Louis Armstrong & Dizzy Gillespie

[Kurt]

So I watched part of the Ken Burns Jazz program on PBS the other night and I was digging a lot of the music by Dizzy & Louis. I've always appreciated jazz but have never really bought any. So someone please tell me the essential Jazz albums I should get. Also if I were to buy one album by Louis Armstrong & Dizzy Gillespie, what would they be?

[Plantweed]

I'm just dipping my toe into the jazz world by picking up anything that looks good at the thrifts the last couple years. I'm finding Duke Ellington has a high track record, very unusual, moody arrangements, good stuff. But my favorite of all of it is crime jazz, some of the greatest music out there. If you're into that stuff, get these two right off the bat:

--Buddy Morrow: Impact LP (RCA Victor, LPM-2042, 1959)
--Henry Mancini: The Music from Peter Gunn LP (RCA Victor, LSP-1956, 1959)

[kozik]

pretty much anything before 1964 is going to rock it well. then it gets stupid.

[Paul Grushkin]

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, and his early stint in
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band.

THAT is the first high point in jazz. The first true
improvisations.

[rockologist]

i disagree emphatically with kozik.
there's LOADS of cool stuff after 1964.

[kozik]

what? it's all atonal crap. after Bird-NOTHING.

[dustin wallace]

i bought 4 or 5 of the miles davis box sets that were released a few years ago. all of that stuff is pretty damn good. unfortunately, i had to sell them all when i opened the store. i think there's a coltrane box on impulse, too. can't go wrong with those guys. there's a lot out there, so it's kinda like talking rock music when it comes to asking about jazz - some like more weird/experimental, others like the traditional. fusion seems to be the drawing line.

[philaarts.com]

anything in the french quarters about 2 am after a bunch of hurricanes sounds great!

[rockologist]

ok. shit. one of my favorite albums-wayne shorter's "speak no evil" actually WAS 1964. damn.

but i reallylike the late 60's, early 70's miles and herbie hancock stuff. yea, totally atonal.
i also like donald byrd's stuff with the mizell brothers.

foiled trying to look smart.

[dustin wallace]

i took me a few years, but i enjoyed the bitches brew album a lot more after i got the box set. 4 cds, the latter two being my favorite. can't seem to wrap my feeble brain around the first two.