I recently found myself doing some cleaning of my album collection. More than cleaning, it is a chance for me to revisit some albums that have, through no fault of their own, been sitting on the shelf too long.
I came to realize that I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be a jazz radio disc jockey, as well as someone who can spend hours in jazz record stores. With the decline in jazz record sales, and the bulk of jazz album sales going to big name vocalists or timeless classic recordings like Kind of Blue, it hit me that just because I have exposure to some wonderful gems of the last thirty years, doesn’t mean that everybody has.
That being said, I decided that I wanted to share my favorite albums from the last thirty or so years that, for one reason or another, might not be sitting on your shelf. And, as always, I encourage you offer your hidden gems.
1. Pilgrimage – Michael Brecker (2007)
Even without the sentimental value of this album (Brecker recorded it while battling MDS and Leukemia, and never did live to release it), it is the best jazz album over the last twenty years. The writing and improvisation from Brecker is stellar, and each member of the band play to their full potential. Winner of two Grammy awards.
Recommended tracks: Tumbleweed, Anagram
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 3
2. Trumpet Evolution – Arturo Sandoval (2003)
Many critics called this the best trumpet album of the last twenty years. Sandoval’s ability to capture the sound and emotion of each trumpet player he honors (19 in all) is something I don’t believe any other musician has the ability or talent to do.
Recommended Tracks: I Can’t Get Started, Up Jumped Spring
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 6
3. Beyond The Missouri Sky – Charlie Haden/Pat Metheny (1996)
To be honest, I am not a huge Pat Metheny fan. On this album however, you are hard pressed to find a track that isn’t increadibly beautiful. The two musicians are in perfect sync, and you could have this release playing in your CD player over and over for days and continually enjoy it. A Grammy award winner.
Recommended Tracks: Two For the Road, The Moon Song, Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 1
4. The Birthday Concert – Jaco Pastorious (1981)
Jaco Pastorious decided to throw himself a 30th birthday party in the form of a concert, and what a party it was. Jaco shows why he is the best electric bass player ever, and his supporting cast (Bob Mintzer, Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, Don Alias, and the Peter Graves Orchestra.
Recommended Tracks: Soul Intro/The Chicken, Invitation
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 7
5. Flow – Terence Blanchard (2005)
After going through an embochure change (which just sounds painful to brass players), Blanchard came back strong with this release. Working with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Aaron Parks, this album features wonderful arrangements and performances with alot of intensity.
Recommended Tracks: Over There
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 10
6. An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea – Herbie Hancock/Chick Corea (1978)
Herbie and Chick had both gone pretty electric during the late 70’s, so to have them come together and do a live acoustic set was somewhat of a shock. They play extremely well together, and this concert is a wonderful result of that.
Recommended Tracks: Liza
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 8
7. Contemporary Jazz – Branford Marsalis (2000)
Branford displays a wonderfully artistic side on the first album with this quartet, which as of today has spent ten years together. While many of the compositions are complex, no member of the band struggles with them. On the contrary, each band member shines as part of a quartet that would continue to make fantastic music together. A Grammy award winner.
Recommended Tracks: In The Crease
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 12
8. Democracy – Kenny Werner (2006)
I know Kenny Werner is talented. But until this live recording, he had yet to truly move me. David Sanchez and Brian Blade are especially good on this album, and all of Werner’s compositions are especially good.
Recommended Tracks: One For Joni
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: N/A
9. Lucky To Be Me – Taylor Eigsti (2006)
Just 21 at the time of the recording, Eigsti proved that he is the future of jazz piano (in addition to virtuoso Eldar). The performances show maturity, energy, and complexity. Even more impressive is 17 year old guitarist Julian Lage.
Recommended Tracks: Giant Steps, Woke Up This Morning, Love For Sale
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 15
10. Earfood – Roy Hargrove (2008)
It is wonderful when a musician can continue to put out music that demonstrates that they have yet to peak. Roy Hargrove continues to get better and better with every album, and this no doubt is his best. While Earfood was snubbed when it came to Grammy nominations, it is widely agreed upon that it was easily the best jazz album released in 2008.
Recommended Tracks: I’m Not So Sure, Speak Low, Bring It On Home To Me
Billboard Jazz Chart Peak Spot: 7
Contemporary Jazz by Branford Marsalis is the only one I’ve heard of. Thanks for all the wonderful recommendations, I will be staying up late on my iTunes trying to find these albums. This is a really great top ten list Kevin. You can post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and then link back to your site. We are looking for top ten lists and our users can track back to your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
wow–i actually DO own five of these picks (#s 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7). the brecker and pastorius releases are especially and equal parts magnificent and poignant: in brecker’s case, owing to his having somehow rallied physically to the cause to finish this stunning recording toward the end of his life; and in pastorius’s, this live date in the singular, brilliant prime of his craft before his well-documented and tragic descent.
i really enjoy your blog very much–have recommended it to several.
What a great post! This is a terrific idea for spreading the word about good music that is probably going unappreciated. the only one of your ten that I have is the Arturo Sandoval. but it could easily have been zero because I only have two of the many albums that Sandoval has produced.
Very informative. Of course, I will probably end up spending some money because of this but, hey!
Nice list, Kevin. I own 7 of the 10, and agree with you on all your points. “Beyond the Missouri Sky” is one of my favorite Sunday Morning CDs (when I’m not tuned into Sunday Side Up, of course)!
