Best Landmark Jazz Recording of 1959

Giant Steps jumps out here as not really fitting in on this list. What's striking to me is how behind the times that album is compared to the others here, considering how forward thinking Coltrane was going to become. It's just playing the changes taken to the nth degree.

Time Out instead of Giant Steps!

Though this thread was gonna be based on this recently broadcast programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jf64y

I went with Ornette, still sounds very fresh, never overplayed it.

Kind of Blue although despite its weak moments, I agree The Shape of Jazz to Come still sounds the freshest. Giant Steps and Mingus Ah Um are stellar but a not down from those two.

Everything is always Ornette but srsly Jazz to Come 2 and a half streets ahead here.

I'm going with Ornette but he only just beats Kind Of Blue for me.

Maybe "Giant Steps" not the most forward thinking of this group, but I'll give it my vote anyway.

Lonely Woman always wins. It's like Batman.

Since posting this morning, Mingus' Fables of Faubus and Coltrane's Cousin Mary have coincidentally shuffled up on my iPod. I listened to The Shape of Jazz to Come last week. I haven't heard Kind of Blue in several years. Yet I would still vote for the latter since I used to think it all sublime.

while i think that Coltrane, Mingus and Coleman might've had somewhat stronger runs overall, Kind of Blue is pretty perfect as an album experience.

What's striking to me is how behind the times that album is compared to the others here, considering how forward thinking Coltrane was going to become. It's just playing the changes taken to the nth degree.

― Suggesteban Cambiasso (jim), Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:50 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Not sure I follow this reasoning. Kind of Blue is also an extension of "playing the changes," just in another direction (minimal instead of maximal approach in terms of how many changes there are). Also Mingus Ah Um can very much be seen as an extension of the Duke Ellington approach.

I love all these records, but for some reason just the arrangements on the Mingus, and the tones of the horns throughout, really bring me something extra that for some reason the other just don't. Plus, where I sit, nothing on any of the other records is anywhere as simple, free and joyful as "Better Git It In Your Soul." So I voted for Mingus.

I love three of these albums, but I had to go with Ornette because, as pointed out up thread, "Lonely Woman" always win.

This is really difficult as I love the shit out of all of these, but I play Giant Steps more than any of the others, so Trane it is.

^^ fuck me, Giant Steps vs. Kind of Blue? It's like bourbon vs. scotch (for a drunk like me, at least).

Tough choice btw Coleman and Davis...I think it has to be Kind of Blue for me.

I feel like the Mingus of Ah Um is overly reined-in and orchestrated compared to the raw anarchy of, say, Blues & Roots or the Mingus x 5, so that's out. Ornette is probably my default choice, with Kind of Blue right behind. If I was gonna vote for Giant Steps, I might have to re-listen to it to do so, which is never a bad thing.

What's striking to me is how behind the times that album is compared to the others here, considering how forward thinking Coltrane was going to become. It's just playing the changes taken to the nth degree.

― Suggesteban Cambiasso (jim), Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:50 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Not sure I follow this reasoning. Kind of Blue is also an extension of "playing the changes," just in another direction (minimal instead of maximal approach in terms of how many changes there are). Also Mingus Ah Um can very much be seen as an extension of the Duke Ellington approach.

― eggy mule (Hurting 2)

Well I see Kind of Blue as really mode based.

Whereas I love Giant Steps but Coltrane repeats himself on at least one of the solos.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I feel like the Mingus of Ah Um is overly reined-in and orchestrated compared to the raw anarchy of, say, Blues & Roots

totally agree.

also prefer other ornette stuff.

KoB is just pretty much perfect, and it's one of those albums where i'm drawn in and listening to nearly every note

and w/ coltrane i always feel like i started w/ the s/t album and never really checked out much of his work prior to that (w/ his miles work an exception). i should give it a few more listens

Just realized - these are all on Atlantic or Columbia! Not one is actually a Landmark jazz recording.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

poor mingus

it's ok -- I think I like Mingus better overall than Miles, but I don't think Mingus has an album quite as perfect as Kind of Blue. Mingus, by definition, was a little all over the place.

but in terms of consensus mingus albums, that's got to be one of the most solid (along with what, mingus x 5, blues & roots, and black saint & the sinner lady?).

oh yeah Ah Um an amazing album, no doubt! That and Black Saint are probably the most fully-realized albums of his. Though, my favorite music of his is the live stuff with Eric Dolphy.

Ah Um is definitely hurt for me by the fact that about 4/7 of the album was rerecorded later as Mingusx5 in superior versions. Overall Mingus is probably my favorite of this group, ironically enough.

Maybe the poll options should have been "Giants Steps" "So What" "Lonely Woman" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" though.