In Part 1 of my ongoing series on jazz for those curious about the music but not quite sure where to start listening, I recently posted a list of 10 jazz piano albums that were nifty entry points. All are exciting, exceptional and easy to absorb for those with a beginner's ear. And all are guaranteed to show you why the music is so compelling.
For Part 2, the natural next step is to provide you with recordings by key pop and jazz vocalists. When I began listening to jazz in the early 1970s, I listened to the music on many of the following sets to develop an appreciation and an ear for basic song. Pop and jazz singers are fundamental to the learning curve because they generally sing the American Songbook—a term that relates to standards by Broadway and Hollywood composers and composing teams like the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, Jerome Kern and many others. Standards are key because jazz artists often choose them when recording, and if you know these songs cold, the improvisation you hear will sound much more exciting.
All of this brings us to a key question: Which albums and box sets by singers are ideal for those eager to have a basic understanding of the American Songbook? The following 10 sets feature comprehensive and definitive recordings. I'm not suggesting you buy them all at once, just that you explore them and see what you enjoy:
Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO (2 CDs)
Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia - 1933-1944 (10 CDs)
Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey: The Song Is You (4 CDs)
Frank Sinatra:The Columbia Years (1943-1952), The Complete Recordings (12 CDs)
Ella Fitzgerald: Complete Song Books (16 CDs)
Nat King Cole: Stardust: The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 (11 CDs)
Dinah Washington: The Fabulous Miss D! The Keynote, Decca And Mercury Singles 1943-1953 (4 CDs)
Julie London: Eight Classic Albums (8 CDs)
Carmen McRae: Eight Classic Albums (8CDs)
Tony Bennett: the Complete Collection (73 CDs/3 DVDs)
For Part 2, the natural next step is to provide you with recordings by key pop and jazz vocalists. When I began listening to jazz in the early 1970s, I listened to the music on many of the following sets to develop an appreciation and an ear for basic song. Pop and jazz singers are fundamental to the learning curve because they generally sing the American Songbook—a term that relates to standards by Broadway and Hollywood composers and composing teams like the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, Jerome Kern and many others. Standards are key because jazz artists often choose them when recording, and if you know these songs cold, the improvisation you hear will sound much more exciting.
All of this brings us to a key question: Which albums and box sets by singers are ideal for those eager to have a basic understanding of the American Songbook? The following 10 sets feature comprehensive and definitive recordings. I'm not suggesting you buy them all at once, just that you explore them and see what you enjoy:
Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO (2 CDs)
Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia - 1933-1944 (10 CDs)
Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey: The Song Is You (4 CDs)
Frank Sinatra:The Columbia Years (1943-1952), The Complete Recordings (12 CDs)
Ella Fitzgerald: Complete Song Books (16 CDs)
Nat King Cole: Stardust: The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 (11 CDs)
Dinah Washington: The Fabulous Miss D! The Keynote, Decca And Mercury Singles 1943-1953 (4 CDs)
Julie London: Eight Classic Albums (8 CDs)
Carmen McRae: Eight Classic Albums (8CDs)
Tony Bennett: the Complete Collection (73 CDs/3 DVDs)
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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