Love all the fusion Miles did in the 70s...starting with Miles' B- brew and the stuff he did with Mahavishnu Orch.

Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, is my favorite Jazz album...amazing.

The word "jazz" originally meant to have seex back in the mid 1920's.

My favorites are Dave Brubeck and Thelonious Monk.

I do his "Take Five" even though he did not write it, he is known most for it. His sax player was actually the writer but Dave received notoriety for it almost immediately.

I'm a Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman kind of swing fan.

I like the jazzercise soundtrack. It is best described in 1 word- amazing!!!!!!!!

Sax player was Paul Desmond.

"Sax player was Paul Desmond."

Yes, I saw him at McCarter Theater in Princeton years ago. By then Paul was frail and thin but he could still play very well. Half the show was Daves kids though and it was a lot of random funk jam stuff that I didnt really enjoy all that much. Although "Take Five" was by far Daves most famous recording, his best piece by most knowledgeable jazz aficionados was "Blue Rondo a la Turk"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8E5A27PJHk

Yes, that had to be years ago. Desmond died in the late 70s when he was in his early 50s, I believe. Far too young. By the way, Dave Brubeck also did some fine work with Gerry Mulligan.

But in my opinion, possibly the greatest jazz album of all time is Miles' "Kind of Blue" from 1959. It's hard to go wrong with a lineup that included Bill Evans (who Miles brought back for several tracks of this album), John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers. All were stars.

Speaking of Coltrane (who also died too young), "My Favorite Things" and "A Love Supreme" were also fantastic albums. Both albums had McCoy Tyner on piano, another pretty good musician. He did some great solo work after leaving Coltrane's group.

Nina Simone is a helluva jazz vocalist. Every time I listen to "Sinnerman," I'm blown away.

McCoy Tyner has been sadly overlooked somehow. I dont mean this in a derogatory way at all, I really respect the guy and feel kinda bad that he never got quite the world acclaim I believe he deserves. He has a style where he plays these thick wide chords in his left hand very very hard and rhythmically and flies on his right. Chords voiced like the 7th on the bottom, the 9th and third in the middle and the fifth on top or doubling at times the 7th or using the 6th. These voices are very very distinctive McCoy when you add hist flourishing right hand. Very very percussive and we all know piano is a percussion instrument. I have heard of him recently playing very very small venues for very little money and I find that a bit depressing that someone that talented does not get the respect I feel he should. Not sure if thats the truth or just a rumor but havent heard from him in quite some time.

I saw McCoy at the Philly Mellon Jazz fest one year and had a blast, and I saw him once in the city (i believe it was a place called the painted bride??? )

Anyway, yes Kinda Blue is the standard Miles album and McCoy is a rare mention too, thnx! And mentioning Kinda Blue its funny but I believe the song Bye Bye Blackbird is on that album. I find it funny, because Bill Evans is my all time fave jazz piano player but on that one cut it is Red Garland and I just love his locked hands technique on that one cut. It just kills me!

have you read through this thread jelloman? Some real insightful comments by listeners of this "devils music ;+)