A New List: Jazz Vinyl Favorites By Label
In the comments on the previous post, Erich Schultz suggests we talk about Columbia and other labels where the music is great but the records are not as collectible. In the case of Columbia there are nice records that are collectible as well: Who’d have thought that Kind of Blue, which I think is the biggest selling jazz album ever, would be a collectible, but it is, if you can find mint original pressings, or original promo copies. We’ve seen Kind of Blue sell for more than $1,300 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
Anyway, Erich’s comments got me to thinking about some of my favorite records on Columbia and other labels, so I thought I’d do a quick post on these. This is all off the top of my head because my records are all over the place these days, so here are one, two or three favorites per label, just for fun. I’m sure I’ll miss many favorites, but that’s why we have comments on this site to make amends and amendments.
Atlantic: John Coltrane, Giant Steps (too obvious, right?). I also have a fondness for LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith and Charles Mingus Blues and Roots.
Argo: Art Farmer, Art
Bethlehem: Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette, The Chase is On; Dexter Gordon, Daddy Plays the Horn
Blue Note: We’ve been down this road before: I’m sticking with Art Blakey, Buhaina’s Delight and Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd. Perhaps throw in Donald Byrd’s A New Perspective and Horace Silver’s Song for My Father or Blowin’ the Blues Away in honor of my dad.
Columbia: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue and ‘Round Midnight (OK, I’m still being obvious, but really, how can you go against these records). Thelonious Monk, Criss Cross
Contemporary: Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders (yes, most people prefer Way Out West; I prefer this one); Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Decca: Billie Holiday, Lover Man
Emarcy: Brown and Roach, Inc., Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street; Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown
Impulse: John Coltrane at Birdland (A Love Supreme would be the obvious Trane, but I prefer this one); Oliver Nelson, Blues and the Abstract Truth; Coltrane Ballads
Jazzland: Johnny Griffin and Lockjaw Davis, Lookin’ at Monk
New Jazz: Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, Jackie McLean, McLean’s Scene, Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny
Norgran/Clef: The Tal Farlow Album (10-inch); The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio; Stan Getz Plays; Bird with Strings
Pacific Jazz: Chet Baker Sings; Gerry Mulligan plays Mulligan
Prestige: Sonny Rollins, Worktime, Tenor Madness, Plus Four; Coltrane, Soultrane
Riverside: Cannonball Adderley Live at the Lighthouse; Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby
Roost: Sonny Stitt and the New Yorkers
Savoy: All of the Birds
Verve: Ella and Louis; Tal Farlow, The Swinging Guitar; Ben Webster and Art Tatum
I like this post! Al, didn’t you forget Ad Lib? 🙂
I love Mingus on Bethlehem (all of them), Tristano on Atlantic, Baker on Pacific… Yes, life is more than just Blue Note!
I like this exercise. Off the top of my head here are a few of my favorites that don’t overlap with Al’s list(makes it more difficult since I love so many of the same ones). I like reading peoples list because it gives me ideas on new things to listen to or things I haven’t heard in years and need to check out again.
Argo: Ahmad Jamal Live at the Pershing Vol 2, Meet the Jazztet
Atlantic: Art Farmer, Sing me Softly the Blues
Blue Note: Wayne Shorter JuJu, Hank Mobley Soul Station, Sonny Clark Sonny’s Crib
Bethlehem: Mal Waldron Left Alone(recently grabbed CD, awesome!), Booker Ervin, “The Book Cooks”, Zoot Sim’s “Down Home”.
Columbia: Mingus Ah Um
Contemporary: Benny Golson’s New York Scene
Decca: Beverly Kenney “Born to be Blue”
Impulse: Coltrane’s Crescent, Mingus THe Black Saint & The Sinner Man
Jazzland: Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane
New Jazz: Ken McIntyre/Eric Dolphy “Looking Ahead”, Roy Haynes “We Three”
Pacific Jazz: Mulligan at Storyville
Prestige: Saxophone Collossus, Elmo Hope “Informal Jazz”
Riverside: Abbey Lincoln That’s Him, Monk’s Mood
Roost: Beverly Kenney “Come Swing with Me”
I have other favorite albums from European labels like Sahib’s Jazz Party, and Sahib Shihab and the Danish Radio Jazz Group. I also love Lawrence Marable’s Tenorman.
