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Modern
jazz Saxophonist Gary Bayley, who runs the 'Jazz Workshops', responds here
to the requests of people that stop him in the street(!) and ask him to recommend
some essential MODERN jazz CD's.
He has tracked down(!) the favourites of a few celebrities (….as well as providing
his own). Keep your eye on this page as it should grow gradually. If you enjoy
reading these contributions, so far mainly from saxophonists, and want it
extended to include other areas of jazz and other instruments then email him
on garybayley@eurobell.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS
TO LISTENING RECOMMENDATIONS To download all these lists as a PDF click below
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Local guitarist
and one time committee member
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Saxophonist
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Saxophonist
and educator
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Saxophonist
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Saxophonist
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Saxophonist
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Pianist
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Guitarist
Dave Stephens
Dave kicks off with some real 'milestones' as it was originally his idea to
put these lists out on the website.
1Kind
of Blue - Miles Davis
2 In a Silent Way - Miles Davis
3 'dial' or 'savoy' sessions - Charlie Parker
4 Giant Steps - John Coltrane
5 A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
6 Way out West - Sonny Rollins
7 Ah Um - Charles Mingus
8 Heavy Weather - Weather Report
9 Lyle Mays - Lyle Mays
10 Hot fives and sevens - Louis Armstrong
……….nothing to argue about there Dave, surely all are essential listening!
BACK TO TOP
On a more personal note……. Saxophonist Theo Travis (www.theotravis.com) ever-popular in Teignmouth, Mr T donates his ten.
1 Sweet
Rain - Stan Getz perhaps my favourite jazz album - a classic Getz record from
'64 with Chick Corea - it still sounds fresh today
2 In a Silent Way - Miles Davis an influential record
for me and a beautiful one - on the cusp between jazz and rock with a vibe
of its own - some great wayne shorter playing
3 A Love Supreme - John Coltrane one of the greatest jazz albums of all time
- powerful, spiritual, brilliant, majestic.
4 Mexican Green - Tubby Hayes something closer to home with Tony Levin on
drums, Ron Matthewson on bass and Mick Pyne on piano - my favourite British
jazz album - it contains 'trenton place' and 'off the wagon' that I have played
at the London Hotel, Teignmouth.
5 Flute and Nut - Harold McNair a British Big Band album with a sixties feel
with some of the most extraordinary jazz flute playing one is ever likely
to hear.
6 Lift Every Voice - Charles Lloyd 2002, my most recent choice - an ECM double
full of noble, mature, graceful and spiritual jazz -beautiful.
7 Upside Downside - Mike Stern the opposite to 6. - young, brash, powerful
and exciting compelling turbo charged electric jazz with Michael Brecker and
Jaco Pastorius
8 Survivors Suite - Keith Jarrett an influence on me as it has long almost
symphonic compositions with interesting textures and musical transitions -
half way between 1. and 'close to the edge' by Yes!
9 Inner Mountain Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra totally burning electric fusion
with amazing harmonies, time, feel and impact - an album that changed jazz
forever
10 Blue Sun - Mark Isham an album by the U.S. trumpeter who I first heard
on the excellent David Torn album 'Cloud about Mercury' and who is now big
in film music - it is a sort of homage to Miles' 'Kind of Blue' with electric
grooves and subtle atmospheric loops - it can get under your skin! BACK
TO TOP
Saxophonist Gary Bayley- cheated! - he figured in
compiling his list that no-one wants to read 'Kind of Blue', 'Love Supreme',
'Ah-Um' and 'Upside-Downside' again so he took those as read and came up with:
1 Down Home - Zoot Sims - a stonking jam session - swings like crazy - make
sure you get the version with the out-takes included as well.
2 Bird is Free - Charlie Parker - fantastically fluid, unbelievable invention
and creativity and yet it sounds great fun - bad recording quality (outdoors?)
but essential
3 Saxophone Colossus / Tenor Madness - Sonny Rollins - another cheat as these
were originally two lp record, but now they are available together on one
cd. Absolutely great playing: but also great fun as the giant man romps through
his stuff with style, flair, enthusiasm and unbounded energy.
4 The Panther - Dexter Gordon - a sort of about turn from 'hard bop' that
is typical of the man with the biggest sound around and a nod back to Lester:
less muscle more emotion complete with my favourite version of 'body and soul'.