Keep up the cool blogging!
Dude: For years we work on the top 10 recordings
we would take to a desert island, and then we remember
we also need the 10 best books ever written, and before you know it, we never leave unless we travel through
life knowing that you were given a built in recording
device which will serve you well.
from a 67 year old dude who has all the “been there, done that” t-shirts, you will never work it out, so
you must carry all those huge heavy books, old
tapes, cds, dvds, 45s 78s and everything because
the only way to carry it all is in your own heart gut
and sould,
because your hard drive will do it for you, and you
only have to access it with the mental mouse you
hold in your own little sweatty hand.
Good luck with this!
of course, you want my top 10
well, Dexter Gordon, Sophisticated Giant
and Miles Davis, Milestones, Horace Silver,
Six Pieces of Silver, Art Blakey and Jazz
Messengers doing Dizzy Gillespie’s Night in Tunisia,
and Cal Tjader at the Blackhawk, Oscar Peterson playing
absolutely anything, Stan Kenton, Tito Puente, Antonio
Carlos Jobim, Sergio Mendes, Coltrane, Monk (and the other brothers of Monk Montgomery, Buddy and Wes)
and Jimmy Heath, Oliver Nelson …………………
how about Chet Baker – She Was Too Good To Me. As a young trumpet player myself, there is nothing quite like the depth of his tone. any thoughts?
tangerine and funk in a deep freeze are my favorites.
I have all of these except the Jaco disc. Hard to believe these would be included on a list of this sort, especially Earfood, an album played frequently on air, including on your show, kevin.
actually…. i have earfood pilgrimage and democracy.
my teacher studied with werner so im a werner fan by default
Are you kidding me? These are good tracks, but not the best 10. Come on. Get real.
Well, Tom T., I suggest you look back at the message header. Kevin didn’t say the Ten Best Tracks ever. He said ten best on albums you probably don’t own. He’s got me. I have albums by Sandonval, Metheny, Hargrove, Herbi Hancock (of course)and Blanchard. But I don’t own even one of these specific albums.
I’m not surprised to find I disagree with some of these choices–that’s the nature of these kinds of lists. But I do find it a bit odd that a piece dedicated to albums “you probably don’t own” includes such high-profile, well-publicized, and best-selling recordings as Pilgrimage and Beyond the Missouri Sky, and artists as well-known as Branford and Jaco. It’s kind of a shame that we don’t see something like Gonzalo Rubacalba’s Avatar, or Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Kinsmen, or artists like Steve Lehmen on this list.
Hmmm. I only have 1 of the 10 (#1), but four of them are on my “to get” list. I guess I’ll have to check out the others. However, I would like to second M. Lucky’s vote for Mahanthappa’s “Kinsmen” and add Joan Stiles’ “Hurly-Burly”.
Hi Kevin Kniestedt, good post … out of the ten I own 7 of them!!
Ugh! Brecker!!!!
The Sandoval album IS great, but his newest one, “The Sound of Love,” I believe is the title, is even better. It is his dream album of ballads with strings, and I have heard most of it. Fantastic–don’t miss it. Really.
The 10 i may not own-own three of em, 3,5 & 10. Heard the rest except for 8, off to itunes i go. Thanks.
Most of your top ten albums are by excellent musicians but beyond that I cannot comment. The fact is that for the most part they are not Jazz.. As a fan of some sixty years standing I hear them as “Rock”
Jazz is four beats to the bar,and swings. The sad thing is that you probably don’t know what I am talking about !
Just to add a further note to my previous e.mail. You are probably curious as to what I call jazz. Well it is impossible to select an example that epitomizes jazz,but my nearest is this one. Gene Normans “Just Jazz” concerts from 1947. Groovin’ High. features Wardell Gray,Howard McGhee,and Sonny Criss. This to me is what Jazz is about. The items you selected are a million miles away from this.There is nothing wrong with what you like.but why can’t you call it something else?
I’m proud to say I have one of the albums on the list. Metheny/Hall. And you’re right, I play it over and over
bob
I’ve read some just right stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you put to make such a wonderful informative site.
Do you have any other design template variations you can share with us all – particularly adored
the theme of this one!
Anyway when you inadvertently bolt yourself on tthe outside,
you could wish for simply an instant that locks didn’t
exist. They can als help you install the devices, locks,
and alarms you bought to thwart thieves and intruders from even getting close to your house.
Simply cut the tip of the tube and slide it into the lock, carefully squeezing just a
small amount into the lock.
I will be back for much more! For me, this may be the
sign of the really gifted writer. Cheers!
My site; electronic cigarette flavours, ringaringa.in,
Have you been taking into consideration online betting.
Inside the world of on-line gambling issues are various in several methods compared
to your nearby brick and mortar casinos. Creating a hand known as
a Royal Flush will provide the maximum payment that can only be obtained when wagering the maximum quantity of coins.
I visit each day some sites and blogs to read content,
but this web site gives feature based articles.
Good web site you have here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours these days.
I honestly apprdciate individuals like you! Taake
care!!
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all people you really recognize what you are talking
approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also seek advice from my site =).
We could have a hyperlink change contract between us
Thanks for finally writing about > My Top Ten Jazz Albums That You Probably
Don