[olblueyez]

Find some Ella Fitzgerald. Her work with Cole Porter is a good place to start.

 

[YoNni22]

My recommendation is another Miles Davis: Bag's Groove

 

[ingwe]

Okay...seriously: The title track from Coltrane's "My Favorite Things"

 

[tru blu]

You did good…on your next pass you might try John Coltrane's Giant Steps or some Duke Ellington, maybe Such Sweet Thunder, The Far East Suite or …and His Mother Called Him Bill. Be careful out there, now.

 

[mortonjl]

Check out some early Bob James

 

[pdennis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif I second that, Kind of Blue was my first jazz album too and should be yours. It's really the best representative of what jazz is all about. And it's also one of the most accessible jazz album to get. I'll recommend you not to start with Coltraine or Mingus as their music is less accessible.

I know that the OP already has his CD's, but I want to respond to this to nip any possible misconceptions in the bud.

Kind of Blue is of course legendary, but I disagree that it's easy to appreciate for all beginners to jazz. It's gorgeous and extremely refined, perhaps too much so for someone who is used to the stronger rhythms of other popular music. Of course, many people will feel differently, and many will not have this problem, but I know that it is true for some.

I think that Mingus' music, particularly Mingus Ah Um, has some great, hard-hitting, soulful jazz that would be more likely to hook a certain kind of listener. His music is certainly nothing to be scared of.

 

[tru blu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdennis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think that Mingus' music, particularly Mingus Ah Um, has some great, hard-hitting, soulful jazz that would be more likely to hook a certain kind of listener. His music is certainly nothing to be scared of.

Yup…absolutely! Many rock fans respond favorably to Mingus' driving rhythms. It's also worth mentioning that they're derived in no small part from the music of Duke Ellington. In fact, Miles and Mingus are good examples of how Ellington's influence manifests itself in surprisingly different ways.