80s trying, without success, to track down a copy when I worked at a record store. Eventually, I gave up and moved on, I guess, because I've not thought about it in years.

And, what the hell? It's on Netflix. With another DVD of Arrested Development on its way back, I ought to have it in hand by midweek.

Thanks for the tip!

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Ornette Coleman's '50's work should never be forgotten.
Sonny Sharrock: Ask the Ages is a much neglected meisterwerk.

Great albums have been mentioned by everyone. I'm glad to be reminded of the Peggy Lee & Lavay Smith CDs.
Some titles I've been recently introduced to and liked immensely....

Michel Legrand - Archi Cordes
Hank Mobley - Soul Station
Dianne Reeves - Good Night & Good Luck soundtrack
Lee Morgan - The Gigolo
Tony Williams - Foreign Intrigue
Ron Carter - The Golden Striker
Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi - compilation of mostly 60s latin-flavored jazz
like Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66, etc.