INTRODUCTION TO MODERN JAZZ 101:
Chet Baker
The Very Best of Chet Baker
John Coltrane
The Very Best of John Coltrane
Miles Davis
The Very Best of Miles Davis
Wes Montgomery
The Very Best of Wes Montgomery
Sonny Rollins
The Very Best of Sonny Rollins
If you’re a bit bashful about where to start if you’re interested in mid 50s jazz, or “classic jazz” as so many of us call it, you might want to start with these “best of” collections that have just been released. They’re comprised of the pick of the litter from the Fantasy, Prestige, Riverside and Contemporary labels that have been under the Concord umbrella for a time. I’ll be perfectly frank; odds are that after a couple of listens to these discs you’ll want to get EVERYTHING by them on these labels. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday…
1) Chet Baker created a whole new style of singing back in the 50s, with a soft spoken delivery that perfectly matched the “California Cool” image of his music with musicians like Gerry Mulligan, Chico Hamilton, Pepper Adams, Bill Evans and Kenny Drew. His vocals on material like “My Heart Stood Still” stands up amazingly well, as does his mid career Miles Davis sounding horn on “When You’re Gone” and “Almost like Being in Love.” Melodic music that includes some impressive chops as well. Timeless.
2) Tenor saxist John Coltrane would make a bigger name for himself with recodings like A Love Supreme and Giant Steps, but these earlier sessions that he lead in the mid to late 50s are respectable enough in their own right. In fact, a “Best of” Coltrane during this period is a good concept, as he didn’t go through any major changes on his countless sessions here. Highlights include a terrific “Nutty” with Thelonious Monk’s band, a yearning “I Love You” with just bass and drums, and a “Good Bait” with what was essentially Miles Davis’ band that features the saxophonist digging in deep. Nice sampler to help you figure out if you want more of the same.
3) These mid 50s sessions by trumpeter Miles Davis essentially defined modern jazz, as well as setting the standard for the jazz quintet of trumpet, tenor sax (Coltrane), piano (red Garland), bass (Red Garland) and drums (Philly Joe Jones). Yes, there are a couple other guests here and there, but the essence of these songs are either the ethereal ballads like “My Funny Valentine” which has Davis serving up a haunting Harmon mute, or cooking uptempo burners like the thundering “Airgin” or intricate “Oleo.” If this stuff doesn’t get you excited about jazz, go check out something by Miley Cyrus.
4) There isn’t a guitarist alive today that hasn’t been influenced by the Riverside recordings by Wes Montgomery, featured on this disc. His unique style of picking the notes out with his thumb was revolutionary at the time, and he was able to do it with incredible speed and dexterity. Every 6 stringed student has to take a workshop on classics like “West Coast Blues” and the hypnotically percolating “Four On Six” while mood pieces like “Round Midnight” are as haunting as a full moon in a cemetery. When he teams up with the relentless rhythm section of Wynton Kelly/p, Paul Chambers/b and Jimmy Cobb/dr on “Cariba,”it’s a hint of heaven.
5) Still alive and making wonderful music on his Selmer Mark VI, Sonny Rollins made his initial impact and became a household name on these recordings from a half century ago. He started the whole calypso trend back in 56 with his infectious “St. Thomas” while also setting the standard (that still hasn’t been matched) for the tenor sax trio on a timeless take of “I’m an Old Cowhand” with Shelly Manne/dr and Ray Brown/b. A friendly battle of the tenor horns with John Coltrane is included on the marathon “Tenor Madness,” while a sizzling “Pent-Up House” with Clifford Brown on trumpet shows how a jazz quintet should sound when all the stallions are lined up correctly. Essential music for a time capsule on Western Civilization.
Concord Music Group
www.concordmusicgroup.com