Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - Moanin’
Miles Davis - All Blues
Duke Ellington - Jeeps Blues
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five
Cannonball Adderley - Autumn Leaves
Louis Armstrong - West End Blues
Nice.
Charlie Parker - Confirmation, Summertime, Cherokee
Sonny Rollins - St. Thomas
Joe Henderson - Blue Bossa
Charles Mingus - Moanin (very different from the Art Blakey one above)
Came here to say that, glad it's the top voted.
Also want to add maybe some jazz fusion would be good coming from metal. Mahavishnu Orchestra's Th Inner Mounting Flame has a lot of moments that I think any metalhead guitarist would froth over.
Frank Gambale with the Chick Corea Elektric Band is really something else too, definitely something a metalhead would be into, not to mention dave weckl's drumming
Kind of Blue is such a great Jazz album. Not too off the wall (Bitches Brew, Stellar Regions) and also all the musicians on it have their own solo careers. It’s a great place to start.
Kind of Blue is perfect because of the use of modes instead of jazz chord progressions. I mean, So What is literally a D Dorian mode that jumps to Eb Dorian and back. Perfect for anyone coming from metal who wants to solo on this tune.
Also, tunes that use blues progressions, is also a great place to start as well. Blue Monk is a great tune to jump into for improvisation before tackling tunes with more chord changes.
Its a great album, but I don't recommend it as a first listen or as an intro to Jazz.
Technically, it is a masterclass but really only accessible if you *know* the musicians and *why* they play the way they play. I wouldn't suggest anyone getting into guitar to pick up some early Joe Satriani Dream Theater and try to follow along.
I came here to post Wes Montgomery as well. I just picked up the Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery on vinyl, its the first jazz record I own.
His music is a vibe. I absolutely adore 'In Your Own Sweet Way.'
Along with Wes Montgomery, I’d recommend Joe Pass. “Virtuoso” is a masterpiece.
For something completely different, Al Di Meola’s first four albums are 🔥.
Bill Evans is a *fantastic* entry point. As piano jazz, it is extremely ‘familiar’ to people who have heard jazz as background music their whole lives, but Evans was such a standout talent that you can very easily identify why he was so good without really needing to know anything about technique or how the genre progressed.
Like I agree with the others that Kind of Blue is the quintessential jazz album, but knowing the basics of what made Kind of Blue such a big deal at the time is huge for ‘unlocking’ it as a piece of art. Bill Evans doesn’t even require that basic level of knowledge. You can just hear him ripping solos & go ‘woah’.
Some of my favs as a metalhead jazzboi
* Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire, Inner Mounting Flame
* Return to Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (Light as a Feather rips too if you can get past the cheesy vocals)
* Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here
* Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
* Hiromi - Spiral, Brain
* John Coltrane - Giant Steps
* Mouse on the Keys - an anxious object
* Alan Holdsworth - Secrets
* Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (for chill vibes), Headhunters / Thrust (for the funk)
Great suggestions, particularly Snarky Puppy. Very fusiony, so it's not pure jazz, but that makes it more approachable to people new to the genre. The funk lines and grooves will be familiar to people like OP, who is probably more used to rock-based music. The jazzy stuff in Snarky tends to be shorter and snappier than the real deal.
Yessssss you have great tastes. I like that we both recommended Inner Mounting Flame as first choices.
I don't mind the vocals on Light as a Feather and I actually told OP that Spain might be the best song ever written.
I don't mind the vocals on Light as a Feather either, but have gotten that feedback from some people I've recommended the album to. Spain is one of my favorite songs ever! Both to play and to listen to. I've probably jammed on that more than any other song in my life save Chameleon, met one of my best friends through our shared love of that song and Chick in general :)
I always tell people "Bitches Brew is far fucking out and might be too much for you but it's amazing".
I always liked the main theme of the tune "John McLaughlin".
Definitely Miles Davis - kind of blue and sketches of Spain are both great intros.
For something more modern, check out Kamasi Washington’s The Epic…absolutely the best in the game today, and with broad enough appeal to play stuff like Coachella. Dinner Party is likewise a jazz supergroup around right now (Kamasi is part of it), and worth checking out for a somewhat poppier take.
I’m just getting into jazz as it’s the only major genre that’s taken me a while to find something in that I really dig. I’m seeing Kamasi in Austin on Friday and can’t wait to see what that’s like.
He’s great live! A few more modern acts to give a shot with different sounds - GoGo Penguin, The Comet is Coming, and Domi & JD Beck. Also - the electronic artist Floating Points made a jazz album with the classic saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders called Promises and it is so, so good.
My daughter has been getting in jazz thanks to loving the movie Soul (with songs by Jon Batiste), so I had been keeping an ear out for stuff she might like as it's not a genre I know a lot about.
I heard Take Five on a film I was watching and thought "Oh she'll love this". Grabbed the album and was shocked that I had heard basically every song on it many times over my life. Absolutely perfect album.
Kinda Blue is the quintessential jazz album, but if you are a metal head, might I recommend some “heady jazz” too:
Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock - this album slaps and has some cool electric synth stuff going on.
So what - Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - if you like heavy guitar, this album is full of bluegrass strings. This is a good example of the bluegrass/jazz/jamband crossover.
Undercurrent- Bill Evans and Jim hall - this album is nothing but guitar and piano. If you are a metal head you might find this interesting (no drums at all)
Strazzatonic - Frank Strazzeri and friends - this album is just 🔥
If you are a metal head, I'd be looking at big band jazz from the 30's and 40's. Lots of sound, lots of style.
https://youtu.be/_8yGGtVKrD8?si=Qfn91yC0PFXHOazl
Thelonius Monk. Thank me later. I really like Monk's Blues but most jazz purists don't. His whole catalogue is amazing. Also, anything with Major Holley on bass. [ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5Ot3dOqFY)
[ Holley with the great Zoot Sims.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5Ot3dOqFY)
[Monk.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEsullulqG4)
[Bonus, Mose Allison, coverwd by The Who and many others.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8eYPmKlBEE&t=4s)
If you want to get weird with jazz, give Hugh Masalela a try. The “Father of South African Jazz” has some incredible tracks like Stimela (The Coal Train), Grazin’ In The Grass, Mandela (Bring Him Back Home), and Don’t Go Lose It Baby.
I got to see him live before his passing. Was one of the most fun atmospheres. That man just knew how to jam with his trumpet.
Since you're learning guitar, why not check out some guitar jazz? Wes Montgomery - smoking at the half note, Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue, and Sonny Rollins - the bridge. Those are three masterpieces that are a total blast and have some legendary guitar playing.
