Here
is a list of some music that I like. I will update this page from
time to time.
25
Indispensable Jazz Records
(In alphabetical order)
This is a slightly idiosyncratic
list of jazz records that I particularly enjoy. Many
worthy albums (and entire sub-genres) are not on this list, and, in the
interest of breadth, I restricted myself to one offering per artist. I felt obligated to note the alarming
number of jazz greats who died tragically young. One
can only imagine the incredible music that would have been produced had
some of these artists lived longer.
- Cannonball Adderley: Something Else
Adderley’s exuberant alto is
complemented by Miles Davis on trumpet and Art Blakey
on drums. This is Adderley’s
finest recording, but I like many of his records including Nippon Soul and catchy
debut Presenting Cannonball.
Sadly, Adderley
died from a stroke at 46.
- Art Blakey
and the Jazz Messengers: Moanin’
Blakey’s Jazz Messengers defined
hard bop, and this is their most celebrated accomplishment. Line line up includes Lee Morgan on trumpet,
Benny Golson on sax and Bobby Timmons on piano (who died at 38 from
liver damage). Golson was soon replaced
by long-time messenger Wayne Shorter, and the band produced other great
records including The
Freedom
Rider, Roots and Herbs, A Night in Tunisia and Indestructable (with Cedar Walton on
piano). In the band's next best line-up Morgan was replaced by
Freddie Hubbard, and essential recordings include Buhaina's Delight, Free for All, and Mosaic. Also check out the
earlier line-up on, Art Blakey's
Jazz Messangers with Thelonious Monk, with Johnny Griffin on sax.
- Clifford Brown: A
Study in Brown
Trumpeter Brown treated the world to some superb jazz before dying
in a car wreck at 25.
I find this set especially enjoyable. Another good choice is Clifford Brown & Max Roach, or
for a compilation of Brown's early tracks and his moving final
performance, check out The Beginning
and the End.
- Ornette
Coleman: The Shape of Jazz to Come
Absolutely essential free jazz. Revolutionary, liberating, and utterly
enjoyable. The Shape of Jazz
to come is a great introduction to free jazz, because, though
unencumbered by by the structual constraints of bop, Ornette is playing
is melodic and he has not shed his bop or blues roots. Ornette
has many other great recordings, including
Change of the Century and Free Jazz.
- John Coltrane: A
Love Supreme
One word: passion. Giant Steps
comes in second for me, but this record is extraordinary for is
relentless spiritual fervor. Coltrane produced
many other outstanding records including Blue Trane, Soultrane, Lush Life, and, in the right mood, Ascention. Coltrane’s zeal killed him at 40, three years
after A Love Supreme was
released.
- Miles Davis: Kind
of Blue
This is astonishing music, often billed
as the greatest jazz record of all time. It
is amazingly understated and utterly distinctive. Like
a great painter, Miles understand the importance
of negative space. In many moods, however,
there are other Miles records that I am more likely to play. The Prestige sessions, the collaborations with
Bill Evans, the exquisite treatment of Monk’s ‘Round About Midnight, and all of his second classic
quintet records between 1965 and 1967. Bithces Brew
is also an
incredible listening experience, though it may annoy purists.
- Eric Dolphy:
Out to Lunch
Dolphy died at 36, the year this
flawless record was released. Enter into Dolphy’s dissonant universe and enjoy.
Dolphy was also a sideman on great records by Chales Mingus, John
Coltrane, Oliver Nelson, and Ornette Coleman.
- Lou Donaldson: Blues
Walk
You’ll get the first track stuck in your
head, but don’t stop there. There are many
gems in this delightful, bluesy romp. Donaldson
is all bop here, but his ability to write a hook also pays off on some
of his soul-jazz records that he recorded after this
date. My favorite is Alligator
Bogaloo.
- Kenny Dorham: Afro-Cuban
Superb line-up, including Oscar Pettiford, J.J. Johnson, Hank
Mobley, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, and Potato Valdez on congas! This is swinging, high energy jazz. My other favorite Dorham disks are Whistle
Stop, Una Mas, and Matador
. Dorham
died of kidney disease at 48.
- Duke Ellington: Far
East Suite
Others might have selected an earlier
recording, or Newport,
or Ellington’s extraordinary tribute to collaborator Billy Strayhorn, And His Mother Called Him Bill. On Far East Suite, this most American
composer looks beyond U.S.
borders for inspiration, and the result is innovative, exceptional, and
exciting. For another enjoyable global outing, check out Afro-Eurasian Eclipse.
- Stan Getz: Getz/Gilberto
The ultimate bosa nova.
This is a beautiful, alluring, breezy treat.
The title should have been Getz/Gilberto/Gilberto/Jobim. The two
Gilberto’s are Joao and Astrud, of course. And Astrud’s
debut vocals on Jobim’s Girl from Ipanema make it one of the most memorable songs
in recording history.
