Acknowledged masterpieces: single cuts

[medjuck]

The thread with advice for the "newbie" got me thinking about what performances are considered must have jazz masterpieces. For example:

Louis Armstrong: West End Blues

Bix: Singin' the Blues

Coleman Hawkins: Body And Soul

Bird: Koko

etc

And if we want to add cuts from albums:

Coltrane:L Giant Steps

But when you get to Ellington and Miles I'm starting to think: This Way Lies Madness.

Anyone want to add to this list?

Edited May 26, 2009 by medjuck

[Larry Kart]

I know that they are in good part personal choices, but:

Ellington's "The Sergeant Was Shy"

Monk's "Little Rootie-Tootie"

The Miles-Cannonball "Autumn Leaves"

Other recordings by these people are arguably better/greater, but these never fall to delight and fascinate me. Also, I'm not normally a great Cannonball admirer, but that's one heck of a solo and just a magical mood-drenched performance by everyone. Wonder what an Ashley Khan book about that date would have to say, though I believe there are only two participants still with us -- Hank Jones and RVG. In particular, I would love to know about the role Alfred Lion played on this date, and not only because of Miles' immortal, "Is that what you wanted, Al-fred?"

[Don Brown]

Ellington's "Cotton Tail"

Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners"

Count Basie's "Taxi War Dance"

Pee Wee Russell's "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain"

Don Byas & Slam Stewart's "Indiana"

Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman"

Albert Ayler's "Ghosts"

Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues"

Bix Beiderbecke's "I'm Coming Virginia"

Red Norvo's "Congo Blues" (with Bird & Diz)

and a thousand others...

[David Gitin]

Al-fred?"

Cannonball Adderley w Miles Davis: "Autumn Leaves"

First one that came to my mind!

Edited May 26, 2009 by David Gitin

[Matthew]

Herbie Hancock: I Have a Dream. I get goosebumps every time I hear it.

[Bright Moments]

we have a thread for this already!

[jeffcrom]

This could be never-ending, so I'll just throw out one:

Thelonious Monk - Misterioso (Blue Note) Three minutes of semi-improvised perfection.

[Aggie87]

we have a thread for this already!

It bugs me when we do duplicate threads too.

But - this thread seems to be for individual tracks/performances, not albums.

[Larry Kart]

Serge Chaloff's "Body and Soul"

New Orleans Wanderers' "Perdido St. Blues"

Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas" (from "Saxophone Colossus")

Count Basie's "Taxi War Dance"

Konitz w/Kenton "Lover Man" -- aircheck from "Lee in Sweden" (Dragon)

Luckey Roberts' "Inner Space"

Coleman Hawkins/Charlie Shavers "Hawk Eyes" (title track from the album)

Roscoe Mitchell's "Nonaah" (alto-saxophone quartet version)

Louis Armstrong's "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (Decca big band version)

Warne Marsh's "317 E. 32" and "Subconscious Lee" -- from "All Music" (Nessa)

Jazz Messengers' " Nica's Dream"

Ornette Coleman's "Beauty Is A Rare Thing"

Sonny Clark's "Cool Struttin'" (title track from the album)

[GA Russell]

Miles with Lee Konitz - Ezz-thetic

[David Gitin]

Serge Chaloff's "Body and Soul"

Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas" (from "Saxophone Colossus")

Count Basie's "Taxi War Dance"

Konitz w/Kenton "Lover Man" -- aircheck from "Lee in Sweden" (Dragon)

Coleman Hawkins/Charlie Shavers "Hawk Eyes" (title track from the album)

Roscoe Mitchell's "Nonaah" (alto-saxophone quartet version)

Louis Armstrong's "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (Decca big band version)

Warne Marsh's "317 E. 32" and "Subconscious Lee" -- from "All Music" (Nessa)

Ornette Coleman's "Beauty Is A Rare Thing"

These are fine choices!

[David Gitin]

perhaps UNacknowledged single masterpieces?

Lennie Tristano REQUIEM

Bill Evans PEACE PIECE

Cecil Taylor BULBS

Charlie Parker K.C. BLUES

and a zillion more...

[clifford_thornton]

It's funny - there's a whole "world" of Cecil after "Bulbs" but it's an absolute favorite tune of mine...

[Hot Ptah]

Billie Holiday with Lester Young--I Must Have That Man

[paul secor]

Billie Holiday with Lester Young--I Must Have That Man

:tup :tup :tup

[Simon8]

Found that thread while looking for something else. Like the idea of focusing on one single track, intent listening. My idea of masterpiece cuts are where everything is perfectly balanced, with nothing extraneous & nothing left to be desired. No virtuoso performance necessarily needed.

