The Jazz Cafe'

I consider myself fortunate. I know many people who consider music nothing more than a a mood setter, a minor diversion, or maybe just something to ease the silence of the daily commute. Not me. I have always loved music. My childhood was filled with music. My parents, my Dad in particular, was always playing albums. I remember it well - that black Magnavox stereo - playing so many tunes, all the time. At a very young age, I was familiar with the sounds of so many of the greats. Now, more than 40 years later, I am a jazz lover, mostly older style jazz. Being a guitar player, my favorite jazz typically features guitarists. That is not to say I don't love all of it. Although Wes Montgomery is probably my favorite artist to listen to, I just am so moved when I hear Bill Evans. Or the Miles Davis - Kind of Blue album. Fuhgeddaboudit! There is nothing to say. That album just may be the greatest jazz album of all time. Certainly in the top five. I think any jazz aficionado would whole-heartedly agree.

I could write and talk about this for hours, all the while digging on some Wes during the Riverside years. I'll suggest an album a month. Maybe more frequently, since I am already having a hard time containing myself.

This Month's Album

For my first recommendation, I am going with Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis. It was released in 1959, and features an all star lineup of players. In those days, whoever got the gig was often considered the headliner, and the same goes for recording sessions. The greatness of this album was can be attributed to the rest of the musicians as much as Miles himself. Guys like Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb. These are killer players! As a matter of fact, three of these guys, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, played together on another one of my favorite albums - Smokin' at the Half Note, by Wes Montgomery. . But I'll save that one for another month!