As far as I am concerned, and as far as jazz goes, there are two songs that leap to mind. The first is from the notorious Concert of 1964 and is a classic live version from his album “Kind of Blue.” The tune is called “So What” and the way it is played live here will blow you away (and if the player won’t play, you can visit this link).

As for the second song you MUST have, well, there just isn’t any jazz collection that can be complete without Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five.” This comes from one of the greatest jazz albums of all-time “Time Out.” It was the tune that Dave and the rest of the band wasn’t even sure they wanted to put on the album, and then decided to do so at the last minute so their drummer would have a piece that featured him. So, of course, it became the biggest hit.

As for the others in the world of b5media, you should check out their suggestions for tunes you need to add. I am putting their links below:

Flyleaft and Nelly

Miles and Ella

Austin Sounds to Add to your iPod

Metal Martyr

Oz Music Scene

Big Apple Music Scene

Toronto Unplugged

Our Digital Music

Rock Dose

Christian Music Fan

Ear Sucker

Crooner Culture

Rock Relic

New Age Vibe

Industrial Addiction

She Plays Music

News in Punk

Hippie Sounds

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge

That being said, I love finding these lists.  I am particularly fond of the Amazon ones because, half the time you can’t figure out who wrote the damn lists, what their qualifications are or why they picked the albums they picked.

Despite the fact that there seem to be more blues fans out there than jazz fans, I could not find nearly as many “Greatest of All Time” lists for the blues fans as I was for the jazz fans.  Does this mean the jazz fans like to be more vocal?  Perhaps.

I did find a Top Ten Blues Albums of All-Time on, what else, Amazon.com, however.  I am intrigued that there is a Stevie Ray Vaughn album on the list.  Robert Johnson shows up as number one, which seems obvious to me as so many people seem to consider him THE blues pioneer. 

As for the rest, I leave it for you to read and debate.  I hope you debate it here.  As always, feel free to leave your own lists.  I love lists and I love debates.

Click HERE to check out someone’s ideas of the “Greatest Blues Albums Ever.”

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge

I found that list of supposedly greatest blues albums earlier this week. I felt it was only appropriate to give jazz its due as well. People love lists. Lists are great fr blogs, too, because they can cause debate. People can add their own suggestions or fight over the placement of beloved albums.

For jazz, it turns out, it’s much harder to find such a list. Whereas the blues list had an interesting pedigree I could not find a magazine that sponsored a jazz list. I did manage to find out, however.

This is the list of “100 Greatest Jazz Albums” from a website called “Digital Dream Door.” According to wording written on their website, about the list: “Criteria: – These Jazz Albums were chosen to showcase the artists musical vision through their originality, influence, instrumental quality and creative inspiration. This list does not include ‘compilations’, ‘greatest hits’, or ‘live’ albums… or albums by those artists who were primarily jazz vocalists.”

I am glad to note, however, that my personal favorite made the top of the list. So, here is the list in all of its argumentative glory:

1. Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis
2. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
3. Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus
4. Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk
5. Time Out - Dave Brubeck
6. The Blues & The Abstract Truth - Oliver Nelson
7. The Incredible Jazz Guitar - Wes Montgomery
8. Song For My Father - Horace Silver
9. Out To Lunch - Eric Dolphy
10. The Shape Of Jazz To Come - Ornette Coleman
11. Virtuoso - Joe Pass
12. Giant Steps - John Coltrane
13. In A Silent Way - Miles Davis
14. Somethin’ Else - Cannonball Adderley
15. Idle Moments - Grant Green
16. Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra
17. Sax Colossus - Sonny Rollins
18. Speak No Evil - Wayne Shorter
19. Heavy Weather - Weather Report
20. Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
21. Birth Of The Cool - Miles Davis
22. Black Codes (From The Underground) – Wynton Marsalis
23. Conference Of The Birds - Dave Holland
24. Monk’s Dream - Thelonius Monk
25. Bright Size Life - Pat Metheny
26. Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
27. My Favorite Things - John Coltrane
28. Spectrum - Billy Cobham
29. Percussion Bitter Sweet - Max Roach
30. Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
31. Midnight Blue - Kenny Burrell
32. Birds Of Fire - Mahavishnu Orchestra
33. Go - Dexter Gordon
34. Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
35. And His Mother Called Him Bill - Duke Ellington
36. The Real McCoy - McCoy Tyner
37. Romantic Warrior - Return To Forever
38. Milestones - Miles Davis
39. Hand Jive - John Scofield
40. Moanin - Art Blakey
41. Night Hawk - Coleman Hawkins
42. Django - Modern Jazz Quartet
43. Now He Sings, Now He Sobs - Chick Corea
44. Time Is Of The Essence - Michael Brecker
45. Supersonic Jazz - Sun Ra
46. Bird & Diz - Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie
47. Blue Train - John Coltrane
48. The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus
49. Mister Magic - Grover Washington Jr.
50. One Of A Kind - Bill Bruford
51. Bumpin’ - Wes Montgomery
52. Miles Ahead - Miles Davis
53. Elegant Gypsy - Al DiMeola
54. Headhunters - Herbie Hancock
55. Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
56. Empyrean Isles - Herbie Hancock
57. Cool Struttin’ - Sonny Clark
58. The Great Summit - Duke Ellington/Louis Armstrong
59. Blues & Roots - Charles Mingus
60. Invitation To Openness - Les McCann
61. Rip, Rig & Panic - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
62. Soul Station - Hank Mobley
63. For Django - Joe Pass
64. Open Sesame - Freddie Hubbard
65. Play - Mike Stern
66. Ezz-thetics - George Russell
67. Point Of Departure - Andrew Hill
68. Living Legend - Art Pepper
69. Byrd In Flight - Donald Byrd
70. Life Time - Tony Williams
71. Solo Flight - Charlie Christian
72. Takin’ Off - Herbie Hancock
73. Upfront - David Sanborn
74. Back At The Chicken Shack - Jimmy Smith
75. Study In Brown - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
76. Black Unity - Pharoah Sanders
77. Breezin’ - George Benson
78. Solo Guitar - Ted Greene
79. Gateway - Dave Holland
80. The Elektric Band - Chick Corea
81. Infinity - McCoy Tyner
82. Money Jungle - Duke Ellington
83. The Far East Suite - Duke Ellington
84. We Free Kings - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
85. Timeless - John Abercrombie
86. Secret Story - Pat Metheny
87. Out Of The Cool - Gil Evans
88. Pure Desmond - Paul Desmond
89. Moonlighting - The Rippingtons
90. Arbour Zena - Keith Jarrett
91. Blues Dream - Bill Frisell
92. Return - Bill Connors
93. Mosaic - Art Blakey
94. Unit Structure - Cecil Taylor
95. Crossing - Oregon
96. Snide Remarks - Bill Stewart
97. Thembi - Pharoah Sanders
98. Plays W. C. Handy - Louis Armstrong
99. Spaces - Larry Coryell
100. Unity – Larry Young

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge