Posted on

The Jazz 100 on video

We received a lot of responses to the Jazz 100 list that was created at the beginning of the year, based on your votes for what you thought were the best jazz songs of all time.

Perhaps the most exciting response we received was in video form recently. Carlos Rhodes, a very dedicated listener, compiled all 100 songs on video. Check it out by clicking here.

The Jazz 100 (Part 5 – Final Thoughts)

The Jazz 100 (Part 4 – Responding to listener questions and comments)

The Jazz 100 (Part 3 – Thoughts from Robin Lloyd and Abe Beeson

The Jazz 100 (Part 2 – An Audio Discussion with KPLU’s Kirsten Kendrick)

The Jazz 100 (Part 1 – The List)

 

Posted on

The Jazz 100 (Part 5 – Final Thoughts)

I want to wrap up this little series on the Jazz 100 with my own personal thoughts on the list and some of the comments and questions left by listeners/readers.

There were some thoughts that kept popping up in readers posts. One was “Why didn’t (insert song here) show up on the list?”. Another is “My list would look completely different from this one.” A third was “There is no way that Take Five should be number 1.”

Let me start by saying that my own personal list would also look a bit different from this one. I’ve seen emails and posts from casual listeners to the very jazz educated saying the exact same thing.

Everybody’s list is going to look different. The great thing about this list is that it took the input of about 2,800 different people, and I am not aware of any jazz list out there that has asked and received its construction from such a wide variety of people.

Yes, it was a popularity contest, just like anything else is when you open votes up to the public. That is why you see a song like Take Five at the top. It was extremely popular when it was released, is still in heavy rotation on most jazz radio stations, and is one of the few albums still found in the ever-shrinking “jazz section” at large book and music stores.

I will also say that while I was the one who compiled the votes, I also submitted my vote, and only one song I voted for made the list (Red Clay).

Does it make me angry? No, and for several reasons. The main reason is that no one asked me to make my own list. Therefore why should my own personal musical tastes be reflected throughout the list? Because I host a radio show and write a blog? Therefore I know better and have better taste than the casual listener?

This wasn’t a list offered up to only “jazz experts.” People from all ages and backgrounds voted, and that is why I think this list is unique.

Many people have also asked me what song(s) or artist(s) I think should have been on this list that didn’t make it.

I’ve also been pretty quiet about this one, because again, this isn’t MY personal list.

That being said, I can say that I assumed “A Child is Born” by Thad Jones would make it. I always assumed it was one of the most beautiful ballads in jazz and that my opinion on that was more widely shared. I also figured correctly that females would dominate the vocal recordings that made the list, but I assumed that there would be more of a variety of female vocalists that made the list than what we ended up seeing.

A lot of people also commented on the lack of recent jazz recordings that made the list. While I WISH there were more recent recordings on the Jazz 100, I also understand why there isn’t. Voters had 100 years of jazz to choose from, and in what is inevitably a popularity contest that only allows your favorite five to be submitted, I was not surprised to see the masses choose Miles Davis over Terence Blanchard in a all-time jazz popularity contest (for better or for worse).

Angry voters were in large part angry because their song didn’t make the list, therefore they felt they weren’t represented and their expertise is somehow put into question by the other 2,799 voters.

To those unhappy voters: don’t take it personally. In fact, have fun with it and discuss it. That is what opinion-based lists are for, typically. In fact, let it inspire you to create and post your own list, for comparison. It will allow you to listen to a ton of great music that you enjoy at the same time!

Finally, people have asked me what songs would be on MY list. While I am going to choose to not create a top 100 list (mainly because I feel like it could drastically change by next week), I will share some of my favorites that would always be on my list, that didn’t make our Jazz 100.

A Child is Born – Thad Jones/Mel Lewis

I Remember Clifford (A variety of versions)

A Mis Abuelos – Arturo Sandoval

Tumbleweed – Michael Brecker

Straight Life – Freddie Hubbard

Thanks again for all of your feedback, and keep it coming!

The Jazz 100 (Part 4 – Responding to listener questions and comments)

The Jazz 100 (Part 3 – Thoughts from Robin Lloyd and Abe Beeson

The Jazz 100 (Part 2 – An Audio Discussion with KPLU’s Kirsten Kendrick)

The Jazz 100 (Part 1 – The List)

Posted on

The Jazz 100 (Part 4 – Responding to listener questions and comments)

So now you’ve seen the list of the Jazz 100, heard some basic analysis, and have received the opinions of jazz hosts Robin Lloyd and Abe Beeson.

Today, I will respond to listener questions and comments regarding the Jazz 100. Since I will be offering my opinion and final thoughts tomorrow, I will do my best to keep my answers as straight ahead as possible today.

