Deep Jazz

A friend of my daughter's asked if I could compile a list of "deep jazz" records...I interpreted that broadly and just compiled a partial list of some of my favorite jazz recordings, part recommendations, part personal faves, all great. For most of the major artists, it's practically impossible for me to choose "favorites," so take this as a sonic snapshot for 2013.  I give you....

Sam Byrd's list of DEEP JAZZ

(mostly albums, with some deep tracks as well) 2013

--not listed in any particular order

--far from "complete"--think of these listings as starting points

--no unofficial live recordings (otherwise I really would be here all day)

SUN RA

One of the most frequently-asked Ra-related questions on jazz boards and listservs seems to be "where do I start?"  A tough one. It's really, really hard to recommend even just a few of Sun Ra's records, because his career spans so many eras and styles. Without knowing what kind of stuff people are familiar with, or even like, or how much jazz they're already familiar with, or how experimental they can get, or how much tolerance they have for "noise," it's tricky to know which entrance to take. Well, this ain't that perfect list.  It's just a list of possibilities and favorites, listed roughly chronologically:

big band/hard bop era: (Chicago, late '50s/early '60s):

Jazz in Silhouette

Nubians of Plutonia

Angels and Demons at Play

We Travel the Spaceways

Interstellar Low Ways

starting to get more out, but pre-synth (NYC, early '60s):

Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow

Other Planes of There

diving in deep, still pre-synth (NYC, early- to mid-'60s):

Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy

When Angels Speak of Love

Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 2

The Magic City

Strange Strings

live, big band/exotica/out, still pre-synth (1966-68):

Nothing Is (with one of greatest Gilmore solos of all time, on "Dancing Shadows")

Pictures of Infinity

1/2 BBQ organ jazz, 1/2 moog freakout (1969/70):

My Brother the Wind Vol. II

2 moogs, beautiful melodies (1969/70):

My Brother the Wind

The Night of the Purple Moon 

live extravaganza, everything AND the kitchen sink:

Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vol. I and II (1970)

Black Myth/Out in Space (1971)

Horizon (1971)

Nidhamu (1971)

studio perfection, out/abstract/compelling:

Astro Black (1972)

Space is the Place (Blue Thumb) (1972)

Pathways to Unknown Worlds (1973)

Friendly Love (1973?)

studio perfection, out/abstract/compelling + BBQ organ jazz (1972):

The Great Lost Sun Ra Albums (Cymbals/Crystal Spears)

                                                                       

smaller ensembles, heavy Gilmore:

Universe in Blue (1971)

Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue (1977)

live, moog heaven (1973):

Concert for the Comet Kohoutek

ultimate live (big band, synth, Gilmore):

Live at Montreux (1976)

quartet, lot of piano/Gilmore (1978):

New Steps

Other Voices, Other Blues

Disco 3000

Media Dream

slicker funk/space jazz (Philadelphia, late '70s):

Lanquidity

On Jupiter

Strange Celestial Road

solo piano:

Monorails and Satellites (1966)

Monorails and Satellites Vol. 2 (1966)

Piano Recital, Teatro La Fenice, Venezia (1977)

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Any one of these albums could be great starting places. Of course, once you get started, if you're intrigued, you should listen to all of them!!! And after these, there's so, so much more.

For excellent in-depth reviews of several of the albums listed there, and much more, see the "Sun Ra Sundays" section of Rodger's blog, at http://nuvoid.blogspot.com/search/label/Sun%20Ra%20Sunday

  

MILES DAVIS

It's almost easier to list what not to include; these are some of my favorites (subject to change):

Birth of the Cool

Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Ahead

In Person: Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete

Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965

Complete Columbia Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet 1965 to 1968

Miles Davis: Live in Europe 1967 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 1)

Filles de Kilimanjaro

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis Quintet: Live in Europe 1969 (The Bootleg series, Vol. 2)

Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About that Time

Get Up with It

Pangaea

Agharta

plus a few "deep cuts" that no self-respecting jazz fan should be unfamiliar with:

Smooch (also see Mingus, Vassarlean/Pipe Dream/Weird Nightmare)

It Never Entered My Mind

Springsville

Four (live, from "Four & More")

Dolores

Prince of Darkness

Paraphernalia

Agitation (Europe 1967)

Filles de Kilimanjaro

Pharaoh's Dance

What I Say

He Loved Him Madly

Calypso Frelimo

Prelude, Pt. 1 (from "Agharta")

JOHN COLTRANE

Miles Davis & John Coltrane: Live in Stockholm 1960

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings

A Love Supreme

First Meditations

Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up

Transition

Live in Seattle

Live in Japan

Expression

Stellar Regions

Coltrane: other deep tracks (in rough chronological order):

Giant Steps

Countdown

Naima

Central Park West

Ole

Aisha

Dear Lord

Sun Ship

BILLIE HOLIDAY

Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia 1933–1944

CHARLES MINGUS

Tijuana Moods

East Coasting

Mingus Dynasty

Mingus Ah Um

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus

Let My Children Hear Music

Changes one/Two

Cumbia Jazz Fusion

Mingus: other deep tracks (in rough chronological order):

Pink Topsy

Miss Bliss

Extrasensory Perception

Purple Heart

Eulogy for Rudy Williams

Jump Monk

Pithecanthropus Erectus

Reincarnation of a Lovebird

Passions of a Woman Loved

Nouroog

Slippers

Vassarlean (aka Smooch, Weird Nightmare, Pipe Dream) prefer 1960 candid version

E's Flat, Ah's Flat Too

My Search

Portrait

Please Don't Come Back from the Moon

*anything from the 1964 European tour with Eric Dolphy, but especially:

Meditations (...on Integration, ...on a Pair of Wire Cutters, etc.)