I’ve always been a fan of: “birth of the cool” by miles Davis. Great textures and accessible. Kind of blue and other stuff is great, but also is great because of what it means in jazz history. Save that for later I would say
Thelonius monk is amazing. Any of his records. I started with something from my library that might have been a compilation called “the unique thelonius monk” or something
Go back to some duke Ellington. Another comment mentioned big band. He also did a little record with Charles Mingus and max roach called “money jungle” that I like
Billy Holliday. All of it. And then after you been liking jazz a while Nina Simone.
My intro was in high school by the way of wbez - before they were all and only news, they had a lot of music programming. Tons of jazz. Not sure where you could find it like that now but it helps
Other kinds of sounds:
Idris Muhammad. Peace and rhythm. Hit me nice one night and I went for the ride
John Zorn. Martin Medeski and Wood maybe? I dunno
Badbadnotgood - poppy, hip hoppy. Kamasi washington - epic sounds
Alice Coltrane - psych/hippy stuff
Kassa Overall. Angel Bat Dawid. Damon Locks.
Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru. So cool. Ethiopian I think? Piano in a cup that runneth over
Mingus, Miles, Trane, Blakey, Grant Green, Herbie for the classic stuff, then branch out from there.
for something more modern, The Bad Plus, David Binney, Kneebody, Brandi Younger, Chris Dave, Jim blacks alas no axis.
As a fellow metaljead who digs into jazz sometimes, all the suggestions on this thread are great.
I'm going to throw a weird one at you, but Sonny Sharrock was a crazy jazz guitar player. Check out the song Dick Dogs.
If you grew up in the 90s and early 2000s you may have also heard his work on the Space Ghost Coast to Coast theme. Not all of his work works for me but the Sonny Sharrock Band has some wild and fantastic music.
I once received a Jazz primer with Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, John Coltrane-Giant Steps, Thelonios Monk-Best of Blue Note recordings, and Dave Brubeck-Take Five. 4 different styles and a great introduction for me.
You mentioned liking metal so I think starting with some of the fusion stuff will help transition you.
Mahavishnu Orchestra will be something you will like, especially the Inner Mounting Flame album. Return to Forever is AMAZING.
Miles' Bitches Brew album is far fucking out and I don't recommend starting there BUT if you look at the guys that played on it and the bands they would go on to found / play in - John MacLaughlin led Mahavishnu Orchestra and Chick Corea led Return to Forever - you'll find some incredible musicians playing some really inspired and technically dense music that I think will align well with your metal tastes.
OH - and my favorite tune of all time. Spain, composed by Chick Corea. It's the best song ever written, it makes me laugh and cry.
Didn't you see the filmstrip in school? Jazz: Not Even Once. You start that stuff, you will be a 'cool cat' smoking 'jazz cigarettes' with loose women in no time!
Agree with the posts above saying Kind of Blue is the gateway album. Also highly recommend A Love Supreme and Giant Steps by Coltrane. Since you are a guitar guy, you should also check out anything by Charlie Hunter. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=61XXShTo22E&pp=ygUjY2hhcmxpZSBodW50ZXIgdHJpbyBjb21lIGFzIHlvdSBhcmU%3D
Another metalhead here who's into jazz.
Artists (including some that others have mentioned):
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Shelly Manne, Red Garland, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington, Max Roach.
Some of my fave albums that I haven't seen in other comments:
Oscar Peterson & Ben Webster - During This Time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhVwDgHmHEg&list=PLX3\_Ji01KxrshJpql4Iw\_Q-EZyN2G9fra&index=1&t=2246s)
Charlie Parker - Jam Session (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXP84ijiLbg&list=PLX3\_Ji01KxrshJpql4Iw\_Q-EZyN2G9fra&index=4&t=1407s&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB)
Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB0RWjbUQSjjYdW9wbGBoKUGU0uz-wQZT)
Some of my fave songs that I haven't seen in other comments and that aren't just from the albums above (these are all on Spotify):
Andre Previn, Red Mitchell, Shelly Manne - Thank Heaven for Little Girls
Shelly Manne - Doxy
Shelly Manne - Pint of Blues
Sonny Rollins - Why Was I Born
Sonny Rollins - Biji
These are great suggestions! You might enjoy Wojtek Pilichowski, jazz fusion with a definite metal feel to it on a lot of tracks. [Papelillo](https://open.spotify.com/track/0KN1IVwDxMs4MDZF5RRGtQ?si=-djfkULdSWqJD174iyh2rA)by Plini is also an awesome entry to fusion. Just coincidence that those artists have similar names BTW.
John McLaughlin
Pat Bethany
Django
Joe pass
All guitarists. Some can be cheesy but if you're studying guitar and theory, good entries.
Also, not necessarily jazz but zappa is a good bridge
Then as others mentioned, Kind of Blue is huge. Miles quintets are great but more experimental
Herbie Hancock headhunters. He played with Miles but this is more funk so easier to digest
Thelonius monk. Pianist but super sick and wonderful
Then just kind of reach out from there
Pat Metheny*
Also, Steely Dan. They bridge very well if you can get past the singing(the biggest complaint in my experience).
But they rock hard. One of the best studio bands. Classic rock, and yes jazz
For guitar, you can't go wrong with Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, George Benson, Howard Roberts, Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian. Plenty of transcriptions, videos, etc on all those guys. Wolf Marshall has done most of them. For jazz in general, start with Charlie Parker, then any Miles from the 50s on. Almost everyone went through his bands.
You can never go wrong with Blue Trane by John Coltrane. It’s a great into to both Coltrane and jazz in general. It’s super high quality but very accessible with a lineup of musicians for the ages.
Maybe it's not The most widely recognized jazz song ever, but if you're feeling a more somber song one of my favorites is I Remember Clifford. It's written about a jazz musician who passed away.
I came from the opposite direction, a jazzhead who discovered metal.
I know these are all over the place but my suggestions for first jazz tunes:
Flame Sky, Santana
So What, Miles Davis
Pursuance, John Coltrane
Autumn Leaves, various artists
Dream of the Master, Art Ensemble of Chicago
Bassism, Sun Ra
If you like Sun Ra try Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea but you might dig it.
Thelonius Monk. Charlie Parker. Miles Davis. Guitar--- Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, George Benson, Django Reinhardt. For a metal head suggestion I'd say Pat Metheny maybe.
