72 Jazz Thrillers
As a teenager of 18 in 1970 I was into rock music, the Beatles, Jefferson
Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and the Grateful Dead. I subscribed to Rolling
Stone Magazine and really enjoyed the record reviews. One fateful day
in May 1970 I read their review (by Langdon Winner) of Miles Davis’s
Bitches Brew. I may have heard about him once or twice but had never
heard any of his music, and this review really got my attention. So, I
picked up the album and listened and my life was never the same.
This was the most thrilling music I had ever heard. It became an
obsession to me and I quickly bought all the albums by the BB sidemen:
John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Weather Report, and more.
Many were great but very few gave me the thrill of Bitches Brew. And it
has remained my favorite album for more than 50 years.
Over the years I have collected and listened to a LOT of jazz. I just hit
the 7,000 album mark last month. And over the years, I have always
searched for jazz albums that were thrilling. Nothing else has quite
matched Bitches Brew but I certainly discovered some brilliant, thrilling
albums.
What are the elements of a thrilling jazz album? First of all, it’s the
groove, a rhythm so compelling you want to move or dance to it.
Second, are the melodies that are immediately hummable and
memorable. Finally, all these thrilling albums are brilliantly played by
master musicians.
The Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 2020-2023
by Robert Middleton
In the 72 Jazz Thrillers series we've gone from 1969 to 2023, an expansive 54-year journey. From the jazz vanguard of Bitches Brew to the dynamic movie soundtrack of Roy's World, from the sublime guitar of Bill Frisell to the singing guitar of Charlie Ballantine, the thing that all these jazz albums have in common is their amazing listenability, music you can enjoy for years and never get bored. At least I haven't been. Thanks for reading, and I encourage ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 2017-2020
by Robert Middleton
As we start to wind down to the 72nd jazz thriller, in our penultimate collection of half a dozen jazz thrillers this week, it becomes clear that brilliant, compelling music comes in all shapes and sizes. From an understated quartet from Germany to an Aaron Parks masterpiece, all of these albums deserve a place in the hallowed halls of great jazz albums. 72 Thrilling Jazz Albums, Part 11: 2017-2020 61 Nubya's 5ive Nubya Garcia
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 2015-2017
by Robert Middleton
This week's thrilling albums are a rather obscure lot; four of them hail from Europe and one from Canada. But like all the thrilling albums that preceded them, they possess that elusive quality that keeps you engaged, offering a new discovery with each subsequent listen, ensuring their staying power and ability to seduce your soul over a lifetime. Masterpieces, all, in this writer's opinion. Who says brilliant jazz is not being made in these turbulent times? 72 Thrilling ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 2011-2014
by Robert Middleton
What ties the albums together on our ninth installment of 72 Jazz Thrillers is the depth of emotion. Two joyous albums are followed by troubles, grace, exultation and deep sadness--albums from one of the greatest jazz composers of her age to a ramshackle bar band with a wild sense of humor. 72 Thrilling Jazz Albums, Part 9: 2011-2014 49 Hearts Wide Open Gilad Hekselman Le Chant du Monde 2011 Gilad Hekselman is ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 2009-2011
by Robert Middleton
The six jazz thrillers for this week are widely diverse--from a big band outlier, a soaring two-sax front line and an expression of the ideas from an esoteric teacher. What they all have in common are their thrilling cohesiveness, gripping rhythms and compelling melodies. 72 Thrilling Jazz Albums, Part 8: 2009-20011 43 Infernal Machines Darcy James Argue New Amsterdam 2009 Thrilling jazz albums are rarely an accident; they emerge from dedicated ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz albums since 1969: 2006-2009
by Robert Middleton
If there were one word to describe these six thrilling albums, it would be “atmospheric." Each of them settles into its own unique and memorable soundscape. Stylistically, they are all very different, but if you listen closely to them, you'll quickly grasp their musical and emotional messages. They'll transport you to their rarefied worlds with their thrillingly listenable tales. 72 Thrilling Jazz Albums, Part 7: 2006-2009 37 Northern Lights Mike Mainieri NYC Records 2006
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 2001-2005
by Robert Middleton
These six jazz thrillers from the first years of the 21st-century journey to wonderful and exotic locations with music that moves and grooves. All six albums feature influences from Middle Eastern, African, and Asian traditional music. They are all very visual in that they conjure up exotic vistas and locations, such as caravans and oases in the Sahara, weddings in India, snakey and danceable melodies, and dramatic sci-fi-like soundscapes. 72 Thrilling Jazz Albums, Part 6: 2001-2005 31 ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 1998-2000
by Robert Middleton
The recurring theme in the fifth installment of 72 Jazz Thrillers is Middle Eastern music represented by John Zorn's Bar Kokhba Sextet, Either/Orchestra's Ethiopian Suite, and Mark Gross's Riddle of the Sphinx. Middle Eastern music often features complex rhythmic patterns, such as compound time signatures and intricate polyrhythms. Jazz musicians have drawn inspiration from these rhythms, incorporating them into their improvisations and compositions. And this has turned what might have been ordinary jazz albums into thrilling ones. ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 1996-1998
by Robert Middleton
The albums featured in the fourth installment of 72 Jazz Thrillers are from some of the most famous and accomplished bandleaders in all of jazz. The artists featured here, some with careers of as long as 60 years and half of whom are still living and recording, made albums that prove the timelessness of jazz. From an album of modern pop standards and one of the most revered ECM albums to a gem of Americana, all of these albums have ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 1995-1996
by Robert Middleton
Many people cite 1959 as one of the greatest years in jazz. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (Columbia Records), Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic Records), Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (Columbia Records), John Coltrane's Giant Steps (Atlantic Records), and Mingus Ah Um (Columbia Records) by Charles Mingus were the Jazz Thrillers of the day. They weren't just jazz albums, but true classics that have stood the test of time. Whether these six ...
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