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Kurt Vonnegut said, in his book, Timequake: "...lovemaking, if sincere, is one of the best ideas Satan put in the apple she gave to the serpent to give to Eve.

The best idea in that apple, though, is making jazz."


I've always felt the same, but have had a hard time finding recordings of the kind of jazz that makes me feel like I just had a seriously sincere bite of that apple. Lately, though, my local library has been getting in more and more classic jazz CDs, and I'm taking full advantage.

Now, when some people say "jazz", they are talking about any flaccid instrumental music played by a geri-curled white guy with a soprano sax. I say "balls" to that crap. I'm talking about guys (and gals) who know their instruments, and love making them talk, standing in a circle, taking turns just playing.

But I'm about to start name-dropping, and if you don't want to read that, at least skim through and click on the preview arrows. Do yourself a favor and give some of this stuff a listen:

I've always liked big band stuff; Harry Connick, Jr. is a top notch entertainer with a fantastic crew; listening to his stuff led me to Duke Ellington and the like. I had a "Cotton Club" CD with lots of Ellington, Cab Calloway, Lena Horne; and that used to be enough. But then...

Miles Davis - I was a trumpet player myself, and people who know that have always recommmended Miles, but I only really "got" him recently. I found a copy of Cookin' With the Miles Davis Quintet for a dollar somewhere, and picked it up. It had My Funny Valentine on it, and I thought that was cool, but it was Airegin that hooked me. And after a few listens, I knew I wanted more. So when the library had Birth of the Cool, I picked it up, only to be completely blown away by Move!

I grabbed Blue Train, next. My first impression of John Coltrane had come from high school jazz band, where his devotees struggled to sound like something other than a cat getting violated. That was unfair, and after hearing the title track of Blue Train, I was sold.

And now, I knew I liked bebop.

That gave me a good staring point. From looking at the line-ups on their album credits, I started to figure out who I liked: Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers were the drums and bass, respectively on those first two albums. Lee Morgan played trumpet on Blue Train... I sniffed around for other greats they had played with.

I found Wayne Shorter that way. The library had Night Dreamer and Speak No Evil this week. Freddie Hubbard's name jumped out at me from one of those albums; I knew of Freddie because he played on Billy Joel's Zanzibar 52nd Street album, and I had tracked down Freddie's fantastic Red Clay after hearing that.

Somehow, I stumbled over Cannonball Adderley, too. His Somethin' Else - which featured Miles on horn - was... and I adored his Fiddler on the Roof and Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club'.

Now, I realize that non-jazz fans have left for other journals by this point. No one likes to sit and read a list of names that mean nothing to them. I sympathize; that's what kept me from getting into this stuff for so long. But I hope something here will spark someone's curiosity enough to surf over and play a few sample tracks.

I haven't even scratched the surface of what I like, let alone what is out there. There is a whole world of great stuff; Joe Pass and Django Reinhardt, if you like amazing guitar; Weather Report, Herbie Hancock's Sextant, and other post-fusion stuff if you feel like following the trail into the future.

I'm not a very convincing serpent... but this is a damned good apple. Sure you don't want a bite? :)

I don´t usually do these, but what the heck... how often would one show up on this collection of artists?

1. How did you get into 31?
(actually tied for 29) I had heard some of his older stuff, but I didn´t really know what Prince was until he did the Batman Soundtrack. I had only just started listening to pop music at that point, and I was quickly infected by his hooks. Then I went back and picked up Purple Rain and 1999.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
(actually tied for 21) My parents had The Best of the Smothers Brothers, Vol. 2 (of course, there never was a Vol. 1), so my first Smothers Brothers song would have been Cabbage. Probably the first one I had memorized, too.

3. What's your favourite lyric by 29?
Hmmm... four-way tie... Van Halen is actually 29th on the list, so:


(those are the lyrics to Eruption)

4. What is your favourite album by 49?
Tie again... let´s call it Incubus. I have to say the title goes to Make Yourself.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
Barenaked Ladies? Only 9... wore Gordon out on cassette in 1992, though.