In that regard, I would certainly pick, in the ones already mentioned, Monk's original "Misterioso": a dream clash with Milt Jackson and Monk's most perfect clangs.

Pee Wee Russell has also been mentioned. He played his "Pee Wee's Blues" many times, but I think his 1959 version on "Pee Wee Plays" with Buck Clayton, Vic Dickenson, Buck Freeman and Eddie Condon (the muted intro of Clayton & Dickenson, Condon subtly accompanying Russell on the head, the horns backing Pee Wee in his solo, Dickenson delicious wah-wah turn)..is just perfect.

Didn't find that version online, but while looking for Don Byas & Slam Stewart's "Indiana", found their astonishing version of "I Got Rhythm":

[sgcim]

Miles with Lee Konitz - Ezz-thetic

In the George Russell biography, they said Miles couldn't cut the head, so they gave him an easy counter line to play.

Then he tried to sneak out of the session before it was over, and Russell's wife had to block the door to stop him from trying to score.

[king ubu]

Jones/Smith Inc "Lady Be Good"

Teddy Wilson (w/Billie Holiday & Lester Young) "Foolin' Myself"

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I probably don't like masterpieces much, but there are several tracks that really get me.

Illinois Jacquet - Blues - from the first JATP concert. The HONK made REAL!

Sonny Stitt - Deuces wild - from Just the way it was; live at the Left Bank. So much excitement and togetherness.

Grant Green - It ain't necessarily so - from Nigeria. Well, just because it's great.

MJQ - One never knows - from One never knows. Martin Williams complained that there was no exploration in this cut, but the exploration is sonic, not thematic, rhythmic or harmonic, with Connie Kay in the lead.

Jack McDuff - A real good 'un - from Live. Just the blues, not an exercise in anything, just the motherfuckin' BLOOOOOZE!

MG

[Noj]

Wow, I somehow missed this thread the first time around. I'll be using it to dig up masterpieces I have missed!

I consider these masterpieces, off the top of my head:

Stanley Turrentine "Shirley"

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers "Dat Dere"

Duke Pearson "Wahoo"

Brother Jack McDuff "Moon Rappin'"

Roy Haynes "Dorian"

Woody Shaw "Sashianova"

Wes Montgomery "Bumpin' On Sunset"

Grant Green "Street Of Dreams"

Freddie Hubbard "Povo"

Les McCann "Doin' That Thing"

Roy Brooks "The Free Slave"

Lou Donaldson "One Cylinder"

Lee Morgan "Search For The New Land"

[Simon8]

I probably don't like masterpieces much, but there are several tracks that really get me.

Illinois Jacquet - Blues - from the first JATP concert. The HONK made REAL!

Sonny Stitt - Deuces wild - from Just the way it was; live at the Left Bank. So much excitement and togetherness.

Grant Green - It ain't necessarily so - from Nigeria. Well, just because it's great.

MJQ - One never knows - from One never knows. Martin Williams complained that there was no exploration in this cut, but the exploration is sonic, not thematic, rhythmic or harmonic, with Connie Kay in the lead.

Jack McDuff - A real good 'un - from Live. Just the blues, not an exercise in anything, just the motherfuckin' BLOOOOOZE!

MG

Hey MG,

I just listened to the JATP "Blues", never heard it before. Jacquet is crazy ! That back & forth between Les Paul and Nat King Cole after is something else, too.

Agree with Green's "It Ain't Necessarily So": hard to dig your groove deeper.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Simon8

[WD45]

Grant Green - It ain't necessarily so - from Nigeria. Well, just because it's great.

+1. Sooo great.

[king ubu]

Art Farmer/Benny Golson and the Jazztet doing "Django" on their John Lewis album!

[BillF]

Lester Young's version of "These Foolish Things", recorded in December 1945 in Los Angeles for Aladdin Records, with Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Red Callender on bass and Henry 'Tucker' Green on drums.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Les McCann "Doin' That Thing"

I must give that another listen. Damn good but I haven't, so far, rated it a masterpie.

Lou Donaldson "One Cylinder"

I VERY nearly put that one in, but kept thinking that, really, the masterpie is Freddie McCoy's.

MG

Hey MG,

I just listened to the JATP "Blues", never heard it before. Jacquet is crazy ! That back & forth between Les Paul and Nat King Cole after is something else, too.

Glad you got into that! (Glad someone did )

MG