100 Essential Jazz Albums

[blessingx]

What do you guys think of this New Yorker/Schaap-Brody-Remnick list?

[Voltron]

Without studying it closely, it seems that they used box sets to cover whole artists or periods of artists rather than picking their individual albums. The list is not really a 100 best jazz albums given that their stated purpose is to provide a broad sampling. From that perspective, it is pretty good but certainly leaves out albums that I would consider essential.

[bhd812]

No Blues in orbit? no piano in the Background?

[aardvark baguette]

This is just broad strokes; Sinatra doesn't belong here. Move along

[thrice]

Yeah pretty good list.....gets you from the bigging to the 80's. Although I wouldn't put Wynton on any list of essential albums. Brecker or some of the more modern Dave Holland stuff might be good.

[aardvark baguette]

I would never attempt to learn a genre by going off any list; its like going from The Bible to The Karon to The 911 Commission Reports. Too much of a gap there

I've been buying all the jazz I can afford since September and haven't even scratched the surface. The most interesting aspect, to me, is that many of the Bop era artists had open contracts, and were basically for-hire for other people's albums. Particularly Blue Note contracted artists. Hank Mobely appears on Art Blakey's album, who appears on Lee Morgan's album, who appears on Clifford Jordan's album, who appears on Eric Dolphy's album....

I've typically bought a few albums from one artist, picked a supporting member and bought a few of theirs, etc, etc. Its such a fun way to discover the music, and gives a real sense of history of how all the artists relate to each other.

[Duggeh]

The thing about a "100 greatest/best" listing is that it ultimately leaves readers indifferent to how they went in. Unless its a weighted list like "the 100 most important albums" or "the 100 biggest selling albums" where the top ten are what really interest the reader, the other 90 being something to read through hoping that an existing favourite or two of their might make an appearance there.

100 titles, especially for any topic where the reader is in unfamiliar territory leaves the reader drowning in foreign waters. "What album on this list do I try out then?" well number 1 is the obvious choice, except that I like the sound of number 14 more, but surely its 13 not as good points less than number 1? And do I have to try out everything here before anythign else?

Lists like these are read by people who want to tick off what items on the list they know or like or recognise, or to see what inevitable item isn't there that they think should be.

10 recommended entries to jazz is more noob friendly, and 100 jazz albums that you might love is less irksome for the familiar.

Perhaps im just railing against jazz though, because of late I've been getting into "world music" to use the term which as an anthropologist I should find objection with and I've discovered the depths of the Putomayo collection.

[pdennis]

100 titles, especially for any topic where the reader is in unfamiliar territory leaves the reader drowning in foreign waters. "What album on this list do I try out then?" well number 1 is the obvious choice, except that I like the sound of number 14 more, but surely its 13 not as good points less than number 1? And do I have to try out everything here before anythign else?

I think you've got a good point. I can't really imagine somebody thinking, "Gee, I'd like to get into jazz... I wonder what 100 albums I can buy to start with." And anyone with their own musical taste who started with a few albums off that list would quickly be able to explore on their own and not need it anymore.

Perhaps im just railing against jazz though, because of late I've been getting into "world music" to use the term which as an anthropologist I should find objection with and I've discovered the depths of the Putomayo collection.

I don't see how this has to do with jazz, or any other specific genre... just with journalism, and the strange but prevalent phenomenon of relying on somebody else to tell you what's good. We've all done it/do it.

*googles Putomayo collection* Hmm, a whole label devoted to compilation CDs... some of which seem to be as broad as '10 commercial dance music tracks from Africa'. I guess it's cool that they have nice long samples to listen to, and some excellent bands. Virtually no folkloric or acoustic music though, all contemporary hybrid styles, making the differences between the regional musics rather watered down.

[Duggeh]

Such is my problem with them on one level. However they don't pretend to be something that they aren't really and if I ever want a slice of something much more authentic there's always the departmental library. I do find the Putomayo stuff to be really good fun though. And fun is just as good as authenticity as long as that fun isn't labelled as authentic.

[Dusty Chalk]

The Miles Davis cross-section is almost perfect. I would add Cannonball Aderly's Somethin' Else (tip o' the hat to thrice for that one -- it has remained a favorite), some representation of the Relaxin'/Steamin'/Workin'/Cookin' sessions -- perhaps the Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions? -- and something representing the 65-68 Quintet output (personally, I'd do the boxset, but there might be a better single album).

Chick Corea is sinfully underrepresented -- one disk? Fusion needs reprazentin'.

Also, shouldn't Keith Jarrett be represented with both a solo piano disk and a trio disk?

I guess my summation is that -- as stated in the intro -- this list is obviously stilted towards jazz's early years.

And there is such a thing as vocal jazz, I just don't think Frank Sinatra should represent that.

[pdennis]

Such is my problem with them on one level. However they don't pretend to be something that they aren't really and if I ever want a slice of something much more authentic there's always the departmental library. I do find the Putomayo stuff to be really good fun though. And fun is just as good as authenticity as long as that fun isn't labelled as authentic.

No! No fun for you! If your music isn't 100% authentic, organic, free range and kosher, your feelings of guilt MUST outweigh your enjoyment!

[aardvark baguette]

No! No fun for you! If your music isn't 100% authentic, organic, free range and kosher, your feelings of guilt MUST outweigh your enjoyment!

I've got somethin organic and kosher for you right here

[Duggeh]

But I always eat organic cucumber with my binaural field recordings and big macs with my Eiffel 65

[blessingx]

Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music

[hungrych]

It's not a bad list, but the order makes no sense, since they just lumped a bunch of releases together by each artist for most of it.

[jp11801]

I dunno no list of 100 titles for such a varied genre would ever be complete. I tend to view these lists as a great way for the average fan to fill in the collection and get turned on to different styles or overlooked artists.