Jazz Recordings with guitar but no drums - suggestions?

[maxsmith]

I'm a bit weary of listening to drummers, so I thought I might make a giant Spotify playlist of drummer-less jazz groups featuring guitarists. Here's a few ideas off the top of my head - please share your favorites!


Oscar Peterson Trio with Herb Ellis (multiple albums)
Nat King Cole Trio with Oscar Moore (the instrumentals)
Jimmy Giuffre Three with Jim Hall (couple albums)
Chet Baker with Doug Raney, "The Touch of Your Lips"
Any of the Django drummer-less recordings (hundreds?)
Rob McConnell with Ed Bickert, "Three For the Road"
Michel Petruciani, Wayne Shorter, Jim Hall, "Power of Three"
Hal Gaylor with Billy Bean, "The Trio"


Let's see yours!


Thanks!
Max


On the Other Hand: Right-Hand Studies with Modern Chord Voicings

[AlsoRan]

Bill Evans with Jim Hall - The Undercurrent Album

When I first heard it (mainly because it was raved about here on this forum) I was taken aback. It took me a moment to realize there was no drummer.

Sometimes this type of setting (Jim Hall with Ron Carter was another) is magic, other times it does not work for me, personally.

Not trying to rain on your thread but at this point in my musical development, I still really need that drummer (and bass player) unless I am in one of those moods for something different.

Carry on!

[Lobomov]

Bill Evans with Jim Hall - The Undercurrent Album

They have one more album than undercurrent but I can't remember the title (at work currently)

Speaking of Jim Hall, I also have an old Jim Hall Trio record, where most of the tracks are without a drummer.


Tal Farlow also had a habit of putting out drummer less records.

Isn't Tal the one responsible for the "It takes a darn good drummer to be better than no drummer" quote?

[AlsoRan]

They have one more album than undercurrent but I can't remember the title (at work currently)

Speaking of Jim Hall, I also have an old Jim Hall Trio record, where most of the tracks are without a drummer.


Tal Farlow also had a habit of putting out drummer less records.

Isn't Tal the one responsible for the "It takes a darn good drummer to be better than no drummer" quote?

You are right about Tal. I just went and sampled several songs by him and there was no drummer!

This is been a realization to me because when I first started buy Jazz songs, some like Tal, just did not seem to move me. I am starting to realize that many of them had no drummer - and drums are a big part of the driving force that I seek in music.

Still, I have learned to appreciate it but it has become a slowly acquired taste.

[AlsoRan]

I'm a bit weary of listening to drummers, so I thought I might make a giant Spotify playlist of drummer-less jazz groups featuring guitarists. Here's a few ideas off the top of my head - please share your favorites!


Oscar Peterson Trio with Herb Ellis (multiple albums)
Nat King Cole Trio with Oscar Moore (the instrumentals)
Jimmy Giuffre Three with Jim Hall (couple albums)
Chet Baker with Doug Raney, "The Touch of Your Lips"
Any of the Django drummer-less recordings (hundreds?)
Rob McConnell with Ed Bickert, "Three For the Road"
Michel Petruciani, Wayne Shorter, Jim Hall, "Power of Three"
Hal Gaylor with Billy Bean, "The Trio"


Let's see yours!


Thanks!
Max


On the Other Hand: Right-Hand Studies with Modern Chord Voicings

In this link to another thread, the author suggested an album with Doug Raney that was drummerless. It was one that I liked immediately.
Two obscure albums by Doug Raney

There was a little discussion about this very topic of drummerless bands.

[BFrench]

1979 Jimmy Raney, Doug Raney Duets...fabulous!!!
Track Listing:
1. Have you met Miss Jones? (Richard Rodgers)
2. My one and only love (Mellin/Woods)
3. Action (Jimmy Raney)
4. Invitation (Bronislav Kaper)
5. It might as well be spring (Richard Rodgers)
6. Days of wine and roses (Henry Mancini)
7. Oleo (Sonny Rollins)
8. My Funny Valentine (Richard Rodgers