- Dizzy Gillespie: At
Newport
Relentlessly exuberant jazz. If you want
to know what joy sounds like, give this a whirl. Along with Mingus At Antibes and Ellington At Newport, one of my
three favorite live jazz records. Also check out Jazz at Massey Hall performed by
"The Quinet" a ensemble comprising Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud
Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. Along with Theloneous
Monk, Gillespie, Parker, and Powell were the most important pioneers of
bebop.
- Dexter Gordon: Go
Go, Dexter, go. This is one of bop’s brightest moments. I
also enjoy Doin' Allright, Dexter Calling, One Flight Up, Our
Man In Paris, and
other records from the 1960s. Gordon has
been producing fine music for decades.
- Johnny Griffin: A Blowin’ Session
Sizzling. Hank Mobley and John Coltrane
join Griffin in tenor
tooting, and Lee Morgan blows his trumpet. Other great dualing
sax sessions include Tenor Madness with
Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane and Boss
Tenors with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt.
- Rahsaan
Roland Kirk: We Free Kings
I really like this early effort from blind the brilliant
horn-master, Kirk. Kirk's Work is
also
enjoyable, as is Rip, Rig and Panic. Kirk’s
later records are more adventurous than these, and The Inflated
Tear is not to be missed. Also check
out the funky, frenzied Blacknuss. Kirk died from a stoke
at 41.
- Charles Mingus:
Black
Saint and the Sinner Lady
This is mind-blowing, earth-shattering music. It is one of the
greatest records ever made in any musical genre. Mingus produced
a lot of essential music. Some of his earlier efforts are a bit
more accessible than Black Saint, and
the best of these is Ah Um. Other essential
Mingus records include Pithecanthropus
Erectus, The Clown, Mingus Dynasty, Mingus in Wonderland, and Blues and Roots. As an introduction, I would recommend Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, because
it combines Mingus plays some of his best early hooks with the kind of
intensity that makes Black Saint
so mesmerizing.
- Hank Mobley: Soul
Station
Mobley is often said to be overshadowed by other jazz greats. An
easy outcome, when you find yourself nestled between Mingus and Monk on an alphabetical list. This
record won’t hold a up to Coltrane’s most transcendent moments,
but it is damn enjoyable. I like every Mobley record I've ever
heard, including Roll Call, Peckin'
Time, Workout, No Room for Squares, and Straight No Filter.
- Thelonious
Monk: Brilliant Corners
Monk was an extraordinary composer, and the author of many jazz
standards. He also was a seminar figure in bepob,
and his precussive piona style is one of the most distinctive sounds in
jazz. Picking
just one album is a formidable challenge. Brilliant Corners is, well,
brilliant. Monk’s
Music, Monk’s Dream, Criss-Cross,
and the Genius of Modern Music volumes are all
well-worth the price
of admission. For a window into Monk's ecclectic
personality (he spent his last ten years suffering from mental illness
in seclusion) see the documentary, Straight
No Chaser.
- Lee Morgan: The
Sidewinder
Morgan’s records are very enjoyable, and the groovy mega-hit title
track of this one makes it a popular choice. Also
noteworthy for an early Joe Henderson appearance. I
also like Morgan's Candy, Cornbread,
Charisma, The Gigalo, and, especially, Search for a New Land. He'd
have undoubtedly made other great records if he hadn't been shot to
death by his girlfriend when he was 33.
- Charlie Parker: Yardbird Suite
This popular anthology has the virtue of including tracks recorded for
several different labels. Parker changed
everything. Just listen to him fly! Unfortunately, that flight came to an end when
Parker was 34.
- Bud Powell: The
Amazing Bud Powell, vol. 1
Powell was one of the great pioneers of bop. Here
is is joined by Fats Navarro, Max Roach,
and Sonny Rollins. Un Poco Loco
is a poignantly title track. Powell
suffered
from debilitating a mental illness and died at 41.
- Sonny Rollins: Saxophone
Colossus
An entry on every jazz list. This is a
rich, energetic, and highly accessible record. Every
track offers something different. Rollins
begins with Calypso, but moves far beyond, and he has been bringing
good things to jazz ever since. I like many other Rollins
records, including The Bridge,
Newk's Theme, and Sonny Side Up, with Dizzy Gillespie
and Sonny Stitt.
- Wayne Shorter: Speak
No
Evil
It’s tough to pick a favorite Shorter record. JuJu, Etc., Adam's Apple, Night Dreamer, The Soothsayer.
and Schizophrenia are all great music. Shorter
delivers sophisticated, interesting post-bop. Speak
No Evil is the most
quintessential, and Herbie Hancock shines
on the ivories.
- Horace Silver: Song
for My Father
Soulful atmospheric, and catchy. A
tribute to Silver’s Cape
Verde progenitor.
For more in that spirit, check out Cape Verdean Blues. Some of
Silver's earlier records are also great, including Finger Poppin', Blowin' The Blues Away,
and Six Pieces of Silver.
