recommend jazz and classical?

Options
gmorris
gmorris Posts: 1,179
edited March 2004 in Music & Movies
Can anyone recommend some jazz and classical CD's?

My current CD collection is mostly rock, classic to alternative to modern, ect... mostly rock.

I would like to get into some new music genres. I paricularly like piano, so if anyone knows any good jazz and/or classical with piano that would be cool.

Any suggestions are welcome...

Thanks,
gm
Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
Post edited by gmorris on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Wardsweb
    Wardsweb Posts: 904
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Pick up Dave Brubeck - Time Out, it is a classic.

    If you like bass, Brian Bromberg - Wood
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited March 2004
    Options
    The Planets by Gustav Holst is always a favorite man's classical piece. Jupiter is a scream. Mars too.

    That being said, there are about 999,999 other good classical albums I didn't mention, and 999,999 classic jazz albums after the one Ward mentioned.

    Check out Oscar Petersen, Thelonius Monk, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett. That ought to get you started on the jazz.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,722
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Originally posted by George Grand
    The Planets by Gustav Holst is always a favorite man's classical piece. Jupiter is a scream. Mars too.

    That being said, there are about 999,999 other good classical albums I didn't mention, and 999,999 classic jazz albums after the one Ward mentioned.

    Check out Oscar Petersen, Thelonius Monk, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett. That ought to get you started on the jazz.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

    Also, if you're wanting to try out other types of jazz, check out the latin stuff - Arturo Sandoval...

    Also, the One O'Clock Lab band (university of North Texas) has some really good stuff, a little more progressive on some stuff...I like it anyway.

    Then of course there's all the classics that you'll hear mentioned here.

    Don't forget to check out Michael Brecker for sax and Dennis Chambers for drums, each considered by many to be the best in their particular area...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodyjacobs
    woodyjacobs Posts: 706
    edited March 2004
    Options
    And don't forget Miles Davis - Kind of Blue. Probably the most influential jazz recording of the last half of the 20th century. "Blue in Green" is track 3 - beautiful piano stuff. Very mellow.
    system 1:
    Athena: AS-F1 mains, AS-C1 center, AS-B1 surrounds, AS-P400 sub, Yammie RXV-730, Rotel RB-976 driving front stage, Samsung BD3600 Blue Ray, Denon DVD2900 for sacd/cd , jbl n24awII on the deck, samsung 40" 1080p lcd

    system 2:
    XBox 360 Spherex 5.1 system, HK DVD38, Phillips CDC 926 CD changer, Phillips 32" LCD

    2 channel
    NAD 1600 pre, NAD 2400 THX amp, Phillips CDC 926, Linn extra speaks, crappy TT
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Here are some names, that haven't been mentioned above (specific to Jazz: Piano):

    Joe Sample
    David Benoit
    Bob James
    Ahmad Jamal
    Michel Camilo (Bossa/Latin)

    and if you are ready for the heavier improv. side:

    Chick Corea
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited March 2004
    Options
    I've mentioned the 10 disc PBS special titled "Jazz" previously and again I strongly recommend it to anyone that wants to gain a greater appreciation for Jazz and learn a lot about America's jazz heritage. I'd even go so far as to say it's a "Must Have" for everyone's collection.
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • therockman
    therockman Posts: 349
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Miles Davis KIND OF BLUE sounds so awesome in SACD 3.0. The center channel speaker just opens up the sound on this recording.
    Rocky Bennett
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited March 2004
    Options
    GM, I have about a thousand classical CDs and of course the difficulty is picking ones that someone else will probably enjoy. I'll start by agreeing with George that Holst's Planets is about as sure-fire a piece as any that I can think of. Your Borders in Fairlawn has in stock the excellent Mehta performance on Decca Eloquence ELQ 467 418(around $8). If you stop there, three others now in stock you should pick up(each about $8)are Brahms, Hungarian Dances(Bogar, Naxos NXS 8.553026); Smetana, Ma Vlast(My Country)(Berglund, Seraphim SPH 73736)and Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade(Batiz, Naxos NXS 8.550726).

    If you mean solo piano, the very colorful(and very difficult to play)Spanish rhythms of Albeniz's Iberia(De Larrocha, London 448 191, a 2 disc set around $16)are very attractive. For vocal music, a stunningly beautiful disc has Anna Moffo singing and wordlessly vocalizing the Rachmaninoff Vocalise and others on RCA 7831(about $11). Two more bargains on Naxos conducted by Batiz which shouldn't be passed up are the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances(NXS 8.550583)and the Respighi Pines of Rome(NXS 8.550539).

