Introducing Jazz

A lot of students tell me that they've never understood jazz but would like to try, so here's a list of good albums to start with and a playlist at the end.

Some essential classics, in rough chronological order (links take you the album's page on allmusic.com):

• Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives and Sevens
• Count Basie - Atomic Basie
• Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band
• Charlie Parker - A Studio Chronicle
• Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
• Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
• John Coltrane - Giant Steps
• Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters

Start with "Kind of Blue".

Some classic vocal albums:

• Billie Holiday - Song for Distingue Lovers (1957)
• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Berlin (1960)
• Sarah Vaughan - With Clifford Brown (1955)

An overview of jazz piano:

• Art Tatum - Piano Starts Here (1933, 1949)
• Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 (1949-51)
• Erroll Garner - Concert By the Sea (1955)
• Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz (1959)
• Oscar Peterson - Night Train (1962)
• Thelonius Monk - Monk Alone (1962-68)
• McCoy Tyner - Echoes of a Friend (1972)
• Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert (1975)
• Herbie Hancock - The Piano (1978)
• Chick Corea - Solo Piano: Standards (1999)
• Brad Mehldau - Live in Tokyo (2004)

Finally, if you'd like a 24-track overview of jazz in general try this playlist (again, you'll need a Spotify account to open it):

• Introducing Jazz

I've put it in the order: vocalists, big bands, saxophone, piano.