Silver began his career as a leader of Art Blakey's band, and Horace
Silver and the Jazz Messangers is one
of the classic albums of jazz.
- Jimmy Smith: Back
at the
Chicken Shack
Soul-jazz is sometimes dismissed because of its pop sensibility. This record is quintessential soul, but also
genre-transcendent. It's too good to write
off. Stanley Turrentine
and Kenny Burrell can be heard along with Smith’s mesmerizing Hammond
organ. Hammond
fans should also check out Larry Young's Unity. Young
died from untreated pneumonia at 38.
50
Classic Punk Songs
(In alphabetical order)
Here's another slightly
idiosyncratic list. This time the genre is old-school punk and
first-wave hardcore.
Innevitably, I left out dozens of songs that are equally worthy of the
list.
American
Punk (and Hardcore)
- Avengers: Car Crash
- The Bad Brains: Sailin’ On
- Black Flag: Gimme Gimme Gimme
- Black Randy and the Metrosquad: I
Slept in an Arcade
- The Controllers: Electric Church
- The Dead Boys: All This and More
- The Dead Kennedys: Holiday in
Cambodia
- The Demics: New York City
- Death: Freakin Out
- The Dickies: You Drive Me Ape
- The Eyes: Take a Qualude Now
- The Germs: Forming
- Geza X: The Rio Grande Hotel
- The Heartbreakers: I Wanna Be Loved
- Human Sexual Response: Jackie Onassis
- La Peste: Better Off Dead
- The Misfits: 20 Eyes
- Mission of Burma: That's When I
Reach for My Revolver
- Pere Ubu: 30 Seconds Over Tokyo
- The Plugz: Mindless Contentment
- The Ramones: Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
- The Screamers: 122 Hours of Fear
- Patti Smith: Rodondo Beach
- The Weirdos: We Got the Neutron Bomb
- X: Nausea
British
Punk
- The Adverts: Gary Gilmore's Eyes
- The Buzzcocks: Harmony in My Head
- Celia and the Mutations: You Better
Believe Me
- The Clash: Janie Jones
- The Damned: Love Song
- Eater: Outside View
- The Flys: Waikiki Beach Refugees
- Generation X: Kiss Me Deadly
- The Jam: In the City
- The Lurkers: Love Story
- Menace: I’m Civilised
- Magazine: Shot By Both Sides
- 999: Chicane Destination
- The Only Ones: Lovers of Today
- Penetration: Don’t Dictate
- The Rezillos: Destination Venus
- The Ruts: Something That I Said
- The Sex Pistols: Seventeen
- Sham 69: Who Gives A Damn
- The Stranglers: Something Better
Change
- Stiff Little Fingers: Gotta Get Away
- The Undertones: Male Model
- Wire: I Am The Fly
- Wreckless Eric: Whole Wide World
- X-Ray Spex: Warrior in Woolworths
10
Proto-Punk Songs
(In alphabetical order)
It's hard to say when punk began
because the sound, the philosophy, and even the name were in place
before the recognized emergence of the movement. Perhaps punk
began when punk sounding bands stared cutting their hair short.
In any case, these are some proto-punk faves.
- The Barbarians: Are Your a Boy, Or
Are You a Girl?
- The MC5: Looking At You
- The Modern Lovers: Modern World
- The New York Dolls: Personality
Crisis
- The Pink Fairies: City Kids
- The Pleasure Seakerz: What a Way to
Die
- The Savages: The World Ain't Round,
It's Square
- The Stooges: I Wanna Be Your Dog
- The Velvet Underground: I’m Waiting
For My Man
- Television: Marquee Moon
10
Post-Punk Songs
(In alphabetical order)
Here's a list of favorite
post-punk songs. Classification is tricky here, since some bands
on the punk list (Magazine, Mission of Burma, Wire, etc.) get
classified as Post-Punk, but I tried to restrict this list to bands
that departed from traditional punk more fully, and I generally avoided
bands that clearly fall under a coherent named movement (no-wave, new
romantic, etc.).
- Birthday Party: Mutiny in Heaven
- The Fall: Totally Wired
- Gang of Four: Love Like Anthrax
- Gun Club: For the Love of Ivy
- Public Image Ltd.: Four Enclosed
Walls
- Raincoats: Only Loved at Night
- The Slits: So Tough
- Suicide:
Rocket USA
- Young Marble Giants: Credit in the
Straight World
- XTC: Making Plans for Nigel
5
Riot Grrrls and 5 Precursors
(In alphabetical order)
The Riot Grrrl movement was one of
the best outgrowths of punk. Didn't come ex nihilo though, so I split the
list with precursors.
- Au Pairs: We're So Cool
- Bush Tetras: Too Many Creeps
- Essential Logic: Wake Up
- Frightwig: Only You
- Sonic Youth: Cross the Breeze
- Bikini Kill: New Radio
- Bratmobile: Brat Girl
- Huggy Bear: Her Jazz
- Sleater-Kinney: Dig Me Out
- Team Dresch: Fake Fight