    There's a whole world of great music out there waiting for you.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Wow, thanks fellas. Super cool. I never expected so many quality responses. I'll have to start poking around and see what floats my boat.

    John K., yes, I did mean solo piano. Also, you seem familiar with Fairlawn, ever been to Golden Gramophone?
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wodom1
    wodom1 Posts: 1,054
    edited March 2004
    Options
    For some great piano, I recommend Thelonius Monk, Horace Silver, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Art Tatum to start...Look for some albums by these guys and you'll be impressed.
    "I got into the music business thinking it was really radical, that it wasn't really a business at all, that it was a lot of people being artistic and creative. Not true, and it made me very depressed."

    Thom Yorke of Radiohead

    SOPA. Bow down before me, ****. Want a cookie?


    Polk Audio LSi15
    Polk Audio LSiC
    Polk Audio FXi30
    Samsung LN-T4061F 40" 1080P LCD HDTV
    Sony Playstation 3
    Outlaw Model 990 Pre/Pro
    Rotel 985 MK II
    Rotel 1072 CDP
    Soundstage Vacuum II tube pre
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited March 2004
    Options
    John K. knows a good tune when he hears one. That Smetana stuff is real good, but by all means, pick up Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsodies". There's a bunch of different numbers (Rhapsody #2, #6), just buy them all. Not only is it great music, it's the stuff that a lot of cartoons use!

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2004
    Options
    For some modern day Jazz I like:

    Chriss Botti
    Patricia Barber
    Diana Krall
    Norah Jones
    Mindi Abair
    Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 71 "Jazz Cafe"
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited March 2004
    Options
    GM, I'm not from the Akron area, but I noticed that you were. So, as a possible convenience to you I checked online for your nearest Borders and checked their store inventory to see which of the items that I recommended were in stock. If you'd want to get any of these immediately(and you should!), those four are there just hoping that you'll come in and give them a good home.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Thanks again everyone.

    John K., thanks for the extra effort, very much appreciated.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Javyn
    Javyn Posts: 4
    edited March 2004
    Options
    If ya like piano and violin, you can't go wrong with Schubert!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited March 2004
    Options
    gm,

    Don't forget to look at BMG Music for classical. They've quite a good selection and great prices for new. For used half.com and amazon's seller groups can be very cheap...

    Good stuff above. Pleased to see some Spanish representation as well as the normal composers, although as a group the Russians are my favorites. Falla is another Spaniard to consider.

    I'll add a few classical rec's here and chime in with specific recordings when I get home later today.

    Full Orchestra

    Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto - The marathon of all violin concertos. All the fire and glory one would ever want. Heifitz owned this piece, and while the recording is very old, it stands up very well.

    Dvorak's Sym #9 "The New World" - wonderful piece with plenty of man appeal without being as bombastic as Holst.

    Piano - Solo and Concerto

    Horowitz... so many recordings to choose from and only one or two clunkers in the lot. A couple quick favorites...
    "... in Moscow" - essential solo work if for nothing ellse than the reception he receives after decades of exhile
    "Golden Jubilee" another live preformance, but with full orchestra
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Well, I went out this weekend and picked up 2 CD's.

    First, I picked up a used copy of a Dave Brubeck - Greatest Hits. Got it for $7.

    Next, I got the Gustav Holst - Planets. Got it for $13 at Borders.

    I like both of these very much, just what I was hoping for. Thanks again everybody. I'm going to work my way thru all these recommendations and see what I like.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited March 2004
    Options
    Hey, it's a start...

    gm,
    Don't overlook doing a search on classical as well. Will turn up some nice threads like this one:
    http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4600&highlight=classical
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited March 2004
    Options
    GM, glad to see that you're enjoying those CDs, but you didn't tell us which performance of The Planets you got. It isn't the Mehta, since that's about $8, and there's over 50 others. In pop recordings often you can mention a title and that tells you exactly what CD is meant, but that usually doesn't work in classical. The different performances of the same composition can vary greatly(I have as many as six different CDs of the same work)and that's why I always specify a particular CD. For example, the four I saw were in stock at Borders would probably be in the separate section where they usually keep lower-cost classical CDs under about $10. Good listening.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited March 2004
    Options
    John K.,
    I'm not sure which performance the Planets CD is. I'll check tonight. It was in the Classical section of Borders, and cost $12.99. I did see the dates on the back, 1977 & 1991, if that means anything.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter