Les McCann and Eddie Harris

Compared to What

You grow up on show tunes, classical music, and AM rock. Suddenly, at a high school party, somebody’s older brother puts this on. You are not prepared.

Steely Dan

My Old School

“Never going back to my old school.” Right. The guitar solo. Leave it there.

The Who

Won’t Get Fooled Again

The Anthem. Period.

Love Reign O’er Me

The Other Anthem. Why not me? Well may you ask.

John Coltrane

Giant Steps

The uptown train is rushing past you. Can you jump on?

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

Lush Life

The single greatest jazz recording. Melancholy never sounded so good.

Weather Report

Birdland

Wake up.

Keith Jarrett

The Koln Concert

A live recording of a living person. You almost think you could play like this. You can’t.

Propaganda

Dream within a Dream

German Expressionism with synthesizers. Forget Kraftwerk and those 99 balloons.

moe.

Rebubula

Find my way back to you. What else is there to do?