[DanG]

I've been listening to my new Bill Evans and Charles Mingus CDs (Sunday at the Village Vanguard 1 and Mingus Ah Um, respectively) and they're just great! They've opened me back up to jazz, as the genre has not held my attention lately. I highly recommend both CDs -- if you like the standard entry into jazz, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, or if you've just gotten into classic jazz, these CDs are great for opening up these two masters.

Can someone recommend some further works that are good by Evans and Mingus?

A little unrelated, but... I borrowed a couple tapes from my friend's dad, one by Horace Silver and the other by Grapelli. Silver is good but nothing out of the ordinary, but Grapelli is really great -- though the backing orchestra is no good (really cheesy and uninspired). Does anyone here have any Grapelli they like that has consistently good backing, or perhaps even a smaller ensemble in which he participated?

 

[Braver]

[size=xx-small]edit: need a pair of eyes here!...[/size]

 

[zowie]

The hardest swinging Grappelli albums I've heard is Live at Carnegie Hall from '78. Another good outing is the Atlantic album with Gary Burton. Also check out the classic work with Django (avoid the super-cheap reissues) although the sound is of course poor.

My favorite Mingus albums besides Ah-um are Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus Mingus, Black Saint & Sinner Lady, and Oh Yeah.

Next best Bill Evans albums include Waltz for Debby (several great reissues out there - very similar to Sun. @ V.V,) and Undercurrent. Among quite a few others.

And Horace Silver is great.

 

[DanG]

Braver: That's the disc I bought.

Zowie: I like Horace Silver a lot, it's just that he's just not one of the greatest jazz pianists I've ever heard, either in innovation, playing ability, or leading ability. I might start buying some of his albums after my collection is a bit more fleshed-out with the masters of the trio, quartet, and quintet. Right now my personal jazz collection is very small... I can even list it here:

Mingus: Mingus Ah Um
Evans: Sunday at the Village Vanguard 1
Davis: Kind of Blue; Round about Midnight
Monk: Live at the "It" Club (2-disc)
Basie: Basie meets Bond (hehehe)
Mehldau: Places

...and that's about it. Another question I have -- is it worth getting the second Evans@Vanguard disc?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Braver]

Quote:

Originally posted by DanG Braver: That's the disc I bought.

crap...

sorry 'bout that...

hmm, if that's your entire collection, you're definately missing Coltrane - Blue Train.

 

[zowie]

Quote:

Originally posted by DanG Another question I have -- is it worth getting the second Evans@Vanguard disc?

I'd have to say get a little more breadth first. As Al Jolsen used to say, you ain't heard nothin' yet.

 

[DanG]

I borrowed A Love Supreme from the college library and wasn't really impressed by it. I'm sure I can find a copy of Blue Train either at my local library or the Boston PL, but right now Coltrane seems very far down the list.

I was really into Mehldau when I first got Places, but now that I have a better "understanding" of jazz, I see that he isn't really all that innovative and very much produced in that album. I might go for one or two of the Art of the Trio volumes which seem a lot better (if more in the classic-jazz vein).

I'll see if I can find more Grappelli, Mingus, and Evans! Thanks again.

 

[Braver]

Quote:

Originally posted by DanG I borrowed A Love Supreme from the college library and wasn't really impressed by it. I'm sure I can find a copy of Blue Train either at my local library or the Boston PL, but right now Coltrane seems very far down the list.

dude (can I call you dude?

), A love Supreme and Blue Train are two totally different beasts. Blue Train is bop in a similar vain to Kind Of Blue, while A Love Supreme is latter-day Trane, going totally avant-garde (I don't 'get' it either). it's like saying you don't like Miles cause you can't get into In A Silent Way (I mean...is there anyone who can get into that??)

so...don't dismiss the Trane ok?

 

[MikeM]

Quote:

Originally posted by DanG Can someone recommend some further works that are good by Evans and Mingus?

Mingus Dynasty- Recorded the same year as Mingus Ah Um. A great second Mingus album for someone who already has Mingus Ah Um and enjoys it.

The Charles Mingus Quintet + Max Roach- A damn good 6 track CD with Max Roach [look for this guy when researching more jazz] on drums for a couple of tracks. Recorded live, this album has a great "sitting in the room" feel. Its probably my favorite overall Mingus CD I've heard. Other CD's have certain tracks I really like but this is my favorite to hear start to finish.

 

[nately]

Waltz for Debby is the companion to Sunday at the VV, and generally considered the quintissential Bill Evans album. I would get that one regardless of the size of your collection. However, at risk of sounding dismissive of one of the true giants, you're not going to find a lot of variety with Evans. The vast majority of his work he sticks to the trio format. You'll find a lot of depth, but not much breadth. You may be better off with one of his rare sideman albums, like Cannonball Adderly's "Know What I Mean?"