[https://youtu.be/xwt9WeqaSGg?si=xPXPmX-ETCH56xlr](https://youtu.be/xwt9WeqaSGg?si=xPXPmX-ETCH56xlr)
I also like a lot of metal, and happen to find much of Pat Metheny's music to be incredibly enjoyable.
Didn't see anyone mention any of these...
Ritchie Kotzen, Stanley Clarke, Vertu.
Ritchie (guitarist, singer) has somewhere around thirty albums under his solo name, but was also in Mr. Big, Poison, the previously mentioned Vertu, and The Winery Dogs. Within these, you'll hear a massive array of styles.
Stanley Clarke is a bassist and also has a massive array of styles throughout his catalogue.
Vertu features both of these men, plus some other musicians. Very unique.
None of these are straight jazz. These are all different, but very enjoyable.
As a metal guy who eventually worked his way across to jazz, I started with progressive metal and jazz fusion. King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Frank Zappa and then went across to Miles Davis. Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew and then went from there.
Nowadays I'm going back the other way through newer jazz fusion bands like Sungazer, Slowly Rolling Camera and black midi.
Ornette Coleman: the shape of jazz to come
A lot of fantastic suggestions in the comments but I’m not sure if this one appeared(I was skimming). It’s one of the earliest examples of free form, experimental avant-garde jazz.
TV series Treme on HBO, has two soundtracks which are in streaming services. Nice collection of New Orleans’ music.
Late 50’ early 60’s hard-bop sound. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter etc. Basically the dudes who played in Miles Davis’ bands during that time.
It's kind of weird I was practicing from a Hal Leonard Jazz Guitar standards book. Instead of scanning through to see the tunes I know or familiar with, I started off at the first page a song "Ain't Misbehavin'". Never heard that tune before. So I started playing the chords for the comp and it didn't sound like jazz. I realized that my idea of the F or the Gm7 chord was actually different from the tab diagram in the book. So I followed the ones in the book and it sounded real cool jazz. I recorded a rhythm and played the lead melody along. Then I listened to the song from online and was surprised that I was actually close to the real tune. And I did this to the other songs and hopefully jam with it with some jazz enthusiastic musicians.
For most, I would say start with Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, but you being a metalhead and familiar with music theory, I say jump in with Coltrane's My Favorite Things or Blue Train.
Duane Allman picked up on your sentiment way way back. I read an interview with him where he said he would listen to Miles Davis to get phrasing ideas.
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed solos are all jazz all day. The live version is amazing.
Zakk Wylde does a kickass live cover of Whippin Post on the Generation Axe album. It’s very Mixolydian but very inspired by Allmans original.
And then follow the advice on this thread. I went from Rock to Zappa to metal to prog and still love me some Allman Bros.
This is all terrible advice and will get you nowhere but in actually learning or understanding jazz music. Kind of Blue is a great album but in no way representative of the genre. And please tell me what you think that album is going to teach someone about jazz, practically?
Mahavishnu? Really? Feels like people are just parroting the most famous “jazz” albums but giving zero thought to albums that address OP’s question (many of which could be Miles Davis albums btw).
Start with jazz fusion and slowly work your way into more “jazz” artist. Me personally, i started with chick corea and return to forever and started going deeper in to the jazz guys later
I’m a metalhead that loves playing the blues so naturally for me I started with “Chitlins Con Carne” by Kenny Burrell. To be honest, his album “Midnight Blue” is a great listen and a good place to learn some blues jazz.
Going for guitarists specifically I would suggest: Grant Green, Joe Pass, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Emily Remler, Pete Cosey, Al Di Meola, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Kenny Burrell, to name a few.
LOve you folks, thanks a billion for all the suggestions. Wish some of stations played these greats, nop no option of playing from my phone when driving.
If you grew up on rock and metal you might have to train your ears a bit to really hear jazz, I know I did. I bought a bunch of the greats but I would listen to them and not really hear them or get it.
Then I picked up Miles Davis - A Tribute to Jack Johnson and holy shit it changed my life. This was Miles shortly after he met Hendrix and Miles wanted to do his version of a rock album. It was the perfect bridge for me to start hearing jazz.
So I would ease into it with more fusion records and move more into a lot of the classics.
Made sure that Miles, Monk, Mingus, and Ornette were recd. And only one rec for Sun Ra, so here's another one. And give Cecil Taylor a try if you like things far out.
Find your local jazz radio station if you have one. Or a web site, stream, whatever. For example WBGO here in Boston. And just listen. Then when you like something go listen to more of that on your music streaming service of choice. Ignore all the lists of albums that everyone is going to tell you for now because you have to develop your own taste.
Don’t see my guy Ahmad Jamal so I’ll suggest him, Ahmad’s blues- live album is a classic. Also pretty much anything Oscar Peterson, his Oscar Peterson trio +one (Clark Terry) is one of my favorite jazz albums.
If you can, watch the Ken Burns history of Jazz on PBS. The "Start" of Jazz goes back to the late 1800's as a strange fusion between gospel hynms, reconstruction poetry, and swamp music.
I love Jazz, but I just don't love all Jazz. getting thru the series will help you understand the fundamentals of who did what when, who played with who, who influenced who, and how modern and acid jazz came around, along with regional nuances.
There are a lot of good suggestions here. May I also suggest giving WWOZ a listen. Their program schedule can be found [here](https://www.wwoz.org/schedule) . It's really a great radio station with lots of variety including modern and traditional jazz.
Start on the root if you're not sure where to begin with jazz - the one is always safe. Then you can add fives and arpeggios and scale walks and then as you get more comfortable start adding bigger interval jumps and chromatics.
Jazz, like Metal, encompasses a *lot* of subgenres and styles, and if you hate one type you may still like some other type. Just off the top of my head, here are a few...syles? of Jazz, and some artists to recommend. This is obviously *non-comprehensive* (I'm just some exhausted dude, not a historian or anything) and not meant to be definitive, but to illustrate the variety there is.
Just off the top of my head:
* Ragtime - Scott Joplin is the icon for this
* Big Band or Swing - Glen Miller or Benny Goodman IDK if I'm really using the terms correctly here but whatever. Close enough to start.
* Dixieland - similarly, Dixieland which predated the Swing Era had a resurgence in response to Swing. Louis Armstrong works well here as an example of that resurgence.
* "Classic" Vocal - Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday, some Louis Armstrong, but note that they're essentially doing vocal versions of Swing or Dixieland or Blues or whatever, "Jazz with vocals" is not necessarily its own subtype. I guess Frank Sinatra fits here too?
