Obtain These Jazz Records

by the Hindmost

The first thing that must be said in this article is that I am a music snob.
There's no use in attempting to pretend otherwise. I have strong opinions, and according to my way of thinking they are absolutely correct. They are informed by a long study of music, a willingness to listen and learn, and experience playing both the guitar and alto Saxophone.
I will begin with a short list of personal favorites, music that I MUST own, and explain briefly why I attach so much importance to each selection. Following that will be a short list of albums I love without explanation. Get them for yourself and maybe you'll love 'em too.

Miles Davis
Bitches' Brew Sessions.

Recorded in 1969, with a stellar line-up of amazing instrumentalists, these discs are my "desert island" choice. I can put it on the stereo, close my eyes, and be taken on a grand trip through variating textures, time signatures, and rhythmic costructs which are nearly verbal in their communicative powers. The players, through their solo segments, convey each the emotional range of their particular instrument in an orgasm of aural sensuality. When I first heard Bitches' Brew, I thought to myself "THIS is why I have ears!"

Shakti, with John McLaughlin.
The original 1976 album,

recorded in concert, has been credited with being among the first "world music" experiments. English guitarist John McLaughlin (who can incidentally be heard on my first choice as well) played with a group of eastern Indian musicians, notably L. Shankar on violin and Zakir Hussain on tabla. The results are stunning. The first song, "Joy", is eighteen minutes and thirteen seconds of absolutely blistering firepower, notes cascading from the soloists in a frenzy of one-upsmanship. They start off the song at a rapid pace, which becomes jaw-droppingly fast by the end.

John Coltrane
A Love Supreme.

Obvious to anyone by now, I love Jazz. Well, this album is a perfect example of why. Coltrane's playing here is exquisite; majestic themes stated with grace and power, contrasted with aggression and explosive fury. His soloing is moving, and this is one of those records that can make me cry and laugh as the sounds sweep over me. It's like being spellbound by the voice of someone who is deeply convinced of what they are saying; the voice of John's Sax here is enthralling.

Philip Glass/Ravi Shankar
Passages.

Another "east meets west" collaberation. Glass, the minimalist composer brings his sense of arrangement and meter to the table, blending wonderfully with Shankar's melodic and harmonic mastery. Their individual and cooperative compositions are brought to stunning life by a full orchestra, complete with both western and eastern intruments. My love of Passages cannot be overstated.

Keeping that to four choices was the result of strenuous effort. Here are some albums I recommend getting for various merits. Check 'em out!

1) Bob Dylan, Street Legal, Time Out of Mind
2) Neil Young, Ragged Glory, Unplugged
3) Willie Nelson, Teatro, Red-Headed Stranger
4) Mark Knopfler, Sailing to Philadelphia
5) Frank Zappa, Studio Tan, Apostrophe/Overnite Sensation
6) Nusrat Fateh Ali~Khan and Party, Qawwali II
7) Midori, Paganini's 24 Caprices
8) Kate Bush, The Sensual World, The Dreaming
9) Anything by Louis Prima
10) David Byrne, Rei Momo

Hope that some of these make their way into your collection. I have found them all to be worthwhile. In the words of Frank Zappa, may he rest in peace: "Music is the best."