5 Ju-Ju - Wayne Shorter - powerful but crafted solos matched by powerfully
crafted compositions - it has to parallel a day trip to a steel mill regarding
process and product! - with Elvin/McCoy/ReggieWorkman
6 ESP - Miles Davis - if not heard before it will sound strangely familiar:
it is the first album by the quintet that even today many small groups aspire
to - Davis/Shorter/Hancock/Carter/Williams
7 My Song - Keith Jarrett - ignoring the first track, which is merely extremely
good - I find hard to play another cd after this one finishes, having said
it all!
8 Points of View - Dave Holland - this takes the small group playing of 6
forwards to state of the art - some really effective yet relaxed odd time
signatures - Billy Kilson on drums -whoa!
9 I wanted to list - Citadel Room 315 - Mike Westbrook - like 7 a complete
experience but this time by a big band, however being unavailable I'll go
for a big band recorded two years earlier in 1973 Song for Someone - Kenny
Wheeler Nostalgia - unmistakable 'london scene' - back to an age where it
was o.k to wear a cardigan because the only cred needed was impeccable musicianship
- Oxley and Matthewson set the standard in rhythm sections - we should remember
Alan Branscombe and Mike Osborne - exceptionally effective Norma Winstone
contributions - play it LOUD!
10 New Orleans Suite - Duke Ellington Possibly this gets my number one vote.
Literally the most powerful music I have ever heard - far too moving to be
played often - Johnny Hodges died mid recording - 'portrait of Mahalia Jackson'
is almost impossible to bear unless in the most upbeat mood, in broad daylight,
surrounded by circus clowns! BACK TO TOP
Saxophonist Mark Lockheart www.marklockheart.co.uk
and www.perfecthouseplants.com Mark has led a workshop for us and his band
'Perfect Houseplants', blew us away at the 'London' with their breath taking
arrangements and daringly skewed syncopations.
In no particular
order New Orleans Suite - Duke Ellington Possibly this gets my number one
vote. Literally the most powerful music I have ever heard - far too moving
to be played often - Johnny Hodges died mid recording - 'portrait of Mahalia
Jackson' is almost impossible to bear unless in the most upbeat mood, in broad
daylight, surrounded by circus clowns!
My Song - KEITH JARRETT this album is perfect in every way. The tunes are
all beautiful and every note the quartet plays is stunning.
The complete Village Vanguard - JOHN COLTRANE I've just got this four CD box
set of everything he recorded over five days. It's not all great but it's
a fantastic insight into his playing in 1961 and it's also interesting to
see how he reacts with Eric Dolphy, the other saxophone player.
Lyle Mays - LYLE MAYS I heard this fifteen years ago and fell in love with
it. The writing is fantastic and Lyle takes you on a journey. There are also
some short solo's from one of my favourite saxophone players, the under-rated
Billy Drewes.
Sinatra meets Ellington I play this to my students to demonstrate what swing
playing is all about. The feel from the rhythm section, the horns and Sinatra,
on all of the tracks is just amazing, it's THE best big band playing.
Funny Valentine
- MILES DAVIS Just fantastic all the way through. Great saxophone playing
from George Coleman; Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and Ron Carter take the
music in all sorts of directions.
Music for Large
and Small Ensembles - KENNY WHEELER - This is a wonderful big band record,
beautifully orchestrated and recorded. The second track features one of my
favourite tenor solos, by Stan Sulzmann ('simply perfect' agrees garyb)
Live at the Village Vanguard - SONNY ROLLINS This trio album of tenor, bass
and drums features Sonny Rollins at his most creative and inventive, free
from cliché, he has a great sense of construction in his solos.
Native Dancer - WAYNE SHORTER I play this over and over again. Everything
about it is great! My favourite bit is when he solos on tenor and as he gets
higher and higher and right up into the upper register, he switches and carries
on with the soprano saxophone.
Word of Mouth - JACO PASTORIUS - This has been very influential on me as a
writer and the energy and the individualism of this recording makes it a must
for any jazz listener. BACK TO TOP
Master Saxophonist
Dave Liebman www.upbeat.com/lieb Once with Miles Davis,
the man continues to be a leading light as his new CD with Michael Brecker
and Joe Lovano testifies. Refer to his website for more detail on his 'All
Time Top Ten'.
1 Crescent - JOHN COLTRANE I have heard so many musicians choose this.
2 Live at Birdland - JOHN COLTRANE …….incredible in its intensity.
3 Kind of Blue - MILES DAVIS ….some of the greatest soloists ever at their
peak.
