Damn. That’s just wrong. I played this album in its entirety on tonight’s radio show (Friday, 4-21):
That’s Bitches Brew, which was the first slab of Miles Davis vinyl that I ever picked up.
I knew some of his work thanks to my dad (who was especially fond of his big band work with Gil Evans), had heard Sketches of Spain, and had seen him on various televised appearances in the 1980s (including one on SNL), but it was this particular album that just blew me away at the time. If I could only take a handful of albums to a desert island, this would top the list still. Eventually, as I grew bored of the whole punk/industrial scene, I’d start delving into Miles’ early to mid 1970s work (these days I’ve got a burgeoning collection of live bootlegs from that period) as well as his mid 1960s quintet recordings, and of course anything from back in the day with Trane.
What’s your fave jazz album?
You pose a difficult question, but being a sometime tenor player myself, it’s gotta come down to this.
I’ve listened to this vinyl and now cd and mp3’s hundreds of times. I can sing Trane’s part on the title cut “Giant Steps” while sleepwalking, and that’s no small feat! I just wish I could play it uptempo on my horn…sigh…I’m doomed to be an appreciater, not a performer, but once upon a long time ago, when I had aspirations, Trane was my idol.
Excellent choice! Giant Steps and A Love Supreme are two albums I can play repeatedly w/o ever getting bored. I myself can’t play a note of music, so I am also consigned to be an appreciator rather than a player – that’s okay though as long as some cats are around to keep creating beautiful music.
Reminds me that I will be taking my daughter to her first jazz gig in just a few.
I also like the combination of Coltrane’s Ballads and Karrin Allyson’s version.
Bill Evans, but I can’t pick between Waltz for Debby or You Must Believe in Spring.
Too hard to pick a favorite album or musician, there are so many that I have that I can ignore for months or years even, and then go back and and listen to over and over again…top to bottom, solid all the way through albums…the best kind.
The one I pulled out about a week ago certainly meets the T to B criteria:
Cassandra Wilson, Blue Light ‘Til Dawn Bluenote 1993
This is very, very good. Bluesy, edgy, minimal instrumentation and superb arrangements and one of the most expressive voices in jazz.
Track Listing:
You don’t know what love Is
Come on in my kitchen
Tell me you’ll wait for me
Children of the Night
Hellhound on my trail
Black crow
Sankofa
Estrellas
Redbone
Tupelo Honey (with additional lyrics from Hendrix’s “Angel”)
Blue light ’till dawn
I can’t stand the rain
In my opinion, the most complete album she has ever made. Anyone unfamiliar with her work would be well counseled to start here…it’ll hook you.
Highly recommended
Peace