I, too, like this post…Gives me some idea for some more affordable jazz. Here’s a few I have to offer up-
Columbia: Mingus Dynasty, Monk It’s Monk Time, Miles Davis My Funny Valentine
Impulse: Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard
Atlantic:Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come
Mercury: Cannonball Quintet in Chicago
Riverside: Portrait of Cannonball, Monk Thelonious in Action
Emarcy: Gerry Mulligan Mainstream of Jazz
Could go on and on…Keep the suggestions coming. Already thinking of some of Al’s and Mike’s picks.
I was think about this some more on my ride home and wanted to ask what are some peoples jazz albums post 1970?
Argo:Zoot Sims
Atlantic: John Coltrane, Giant Steps
Blue Note: Cannonball Adderley: Something Else
Prestige: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Collosus
Riberside: Wynton Kelly, Piano
Contemporary: Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Impulse: John Coltrane, Ballads
Columbia: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue.
Imperial: Sonny Criss plays Cole Porter.
New Jazz: Gigy Gryce The Hap’nin’s
PS.
RCA: Sonny Rollins, The Bridge.
Norgran: Lester Young, Jazz Giants 56
Pacific Jazz:Gerry Mulligan Quartet.
Bethlehem: Zoot Sims Down Home.
Jaro: JR. Monterose.
Savoy: Curtis Fuller Blues-ette
Debut: Kenny Dorham quintet.
Candid: Booker Ervin. That´s it
Emarcy: Clifford Brown And Max Roach At Basin Street
Time:Booker Little Out Front
PS.
Epic: Dave Bailey, One foot in the gutter.
Jazz Line: Dave Bailey, Bush.
Transition: Donald Byrd, Byrd´s eye view.
Mode: Richie Kamuca quartet.
Peacock: Sonny Criss at the Crossroads
I WOULDN’T HAZARD TO SUBMIT A LIST, ALTHOUGH I AM TEMPTED, FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT TOMORROW’S LIST WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS TODAY’S ETC. ETC.
REGARDING THE TWO ROLLINS ALBUMS ON CR: WHEN THE SECOND WAS ISSUED (“SONNY ROLLINS AND THE CONTEMPORARY LEADERS”), THE REVIEWS WERE GENERALLY NEGATIVE. SONNY IS JUST TOYING AROUND, HE DOES NOT MAKE DEFINITIVE STATEMENTS, HE SEAMS ANNOYED AND NON-COMMITTAL, TO MAKE A FEW QUOTES.
AS A RESULT, I BOUGHT THE ALBUM ONLY MANY YEARS LATER. WHAT IS MY OWN OPINION NOW?: AN ENJOYABLE ALBUM, PLAYED WITH NONCHALANCE, WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT, WITH MORE THAN SATISFACTORY END RESULTS. I AM GLAD TO HAVE IT AND I PLAY IT REGULARLY (THANKS ROY DUNANN FOR SUPER SOUND ENGINEERING!). BUT IS IT BETTER THAN “WAY OUT WEST”? NO WAY. THERE IS NO COMPARISON. FOR ME WAY OUT WEST IS SONNY’S BEST. FULL STOP.
I also like this, and agree with Rudolf that all lists are temporary. Yet, I feel that all of those who have posted are sharing sounds that brought them joy, and for me the records mentioned in my brief list are my “keepers” now and forever.
ARGO: Vito Price-Swinging the Loop
Gene Shaw – all 3
ATLANTIC: Coltrane Plays the Blues
DAWN: Zoot Sims goes to Jazzville
EPIC: Charlie Rouse – YEAH
SAVOY: Bird and Yusef
I’m with you Rudolf that the list would change day to day. I made mine while still at work and when I got home I was looking through my collection and saw many more. The great thing about the lists though is that I can look at others and get ideas of music to either track down or dust off the shelves. Last night I played Mulligan Plays Mulligan. I probably hadn’t listened to it in 10+ years which is a shame.
