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Your 'old slippers'....


tonym

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In a book about jazz records, the pianist Jonny King suggests that when he was in college, one of the albums he listened to most, the one that felt most 'at home' like an 'old pair of slippers' was Miles' Relaxin'.

I would like to know which albums, regardless of genre, sound quality, technical prowess, image or kudos, you put on when you need to hear something friendly and familiar?

As one would only own a pair or two of slippers, keep it down to one or two albums --- this should be a totally personal experience (shared, of course, with the rest of us now!).

For me it's the first Stan Getz Roost session with Al Haig etc. Those first few notes from 'On the Alamo' get my pulse rate right down.

cheers, tony.

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I'd have to think about it some, but perhaps my first thought is to say Nefertiti and Sorcerer. They were the first Miles albums I ever heard (after KoB, of course). A friend of mine made me a tape of Nefertiti, Sorcerer, plus the acoustic tracks off Water Babies (side 1) - when I was back in college (in the late late 80's), shortly after I took the Jazz 101 course there. I mentioned that I had really liked KoB, and he said, "wait until you hear this!!". (This was before either Nefertiti or Sorcerer had come out on CD in the U.S., and he had Japanese import CD's of both of them.)

Afte that, I went through a big Miles phase for about half a decade, then I got over Miles - and am now getting back into him again somewhat, as the box sets are coming out.

But to this day, listening to Nefertiti and Sorcerer reminds me of old times, and they somehow seem both like I've known them forever, and they sound as new as the first day I heard them.

I don't listen to them all that often, so I'm not sure if the "slipper" analogy fits exactly, but in some ways they are as familiar to me as any jazz recordings I can think of - so surely that's slipper-y! ;)

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Nice idea, Tony! (I like slippers.)

For me, it has to be Thelonious Monk with Sonny Rollins. Rollins' intro to "The Way You Look Tonight" always puts me in a positive mood.

Bill Evans' Portrait in Jazz was one of the first LP's I ever owned, and that also has sentimental value, besides still being my favorite Evans record.

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Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. This is one of the most relaxingly intense albums I've heard, and I play it all the time, whatever mood, it helps get me through the day.

Flamin' Groovies: Shake Some Action I've had this record since it first came out in 1976, and when I play it, so many memories flood into my mind, that it seems my life is flashing in front of me.

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This may sound like a strange choice for "comfort", particularly as I'm more at home with hard bop as yet, but Coltrane's My Favorite Things will probably always be my "comfort album". Part of it is that I've had it for quite a while, the other part is probably the number of times I've played it. When a disc is your first jazz disc, and it takes a couple of years to go over the edge and become a fanatic, you tend to overplay it a bit!

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Jimmy Smith/The Sermon- Contains a lot of my favorite players playing in my favorite context. This one always feels comfortable.

John Coltrane/Coltrane- The first album to feature his classic quartet. One of the first 4 or 5 jazz albums I ever bought. This album certainly helped form my opinion of what jazz should sound like. Of course no one else can sound like these guys!

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Propping up the slipper cupboard this week we have:

Johnny Coles - 'Little Johnny C'

Herbie Hancock - 'Speak Like a Child', 'The Prisoner' and 'Maiden Voyage'

Lou Donaldson - 'Aligator Bogaloo' (again)

Sam Rivers - 'Fuchsia Swing Song

Count Basie - 'Chairman of the Board'

:rsmile:

Edited by sidewinder
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:oFuchsia Swing Song is your pair of slippers? Very cool!

If I had Rivers Slippers, they would be in the form of Contours. I :wub: that album, and everything about it: cover, personnel, compositions, solos, the whole happy meal. I only wish it were available separately, and with Malcom Addey remastering. Then it would be slippers with built-in arch massagers. Yow!

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Late - Just about any of the Rivers Blue Notes could find a place in my slippers rack. 'Contours' and 'A New Conception' for sure. 'Dimensions and Extensions' (fine session as it is) pushing it though. :g I can listen to that Mosaic set of Sam's from end to end and be in seventh heaven ...

Lots of cool points too for the cover art on 'Contours' and 'A New Conception'. 'Fuchsia' is a little bit too brown for my liking ! ;)

:rsmile:

Edited by sidewinder
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Blues In Orbit by Ellington, and True Blue by Tina Brooks (sometimes Cool Struttin' by Sonny Clark).

Since Matthew mentioned a rock album (and such a great one, big thumbs up Mathew!) I've got to mention The La's, the first and only album by the Liverpool group of the same name. I made a driving tape of it a couple years ago and must have listened to it about 75 million times since! I can't stop----it's comfort music and I need comfort, apparently.

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I was tempted to say 'son of sidewinder' BN stuff, but upon further reflection the aurel comfort food I reach for most often would be early to mid 50s Chess blues and early to mid 60s Stax soul. Both mono and lo fi; don't what that says about my ears. It may not be fancy but sometimes mac & cheese is just right.

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At the risk of sounding cliche, Kind Of Blue still does it for me. I work alone in the early AM and it's the perfect fit for watching the sun come up. Went through a period where I listened to it every morning for three weeks straight. -_-

GoM, ouch! Hope you're up and around soon!

Edited by Jad
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Miles Davis-Kind Of Blue.

Tom Waits-Small Change

KoB was the Jazz album that converted me, and i still sit in amazment at the interplay between the horns, the fat lines RC lays down, and Jimmy Cobb's right hand. :wub:

Small Change came out around the time i was in the military. i had never heard him before. his lyrics, his voice and the music (Shelly Manne on drums) were, and still are, mezmerizing to me. :wub:

{thread hijack}

GoM-get well soon. i'm glad you can still post! smart move: a helmet. :tup

{hijack off} :D

Edited by jacman
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