Some Jazz albums you might want to hear

A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

This album completely changed the jazz world in 1965 and even today its effects can be found in many musical styles. Coltrane evolves from the extremely complex and dense harmonic language he had mastered with Miles Davis and Monk and just plays with pure, raw passion. The four songs on this album are simultaneously filled emotions of anger, joy, sadness, ecstasy, tragedy and triumph. This album also marked the beginning of a revolution in Coltrane's playing as he ventured into a freer world less based on dense harmonic language.

 

Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet

This was the first instrumental jazz album to sell over a million copies. 'Take Five' was even a number one hit on Billboard's charts which is a serious feat for any jazz song (and any song in 5/4!). Brubeck used the rhythmic influences from Eastern Europe to create a very fresh sound previously unfound in jazz. The complex rhythms he uses sound very natural and are easy to listen to, probably the reason for his success. This one is guaranteed to please and intrigue its listeners.

Bitches Brew - Miles Davis

Pretty much everything about this album was controversial. Before 1970, no major record label had ever used the word "Bitches" on a release by a major artist. The recording has some very long songs and consists mostly of free spontaneous electric improvisation. Also for the first time, the recording tape was sliced and diced a bit in studio post-production to make certain snippets repeat and to add effects which was unheard of on a jazz record. Yet even with all that... or maybe because of all that... it is Miles' second best selling album of all time behind Kind of Blue. Be warned... this album is pretty "out there" and could take a few listens to understand what Miles was able to achieve.

                                                       Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock

When I first heard this album I felt I had finally found that perfect "sound" I had been searching for my whole life. Herbie had come very well known in Miles Davis second quintet and now was doing his own thing applying those concepts to funk. His experimentation on a multitude of analog synths has tremendously influenced what I do on synthesizers in my band, Gentlemen Hall. As well as numerous other groups ever since. Some critics and pure acoustic jazz-heads said this album is not jazz, but I beg to differ cause it is full of jazz improvisation and concepts. This album was so popular that it quickly sold over a million copies after its release in 1973. It's simple, funky, extremely enjoyable, and AMAZING! Listen to it over and over for maximum satisfaction.

Blue Train (Remastered) - John Coltrane (Yes, again)

Recorded in 1957, this album was Coltrane's first album as a leader. It's very interesting to hear how Coltrane was playing before he started heading to the freer, passionate playing that he evolved to in the mid 60's. Did you know that ten years earlier, Coltrane was considered just a mediocre player? He studied with others and performed SO MUCH with Miles that he became an icon of discipline. He was known to constantly practice after gigs late into the night to become the player he was on this album... and he still continued to improved after this recording! I love this album because it has such a solid, quintessential jazz sound.