Herb Ellis and Joe Pass - Two For The Road - Way Cool Stuff!
Track Listing:
1. Love for Sale (Cole Porter)
2. Carnival (Manha de Carnaval) (Luiz Bonfá, Antonio Maria)
3. Am I Blue? (Harry Akst, Grant Clarke)
4. Seven Come Eleven (Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman)
5. Guitar Blues (Herb Ellis, Joe Pass)
6. Oh, Lady be Good! (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
7. Cherokee (Ray Noble)
8. Cherokee [version 2]
9. Seulb (Ellis, Pass)
10. Gee, Baby Ain't I Good to You (Andy Razaf, Don Redman)
11. Try a Little Tenderness (James Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Harry M. Woods)
12. I've Found a New Baby (Jack Palmer, Spencer Williams)
13. Angel Eyes (Matt Dennis, Earl Brent)

[dhd]

Diana Krall's CD..... All For You (A Dedication To The Nat King Cole Trio)

Vocals, piano, guitar and bass... but no drums.

[grahambop]

Jimmy Raney - Wisteria.

[AndyV]

There are more, but these come to mind as pretty great .....

Jim Hall Live!
Dance too the Lady (Ed Bickert & Don Thompson)
and the Red Mitchell version of the Red Norvo Trio with Tal Farlow ...

[pubylakeg]

I believe the "good drummer to be better than no drummer" quote actually belongs to Chet Baker (AFAIK).

Yes, Tal made some great records without drums, with Red Norvo and under his own leadership. There was also a great line up of Red Norvo's trio featuring Jimmy Raney on guitar, which compares and contrasts nicely with the earlier line up.

Kenny Burrell also participated in a piano trio date, early in his career, under the leadership of pianist Ronnell Bright. On Savoy Records, it's titled "Bright's Spot",one of Kenny's lesser known recordings, but a really nice session,

Ronnell Bright - Brights Spot - Amazon.com Music
(the tunes are on Spotify if you want to check it out).

Also worth mentioning is Joe Pass on "The Big 3" with Milt Jackson and Ray Brown.
Milt Jackson - The Big 3 - Amazon.com Music
of course Joe made many other recordings in piano trios, with Oscar Peterson among others,

Doug Raney also appears on other Guit/Trp/Bass albums led by Chet Baker, "Daybreak" "Someday My Prince Will Come" "This Is Always" and "I Remember You/ Legacy vol II". D, Raney also appears on a Piano/Guitar/Bass date by Horace Parlan titled "Hi-Fly".

Horace Parlan - Hi-Fly - Amazon.com Music

For historical significance, there's some Oscar Peterson recordings from Norman Granz's JATP tours that are very important, but there's a 1952 Carnegie Hall date featuring Barney Kessel on guitar which contains some of Kessel's most amazing playing on record.
They're included on this compilation,

Oscar Peterson - Historic Carnegie Hall Concerts: Birth of a Legend - Amazon.com Music

[RonD]

Ed Bickert.

Mutual Street w/ Rob McConnell.
Trio Sketches w/ Rob McConnell and Neil Swainson
Ed Bickert and Bill Mays, if you can find it!
and last, but definitely not least...
At The Garden Party w/Don Thompson! must have!!

[Cunamara]

Gene Bertoncini, Roger Kellaway and Michael Moore. Can't recall the name of the album offhand; the CD version ends with an interview with the trio where they talk about playing drummerless.

[rictroll]

Angel Song by Kenny Wheeler with Bill Frisell

i love playing drums along with this recording. :-)

[Chris Whiteman]

Tal Farlow Trio- Sign of The Times with Ray Brown & Hank Jones

The other Jim Hall/Bill Evans record is Intermodulation

[TOMMO]

The Jim Hall/Jimmy Giuffre Trio recordings - great stuff!

[maxsmith]

This is great - I have a had a great weekend seeking out your suggestions. I have a Spotify list of over 400 songs - I just need to prune out some Oscar Peterson Trio tunes that have drums or vocals. A lot of recommendations were hard to find
/out of print but some were on YouTube. I'll share the results soon - keep 'em coming!

Max


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[Chema Mrua]

ECM has tons of albums with no percussion at all, like some of Metheny, Rypdal, Towner... I don't know if your target is only guitar stuff. If not, there are trillions of piano solo or piano + sax/guitar/flute/etc albums outhere. Dont forget Grappelli's trios as well.