There are many faces to jazz, and I've only touched the surface of what the genre has to offer. Jazz can offer anything from a huge band playing off each other, to a small intimate setting. For me, whenever someone says they are listening to jazz I get this picture of someone sitting down at a jazz bar late at night and there is a three or four piece band jamming with each other... and that is exactly the feel I get from this album.
Duke Ellington and John Coltraine need no introduction, they are both legends within jazz. On their self titled effort they play music that you would find in a late night jazz club, filled to the brim with cigarette smoke and patrons sipping off of a drink of choice. There are very few instruments on here, usually just the piano (Duke), sax (John), a drummer and a bassist.
The album opens up with a slow number that is nearly perfect. The improvisations fit so well with the overall mood of the song that it instantly relaxes me, even when I am in the most fowl of moods... something that is pretty damn rare in music. The album has all sorts of tempos and moods, some playful, some fast, some somber, some sultry. Whatever the band decides to do they excel at.
I've had this thing on my turntable for two straight days at this point and while I do need to move on soon, I do so very begrudgingly. This is what I listen to jazz for, this is the style that I seek out - the soul of the music for me. Exceptional record.
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