I just finished reading this excellent book and wanted to recommend it. I have been a lover of jazz music ever since I took a jazz appreciation class at Knollcrest Music Camp in 8th grade and the teacher recommended purchasing Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. I made that purchase and that album is still one of my favorites of all time.
I love jazz music, but I also love its history and mythology. As Ben Ratliff writes, “Sometimes you have to give in to a bit of the sentimentality that surrounds jazz history; it is, after all, a series of great stories.” Jazz: A Critic’s Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings is an excellent introduction to the entire sweep of jazz history from its earliest days in New Orleans to the key players at the time of the book’s publication (2002). Ratliff is an excellent writer and this book is worth reading on its own apart from the music it recommends. Some highlights of his poetic descriptions of music are: of John Coltrane’s solos: “They begin with low moans and grow into wild, gnashing electrical storms;” of Pat Metheny’s first album: “[It] has a silver-hued openness, a sensuality, that some might designate as American;” of Keith Jarrett: “What Jarrett repeatedly accomplishes…is the mystical moment where a song with a familiar melody becomes transformed; the band finds its window of original insight, clambers in there, and builds something with full-bore group improvisation that you haven’t ever heard before.”
Ratliff includes only 4 albums led by guitarists in his list of 100. These are:
- Djangology 49 by Django Reinhardt
- Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto
- The Inner Mounting Flame by the Mahavishnu Orchestra (guitarist John McLaughlin’s group)
- Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny
and only 4 more made Ratliff’s list of “Another 100” recommended recordings at the back of the book:
- The Genius of the Electric Guitar by Charlie Christian
- Laughing in Rhythm by Slim Galliard
- Idle Moments by Grant Green
- Free Lancing by James Blood Ulmer
The scant guitar material doesn’t surprise me as the guitar has most often taken a back seat to the piano as an accompaniment instrument in jazz and to the piano, trumpet or saxophone as a lead instrument. Indeed, only a small percentage of Ratliff’s 100 recording recommendations even include a guitarist anywhere in the instrumentation. Still, there is much good music to explore here for guitarists both on our instrument and off as we admire excellent music by all sorts of musicians.
If you’re looking for a way to begin learning about and appreciating jazz music or if you’re already a jazz fan looking to deepen your knowledge of its history and key recordings, Jazz: A Critic’s Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings is highly recommended.