Your Top 5

[amusiathread]

What are your all-time top 5 jazz tunes? Which tunes really define what jazz is to you? Both the song and the performer who you think nails it best, guitar-related or otherwise. I know this one might be hard, so just say you're talking to someone who's never heard jazz, you have time to play 5 recordings for them.

Here are mine (no particular order):

Take the "A" train, as played by the Duke Ellington orchestra
St Louis Blues, the earlier Louis Armstrong versions
My Favorite Things, Coltrane (I know it's cliche, I don't care)
Satin Doll, Joe Pass' solo version
Evidence, Thelonious Monk with Coltrane

[randalljazz]

to make it easier for the rest of youse...

diana krall devil may care (live in paris)
manhattan transfer airegin (vocalese)
horace silver nica's dream (horacescope)
grant green jean de fleur (idle moments)
dizzy gillespie night in tunisia (complete rca recordings)

[derek]

It changes often, but here is a current 5.

Round Midnight - Monk (Joe Pass has a great solo version)
Unit 7 - Wes (Martino's version on Remember is a close 2nd)
Relaxin At The Camarillo - Stochello Rosenberg
Oleo - Pat Martino Live at Yoshi's
Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most - Jody Fisher

[brad4d8]

In no order:
Opus de Funk, Sal Salvador's version
Struttin' with Some Barbecue-Louis Armstrong (first recording-1927 maybe)
Love Supreme-Coltrane
Say a Little Prayer-Roland Kirk
No particular title, but almost anything with Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery.

These come to mind right now, would probably change tomorrow.
Brad

[drobniuch]

any YouTube's??

[brad4d8]

Originally Posted by drobniuch

any YouTube's??

Roland Kirk: YouTube - Rahsaan Roland Kirk - I Say A Little Prayer - Live 1969
Might be the same performance as I remember from vinyl, from the same period regardless.
Coltrane: YouTube - John Coltrane - A Love Supreme - 1965
Short excerpt.
Struttin: YouTube - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five - Struttin' With Some Barbecue - OKeh 8566
We could all benefit from learning Louis solos.
OGD- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqhN6rvfJt4 Smith and Montgomery.
Opus de funk, not Sal, but okay. Sal's versiin has some great chord improvs during his solo.
Brad

[Norman931]

"Time to Remember" by Grant Green on Alive!
This was a live record, with Grant and his sextet obviously inspired. Great phrasing from Mr. Green, and Claude Bartee blew his soul out the bell of his tenor sax. Idris Muhammad's drumming was both funky and sensitive at the same time. Neal Creque wrote the tune and played organ on it. Of course, if you don't like Grant's later recordings, you probably won't like this one! It's still one of my favorites.

Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman "Flying Home" and all the rest.

Johnny Smith "Moonlight in Vermont"

Wes Montgomery (later work)

Django Reinhardt and Ses Rhythmes "Night and Day" This record, recorded shortly before Django's death, is amazing.

Joe Pass is another favorite, but I generally prefer his earlier stuff. The Virtuoso recordings are great, but I miss the band.

[cosmic gumbo]

Only five? umm...today it might be..

So What- Miles Davis
Speak No Evil- Wayne Shorter
Fables of Faubus- Charles Mingus
Epistrophy- Thelonious Monk
Stolen Moments- Oliver Nelson

[musicjohnny]

Full House - Wes
So what - Miles
Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
You'd be so nice to come home to - Jim Hall
Parker's Mood - Bird

[Gambrosius1984]

Much too many to name just 5. Here are some of my favorite tunes and there seminal recordings, though as noted it is hard to pick 5. How about top 500. Ha. It would be good for anyone new to jazz to get to know these tunes and artist.

Louis Armstrong- West End Blues
YouTube - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five - West End Blues - OKeh 8597, 41078

Duke Ellington- It Don't Mean a Thing
YouTube - It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) - Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra (1932)

Django Reinhardt- Nuages(1953-Last Version He Recorded)
YouTube - Django Reinhardt Nuages Electric!

Billie Holiday- All Of Me
YouTube - All of me Billie Holiday

Coleman Hawkins- Body and Soul
YouTube - Coleman Hawkins - Body & Soul

[Norman931]

Does anyone know of a CD that has Django's electric recordings made just before his death in'53? I'd love to get one!

[3shiftgtr]

First I'd play Satchmo's West End Blues. The trumpet lick to end all trumpet licks.

Then, I'd play Giant Steps by Coltrane.

Then I'd play the entire Smokin At the Half Note and count it as one song, cuz I'm a rule breaker!!!!!

Then I'd play Third Wind by Pat Metheny. My fav solo of his and one of my fav songs of his....no wait....First Circle is the fav tune....I'd break the rules and play both, now reveling in my newfound rebel status.

Then I'd play Buddy Rich's Channel One Suite from the DVD with Steve Marcus just LAYING PIPE on that tune and that infectious bass ostinato in the beginning.....

Then I'd go "But wait...Clifford Brown's famous solo on Cherokee....and, and jeez, I didn't even play any Miles....And Holdsworth...jeez...and and..."

[amusiathread]

Cool! With as much great jazz as there is out there (and as much as there is some that doesn't do it for me), this is a great way to compare opinions and find some more stuff to investigate. I'm surprised at how many of you came up with stuff I haven't even heard.

Keep them coming!

[cosmic gumbo]

hmm...today I think my 5 favorites are:

Impressions- John Coltrane
Backwoods Song- Dave Holland
Killer Joe- Benny Golson
Brooklyn Sometimes- Kurt Rosenwinkel
Deer Wan- Kenny Wheeler

[C.A.JO.]

Donna Lee, Birelli Lagrene - "Standards".
Stella By Starlight, Joe Pass - "Virtuoso".
Bright Size Life, Pat Metheny - "Bright Size Life".
So What, Miles Davis - "Kind of Blue".
Misty - Wes Montgomery, "Smokin' at the Half Note".

[Gambrosius1984]

For Norman931 above:
Amazon.com: Jazz in Paris: Nuages: Django Reinhardt: Music

This album has both of Django's 1953 sessions, his final recordings.

[Norman931]

Originally Posted by Gambrosius1984

For Norman931 above:
Amazon.com: Jazz in Paris: Nuages: Django Reinhardt: Music

This album has both of Django's 1953 sessions, his final recordings.

Thanks! I've been looking for this for years! Django's tone and phrasing on these recordings is incredible, and the rhythm section is the best! Too many jazz records are full of little bombs dropped by the drummer, seemingly at random, but this drummer's accents are very musical. You can tell that Django's playing brought out the greatest in his fellow musicians.

[fivebells]

Leaving aside the bulk of original compositions and improvisations for now, I nominate:

"Now's The Time" — Charlie Parker
"Autumn Leaves" — Cannonball Adderley (with Miles Davis)
"Cry Me A River" — Julie London (with Barney Kessel, Ray Leatherwoood)
"Concierto de Aranjuez" — Jim Hall
"You Don't Know What Love Is" — Ingrid James

Links:
YouTube - Charlie Parker??? Now's The Time??? Donna Lee??? Milestones
YouTube - Cannonball Adderley feat. Miles Davis " Autumn Leaves"
YouTube - Julie London - Cry me a river (HQ Audio)
YouTube - Jim Hall - Concierto De Aranjuez 1/2 and YouTube - Jim Hall - Concierto De Aranjuez 2/2
Ingrid doing "How Deep Is The Ocean?" YouTube - Ingrid James 2 (there is no video for her version of "You Don't Know What Love Is"; it's from the 2005 album Essence and is in the iTunes store)