Learning Jazz - Where to Begin?

It may be an intimidating task to someone new to jazz to discover just who it is they like. Perhaps you don’t have the time or the inclination I did as a teen to sit through all of those mediocre/uninspiring LPs before stumbling onto Charles Mingus. Well, my friends, let me save you some time. I have already done the legwork (or earwork?) so let me share.

I will not give a list of top albums in this post (surely that will come at some point) as I am not convinced that is the best place to begin. Instead may I suggest the compilation. The benefit of a collection is that it gives you a variety of musicians to whet your appetite and then you can track down more by the artists that you liked the best.

So here is a recommendation to those who are just beginning what I hope will be a life-long love of jazz:

The Blue Box. This is a four disc set that contains the best music released by Blue Note, to me, the premiere jazz label. The tracks listing truly is a who’s who and has some of my all time favourite tracks including:

Una Mas - Kenny Dorham (with Joe Henderson of Waltz for Zweetie fame on tenor sax!)

Summertime - Sidney Bechet (the volatile master of the soprano sax. My second favourite version of this song - Billy Stewart is solidly number one)

Blue Train - John Coltrane (with my man Paul Chambers on bass and Lee Morgan on trumpet!)

Sidewinder - Lee Morgan (Joe Henderson plays on this one too!)

Blue Bossa - Joe Henderson (with Kenny Dorham on trumpet and McCoy Tyner on piano how can you go wrong??)

Song for my Father - Horace Silver (a great upbeat song that raises the bar pretty high for any son trying to write a tribute for their dad! )

Okay, if you aren’t already running out the door to pick up this set, the kicker is that it is only $20ish bucks - a real bargain. It will likely prove expensive in the long run as it will make you want to buy more and more and more. Who can have enough music by these guys?? Not me, and perhaps soon, not you.

More recommendations will come, my friends, but my cup of espresso is cooling next to me on this cold northern morning, and I should really gulp it down before it turns bitter.