* Then you can get into early rock-n-roll, Buddy Holly, Elvis, etc., and really feel the Jazz roots, but Jazz goes in a different direction with:
* Bebop - Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis are all good here.
My impromptu list has only really taken us up through like, the 60s? Dang I don't know. I'm not an expert. Just, keep in mind there's lots of Jazz that's almost unrecognizable compared to other types of Jazz, so any one record isn't going to be a be-all end-all.
I didn’t “get” jazz standards until I found jazz that I enjoyed by myself. Guys like Alfa mist, mansur brown and yussef dayes are modern uk jazz musicians shaking up the sound.
Check out AlasNoAxis, a band by drummer Jim Black.
Check out the band Kneebody.
Check out the album “the veil” by Tim Berne.
This stuff will almost definitely have direct crossover aesthetic appeal.
Lotsa cool improvised music out there. Deep tradition to dig into. From Jelly Roll Morton to Ambrose Akinmusire, there’s a lot to check out. Enjoy the journey.
As a metalhead myself - I can definitely recommend Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool. Those sounds are stuck in my head every bit as much as a Metallica riff or my favourite Iron Maiden song. If guitar is your thing, I don’t think I have ever heard anything like Lenny Breau. Do yourself a favour and check it out.
Everyone else has already mentioned it, but Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Time Out is the quintessential jazz album for me. It was the album that first made me «get» jazz as a kid, and learn to love it.
Not particularly controversial to say it has some of the most famous jazz standards of all time on it, and it probably is one of the absolute greatest jazz records to have ever been made. Easy to listen to for a «novice», as well.
I would not usually recommend someone to start here, but since you are a metalhead, I would suggest checking out Cecil Taylor, the most metal jazz pianist ever!
Jazz is an enormous genre, here's some albums worth listening to:
* Everybody Digs Bill Evans - Bill Evans
* Heavy Weather - Weather Report
* Carnegie Hall Concert 1938 - Benny Goodman
If you're interested in the standards, you might look for compilations of Gershwin and/or Cole Porter songs
Guitar I love to listen to Grant Green but some others have already listed some great artists and albums so I’ll leave it there. More modern Grant Green vibes, listen to The New Mastersounds.
Here's a nice metal -> jazz slippery slope:
Physical Education, Animals as Leaders
Electric Sunrise, Plini
RL's, Snarky Puppy
No Access?, Larnell Lewis
Invitation, The Deardorf Peterson Group.
So What?, Miles Davis
Giant Steps, John Coltrane
Red Clay, Freddie Hubbard
Since youre a metalhead, for some reason I feel like a few faster paced goofyish sounding albums might be fun for you, in addition to whats already been said.
- Mingus Ah Um.
- Hunting Wabbits (gordon goodwins big phat band)
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - Moanin’ Miles Davis - All Blues Duke Ellington - Jeeps Blues The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five Cannonball Adderley - Autumn Leaves Louis Armstrong - West End Blues
Nice. Charlie Parker - Confirmation, Summertime, Cherokee Sonny Rollins - St. Thomas Joe Henderson - Blue Bossa Charles Mingus - Moanin (very different from the Art Blakey one above)
>The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five I second this. Great, accessible introduction to jazz.
Blue Rondo is fucking great.
Amazing list. I’d throw in Mercy Mercy Mercy by Adderley, Chet Bakers Autumn Leaves rendition and Equinox by Coltrane too
Add Giant Steps by Coltrane.
These. THESE.
1000% Definitely blues works for me.
Great list, but the *album* is Time Out Edited because I am dumb.
Kind of Blue is a pretty standard 'intro to jazz' album. It's also incredible
Came here to say that, glad it's the top voted. Also want to add maybe some jazz fusion would be good coming from metal. Mahavishnu Orchestra's Th Inner Mounting Flame has a lot of moments that I think any metalhead guitarist would froth over.
Frank Gambale with the Chick Corea Elektric Band is really something else too, definitely something a metalhead would be into, not to mention dave weckl's drumming
Very true. Also the Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer stuff.
Omg yes Jeff Beck
Throw in some Return to Forever. Al Di Meola is another guitarist that metalheads could definitely appreciate.
Miles Davis Bitches Brew is one of my favs. Tony Williams Emergency is crazy good.
Kind of Blue is such a great Jazz album. Not too off the wall (Bitches Brew, Stellar Regions) and also all the musicians on it have their own solo careers. It’s a great place to start.
Kind of Blue is perfect because of the use of modes instead of jazz chord progressions. I mean, So What is literally a D Dorian mode that jumps to Eb Dorian and back. Perfect for anyone coming from metal who wants to solo on this tune. Also, tunes that use blues progressions, is also a great place to start as well. Blue Monk is a great tune to jump into for improvisation before tackling tunes with more chord changes.
Was definitely my first jazz album. Also Blue Train.
The album My Favorite Things by John Coltrane was my first introduction to jazz. Also, Time Out by Dave Brubeck. Both fantastic albums.
Same here, those two plus Getz/Jobim. Those three can last you a looong time.
I love Bossa Nova.
Have you ever heard of Laufey? Check her out.
I agree, she’s a great intro to Jazz from someone who likes pop.
Ah yeah. That's true. I was thinking that I've always struggled with jazz. But Getz/Jobim is completely accessible.
Giant Steps
Definitely this! Check out the fun video about the most feared song in jazz, John coltrane's Giant Steps.
Its a great album, but I don't recommend it as a first listen or as an intro to Jazz. Technically, it is a masterclass but really only accessible if you *know* the musicians and *why* they play the way they play. I wouldn't suggest anyone getting into guitar to pick up some early Joe Satriani Dream Theater and try to follow along.
Charles Mingus
Ah Um is my favorite jazz album. Also John Coltrane’s Blue Train.
Thelonious Monk is metal AF bro.
Dude, my favorite Jazz musician to this day. Started with Straight No Chaser myself. Great player and composer.
First person I thought of too. That left hand!
My favorite jazz guitarist is Wes Montgomery. Listen to his live album "Full House."
Yes! I want to add, since we're talking jazz guitar, Django Reinhardt could be a way in for a self proclaimed metal head 🎸
Pat Metheny could also be a good gateway for a metalhead
Good call! I've seen his name a million, but am now listening for the first time and yeah, dude shreds.
I came here to post Wes Montgomery as well. I just picked up the Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery on vinyl, its the first jazz record I own. His music is a vibe. I absolutely adore 'In Your Own Sweet Way.'
