Newcomer to Jazz/Blues

Wizoom

Well, basically, I have always dabbled very lightly in Jazz, but never really pushed the boat out to buy a few albums and really try to get a grip on it, and I've decided now is the time, especially as I'm starting to learn a few jazz grooves (drumming) and am really enjoying them. My experience with jazz has so far been fairly limited, a lot of times limited to just the odd night listening to Jazz FM back in England (moved a few years ago, then moved back) and catchy songs on advertisements, and I like that kind of jazz, but I can't call myself a fan of jazz if my experience is confined to citroen ads!

So here I am, asking you all for your recommendations for a newcomer to jazz! At the moment my budget is fairly small, so I'm not looking to buy a few hundred CDs, more like just a few for the time being.

All suggestions are much appreciated, make me into a Jazzman!

18AD

Weather report were the first band I really got into. Mainly the earlier albums with Jaco on bass (I'm a bass player).
Some bands I'd think you might find accessable at the mo' would be:
The Dave Weckl Band
Chick Corea Elektric Band
The Rippingtons
Jeff Lorber
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Pat Metheny Group - Pat Metheny Group

http://tinyurl.com/f9mss - Good video of Pat Metheny
http://tinyurl.com/frum8 - Hancock track off the album Secrets

Could you try downloading some tracks before you go out and buy anything?
Always good to know what you're getting yourself into

shatners basoon

Any idea of what sort of jazz you like/think you like? Or what sort of music you listen to other than jazz. Its a pretty big genre in terms of the soundscape there's funky jazz, smooth jazz, latin jazz, free jazz bebop etc etc.
The majority of people start with Miles Davis - Kind of Blue i guess, its an album that pretty much every jazz listener owns.
Some of my favourite cool jazz albums
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Joe Henderson - Page 1
Horace Silver - Song for my Father
Wayne Shorter - JuJu

If you're more into funky jazz do check out Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters (as mentioned earlier) St.Germain are also an easy place to start (kind of electronic world music jazz.)

If you like fast bebop stuff check out say Charlie Parker for example.

For fusion check out Chick Corea, Al DiMeola, Mahavishnu Orchestra etc.

I'd recommend that you go to www.allmusic.com as you can listen to snippets of whatever songs you want to there and get an idea of what you like, it can be very helpful in this regard.

Make sure to check out Elvin Jones if you're a drummer too! Definately get an album with him on it - i recommend Shorter's JuJu.

Hope this helps, there's loads of great music out there, just needs ears to listen to and appreciate it!

Setun

I second St Germain, get Tourist if you can - it's a great album.

dub45

If you are on a low budget but have bb well you cant beat radio! For example there are loads of jazz channels in ITunes and the bbc site had loads of jazz stuff http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/

perfidiousmonk

i too am a new comer to jazz and blues. i know i like miles davis, john coltrane, nina simone and a lot of the older stuff, but i have no idea of the newer jazz artists i see, whose worth checking out?