Similarly, Mingus' "Mingus Dynasty" is sort of a companion to Ah Um. In both these albums Mingus employs a mid-sized group. If you want to hear more of Mingus, the bassist, you can hear him in a small group session called "Money Jungle" that I like (along with other greats: the lineup is huge, with Duke Ellington and Max Roach!). And to hear his greatest work as a composer, arranger, and leader, I'd try his big band work, one of zowie's recommendations or pretty much anything else. I don't have a lot of Mingus, but I'm not sure if he's actually made a bad album.

You didn't mention, what'd you think of the Monk album? And definitely don't give up on Coltrane. In addition to Blue Train, "Giant Steps," (although it was on that list of 100 albums you should throw away) is... well... dazzling. Intense, non-stop jazz action.

For anyone just starting in a new genre of music, there's that depth vs. breadth issue. It all depends on if you want to take it fast, listen to a bunch of different stuff from different people at different times, or take it easy, linger with an artist you've discovered and explore what they've done over the years. That's the route I ended up taking, and you might be surprised at who eventually manages to suck you in. For me, it was an unsung legend, the late, avante-garde-ish, fiery pianist Horace Tapscott (yes, he was unsung and a legend at the same time). I own practically all his recorded output. Try "Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam" for something accessible (and not hard to find).

Finally, and I always say this, try listening to some artists that are still alive and performing. Some of the classic greats are still playing, and playing well, like Wayne Shorter and McCoy Tyner. And the younger artists can play too - if you're not crazy about Mehldau, try Jason Moran's solo piano on "Modernistic" which is better than sliced bread. There's also the so-called Young Lions like the Marsalis family, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove etc. - their music hasn't always resonated with me but their skill is unquestionable and they have their proponents. The best part about artists still performing is that you can catch them when they're in town.

 

[FCJ]

For Bill Evans, I can't recommend Exploratons highly enough. The disk is worth it for "Nardis" alone. This is actually one of the first jazz disks that I ever bought.

With Mingus, you can't really go wrong with anything he did. I would start with Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings . Next, I would go for The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, , on Impulse. Mingus, like Ellington, was able to coax performances out of his sidemen that they were unable to equal either on their own or with anyone else, and this record is a testament to that (see Charlie Mariano).

For my final two Mingus choices, I would first go for Town Hall Concert [Jazz Workshop/OJC], which is a 1964 European concert that includes Eric Dolphy (enough said!). Finally, my favorite 1970's Mingus record is Changes One, with Don Pullen and George Adams.

Good listening.

 

[Lindy]

Bill Evans? One of my all time favorite musicians. "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" is great, and "Waltz for Debby" ranks right up there with his best also.

I've been collecting Bill Evans CD's for a long time now. At last count, I have 150+ of his CD's (some duplication with box sets here, though). At first I really got into his early stuff like the two listed above. But over time I've come to prefer his middle and later periods more. It's a distinctly different sound than his early stuff -- less classical sounding and perhaps more stylized, but still unmistakably Bill Evans.

My favorite Bill Evans CD is "Alone" from the late '60s. I've listened to this CD more than any other in my collection, over and over and over. If you're a piano player or have any appreciation of the technical skill it takes to play the piano, this CD will blow you away.

For the late period, I'd recommend "Highlights from Turn Out the Stars". This CD contains selections from the box set "Turn Out the Stars". He died not too long after these recordings were made, and some people say you can tell in his playing --- that he was like a light that burns brightly just before it burns out. Years of drug abuse finally took his life a couple of months later.

A few other recommendations:

1. Complete Riverside Recordings -- (If you prefer early period, like "Sunday at the VV")
2. Complete Fantasy Recordings -- middle / late period box set
3. Portrait in Jazz -- more like "Sunday" and "Waltz for Debby"
4. Solo Sessions -- Either Vol. 1 or Vol. 2 if you like solo piano

 

[zowie]

Huge, expensive single artist box sets are not particularly good recommendations for someone who owns 5 jazz cds.

 

[tanfenton]

Dan:

Go for Mingus's Tijuana Moods and the '64 Town Hall concert previously mentioned--for another time, maybe some of his trio work with the vibist Red Norvo.

NGF

 

[Lindy]

Quote:

Huge, expensive single artist box sets are not particularly good recommendations for someone who owns 5 jazz cds.

Yup, you're right. I thought about it after I submitted the post. Just carried away in my enthusiasm I guess...

FWIW, here is the info on the sets I mentioned:

1. Complete Riverside Recordings = 12 CD's for ~$175.
2. Complete Fantasy Recordings = 9 CD's for ~$125.

Yes, there are better selections for somebody just getting into jazz and/or Bill Evans. That same money could buy a wide exposure to a lot of great music that's out there. That being said, might I recommend "The Complete Bill Evans on Verve" (18 CD's, ~$300)