{"id":111280,"date":"2021-02-12T06:29:21","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T12:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=111280"},"modified":"2021-09-28T16:29:42","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T21:29:42","slug":"10-albums-for-jazz-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/leisure\/entertainment\/10-albums-for-jazz-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to Get Into Jazz? Listen to These 10 Albums First"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Man<\/a><\/p>\n

With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we\u2019ve decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in February 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jazz music has an interesting history and a fascinating, multi-layered ethos<\/a>. But even without knowing all that context and background, people instinctively feel that it\u2019s just plain cool.<\/p>\n

Given that most of us would like to be a little more cool, a lot of folks would like to get more into jazz music. But, they don\u2019t really know where to begin. <\/p>\n

If you Google \u201cjazz music for beginners,\u201d up will come myriad lists of jazz albums and tracks for the would-be aficionado to sample.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the problem: many of these lists get too highfalutin for a beginner. They feature songs and albums that are high on technicality and artistry but aren\u2019t very approachable for someone just getting started with listening to jazz. <\/p>\n

To help me put together a true list of jazz albums for beginners, I tapped two professional jazz enthusiasts that I know, both who happen to live in the Bay Area. The first is a friend, jazz manager, and board member of Living Jazz<\/a>, Charles Brack. The second is Michelle Hawkins<\/a>, a jazz vocalist, jazz choir director, professor of music at Skyline College, and music correspondent at the Online Great Books<\/em> podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The combination of these two sources is actually pretty, well, jazzy. It\u2019s like a call and response duet between Louis and Ella (two artists Charles and Michelle in fact recommended). <\/p>\n

All of these albums are highly accessible for someone who is only used to listening to pop music. Michelle focused on albums that are primarily melodic and have simple improvisations that are easy to follow. Charles picked albums that, in his words, simply \u201cswing.\u201d Both selected albums from iconic jazz musicians from a wide range of jazz\u2019s sub-genres, so you get a nice overview of the different dimensions of this rich music.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are 10 jazz albums for beginners.<\/p>\n

Ellington at Newport<\/i><\/a> by Duke Ellington (1956)<\/h3>\n

\"Ellington\u201cDuke Ellington is one of the original kings of swing of the Big Band Era in jazz. Ellington at Newport <\/i>is Duke\u2019s most well-known and revitalized his flagging career in the late 1950s. It\u2019s also considered one of the greatest jazz performances ever. This album is a fantastic introduction to big band music. It really swings.\u201d \u2014Charles<\/p>\n

Ella and Louis Again<\/i><\/a> by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (1957)<\/h3>\n

\"Ella<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album served as the prelude to one of jazz\u2019s most famous albums, Porgy & Bess<\/i><\/a>, which was recorded soon after. It\u2019s full of popular jazz standards, and the two artists are backed by an incredible crew of musicians: Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Herb Ellis (guitar), and Buddy Rich (drums).\u201d \u2014Charles<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this album, check out  ‘Love is Here to Stay.’ Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald have a playful conversation using Gershwin\u2019s famous tune. Through Armstrong\u2019s iconic, gravelly voice and expert trumpet playing, and Fitzgerald\u2019s agile and lilting voice, you\u2019ll hear both artists actively listening and responding melodically to each other.\u201d \u2014Michelle<\/p>\n

Blue Train<\/i><\/a> by John Coltrane (1958)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply iconic. The essential recording that established Coltrane with a sound all his own. Coltrane is my fave artist of all time, and while this is not my personal favorite (A <\/em>Love Supreme <\/i><\/a>and Live at the Village Vanguard<\/i><\/a> are), Blue Train<\/em> is the one for beginners.\u201d \u2014Charles<\/p>\n

Portrait in Jazz<\/i><\/a> by Bill Evans Trio (1960)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

