Glaring Omissions


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By all accounts, I'm a certified jazz lover and fanatic.

However, there are several jazz greats that one should have in his collection, if one calls himself an aficionado. So, at the risk of being kicked out of this forum, I will list the greats that one might think essential to a jazz collection....that are missing from my collection. I have over 4,000 albums, the vast majority of which is jazz.

I was introduced to jazz while in college in 1971. I was dependent on my friends and the local jazz station for my exposure to new music. If the station didn't play it, I had no access. So, a lot of the guys on my list didn't get any airplay, consequently I wasn't exposed to them.

Nat King Cole.......(I do have several Freddy Cole albums)

Billie Holiday......(Her voice makes my skin crawl & too much melancholy in her music.)

*Stan Getz...........I just never got around to it.

Duke Ellington......I've just never heard any of his recordings that I cared to buy.

Louis Armstrong......Just not my cuppa tea.

*Chet Baker...........Just never got around to it.

Charlie Parker.......I couldn't get past the poor audio quality of the recordings that I've heard.

Charles Mingus... I've never heard a Mingus recording in my life.

*Lester Young.....They never played him on the radio.

*Coleman Hawkins...They never played him on the radio.

*Gerry Mulligan....Just never got around to it.

I do plan to make an effort to familiarize myself with those that have an asterisk (*) before their name above.

I already own more music than I have time to listen to. That, and an addiction to Pandora, doesn't leave much room for new stuff.

Do you have any glaring omissions?
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128x128mitch4t
Hi Mitch,
Johnny Griffin is definitely worth seeking out, they're so many talented jazz musicians to discover and appreciate. For example a few other tenor saxophonist (Griffin's instrument). Don Byas, Sonny Stitt,Jimmy Heath, Teddy Edwards, Zoot Sims,Ike Quebec,Oliver Nelson, Wayne Shorter, Booker Ervin, Joe Henderson, James Carter. You have 4, 000 LPs so it's likely that you have some of these players already. You can easily do a short list such as this for many different instruments used in jazz music. Mitch I imagine that you have quite a few gems in your collection.
Charles,
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Charles....I used to see Teddy Edwards here in LA at least a couple of times a month back in the late 70's very early 80's. $5 admitted two people on Tuesday night's at the Parisian Room. Teddy was a regular. Red Holloway was a regular also. A lot of the clubs I saw Teddy play at couldn't have been paying him very much money. He was once playing in a restaurant where I was having dinner.

I don't own any of his records, but I saw him live a lot.
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Mitch,
You're a fortunate guy to have seen and listened to Teddy Edwards that often and cheaply. I would have loved to hear him live and up close. Well at least I have his recordings to enjoy. He recorded on the Contemporary label in case you're interested.
Charles,
Becides jazz portion, my collection is rich on rock, but almost none of the glaring performers I have on my shelves.
No Beatles, RS, Kiss, Aerosmith, GnR, Bon Jovi
More to discover