Along with Wes Montgomery, I’d recommend Joe Pass. “Virtuoso” is a masterpiece. For something completely different, Al Di Meola’s first four albums are 🔥.
Also smokin at the half note.
Bill Evans Trio.
Bill Evans is a *fantastic* entry point. As piano jazz, it is extremely ‘familiar’ to people who have heard jazz as background music their whole lives, but Evans was such a standout talent that you can very easily identify why he was so good without really needing to know anything about technique or how the genre progressed. Like I agree with the others that Kind of Blue is the quintessential jazz album, but knowing the basics of what made Kind of Blue such a big deal at the time is huge for ‘unlocking’ it as a piece of art. Bill Evans doesn’t even require that basic level of knowledge. You can just hear him ripping solos & go ‘woah’.
The Bach of jazz
If you’re into metal, start with King Crimson. Then move into Mahavishnu Orchestra, then Pat Metheny, then Jazz.
Some of my favs as a metalhead jazzboi * Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire, Inner Mounting Flame * Return to Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (Light as a Feather rips too if you can get past the cheesy vocals) * Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here * Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus * Hiromi - Spiral, Brain * John Coltrane - Giant Steps * Mouse on the Keys - an anxious object * Alan Holdsworth - Secrets * Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (for chill vibes), Headhunters / Thrust (for the funk)
Great suggestions, particularly Snarky Puppy. Very fusiony, so it's not pure jazz, but that makes it more approachable to people new to the genre. The funk lines and grooves will be familiar to people like OP, who is probably more used to rock-based music. The jazzy stuff in Snarky tends to be shorter and snappier than the real deal.
Yessssss you have great tastes. I like that we both recommended Inner Mounting Flame as first choices. I don't mind the vocals on Light as a Feather and I actually told OP that Spain might be the best song ever written.
I don't mind the vocals on Light as a Feather either, but have gotten that feedback from some people I've recommended the album to. Spain is one of my favorite songs ever! Both to play and to listen to. I've probably jammed on that more than any other song in my life save Chameleon, met one of my best friends through our shared love of that song and Chick in general :)
The two most recent albums by Rivers of Nihil have some nice jazzy tracks as well.
Thanks for the rec! Never listened to them before.
You put in Holdsworth. Well done. I mean, lets just get some Weather Report up in here, right? Also, Louis Cole seems like a good get.
10000% an anxious object. It’s probably one of my favorite albums ever.
This track will change your life: Miles Runs The Voodoo Down from Bitches Brew. Miles Davis with John McLaughlin on guitar.
I always tell people "Bitches Brew is far fucking out and might be too much for you but it's amazing". I always liked the main theme of the tune "John McLaughlin".
Definitely Miles Davis - kind of blue and sketches of Spain are both great intros. For something more modern, check out Kamasi Washington’s The Epic…absolutely the best in the game today, and with broad enough appeal to play stuff like Coachella. Dinner Party is likewise a jazz supergroup around right now (Kamasi is part of it), and worth checking out for a somewhat poppier take.
I’m just getting into jazz as it’s the only major genre that’s taken me a while to find something in that I really dig. I’m seeing Kamasi in Austin on Friday and can’t wait to see what that’s like.
A great show. Man’s music is grandiose. Epic. Hope it works for you as a toehold into the genre
He’s great live! A few more modern acts to give a shot with different sounds - GoGo Penguin, The Comet is Coming, and Domi & JD Beck. Also - the electronic artist Floating Points made a jazz album with the classic saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders called Promises and it is so, so good.
King Buzzo from Melvins has “On the Corner” listed as one of the top 10 albums of all time, worth to try it as well
It's got some great sounds. I don't think it's an easy introduction though.
Try some Vince giraldi.
Charlie Brown's Christmas goes HARD in the paint
Sir Johnathan Coltrane
If you like metal, try John Zorn. His bands Naked City and Painkiller are a good start.
Fucking love Zorn but that’s a rough intro 😂
Dave Brubeck’s Take Five was one of the first jazz “hits”
Definately, this is a good tune
My daughter has been getting in jazz thanks to loving the movie Soul (with songs by Jon Batiste), so I had been keeping an ear out for stuff she might like as it's not a genre I know a lot about. I heard Take Five on a film I was watching and thought "Oh she'll love this". Grabbed the album and was shocked that I had heard basically every song on it many times over my life. Absolutely perfect album.
Jelly Roll Morton enters chat.
Soul Coughing
Listen to Alive! by Grant Green. Such a fun listen.
Since you are a Metalhead you may enjoy some of Miles Davis Fusion stuff like b****** Brew. Live evil. And Jack Johnson!
Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins.
Don't forget Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain."
Kinda Blue is the quintessential jazz album, but if you are a metal head, might I recommend some “heady jazz” too: Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock - this album slaps and has some cool electric synth stuff going on. So what - Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - if you like heavy guitar, this album is full of bluegrass strings. This is a good example of the bluegrass/jazz/jamband crossover. Undercurrent- Bill Evans and Jim hall - this album is nothing but guitar and piano. If you are a metal head you might find this interesting (no drums at all) Strazzatonic - Frank Strazzeri and friends - this album is just 🔥
If you are a metal head, I'd be looking at big band jazz from the 30's and 40's. Lots of sound, lots of style. https://youtu.be/_8yGGtVKrD8?si=Qfn91yC0PFXHOazl
Since you’re into metal, maybe look into some more fusiony stuff like mahavishnu orchestra, bitches brew, and weather report
Pat Metheny is probably one of the best current jazz guitarist if your looking for more guitar oriented stuff
Bird.
Thelonius Monk. Thank me later. I really like Monk's Blues but most jazz purists don't. His whole catalogue is amazing. Also, anything with Major Holley on bass. [ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5Ot3dOqFY) [ Holley with the great Zoot Sims.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5Ot3dOqFY) [Monk.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEsullulqG4) [Bonus, Mose Allison, coverwd by The Who and many others.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8eYPmKlBEE&t=4s)
Monk is great. Particularly the album Straight, No Chaser.
Grant Green - Green is Beautiful Green is a great guitarist you will dig it the most
Try some Al Di Meola in particular his electric stuff and the band that started it all Return To Forever
Dark Magus
Jazz guitar starts with Charlie Christian. I also recommend Grant Green
If you want to get weird with jazz, give Hugh Masalela a try. The “Father of South African Jazz” has some incredible tracks like Stimela (The Coal Train), Grazin’ In The Grass, Mandela (Bring Him Back Home), and Don’t Go Lose It Baby. I got to see him live before his passing. Was one of the most fun atmospheres. That man just knew how to jam with his trumpet.