6. What is your favourite song by 50?
Which Way Steinway

7. Is there a song by 4 that makes you sad?
Never Coming Home; I can really see myself as the inattentive guy, and can´t blame her one bit.

8. What is your favourite song by 15?
That´s really tough; Ben Folds has a lot of contenders. I have to say it´s Not the Same.

9. What is your favourite song by 5?
I can´t pick; Peace or Dream In Blue off of Kiko.

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
Ha, ha... every song by They Might Be Giants makes me happy. Lately I Am A Grocery Bag is the one I hear my six-year-old singing, so it has an edge.

11. What is your favourite album by 40?
Invincible Summer

12. What is your favourite song by 10?
Another hard call. I say Beyond Belief, but reserve the right to change my mind.

13. What is a good memory you have involving 33?
Virtuoso is mostly covers of the same jazz standards I performed in high school and college, so listening to Joe Pass always takes me back to the good times there.

14. What is your favourite song by 37?
Hands down, The Middle. I love that it is so honest AND positive.

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
Lots, but I often find myself singing Island In The Sun.

16. How many times have you seen 24 live?
Never... and I doubt I will. I don´t actually know anyone who would go to the show with me, even if Tom Waits came around and I could afford a night out!

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
Buckwheat Zydeco´s Route 66; my best good friend Chris used to bring stacks of oddball tapes into my car, and we would go on long journeys around Maricopa county. We played Where There´s Smoke There´s Fire all the way to Tucson one night... then turned it over and went back to Phoenix.

18. What is your favourite album by 11?
Hmmmm... Rubber Soul.

19. Who is a favourite member of 1?
That´s hard to say, but I will venture to say: Emlyn Ellis Addison

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
Nope; but I rented the documentary about recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

21. What is a good memory involving 45?
We played a lot of Chris Isaak when we were living in Texas; we had just left Monterey, and the songs reminded us of the bay.

22. What is your favourite song by 16?
Right now, Belief. A lot of wisdom there.

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove, actually. On the Top 40 station, too, if you can believe that.

24. What is your favourite album by 21?
Wildflowers. Like my marriage, it is 13 years old, and I am nowhere near tired of it.

25. What is your favourite song by 18?
I really love Sixteen Maybe Less.

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 38?
Single Girl is track one...

27. What is your favourite lyric by 3?
from The Juliet Letters, Taking My Life in Your Hands:

Hours pass and darkness comes
Soon I will close my eyes
Will you return?
If you don't reply, you'll be taking my life in your hands


28. What is your favourite song by 2?
Among stiff competition, I still love Hairdresser most. (When will you put it online, Dave?)

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
Satan Is My Motor is the first song I knew was by Cake... the first song I heard was The Distance.

30. What is you favourite song by 8?
In the Name of God from Train of Thought.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
No, but again, I rented their live DVD. Doesn´t that count for something? Indigo Girls, I´m there in spirit!

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
Elevation, without a doubt.

33. What is your favourite album by 12?
Used to be Graceland, but over the years, Rhythm of the Saints has edged it out.

34. What is the worst song by 46?
We would be talking about Counting Crows... could you define ¨worst¨?

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34?
I guess technically Little Walter Rides Again, but I had eagerly grabbed the album because I already knew I loved Medeski Martin and Wood and John Scofield separately. Sugar Craft. I had spotted this CD in the $.99 bin, and thought what the heck?

36. What is your favourite album by 42?
None of them have come as close to taking over my brain as Under the Table and Dreaming.

37. How many times have you seen 39 live?
Well, I´ve never seen him dead. Every time I´ve seen him (on DVD) Joe Satriani has been alive.

38. What is your favourite album by 36?
At last, an easy one! Alien Love Secrets has my favorite Steve Vai songs on it.

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
I think it was Longview... that´s the one about whacking off, right?

40. What is your favourite album by 7?
I think Woman King has that sewn up. Jezebel, Grey Stables, the title track... pure subtle awesomeness.

