Simple jazz recordings for beginner playalong

[Yussuf]

Yes that Miles record with Kenny Clarke that Rene mentioned is great for getting your cymbal beat together. His ride cymbal beat is one of the all time best.

Ahmad Jamal live at the Pershing with Vernell Fournier on drums.

Check out the recording Jo Jones Trio. That's some beautiful simplicity right there.

Any Art Blakey shuffle too.

Learning different song forms is also important, because comping revolves around that too and the chord changes. I'd recommend picking a song with a fairly simple form such as the blues. Get to know that inside out. Kind of Blue is good for Cobb's cymbal beat but the music is more modal with little chord changes so it can be more difficult to hear the logic in the phrasing.

[DeeP_FRieD]

First of all, this minus drums thing is starting to get to me. If you're a beginner, then you also need to learn the idiosyncratic differences in the way cats swing/phrase/emote. You playing to a combo with no drums will be no service to you other than you solidifying what you do already more. I'm totally against minus drums on anything. I don't see much of a difference in other than the fact it gives guys a boner cause they just played over a nasty track. All the dudes we look up to were shedding over records with drummers on them. That's how it was done and how it still is done. That is how you learn to mimic, which is the basis of all human development...

Whoever suggested go for the standards is right.

First, most of these tunes aren't too balls to the wall in anyway, so you can digest it.
Second, these are what people play on gigs.... If you know a ton of standards and have played with them to the cd, then when a tune gets called on a hit, it'll be a breeze.
Third, since these tracks will have drummers on it, you'll have to play like them and it will also hip you to the hits and breaks in a tune, which might not be notated and might not sound like it happens without the drummer kicking them.

Lastly, if you are diving into jazz, get some lessons and join a combo at a community college or something. Also, the mention of the Art of Bop Drumming is something you should pay heed to. I never used this book when I was learning, but came upon it after I was already swinging and it goes over the same system that my drum teacher taught me, which opened my eyes on comping.

[Rene]

Whoever suggested go for the standards is right.

That was I

I would like to add the following. Standards have been performed by a lot of different artists / drummers in the past in various ways and are still performed every day. If you focus on just one version you'll start focussing (for example) on the specific phrases played by that one drummer. In really getting it, I advise to listen to as much different versions of a standard, either good or bad, and eg.analyse what was happening between soloist and the drummer etc ...

and the one who mentioned to consult a teacher is right ....

Rene

[whitehousec]

Well, true, but I don't think any jazz is easy or beginner for that matter. That is recordings from the era, not purposefully played play along's. Unless you're equating tempo to "easiness", which I personally think is a mistake (within reason).

Re: Tony for a beginner...just be careful which Tony. The first time I heard him was on Nefertiti and I couldn't take it - I put it away for years. Even Vinnie apparently put him away after the first time too. Sam Rivers with Tony is great on Fuschia Swing Song. Early Miles and Tony is great too.

You sure? I distinctly remember Vinnie talking about being floored when he heard Miles, and just dove into studying his playing. He's repeatedly called him his "drum hero". He (Vince) was only a teenager when he went to Berklee...

http://www.vinniecolaiuta.com/articles/ ... ing91.aspx

If you read this article he makes the suggestion about Tony's playing being 'alien' and went back to it about 2 years later...kind of ambiguous.

[S.P]

This is great stuff, thanks. I was thinking more about album recommendations, for students to play along to and start to understand the feel of different player's interpretations of the ride cymbal beat.

Anything with Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra is a good place for a beginner to learn about song form, set ups and kicks, as well as the cymbal beat. To me, this is more fundimental and rudimentary than bebop/small combo drumming. A beginner should start at the beginning, not with Miles. JMHO. Check out Frank Sinatra "Live at the Sands," or a best of called "Frank Sinatra The Reprise Years." The Basie band kicks ass in all of those classic recordings.

Another vote for Sinatra at the Sands with the Count Basie Orchestra! That's what I started with. Kind of Blue by Miles is good as is John Coltrane - Blue Train.

I'd recommend you get students to check out Miles Davis - Nefertiti and John Coltrane - A Love Supreme to get a feel for some good jazz drumming, although these are not what I would classify as beginner but worth checking out never-the-less!