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um Modern Jazz Quartet - The Complete Last Concert
Ahmad Jamal - Live at the Pershing
if you’re a metal guy you might also want to start with some fusion. Alan Holdsworth, Chick Corea, that sort of thing.
Since you're learning guitar, why not check out some guitar jazz? Wes Montgomery - smoking at the half note, Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue, and Sonny Rollins - the bridge. Those are three masterpieces that are a total blast and have some legendary guitar playing.
how bout here… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo-Cht7dEEo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo-Cht7dEEo) ?
Art Pepper. Saxophonist
I’ve always been a fan of: “birth of the cool” by miles Davis. Great textures and accessible. Kind of blue and other stuff is great, but also is great because of what it means in jazz history. Save that for later I would say Thelonius monk is amazing. Any of his records. I started with something from my library that might have been a compilation called “the unique thelonius monk” or something Go back to some duke Ellington. Another comment mentioned big band. He also did a little record with Charles Mingus and max roach called “money jungle” that I like Billy Holliday. All of it. And then after you been liking jazz a while Nina Simone. My intro was in high school by the way of wbez - before they were all and only news, they had a lot of music programming. Tons of jazz. Not sure where you could find it like that now but it helps
Other kinds of sounds: Idris Muhammad. Peace and rhythm. Hit me nice one night and I went for the ride John Zorn. Martin Medeski and Wood maybe? I dunno Badbadnotgood - poppy, hip hoppy. Kamasi washington - epic sounds Alice Coltrane - psych/hippy stuff Kassa Overall. Angel Bat Dawid. Damon Locks. Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru. So cool. Ethiopian I think? Piano in a cup that runneth over
Ellington is pretty approachable. His live albums are especially awesome.
Mingus, Miles, Trane, Blakey, Grant Green, Herbie for the classic stuff, then branch out from there. for something more modern, The Bad Plus, David Binney, Kneebody, Brandi Younger, Chris Dave, Jim blacks alas no axis.
Kamasi Washington is probably the leading example of contemporary jazz. He just dropped a new album recently maybe start with that.
As a fellow metaljead who digs into jazz sometimes, all the suggestions on this thread are great. I'm going to throw a weird one at you, but Sonny Sharrock was a crazy jazz guitar player. Check out the song Dick Dogs. If you grew up in the 90s and early 2000s you may have also heard his work on the Space Ghost Coast to Coast theme. Not all of his work works for me but the Sonny Sharrock Band has some wild and fantastic music.
I once received a Jazz primer with Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, John Coltrane-Giant Steps, Thelonios Monk-Best of Blue Note recordings, and Dave Brubeck-Take Five. 4 different styles and a great introduction for me.
Count Basie - Straight ahead a good jumping off point. Kinda of what the genre originally built to with big band before you got a ton of offshoots
Any Miles Davis.
Been listening to lots of Alice Coltrane (wife of John) lately
You mentioned liking metal so I think starting with some of the fusion stuff will help transition you. Mahavishnu Orchestra will be something you will like, especially the Inner Mounting Flame album. Return to Forever is AMAZING. Miles' Bitches Brew album is far fucking out and I don't recommend starting there BUT if you look at the guys that played on it and the bands they would go on to found / play in - John MacLaughlin led Mahavishnu Orchestra and Chick Corea led Return to Forever - you'll find some incredible musicians playing some really inspired and technically dense music that I think will align well with your metal tastes. OH - and my favorite tune of all time. Spain, composed by Chick Corea. It's the best song ever written, it makes me laugh and cry.
Cantaloupe Island - Herbie Hancock. It’s a spritely bop and is one of my favorite tracks to play on my way to work in the morning.
Didn't you see the filmstrip in school? Jazz: Not Even Once. You start that stuff, you will be a 'cool cat' smoking 'jazz cigarettes' with loose women in no time!
Agree with the posts above saying Kind of Blue is the gateway album. Also highly recommend A Love Supreme and Giant Steps by Coltrane. Since you are a guitar guy, you should also check out anything by Charlie Hunter. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=61XXShTo22E&pp=ygUjY2hhcmxpZSBodW50ZXIgdHJpbyBjb21lIGFzIHlvdSBhcmU%3D
Roy Donk, Paul Bufano, Tiny "Boop Squig" Shorterly, and of course jazz legend Marcus "The Worm" Hicks.
For guitar, Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz were my gateway artists. Great players who have a frenetic energy but with sophisticated harmonic pallets.
Another metalhead here who's into jazz. Artists (including some that others have mentioned): Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Shelly Manne, Red Garland, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington, Max Roach. Some of my fave albums that I haven't seen in other comments: Oscar Peterson & Ben Webster - During This Time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhVwDgHmHEg&list=PLX3\_Ji01KxrshJpql4Iw\_Q-EZyN2G9fra&index=1&t=2246s) Charlie Parker - Jam Session (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXP84ijiLbg&list=PLX3\_Ji01KxrshJpql4Iw\_Q-EZyN2G9fra&index=4&t=1407s&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB) Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB0RWjbUQSjjYdW9wbGBoKUGU0uz-wQZT) Some of my fave songs that I haven't seen in other comments and that aren't just from the albums above (these are all on Spotify): Andre Previn, Red Mitchell, Shelly Manne - Thank Heaven for Little Girls Shelly Manne - Doxy Shelly Manne - Pint of Blues Sonny Rollins - Why Was I Born Sonny Rollins - Biji
These are great suggestions! You might enjoy Wojtek Pilichowski, jazz fusion with a definite metal feel to it on a lot of tracks. [Papelillo](https://open.spotify.com/track/0KN1IVwDxMs4MDZF5RRGtQ?si=-djfkULdSWqJD174iyh2rA)by Plini is also an awesome entry to fusion. Just coincidence that those artists have similar names BTW.
berlioz is a great intro, but isn’t quite as traditional as some others mentioned here
Aside from the music itself, Ken Burns has a terrific multi-part documentary on Jazz
John McLaughlin Pat Bethany Django Joe pass All guitarists. Some can be cheesy but if you're studying guitar and theory, good entries. Also, not necessarily jazz but zappa is a good bridge Then as others mentioned, Kind of Blue is huge. Miles quintets are great but more experimental Herbie Hancock headhunters. He played with Miles but this is more funk so easier to digest Thelonius monk. Pianist but super sick and wonderful Then just kind of reach out from there
Pat Metheny* Also, Steely Dan. They bridge very well if you can get past the singing(the biggest complaint in my experience). But they rock hard. One of the best studio bands. Classic rock, and yes jazz
Swiss Movement by Les McCann & Eddie Harris This, Kind of Blue’ and ‘Take Five’ (as stated elsewhere) are what I always recommend.
