[Today: Cue up the jazz...]
Shopping for jazz can be a vertigo-inducing exercise in guesswork. Some really great artists (Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, and many more) have made some really puzzling albums, while other greats (Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, etc) have been over-anthologized to the point of utter confusion. Jazz also features a lot of off-shoot styles (Dixieland, Hard Bop, Fusion, etc) that are acquired tastes at best.
Also, there are but a handful of relevant jazz artists under the age of 50, which only widens the gap between audience and music, because there’s nobody out there (besides Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis and a few others) talking about influential jazz musicians and making us care about them. Jazz feels like a dying brand – an attribute that isn’t attractive for large segments of a 24/7, Internet-driven world.
Even many diehard jazz fans will agree that too many albums in the genre require chemical enhancement or a PhD in music for full understanding or appreciation. Personally I enjoy the Cuban back-alley brawl as depicted by orchestra that is Charles Mingus’ music, but that’s not the kind of thing to recommend to the casual fan who’s dipping a toe into jazz.
Naturally, most novice fans are directed towards the brightest lights of jazz music, but those are the very artists who tend to be the most poorly represented on record. Also, a lot of the albums that a consensus of knowledgeable fans and critics would agree are “masterpieces” (such as A Love Supreme or Bitches Brew or Mingus Ah-Um) can be tough sledding for the recreational listener.
Two albums that I can unconditionally recommend to those looking for agreeable jazz are Shorty & Doc (Shorty Baker & Doc Cheatam, Prestige/Swingville, 1961) and Blue’s Moods (Blue Mitchell, Riverside, 1960). Uncomplicated, enjoyable – dare I say cool? This is the kind of music that’s perfect for the CUE JAZZ MUSIC spot of a movie. No PhD required for a good time…
Listen: Good Queen Bess [Shorty & Doc]
Listen: I’ll Close My Eyes [Blue Mitchell]
Listen: Baker’s Dozen [Shorty & Doc]
Listen: Sweet Pumpkin [Blue Mitchell]
