Making a Jazz Compilation

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A friend asked me to make him a cd-r. So i'm looking for suggestions to get someone into jazz (he's a guitarist).
My current thoughts are:
Grant Green - Grant Stand and/or Complete Quartets with sonny clark
some Herbie Hancock - maiden voyage?
Duke Ellington - Far East Suite
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
He also asked for some louis armstrong but i don't know his stuff to be honest.
He already listens to blues and progressive rock, so i don't think the above will be terribly scary to get him into jazz.

― Tom Wordsman, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Agreed that "Maiden Voyage" is a good introduction for a non-jazz-listener. "Inventions and Dimensions" would be another good choice.

If he's a guitarist, he'd probably appreciate some Pat Martino or John Mclaughlin's "Extrapolation". If you're mixing in vocal music, Billie Holiday's "Solitude" is a nice choice, and will also provide your friend some guitar work of interest (Barney Kessell).

Hard to go wrong with "Kind of Blue", or Miles' mid-sixties quintet.
I've found '60's jazz to be most palatable to people who don't listen to much of this music, since some elements which might otherwise distract them (eg: recording quality on earlier music, electric instrumentation or too-slick production on later releases) tend to be absent. Hence, some Blue Note sides might fit the bill, especially because their artists don't usually get too out --Wayne Shorter, Andrew Hill, Freddie Hubbard.

Perhaps some Bill Evans or Stan Getz.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm to be honest Tom, i think if i was a rock fan and someone gave me that cdr i think i'd either 1. fall asleep or 2. Feel all smug cos all the reasons i ignored Jazz before had turned out to be True.

I say he needs a wee scare.

― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

("The Far East Suite"--bleah. Big disappointment when I heard it. Not that I am a jazz fan.)

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Guitarist + listens to prog = "Electric Era" Miles and John McLaughlin / The Mahavishnu Orchestra

Pat Metheny and Weather Report are worth considering too.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

For rockists unfamiliar with jazz, the best places to start are Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Armstrong (pre-1935) and Coltrane.
As far as guitarists go, Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt are good choices.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

If you want some Duke Ellington on there, try something off Money Jungle w/ Max Roach & Charles Mingus.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

For a guitarist, I'd suggest some of the good John Scofield stuff like 'Hand Jive' (w/Eddie Harris, it's so underrated). I agree with the Mclaughlin stuff, Electric Guitarist is great.

I always put some Mingus stuff on a newbie jazz comp, like II B.S./Haitian Fight Song, Freedom, or Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Theme for Lester Young. It's so visceral.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Stweart is right i think - you'd be better going with something much further out - Weather report, Methany and Mwandishi band era Hancock. Also - what jordan said about Mingus.

― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Thinking about it, the point of entry for my prog-rock guitar playing friend was Roland Kirk, I think the multi-horn thing blew his mind.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Good one, yeah. Also keep in mind that the easiest bridge for him will probably be the blues. I think that Charlie Parker playing Au Privave or Billie's Bounce or Monk playing a blues highlights what they are doing even more than their originals in a lot of ways.

In high school I listened to prog rock and first got into things like the Buddy Rich Big Band, because it was loud and brash and fully arranged.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

How about:

Miles Davis - So What
John Coltrane - Naima
John Coltrane - My Favourite Things
Charles Mingus - IIBS (aka Haitian Fight Song)
Charles Mingus - Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul
Charles Mingus - Theme For Lester Young (aka Goodbye Porkpie Hat)
Ornette Coleman - Lonely Woman
Ornette Coleman - Congeniality
Miles Davis - Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Meeting Of The Spirits
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i would recommend sonny rollins' album "the bridge" so he can hear the perfect guitar accompaniment courtesy of jim hall.

also, "spaces" w/ larry coryell and john mclaughlin is good for ripping guitar stuff, as is billy cobham's "spectrum." both those kinda lean towards the fusion side of things ...

would also recommend roland kirk's "blacknuss" - the utter soulfullness of it all could hook a rockist

― hshfdkk, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, the Oscar Peterson trio with Herb Ellis on guitar is great...the guitar is right out front and Oscar is really flashy (of course, I prefer the trio with Ed Thigpen).

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I forgot Ornette Coleman, too.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

10 other 'useful' jazz(ish)-gtr(ish) recs:

'Undercurrent' - Bill Evans and Jim Hall

'Smokin' at the Half Note' - Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio

'Emergency' - Tony Williams Lifetime

'Paradise' - Sonny and Linda Sharrock

'Song X' - Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman

'Tales of Captain Black' - James 'Blood' Ulmer

The Last Wave - Arcana

Purple Trap - Keiji Haino/Bill Laswell/Rashied Ali

'Stained Angel Morning' - Ray Russell

anything by the Blue Humans

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000GBH.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

a wee scare.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Wes Montgomery, James 'Blood' Ulmer and Sonny Sharrock are all very good suggestions.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 4 December 2003 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

ornette's 'dancing in yr head' is incredible.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 4 December 2003 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Andrew L's suggestions are excellent, given the prog affinities of Tom W's friend. See also http://www.freeform.org/music/Kozmigroov.html for similar offerings.

― doug watson (solid air), Thursday, 4 December 2003 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

"ornette's 'dancing in yr head' is incredible."

Indeed; and after that we could put "Peon"....

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 4 December 2003 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

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