MAN... I saw the Mingus Orchestra last night at merkin concert hall in manhattan w/ special guest conductor Gunther Schuller (they did a newly commissioned reworking of a mingus tune that they are adding to Epitaph which will be revisited in a concert tour in Spring 2007

The band was Vincent Chauncey - fr horn; Conrad Herwig - trombone; Kenny Rampton - lead trumpet; Craig Handy (the always demure conductor/emcee) on alto, flute, clarinet; Seamus Blake on tenor and soprano saxes (a personal treat - very Tristano-inspired approach to the instrument - like Mark Turner); Doug Yates on bass clarinet and clarinet; Michael Rabinowitz killing the bassoon (as if he was wailing on a tenor), Freddie Bryant on nylon string guitar (a real highlight - check this cat out if you haven't heard him yet - amazing solo deconsructionist in tradition of Joe Pass), Boris Koslov on the mingus bass he so effortlessly plays, Donald Edwards on drums.

Quite an affair. Props to merkin hall and specifically simon rentner for curating such an amazing season of musical encounters.

Setlist: coming soon with commentaries... It included todo modo, All the Things You could have been if Sigmund Freud's wife were your mother (which contained a surprising baroque fugue twist thrown into Koslov's arrangement), tonight at noon, and slop.

Their encore was better get it in your soul complete with syncopated hoots and hollers, feet stomping and hand clapping.

A great show!

note this list does not include albums after 1989 and contains no hip-hop/rap. if i included those this list would be around 150.


1. The Beatles - Abbey Road
2. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
3. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
4. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
5. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
6. The Beatles - Revolver
7. The Doors - The Doors
8. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
9. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
10. Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners
11. Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground & Nico
12. The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
13. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
14. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
15. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
16. The Who - Who's Next
17. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
18. Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
19. The Clash - London Calling
20. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
21. John Coltrane - Giant Steps
22. Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues
23. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
24. Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
25. Derek & The Dominos - Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
26. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
27. Marvin Gaye - Whats Goin' On
28. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
29. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
30. Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
31. The Beatles - White Album
32. Bob Dylan - The Free Wheelin' Bob Dylan
33. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
34. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
35. Metallica - Master of Puppets
36. King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King
37. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
38. The Band - Music From Big Pink
39. Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto
40. United States Of America - United States of America
41. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
42. Drave Brubeck - Time Out
43. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
44. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
45. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
46. Nick Drake - Pink Moon
47. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Catch a Fire
48. Van Halen - Van Halen
49. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
50. Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
51. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
52. Queen - A Night at the Opera
53. AC/DC - Back in Black
54. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
55. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
56. Deep Purple - Machine Head
57. Television - Marquee Moon
58. The Doors - Morrison Hotel
59. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
60. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul
61. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
62. Joni Mitchel - Blue
63. The Who - Tommy
64. Jethro Tull - Aqualung
65. Yes - Fragile
66. Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign
67. Muddy Waters - Fathers and Sons
68. The Pixies - Doolittle
69. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Lady Land
70. The Doors - L.A. Woman
71. The Smiths - The Smiths
72. Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow
73. Stone Roses - Stone Roses
74. Otis Redding - Otis Redding
75. Cream - Disreali Gears
76. Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
77. Janis Joplin - Pearl
78. Rush - Moving Pictures
79. Nick Cave - From Her to Eternity
80. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
81. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
82. U2 - The Joshua Tree
83. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
84. David Bowie - Low
85. Michael Jackson - Thriller
86. R.E.M. - Murmur
87. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
88. The Cure - Disintegration
89. Yes - Closer to the Edge
90. Prince - Purple Rain
91. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
92. Jaco Pastorious - Jaco Pastorious
93. Willie Dixon - I Am the Blues
94. Santana - Abraxas
95. Magic Sam - Westside Soul
96. Joe Pass - Virtuoso
97. The Eagles - Hotel California
98. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
99. U2 - War
100. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mountain Flame

this is my first atempt at a list like this so the ordering might be off towards the end of the list. comment now!