I have yet to hear a lot of the albums you guys posted, but my list, out of my small collection is right now:
Blue Note: Art Blakey – Moanin’, Horace Silver – Serenade To A Soul Sister, Donald Byrd – A New Perspective,
New Jazz: Ahmed Abdul-Malik – Sounds Of Africa, Roy Haynes – Cymbalism, Latin Jazz Quintet – Latin Soul
Prestige:Yusef Lateef – Eastern Sounds
Impulse: Richard Davis/Elvin Jones – Heavy Sounds, Chico Hamilton – El Chico
Atlantic: John Coltrane – My Favorite Things
Riverside: Blue Mitchell – Out Of The Blue
Betlehem – Nina Simone and her Friends
European jazz:
Saba/MPS: Mark Murphy – Midnight Mood
Fontana/Philips: Miles Davis – Ascenseur Pour L’echafaud, Art Blakey – Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Art Blakey – Des Femmes Disparaissent, Tubby Hayes – Return Visit, Zoot Sims – Cookin’
Vogue: Sahib Shihab Companionship, Johnny Griffin – Lady Heavy Bottom’s Waltz, Francy Boland – Going Classic
RCA: Chet Baker – Chet Is Back, Bobby Jaspar-Rene Thomas Quintet
Columbia: Kind of Blue, Someday my Prince will come, Ah UM.
Impulse: Coltrane and Hartman, Blues and Abstract Truth, Coltrane – Crescent, A love Supreme, Live at Birdland.
Atlantic: Giant steps
Blue Note: Coltrane – Blue Train, Herbie Hancock – Inventions and Dimensions, Takin Off, Adderley – Somethin Else.
Mike’s question should attract more interest.
in my collection post 1970 records are really few.
Air: Air song
Chet Baker: 23 mostly european issues
Ornette Coleman: Soapsuds
Miles Davis, Columbia only
Jack DeJohnette: Special edition
Bill Evans: You must believe in spring, Paris concert, recordings at Keystone Corner SF
Chico Freeman: Spirit sensitive
Charlie Haden: Silence
Sal Mosca: Music
Paul Motian Dance
David Murray: Flowers for Albert
Art Pepper: Living legend
Max Roach: M’Boom
Frank Rosolino: Thinking about you
Archie Shepp:Ballads for Trane, Live in Tokyo, Daydream, True Ballads, True blue, You’re my thrill, Lover man, HiFly
Cecil Taylor: Indent, Spring of two Blue J’s, Solo
about 7%
Al: many, many thanks for encouraging discussion on everybody’s favorite “other” labels. Also, I appreciated everybody’s posts to my comments on Columbia six eyes. While I am writing this, I am listening to another Columbia six eye: “Jazz Poll Winners.” Featuring Kenny Burrell, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Paul Desmond. All for 25 cents in great shape at my local thrift store. Some great music for a dad who is still paying college tuition payments…
dottor
Thanks for responding with a post-70s list. It’s something I’ve been thinking about after London Calling mentioned how time has an effect on how much you love certain music. I used to love some of the big fusion bands, Weather Report, Headhunters, etc but find I don’t dig them as much and rarely pull them out to listen. I have a few fusion bands I still enjoy, Shakti being one. I love Indian music. I also used to really like Keith Jarrett’s Koln Concert but find I don’t really like it anymore. My list has about an even mix of stuff from the 70’s to stuff from the past 10 years. I have a tendency to favor some Jazz with a funk influence as it was a major part of my growing up. Off the top of my head and not in any order here is my list.
Art Pepper: Living Legend(and some of the other late 70s recordings as well, great stuff)
John Abercrombie: Class Trip
Nik Bartsch’s Ronin: Llyria
Dave Holland: Critical Mass
Chris Potter: Follow the Red Line
Nicholas Payton: Into the Blue
Ahmad Jamal: In Search of Momentum
Andrew Hill: Live at Montreaux
Astral Project: The Legend of Cowboy Bill
Sonny Rollins: Without a Song
Earthworks: Random Acts of Happiness
Kurt Rosenwinkel: Deep Song, The Remedy
Bonobo: Live Sessions
Jenny Scheinman: Crossing the Field
McCoy Tyner: Sahara
Medeski, Scofield, Martin, and Wood: A Go Go
Thelonius Monk: In Tokyo(1970)
Trio Beyond: Saudades
one only in common !
and my list is complete.
I’m gonna go back to 50’s and 60’s (and some 40’s): the treasures are there.
what I liked to know was a comparison between the age of the collector and the decades of interest.
for example I was 20 in 1973 and I didn’t like 70’s as I never loved 80’s, 90’s and on.
I’ve never stopped lovin’ 50’s and 60’s: was I born old ?
Al had some excellent Impulse titles, but here are my two favorites: Gary McFarland, Point of Departure and Gabo Szabo, Gypsy 66……