From “Aspicdandy”: “Nothing by Sun Ra??? Are you crazy? This is a lightweight puffpiece of The Usual Suspects that gets played over and over…About as daring as a grilled cheese sandwich.”

Kevin: Sun Ra had a couple of songs nominated, but I don’t recall any of the 2,800 voters voting for a particular Sun Ra song more than once or twice off the top of my head.

From “DB in Bremerton”: “Amen – and no Stan Kenton? No Maynard Ferguson? (For you kids, look them up…)”

Kevin: Stan Kenton actually came pretty close, and there were several nominations for Maynard. Unfortunately, just not enough support among voters for a particular Maynard track.

From: “David Stevenson”: “ahem ahem….this is a Seattle-based jazz station who did this? Where the heck is mention of anything by Django!?! Come’on folks, Seattle jazzers should know better!”

Kevin: The voting was in fact posted on KPLU.org, but it was also posted on a variety of other websites, including npr.org. My best guess is that Puget Sound voters account for maybe 30% of the vote.

From: “John Leffler”: No Pat Metheny, with 15 Grammy Awards for jazz?

Kevin: Pat Metheny, as well as other “modern day” jazz musicians (such as Wynton Marsalis and Michael Brecker) received a large amount of nominations for songs on this list. In most cases, however, it appeared that voters did not agree on what the “definitive” Metheny tune(s) might be. As a result, no one particular song received enough support to make it into the top 100.

From “T. Camajani”: Take Five over Stolen Moments? WTF?

Kevin: Take Five was an overwhelming choice from every website that received votes. It actually had twice as many votes as the number two song, “So What.”

From “Victor Hong”: This is a pretty good list. However, I think there was a problem with the methodology. We were asked to vote for the top 5 songs, from which they then compiled a list of the top 100. Unfortunately, I think that causes a lot of repeat voting for the songs most people would consider in the top 10. It would have been more accurate to ask us to list our top 20 choices.

Kevin: You make a very good point, Victor. I think it is very true that I would have seen a lot more variety of songs if people were allowed to pick more. I’ll use a sports analogy: If you are asked to pick the top five basketball players of all time, its likely that Michael Jordan and Larry Bird are going to be repeated over and over, but if you are allowed to pick your top 20, you might see a greater variety of players getting more votes. We did see over 1,500 different songs nominated, but it is true that if people could pick more than 5, some songs on the fringe of the list might have received more support.

From “Riffster”: I do have to wonder how much the recent attention to Brubeck’s 90th birthday influenced the list. (I’m not saying he shouldn’t be on there, but he might not have been first.)

Kevin: Good thought. Take Five was the first jazz single to sell a million copies, and Time Out is typically one of two or three albums that starts most jazz collections, even today. So while his birthday did get a lot of attention, I still feel that either way Take Five would have had a strong showing.

From “Mike Harmanos”: Not even any Weather Report on this list.

Kevin: Birdland, by Weather Report actually came in at #8.

The Jazz 100 (Part 3 – Thoughts from Robin Lloyd and Abe Beeson

The Jazz 100 (Part 2 – An Audio Discussion with KPLU’s Kirsten Kendrick)

The Jazz 100 (Part 1 – The List)

Posted on

The Jazz 100 (Part 1 – The List)

American jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis (1926 - 1991), sits with his instrument during a studio recording session, October 1959. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

As many of you know (and many of you don’t), KPLU, in cooperation with Jazz24.org, NPR, and nprmusic.org recent created a list of the 100 quintessential jazz songs of all time. The list was created by anyone who chose to vote for their five favorite songs of all time.

We received nearly 3,000 votes for over 1,500 different recordings, and yours truly tabulated each and every vote.

Over the next several days, Groove Notes will be taking a detailed look at the final results. Today I will post the list for those who haven’t seen it, with my writeup that was posted at nprmusic.org. Other highlights over the next couple of days will include:

  • A more detailed audio discussion about the list that I had with KPLU’s Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick.
  • Thoughts about the list from KPLU’s Midday Jazz host Robin Lloyd and Evening Jazz host Abe Beeson.
  • Responses to listeners and readers thoughts on the list.
  • My final conclusions and thoughts on the list.

For now, here is the list. We would love your comments and thoughts, and you can hear the list currently playing at jazz24.org.

The 100 Quintessential Jazz Songs

by Kevin Kniestedt

February 7, 2011The Jazz 100 is a crowdsourced list of the most quintessential jazz songs of all time, determined by the listeners of Jazz24.org and NPR Music.

If there was one theme we noticed while sorting through the 1,500 nominations, it was that time does not take its toll on great music. “Take Five,” which was the first jazz single to sell 1 million copies, was the undisputed top choice, while Miles Davis’ “So What” (which was coincidentally recorded in the same year, 1959) was the clear No. 2.