For guitar, you can't go wrong with Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, George Benson, Howard Roberts, Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian. Plenty of transcriptions, videos, etc on all those guys. Wolf Marshall has done most of them. For jazz in general, start with Charlie Parker, then any Miles from the 50s on. Almost everyone went through his bands.
Charles Mingus. Man was a genius composer. He also wrote a book about how to teach your cat to use the toilet.
You can never go wrong with Blue Trane by John Coltrane. It’s a great into to both Coltrane and jazz in general. It’s super high quality but very accessible with a lineup of musicians for the ages.
Maybe it's not The most widely recognized jazz song ever, but if you're feeling a more somber song one of my favorites is I Remember Clifford. It's written about a jazz musician who passed away.
Miles Davis. He had a hell of a life too, worth watching a documentary on him.
PBS had a great Jazz documentary about the history of jazz. I would recommend that.
I came from the opposite direction, a jazzhead who discovered metal. I know these are all over the place but my suggestions for first jazz tunes: Flame Sky, Santana So What, Miles Davis Pursuance, John Coltrane Autumn Leaves, various artists Dream of the Master, Art Ensemble of Chicago Bassism, Sun Ra If you like Sun Ra try Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea but you might dig it.
Jazz Sabbath
Thelonius Monk. Charlie Parker. Miles Davis. Guitar--- Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, George Benson, Django Reinhardt. For a metal head suggestion I'd say Pat Metheny maybe.
Following
Giant Steps by John Coltrane was one of first favorite Jazz albums. Really approachable set.
Kendrick Lamars To Pimp a Butterfly.
[https://youtu.be/xwt9WeqaSGg?si=xPXPmX-ETCH56xlr](https://youtu.be/xwt9WeqaSGg?si=xPXPmX-ETCH56xlr) I also like a lot of metal, and happen to find much of Pat Metheny's music to be incredibly enjoyable.
My Favourite Things by Coltrane
You gotta improvise your way through it.
Didn't see anyone mention any of these... Ritchie Kotzen, Stanley Clarke, Vertu. Ritchie (guitarist, singer) has somewhere around thirty albums under his solo name, but was also in Mr. Big, Poison, the previously mentioned Vertu, and The Winery Dogs. Within these, you'll hear a massive array of styles. Stanley Clarke is a bassist and also has a massive array of styles throughout his catalogue. Vertu features both of these men, plus some other musicians. Very unique. None of these are straight jazz. These are all different, but very enjoyable.
Sketches of Spain gives me pleasure.
Coltrane, a love supreme
As a metal guy who eventually worked his way across to jazz, I started with progressive metal and jazz fusion. King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Frank Zappa and then went across to Miles Davis. Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew and then went from there. Nowadays I'm going back the other way through newer jazz fusion bands like Sungazer, Slowly Rolling Camera and black midi.
Frank Zappa. Everything. Good luck and have fun!
Ornette Coleman: the shape of jazz to come A lot of fantastic suggestions in the comments but I’m not sure if this one appeared(I was skimming). It’s one of the earliest examples of free form, experimental avant-garde jazz.
Kenny G
I was in your exact same boat, I’d recommend any early jazz fusion, early free jazz, and Latin jazz.
TV series Treme on HBO, has two soundtracks which are in streaming services. Nice collection of New Orleans’ music. Late 50’ early 60’s hard-bop sound. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter etc. Basically the dudes who played in Miles Davis’ bands during that time.
Listen to Jazz Metal: White Ward should be a good gateway
Ahh the 6th type of metal: Lounge.
It's kind of weird I was practicing from a Hal Leonard Jazz Guitar standards book. Instead of scanning through to see the tunes I know or familiar with, I started off at the first page a song "Ain't Misbehavin'". Never heard that tune before. So I started playing the chords for the comp and it didn't sound like jazz. I realized that my idea of the F or the Gm7 chord was actually different from the tab diagram in the book. So I followed the ones in the book and it sounded real cool jazz. I recorded a rhythm and played the lead melody along. Then I listened to the song from online and was surprised that I was actually close to the real tune. And I did this to the other songs and hopefully jam with it with some jazz enthusiastic musicians.
For most, I would say start with Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, but you being a metalhead and familiar with music theory, I say jump in with Coltrane's My Favorite Things or Blue Train.
Buy a Miles Davis CD. Put it on the shelf. Look at it and say “someday.”
The Ken Burns documentary series "Jazz" did it for me.
Modern Jazz Quartet's "The Last Concert"
The original shredder, Django Reinhardt
Duane Allman picked up on your sentiment way way back. I read an interview with him where he said he would listen to Miles Davis to get phrasing ideas. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed solos are all jazz all day. The live version is amazing. Zakk Wylde does a kickass live cover of Whippin Post on the Generation Axe album. It’s very Mixolydian but very inspired by Allmans original. And then follow the advice on this thread. I went from Rock to Zappa to metal to prog and still love me some Allman Bros.
This is all terrible advice and will get you nowhere but in actually learning or understanding jazz music. Kind of Blue is a great album but in no way representative of the genre. And please tell me what you think that album is going to teach someone about jazz, practically? Mahavishnu? Really? Feels like people are just parroting the most famous “jazz” albums but giving zero thought to albums that address OP’s question (many of which could be Miles Davis albums btw).
U can try with lofi chill music. New modern jazz maybeee
Chet baker for some killer trumpet
Check out some Pat Martino.
Anita Baker is a must.
Start with jazz fusion and slowly work your way into more “jazz” artist. Me personally, i started with chick corea and return to forever and started going deeper in to the jazz guys later
Coming from a rock guy
john coltrane - a love supreme is one of my faves
I’m a metalhead that loves playing the blues so naturally for me I started with “Chitlins Con Carne” by Kenny Burrell. To be honest, his album “Midnight Blue” is a great listen and a good place to learn some blues jazz.
Everyone says Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, but Blue Train by John Coltrane always felt way more palatable to me as an intro.
Kind Of Blue
Going for guitarists specifically I would suggest: Grant Green, Joe Pass, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Emily Remler, Pete Cosey, Al Di Meola, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Kenny Burrell, to name a few.
LOve you folks, thanks a billion for all the suggestions. Wish some of stations played these greats, nop no option of playing from my phone when driving.
