5) Wynton Marsalis Wynton Marsalis (1981)
Just when straight-up jazz was at it's absolute nadir, with many declaring the genre dead, a nineteen year old trumpter out of the birthplace of jazz comes to the rescue. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but to make that a criticism misses the point entirely. This is well-played jazz performed alternately by the best of two generations of backing players; a sort of baton hand-off, so to speak. Marsalis was not only a Young Lion who enthusiastically embraced the jazz of his elders but with his technically superb joyful swing, he introduced the "sound of surprise" to new generations and simply put, kept the music alive. Even though later albums would become more adorned as he became increasingly interested in going further back in time instead of using his immense skills to push the music forward, Wynton's reaffirming debut alone assures his place in jazz history. I might get on his case about disappointing later efforts like, say, The Magic Hour, but God bless Wynton Marsalis. He came through big time when jazz needed him in the worst way.
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Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice picks pico. yea, everybody has wanted to give Wynton the "what for" (maybe if he didn't hang around with stanley croush so much, people would cut him more slack) but he sure did breath some life into the more tradition parts of the genre back then .
and oh man, Conference of the Birds is just killer!
still can't believe Joe Henderson is gone.
2 - Allen Michie
I think you could also add Michael Brecker's debut solo recording, "Michael Brecker." A perfect album in every way. The band was the best of its generation: Pat Metheny, Don Grolnick, Jack DeJohnette, and Charlie Haden. Of course it's no more a "debut" album than Herbie Hancock's, since the leader was already an accomplished and well-known musician from having played on countless other records. But this debut immediately put Brecker into the role of leader, and it made us realize how much he had been one all along.
3 - Allen Michie
Two other quick notes:
Don't forget Ornette Coleman's amazing debut which put Western Civilization on notice: "The Music of Ornette Coleman--Something Else!!!"
Also, Wynton's debut album would be on my top five list as well. It can stand on its own merits, but all of the people who make great claims for it rescuing and reviving mainstream jazz in the early 80s must have never heard a Woody Shaw record.
Wynton took private lessons from Shaw back then, and there are entire solos from Wynton's early work that are almost completely lifted from Shaw. Columbia Records scandalously dropped Shaw as Wynton rose from his ashes, a factor in Shaw's clinical depression and eventual suicide.
4 - Michael J. West
Delightful to see Dave Holland get some props. Absolutely delightful.
I hereby advance Cecil Taylor's Jazz Advance for consideration as well. One rarely hears such challenging music on a debut record, regardless of the era.
5 - Michael J. West
Allen #3:
I am probably Blogcritics's Number One Ornette Coleman fan and one of his greatest cheerleaders anywhere...but I gotta admit I'm not impressed with Something Else!!!. The piano is just a bad fit for his sound and he ends up restrained because of it.
6 - Pico
Thanks for the replies, everyone, I enjoy these kinds of discussions.
Mark: Sounds like you're a big Dave fan like me. I'll have more on him later this month.
Allen #2: I gave serious thought to Brecker's first, especially since he's been foremost on everyone's mind right now. Those first two tunes are absolutely killer. So much so that the rest of the album comes as a bit of a letdown to me. But I don't begrudge anyone else for putting this forward.
Allen #3: I gotta agree with M West, Ornette's first was more of a dress rehearsal to me. That piano had to go, and he quickly realized it.
Great call on Wynton sounding like Woody Shaw, I could never understand why everyone said he sounded like Miles back then. But are you sure Shaw committed suicide? All the accounts I read had him stepping out in front of that subway train by accident; his eyesight was notoriously bad.
Michael J. West: Cecil's Jazz Advance...I love that choice! His early music doesn't get a lot of notice, but I found it to be just as interesting as the stuff that made him famous.