With a few exceptions, it appeared that when listeners looked to jazz vocalists, they preferred female artists that tugged at the heartstrings, while in most cases those who preferred instrumentalists enjoyed swinging, memorable mid- to up-tempo hits.

In large part, voters also seemed to focus on songs from the one or two most popular albums of a particular artist. That is, with the exception of John Coltrane. Coltrane fans still seem very divided on what qualifies as his best work, and the diversity of his catalog is evident in this list.

Song Artist
1. Take Five Dave Brubeck
2. So What Miles Davis
3. Take The A Train Duke Ellington
4. Round Midnight Thelonious Monk
5. My Favorite Things John Coltrane
6. A Love Supreme (Acknowledgment) John Coltrane
7. All Blues Miles Davis
8. Birdland Weather Report
9. The Girl From Ipanema Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto
10. Sing, Sing, Sing Benny Goodman
11. Strange Fruit Billie Holiday
12. A Night in Tunisia Dizzy Gillespie
13. Giant Steps John Coltrane
14. Blue Rondo a la Turk Dave Brubeck
15. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat Charles Mingus
16. Stolen Moments Oliver Nelson
17. West End Blues Louis Armstrong
18. God Bless The Child Billie Holiday
19. Cantaloupe Island Herbie Hancock
20. My Funny Valentine Chet Baker
21. Body And Soul Coleman Hawkins
22. Song For My Father Horace Silver
23. Spain Chick Corea
24. Blue In Green Miles Davis
25. Naima John Coltrane
26. Flamenco Sketches Miles Davis
27. Waltz For Debby Bill Evans
28. Autumn Leaves Cannonball Adderley
29. St. Thomas Sonny Rollins
30. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy Cannonball Adderley
31. What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
32. Lush Life John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman
33. Blue Train John Coltrane
34. Poinciana Ahmad Jamal
35. In a Sentimental Mood Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
36. Freddie Freeloader Miles Davis
37. Summertime Ella Fitzgerald
38. Watermelon Man Herbie Hancock
39. Salt Peanuts Dizzy Gillespie
40. Moanin’ Art Blakey
41. Straight, No Chaser Thelonious Monk
42. Good Morning Heartache Billie Holiday
43. Mack the Knife Ella Fitzgerald
44. In the Mood Glenn Miller
45. Desafinado Stan Getz
46. Cast Your Fate To The Wind Vince Guaraldi
47. Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin
48. Blue Monk Thelonious Monk
49. Caravan Duke Ellington
50. Sidewinder Lee Morgan
51. Django Modern Jazz Quartet
52. Compared To What Les McCann
53. Red Clay Freddie Hubbard
54. Ruby, My Dear Thelonious Monk
55. April in Paris Count Basie
56. Bitches Brew Miles Davis
57. Twisted Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
58. Maiden Voyage Herbie Hancock
59. Mood Indigo Duke Ellington
60. St. Louis Blues Louis Armstrong
61. Manteca Dizzy Gillespie
62. How High The Moon Ella Fitzgerald
63. At Last Etta James
64. Fever Peggy Lee
65. Satin Doll Duke Ellington
66. Someday My Prince Will Come Miles Davis
67. Autumn in New York Billie Holiday
68. Epistrophy Thelonious Monk
69. I Loves You Porgy Nina Simone
70. It Don’t Mean A Thing Duke Ellington
71. Koko Charlie Parker
72. Milestones Miles Davis
73. Misterioso Thelonious Monk
74. Nuages Django Reinhardt
75. Struttin’ with Some BBQ Louis Armstrong
76. The In Crowd Ramsey Lewis
77. Ain’t Misbehavin Fats Waller
78. Bye Bye Blackbird John Coltrane
79. On Green Dolphin Street Miles Davis
80. Linus and Lucy Vince Guaraldi
81. Georgia on My Mind Ray Charles
82. Joy Spring Clifford Brown & Max Roach
83. One O’Clock Jump Count Basie
84. Potato Head Blues Louis Armstrong
85. Bumpin’ (On Sunset) Wes Montgomery
86. Feeling Good Nina Simone
87. Misty Errol Garner
88. Moody’s Mood For Love James Moody
89. Stardust Louis Armstrong
90. Yardbird Suite Charlie Parker
91. Diminuendo & Crescendo in Blue Duke Ellington
92. Donna Lee Charlie Parker
93. Water Boy Don Shirley
94. Ornithology Charlie Parker
95. Begin the Beguine Artie Shaw
96. Ceora Lee Morgan
97. Sophisticated Lady Duke Ellington
98. Sugar Stanley Turrentine
99. Footprints Wayne Shorter
100. Four on Six Wes Montgomery