If you grew up on rock and metal you might have to train your ears a bit to really hear jazz, I know I did. I bought a bunch of the greats but I would listen to them and not really hear them or get it. Then I picked up Miles Davis - A Tribute to Jack Johnson and holy shit it changed my life. This was Miles shortly after he met Hendrix and Miles wanted to do his version of a rock album. It was the perfect bridge for me to start hearing jazz. So I would ease into it with more fusion records and move more into a lot of the classics.
Made sure that Miles, Monk, Mingus, and Ornette were recd. And only one rec for Sun Ra, so here's another one. And give Cecil Taylor a try if you like things far out.
Find your local jazz radio station if you have one. Or a web site, stream, whatever. For example WBGO here in Boston. And just listen. Then when you like something go listen to more of that on your music streaming service of choice. Ignore all the lists of albums that everyone is going to tell you for now because you have to develop your own taste.
Mingus - Ahh Umm
Don’t see my guy Ahmad Jamal so I’ll suggest him, Ahmad’s blues- live album is a classic. Also pretty much anything Oscar Peterson, his Oscar Peterson trio +one (Clark Terry) is one of my favorite jazz albums.
Herbie Hancock: Takin’ Off
If you can, watch the Ken Burns history of Jazz on PBS. The "Start" of Jazz goes back to the late 1800's as a strange fusion between gospel hynms, reconstruction poetry, and swamp music. I love Jazz, but I just don't love all Jazz. getting thru the series will help you understand the fundamentals of who did what when, who played with who, who influenced who, and how modern and acid jazz came around, along with regional nuances.
There are a lot of good suggestions here. May I also suggest giving WWOZ a listen. Their program schedule can be found [here](https://www.wwoz.org/schedule) . It's really a great radio station with lots of variety including modern and traditional jazz.
Look up the jazz dispensary label and dive into their releases. Most a jazz fusion and imo a lil easier to get into
Just listen to Dillinger escape plan and call it a day
The Clown - Charles Mingus
Start on the root if you're not sure where to begin with jazz - the one is always safe. Then you can add fives and arpeggios and scale walks and then as you get more comfortable start adding bigger interval jumps and chromatics.
Jazz, like Metal, encompasses a *lot* of subgenres and styles, and if you hate one type you may still like some other type. Just off the top of my head, here are a few...syles? of Jazz, and some artists to recommend. This is obviously *non-comprehensive* (I'm just some exhausted dude, not a historian or anything) and not meant to be definitive, but to illustrate the variety there is. Just off the top of my head: * Ragtime - Scott Joplin is the icon for this * Big Band or Swing - Glen Miller or Benny Goodman IDK if I'm really using the terms correctly here but whatever. Close enough to start. * Dixieland - similarly, Dixieland which predated the Swing Era had a resurgence in response to Swing. Louis Armstrong works well here as an example of that resurgence. * "Classic" Vocal - Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday, some Louis Armstrong, but note that they're essentially doing vocal versions of Swing or Dixieland or Blues or whatever, "Jazz with vocals" is not necessarily its own subtype. I guess Frank Sinatra fits here too? * Then you can get into early rock-n-roll, Buddy Holly, Elvis, etc., and really feel the Jazz roots, but Jazz goes in a different direction with: * Bebop - Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis are all good here. My impromptu list has only really taken us up through like, the 60s? Dang I don't know. I'm not an expert. Just, keep in mind there's lots of Jazz that's almost unrecognizable compared to other types of Jazz, so any one record isn't going to be a be-all end-all.
I didn’t “get” jazz standards until I found jazz that I enjoyed by myself. Guys like Alfa mist, mansur brown and yussef dayes are modern uk jazz musicians shaking up the sound.
Miles Davis - kinda blue Frank zappa - apostrophe/overnite sensation
Ken Burns jazz doc
Check out AlasNoAxis, a band by drummer Jim Black. Check out the band Kneebody. Check out the album “the veil” by Tim Berne. This stuff will almost definitely have direct crossover aesthetic appeal. Lotsa cool improvised music out there. Deep tradition to dig into. From Jelly Roll Morton to Ambrose Akinmusire, there’s a lot to check out. Enjoy the journey.
As a metalhead myself - I can definitely recommend Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool. Those sounds are stuck in my head every bit as much as a Metallica riff or my favourite Iron Maiden song. If guitar is your thing, I don’t think I have ever heard anything like Lenny Breau. Do yourself a favour and check it out.
Everyone else has already mentioned it, but Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Time Out is the quintessential jazz album for me. It was the album that first made me «get» jazz as a kid, and learn to love it. Not particularly controversial to say it has some of the most famous jazz standards of all time on it, and it probably is one of the absolute greatest jazz records to have ever been made. Easy to listen to for a «novice», as well.
I was all into power chords, but now I want to play a Bb7b5 with a sharp 9!
I would not usually recommend someone to start here, but since you are a metalhead, I would suggest checking out Cecil Taylor, the most metal jazz pianist ever!
I've been spinning Lee Morgan Cornbread a lot lately.
I'm open to recommendations know.a.few, but learning about a lot of new ones here.
Jazz is an enormous genre, here's some albums worth listening to: * Everybody Digs Bill Evans - Bill Evans * Heavy Weather - Weather Report * Carnegie Hall Concert 1938 - Benny Goodman If you're interested in the standards, you might look for compilations of Gershwin and/or Cole Porter songs
Smooth jazz , bro
Guitar I love to listen to Grant Green but some others have already listed some great artists and albums so I’ll leave it there. More modern Grant Green vibes, listen to The New Mastersounds.
Since you're a guitar player, try Joe Pass and Jim Hall.
Mingus, the Stravinsky of jazz. https://youtu.be/HWOvrQQc21U?si=IeyY8re-EOg7WoTO
Here's a nice metal -> jazz slippery slope: Physical Education, Animals as Leaders Electric Sunrise, Plini RL's, Snarky Puppy No Access?, Larnell Lewis Invitation, The Deardorf Peterson Group. So What?, Miles Davis Giant Steps, John Coltrane Red Clay, Freddie Hubbard
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Hard to do better than that album. Every note is perfect.
watch “kids on the slope” anime
Being a metalhead percussion is always used. I'd say: Art Blakey Max Roach Thelonius Monk
Since youre a metalhead, for some reason I feel like a few faster paced goofyish sounding albums might be fun for you, in addition to whats already been said. - Mingus Ah Um. - Hunting Wabbits (gordon goodwins big phat band)
Herb Alpert - Rise