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Old 06-11-2006, 11:37 PM   #2 (permalink)
jazzfromhell
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: On the A train.
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First off, Stevie Wonder is FUNK, as well as Soul, R&B (real R&B, not what gets passed off as R&B these days), and some Pop Rock, and he was one of the best around for all of them. Great as he was (not so good, these days), if he has any blues recordings, I haven't heard of them. It's not what you were looking for (although apparently, you don't exactly know what you were looking for sounds like ), but if you want his two best, check out Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life.

Here're two lists that a friend of mine usually gives people looking to start in jazz and blues (lists are in that order):

Quote:
Here are just a few essential jazz recordings, which should be part of every collection. I am limiting the avant/free recordings, since I don't know your tastes.


Louis Armstrong - Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven (The Rosetta Stone of Jazz, this is considered one of the most essential recordings. But keep in mind it was recorded in the early 1920's). There are now two different box sets of this material. One by JSP and another by Sony. In terms of the music itself, the difference is on the 4th disc. Each box set, has added in some extra non-Hot Five/Seven recordings by Satchmo, which is different on each set. While the Sony version came out later, many inculding myself, prefer the remastering on the earlier JSP set.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (generally considered one of the top 2 in Jazz history by most listeners. You can also get this in the Miles Davis & John Coltrane Complete Studio Recordings box from Sony. Everything in it, is gold and you will end up wanting it anyway.)
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (Complete Sessions)
Miles Davis - Jack Johnson (Complete Sessions)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (Deluxe Edition, which now includes the only live recording of A Love Supreme suite. Up until now, it's only been found on bootlegs. They also included alterate takes, with Archie Shepp, and Art Davis....that have always been rumored to have existed, but never heard before.)
John Coltrane - Ascension
John Coltrane - Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (another of the essential live recordings)
John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound
Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby
Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Sonny "Newk" Rollins - a Night at the Village Vanguard (yet antoher live recording)
Sonny "Newk" Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
Charles Mingus - A Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
Charlie "Bird" Parker - The Quintet: Live at Massey Hall (is considered one top live recordings in Jazz history.)
Charlie "Bird" Parker - Complete Savoy & Dial Recordings (The Holy Grail of Bird)
Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 & 2
Thelonious Monk - Genius of Modern Music, Vol 1 & 2
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music
Duke Ellington - Ellington at Newport 1956 (Complete) (another one, that usually makes the top live recordings lists. You can skip anything from Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and go straight to the source!! That is unless you're into xerox copies, and bad ones at that. )
Duke Ellington - The Duke at Fargo 1940: Special 60th Anniversary Edition (yes....it's live....and smokin')
Herbie Han**** - Maiden Voyage
Herbie Han**** - Empyrean Isles
Dizzy Gillespie - Complete RCA Victor Recordings
Dizzy Gillespie - Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 (this was just discovered last year. For fans of Dizzy and Bird, It's a toss-up between the above Massey Hall and this.)
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
Count Basie - Original American Decca Recordings
Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear




Each of these all have many others, as well.
Quote:
Just a few, of the essential recordings.

Lead Belly - Library of Congress, Vol. 1-6
Son House - Delta Blues
Son House - Father of the Delta Blues: The Complete 1965 Sessions
Charley Patton - Founder of the Delta Blues
Charley Patton - King of the Delta Blues
Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
Sonny Boy Williamson II - The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson
Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was the Night
Howlin' Wolf - His Best
Blind Lemon Jefferson - King of the Country Blues
Blind Blake - Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker
Lonnie Johnson - Steppin' on the Blues
Blind Willie McTell - The Classic Years 1927-1940
Skip James - The Complete Early Recordings of..., 1931 - (Yazoo)
OR
Skip James - The Complete 1931 Recordings - (Body & Soul)

Charley Patton - Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues - Revenant (7CD-set) **


** One of the greatest box sets of in any genre of music, and a must have!
Also, a killer collection of blues videos, with a bit of jazz mixed in:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=jledbetter

If you listen to some of that and like it, I can give you further reccomendations. Enjoy!
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