CECIL TAYLOR (this list is probably too short)

Nefertiti the Beautiful One Has Come

Into the Hot (released under Gil Evans' name; tracks also on Mixed)

Unit Structures

Conquistador

The Great Concert of Cecil Taylor (w/Sam Rivers)

Cecil Taylor Unit

3 Phasis

Winged Serpent (Sliding Quadrants)

In Berlin '88 (box)

ANTHONY BRAXTON (this list is definitely too short)

3 Compositions of New Jazz

New York Fall 1974

Creative Orchestra Music 1976

For Trio (Comp. 76)

Seven Compositions 1978

Eugene

Willisau (Quartet) 1991 [or anything by the Crispell/Hemingway/Dresser quartet, really]

9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006

ANDREW HILL

Point of Departure (with Eric Dolphy)

Andrew! (with John Gilmore)

Involution (with Sam Rivers)

ERIC DOLPHY

Out to Lunch

anything from Mingus '64 European tour

deep tracks:

G.W.

Out There

Jitterbug Waltz

Music Matador

CIRCLE

Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert

Circle 2: Gathering

Paris Concert

JELLY ROLL MORTON

*prefer the JSP 5-CD set 1926-1930 Victor recordings, mastered by John R.T. Davies

FLETCHER HENDERSON

A Study in Frustration: The Fletcher Henderson Story

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

Hot Fives and Sevens (JSP) *prefer this 4-CD John R.T. Davies remastering

deep tracks:

Star Dust (both versions)

Rockin' Chair

I've Got the World on a String

DUKE ELLINGTON

Must-have box sets:

Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings: 1927-1973

The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia, and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra

Duke Ellington: 1936-40 Small Group Sessions

At the very least, for early (1920s-1932) stuff, explore:

The Okeh Ellington

Early Ellington: The Original Decca Recordings: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931

Early Ellington (1927-1934)

Jubilee Stomp (1920s RCA Victor)

Ellington: For '30s, besides the Mosaic set, check out:

Swing 1930 to 1938 (Robert Parker's Jazz Classics in Stereo)

Back Room Romp ('30s small band stuff)

Individual CDs:

Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band

The Duke at Fargo 1940: Special 60th Anniversary Edition

Great Ellington Units (Blanton/Webster small band stuff, 1940-42)

Such Sweet Thunder

The Great Paris Concert

Far East Suite

And His Mother Called Him Bill

Deep tracks (really, way too many to mention here):

Reminiscing in Tempo

The Clothed Woman

Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue (Newport '58)

CHARLIE PARKER

The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes

Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker: Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945

Complete Live Performances on Savoy

Jazz at Massey Hall

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO

The Art Ensemble: 1967/68

Live at Mandel Hall

Fanfare for the Warriors

Full Force

The Alternate Express

Deep tracks:

The Ninth Room

Tutankhamun

A Brain for the Seine

Dreaming of the Masters

Walking in the Moonlight

We Bop

RMR

ROSCOE MITCHELL
Sound

Nonaah

Snurdy McGurdy and Her Dancin' Shoes

3 x 4 Eye

Nine to Get Ready

Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 & 3

HENRY THREADGILL

Subject to Change

You Know the Number

Easily Slip into Another World

MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS

Lifea Blinec

COLEMAN HAWKINS

Classic Coleman Hawkins Sessions 1922-1947 (includes lots of Fletcher!)

Deep tracks:

Body and Soul

Picasso

WAYNE SHORTER

Of course, anything with Miles, plus...

Anything on Blue Note, but especially:

Night Dreamer

JuJu

Speak No Evil

DAVID MURRAY OCTET

Ming

Home

ORNETTE COLEMAN

The Complete Science Fiction Sessions

Dancing in Your Head

Body Meta

Of Human Feelings

OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ALBUMS:

BILLY HART Enchance

DAVE HOLLAND Conference of the Birds

PETE CHRISTLIEB/WARNE MARSH QUINTET Apogee

BENNIE MAUPIN Jewel in the Lotus

CHRIS McGREGOR'S BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH Live at Willisau

GEORGE LEWIS Shadowgraph 5 (Sextet)

JACKIE McLEAN Old and New Gospel (with Ornette on trumpet)

LAST EXIT Last Exit

BOOKER LITTLE Out Front

DAVID TORN Prezens

WEATHER REPORT Tale Spinnin'

EVAN PARKER/DEREK BAILEY/HAN BENNINK: The Topography of the Lungs

SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE Karyobin

ALAN SILVA & THE CELESTIAL COMMUNICATION ORCHESTRA (BYG)

DON PULLEN w/SAM RIVERS Capricorn Rising

PETER BROTZMANN The Complete Machine Gun Sessions

GLOBE UNITY ORCHESTRA Globe Unity 67 & 70

EVAN PARKER/TRANSATLANTIC ART ENSEMBLE Boustrophedon

ALBERT AYLER Live in Greenwich Village

SONNY ROLLINS A Night at the Village Vanguard

TOM RAINEY TRIO Camino Cielo Echo

INGRID LAUBROCK SLEEPTHIEF The Madness of Crowds

TAYLOR HO BYNUM SEXTET & 7-TETTE: Navigation (The Complete Firehouse 12 Recordings)