\u201cPortrait in Jazz<\/i> is a delightful intro to the art of the piano trio, jazz\u2019s most intimate small ensemble. Comprised of just piano, bass, and drums, every member of the trio is of equal importance. Listen for the dynamic interactions between all three musicians. Events that might sound pre-planned are often just the result of intense listening and quick reactions by all three.\u201d \u2014Michelle<\/p>\n

Jazz at Massey Hall<\/i><\/a> by the Quintet (1953)<\/h3>\n

\"Book\u201cThe Quintet was a modern jazz supergroup that formed specifically for a one-off gig in Canada, at Toronto\u2019s Massey Hall, on May 15, 1953. It was the only time that alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Charles Mingus, and drummer Max Roach played together as a group (it was also the final time that Parker and Gillespie were captured on tape together).\u201d \u2014Charles  <\/p>\n

Kind of Blue<\/i><\/a> by Miles Davis (1959)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the most iconic jazz album around — bestselling and deservedly so. Miles Davis leads up a group of supremely talented musicians on this album, including John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Evans. Plenty of material written about this album available online.\u201d \u2014Charles<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a reason why Kind of Blue<\/i>, by Miles Davis, is the bestselling jazz album of all time. Every time you listen to it, you\u2019ll hear something new you didn\u2019t notice before. It always sounds fresh. Miles\u2019 lyrical (melodic) improvisations are slow and easy to follow. But if you\u2019re willing, they will take you on a journey through another person\u2019s mind. You\u2019re listening to the unfolding of someone\u2019s thoughts and ideas, in real-time.\u201d \u2014Michelle<\/p>\n

King of the Tenors<\/i><\/a> by Ben Webster (1954)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

“Horn players often want to sound more like singers, and singers want to sound more like horn players. You can see a horn player sounding like a singer on Ben Webster\u2019s King of the Tenors<\/i>. Check out ‘Tenderly’ on this album. His vibrato and breathiness at the ends of phrases mimics the stylings of popular singers of the day. His treatment of the melody is so intimate and personal you can\u2019t resist being pulled into his story.” \u2014Michelle<\/p>\n

Somethin’ Else<\/i><\/a> by Cannonball Adderley (1958)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

\u201cEasily one of my favorite albums of all time. An alto saxophonist from Tampa, Florida, Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley was initially viewed as the heir to Charlie Parker. He found his own individual voice on his instrument, though, as this 1958 album \u2014 his only release on blue note \u2014 clearly illustrated. Cannonball, who was playing in the Miles Davis sextet at the time (and would go on to record the iconic Kind of Blue<\/i> with the trumpeter a year later), managed to rope his boss into the sessions. Miles rarely appeared as a sideman after 1955 but shines in a quintet opposite Cannonball using a muted horn on the tracks \u2018Autumn Leaves\u2019 and \u2018Love For Sale.\u2019\u201d \u2014Charles<\/p>\n

Golden Hits!<\/i><\/a> by Sarah Vaughan (1958)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

\u201cFor an example of a jazz vocalist trying to sound like a horn player, check out Sarah Vaughan. Her melodic phrasing is influenced by the harmonic sophistication and freedom of expression used by horn players. Her singer\u2019s rendition of \u2018Tenderly\u2019 on this album is superb.\u201d \u2014Michelle<\/p>\n

The Blues and the Abstract Truth<\/i><\/a> by Oliver Nelson (1961)<\/h3>\n

\"Book<\/p>\n

\u201cOliver Nelson is one of the most underrated composers\/songwriters. This album features several jazz greats, including Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, and Roy Haynes. This album\u2019s best-known cut is ‘Stolen Moment’ — a classic.\u201d \u2014Charles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we\u2019ve decided to republish a classic piece each Friday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in February 2020. Jazz music has an interesting history and a fascinating, multi-layered ethos. But even without knowing all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":111299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42274,42273],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-111280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-living"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jazz-538x280.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jazz-768x478.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jazz-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jazz-320x199.jpg","reactor-640":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jazz-640x398.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111280"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134074,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111280\/revisions\/134074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111280"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=111280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}