All Jazzed Up, Part 1: Guitar

Two weeks ago, I mentioned about writing a beginner’s guide to jazz music. I figured that the best way to approach this is to specify an instrument, and then list five of my favorite albums from artists playing this instrument. So, welcome to the first installment of All Jazzed Up. As the title suggests, today I will be discussing jazz guitar albums.

5. Virtuoso by Joe Pass
Frankly, there is nothing very remarkable about solo guitar albums. Too many artists do solo guitar albums and, after listening to a few of them, they tend to sound exactly alike. Joe Pass’s Virtuoso, however, outdoes a lot of them because of improvisation skills worthy of the album’s namesake. Yeah, I think that’s kind of cheap to say that. Joe’s a virtuoso, and you can hear that from how he interpreted the 11 jazz standards (and one original track) selected for this album. Most other guitarists, when they want to show off, they resort to being loud or fast. Joe effortlessly displayed impressive fingerworks while playing mellow tracks. I don’t know how he does that, and that’s why this album belongs in my top 5.

Night and Day (Joe Pass)

4. Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra
If there’s a jazz album that I would unhesitatingly hand to any rock fan, it’s Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra. “But this is an ORCHESTRA!” A two-word rebuttal: John McLaughlin. Look at his guitar. Your objections are overruled. He’s the leader and the selling point of Mahavishnu Orchestra. Quite unlike all other albums I’ve chosen for this list, Inner Mounting Flame is a jazz-rock album, and it rocks as much as a Jimi Hendrix album, right down to the blistering guitar works. It also earns point for being rife with Hindi influences, which makes it a standout work in comparison to everything else.

Meeting Of The Spirits (Mahavishnu Orchestra)

3. Smokin’ at the Half Note by Wes Montgomery
Many will debate on who is the best jazz guitarist of all time, but Wes Montgomery is with little doubt the most commercially successful one. His discography, from his early bop outing to his late devolution to the ghastly pop jazz, has always inspired contemporary jazz guitarists. Without him you wouldn’t hear a lot of jazz guitar albums - although that also would’ve also saved us from some disgusting George Benson airport records. Anyway, imagine the kind of music the typical jazz trio of a pianist, a bassist and a drummer plays. Add Wes to the trio, and you’ll have a good idea of what Smokin’ at Half Note sounds like. The song Unit 7 is heralded as the best jazz guitar song ever recorded. I’m not sure about that, but you can hear it here and be the judge.

Unit 7 (Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery)

2. Idle Moments by Grant Green
I could’ve easily put this album on number one, and the only reason why I put another album on the top is because it’s more beginner-friendly. Idle Moments is to me the finest Jazz guitar album, and what’s unfortunate about it is that it’s very hard to describe. That may not be a bad thing though, because the album is certainly unpredictable. All four songs here are varied and memorable, and they have plenty of impressive guitar solos. The vibraphone also helps in many ways, and it blends remarkably well with Grant’s guitar. I know I’m not doing a good job describing Idle Moments, so let me just tell you how to use this album. Ensure that it’s late. The time I post this entry is ideal. Now find a comfortable sofa. Dim the lights. Play the album. Forget all these lousy electronica stuff patched together on Macbook’s GarageBand - this one is the real chilling out done by genuinely talented musicians.

Jean De Fluer (Grant Green)

1. Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell
That previous entry may have turned you off from this album. Pay that no mind, though, because Midnight Blue is superb. In fact, both Idle Moments and Midnight Blue are albums that I would’ve brought to a deserted island, especially if I plan to become a nocturnal being while living there. Midnight Blue is different to other jazz albums because, unlike most of them, it has a conga and no piano. I think that’s done to make this album more Latin sounding. It works. Midnight Blue is also commendable because the songs aren’t lengthy (quite opposite to Idle Moments, although its length is never tiresome) and they’re very memorable. And did you read the remark on Unit 7 being the finest jazz guitar song? Well, I disagree. I hand that distinction to Midnight Blue!

Midnight Blue (Kenny Burrell)

Disagree with me? Think I have unjustifiably overlooked some artists? Have other albums to recommend? Hit my comment box!