Jazz Music Spotlight

Keep in mind we are first and foremost jazz enthusiasts. We have a significant music collection and listen to jazz regularly. What we are highlighting on this page is simply our opinion based on our experience. We view jazz a lot like wine.... bottomless, therefore opinions will certainly vary.

With that said, here is some jazz music that one might consider if you are looking to get a toe into jazz waters for the first time, host a cocktail party, or just enjoy a relaxing evening. These are great albums to help set a mood or atmosphere. They are quite consistent (in style) throughout, so if you sample a track or two and like them, you are pretty safe on liking the rest.

The selections are (in jazz terms) very straight forward. They are not selections that forged new paths in jazz. They are not the "best" jazz albums ever, but each represents a different dimension of jazz (Small Group, Solo Piano, Small Group with Vocals, Holiday, Big Band Vocal & Latin influenced). It also introduces some notable artists in jazz. In my opinion these albums are all easy to listen to and the artists can certainly be called "World Class".

Another important consideration in exploring jazz is the fact that many jazz artists recorded for 25-50 years, so there can be very significant changes in style that in some cases may be welcomed, while in other cases may not. So don't try 1 album and buy 3 more of that artist without reading a review or sampling each.

In todays digital age, you will be able to sample most albums and songs prior to purchasing them. Sound samples are a very helpful development in exploring new music. If these albums work for you, great! If not continue to sample others until something does work for you.

A few palatable jazz selections we enjoy are:

Roberta Gambarini - "You Are There" (Piano & Vocal)

Tony Bennett-"Steppin'Out" (Small Group, Vocal)

Dean Martin-"This time I'm Swingin'!" (Big Band, Vocal)

Coleman Hawkins-"Desafinado: Bossa Nova and Jazz Samba" (Small Group Instrumental, Latin Influenced)

McCoy Tyner-"Night of Ballad and Blues" (Small Group Instrumental)

Andre Previn-"Alone" (Solo Piano Instrumental)

Dave Brubeck-"A Dave Brubeck Christmas" (Solo Piano Instrumental, Christmas)"

We could have listed many more examples of jazz sub-categories, but when we first got into jazz we found it somewhat confusing and overwhelming, which can often be a turn off. Dean Martin is not a "jazz" artist, but this particular outing was a pretty "jazzy" one and as it's title says it is "A Swingin' Afair". Tony Bennett is not necessarily a "jazz singer" either, but he has been putting out great jazz for years.

We are intentionally leaving out technical terms and categories. All that we're saying here is these selections work well for a cocktail party, quiet evening, or to give a new genre a try. There is some really great stuff out there ready to enjoy, so give it a try.

If you wanted to try a few historically significant jazz albums, check out:

Miles Davis - "Kind of Blue"

Ella & Louis- "Ella & Louis"

Dave Brubeck- "Time Out"

Sonny Rollins- "Saxaphone Colossus"

John Coltrane- "Blue Train"

Cannonball Adderley- "Somethin' Else"