4 Sketches of Spain - MILES DAVIS This is my favourite all time recording
across all idioms of music.
5 Four and More - MILES DAVIS Miles….the spontaneous player who encouraged
his bands to let things happen.
6 Speak No Evil - WAYNE SHORTER Wayne is for me THE composer of our recent
period.
7 Sunday at the Village Vanguard Four - BILL EVANS …some of the most gorgeous
harmony ever played.
8 A Night at the Village Vanguard - SONNY ROLLINS …the greatest all around
saxophonist….you can just feel the spontaneity.
9 Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock …..highly sophisticated compositions and
group approach.
10 The Real McCoy - McCOY TYNER Elvin Jones, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson. The
compositions are built for out and out blowing and to swing. BACK
TO TOP
Saxophonist
Tony Bevan For more details check out the radio 3
website and the Penguin Jazz on CD guide; perhaps the worlds leading bass
saxophone player. Although long established by his peers and his CDs, Tony
continues to gain critical acclaim for his work with the legendary drummer
Sunny Murray and guitarist Derek Bailey. His new band with vibist Orphy Robinson
is already making the critics sit up! He offered to do 'ten' from the jazz
tradition but on our suggestion, eagerly pursued the invitation to scour the
'cutting edge' as well…………
1 Chet Baker in Paris (1955) w. Dick Twardzik. For the quartet tracks, which
feature Baker at his best, over Twardzik's chiming dissonances, on the enigmatic
compositions of Bob Zeiss. Pretty marvellous, to be honest.
2 The Great Lars Gullin - Vol 5. 1954/55: "Danny's Dream" and "Manchester
Fog". Another great European improviser: here establishing something distinctly
European (or even Swedish). A better Baritone player than Mulligan or Chaloff
in my opinion. Lovely music.
3 Harold McNair: Same. (1967). w. Bill Lesage. Sorry to go for an obscure
one, but if enough people show interest maybe we can get it re-issued. Anyway,
McNair was the Sonny Rollins of the flute (and one of my boyhood heroes).
For my money the best jazz flautist ever.
4 Four Compositions for Sextet: (1970). Tony Oxley. w. Derek Bailey, Evan
Parker, Paul Rutherford, Kenny Wheeler and Jeff Clyne. At a time when the
efforts of other British musicians of the period were being hailed (Don Rendell?
Ian Carr?!), these are the one's that really went on to make a mark on the
world stage.
5 Pakistani Pomade (1972): Alex Von Schlippenbach w. Evan Parker & Paul Lovens.
First record from a great trio - "Sun Luck Night Rain" the key track, Evan
breaking ahead of the pack.
6 Duo: Derek Bailey/Tristan Honsinger (1976). Just re-released on CD, with
some (earlier) extra tracks, the most striking thing about the music is how
exciting it is (yes, Improvised music is exciting- doubters!).
7 Spirits Rejoice: (1978) Louis Moholo w. Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Keith
Tippet, Johnny Dyani. A great record from a great period - Wedding Hymn" should
be in everyone's Top Ten.
8 Sunday Best (1979)
Garry Todd/Roger Turner. A personal one for me - Garry showed me that you
could find a way to improvise on the saxophone while remaining true to your
own influences and tastes - it didn't have to be like Evan or Brotzmann. Good
record, too.
9 Pleistozaen mit wasser: (1988) Cecil Taylor/Derek Bailey. Miraculous. A
true meeting of giants EVERYBODY should own this. 10 Nailed: Cecil Taylor/Evan
Parker/Barry Guy/Tony Oxley (1990). Like the above, from Cecil's great European
period. Demolishes any arguments about the gap between American & European
improvisers, and (again) demonstrates that the best Brits have been playing
with the Americans for years. BACK TO TOP
Tim Richards - Piano Tim is absolutely not a stranger
to Teignmouth, a long standing leader of projects on the UK scene, read his
full commentary on his playlist below found on www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
1 THE REAL McCOY - McCoy Tyner
2 BITCHES BREW - Miles Davis
3 FREDDIE KING SINGS - Freddie King
4 MINGUS AH UM - Charles Mingus
5 THE COMPLETE AFRICA BRASS SESSIONS - John Coltrane
6 THE MOUNTAIN - Abdullah Ibrahim
7 AFRICA - Pharoah Sanders
8 TRIO - Hampton Hawes
9 THE DEFINITIVE RAY CHARLES - Ray Charles
10 EVERYBODY DIGS BILL EVANS - Bill Evans BACK TO TOP