Jazz (Showing 3312 Results)

Jazz: The Language of Spontaneity and Soul Through Sound

Jazz is not simply a genre; it's an articulation. A narrative that pulls melody and rhythm along, that tugs tradition and invention behind it. Born of African American cultural expression and innovation, sharing its roots with R&B, rock, and funk, jazz has never been about just one thing for one person in one place and never will be.

Here at Elusive Disc, we add our voice to jazz's rich live book with audiophile pressings that place all the energy, complexity, and intimacy of this timeless genre at your listening disposal. So modern masters of swing, modal, or avant-garde jazz, these essentials enable you to experience jazz the way it's meant to be: full of soul, feeling, and sonic beauty.

The Back Story: From New Orleans to the World

Jazz, which emerged in the early 20th century in New Orleans, brought together ragtime, blues, and brass band music into a new style. By the 1920s, figures like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were characterizing jazz as a national, soon-to-be global inspiration.

Notable Eras in Jazz History:

• Swing Era (1930s-40s): Big bands, ballroom dancing, Count Basie, and Benny Goodman
• Bebop (1940s-50s): Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, fast tempos, complex harmonies
• Hard Bop and Soul Jazz (1950s-60s): Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, groove-driven improvisation
• Modal & Free Jazz (1960s-70s): Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, breaking harmonic boundaries
• Contemporary Jazz (1980s-Today): Fusion, vocal jazz, spiritual jazz, and modern experiments with hip-hop, R&B, and electronics

Discover Audiophile Jazz Classics at Elusive Disc

Elusive Disc proudly sells the best reissued and newly released Mastered By SACDs and CDs. Sound quality, pressing consistency, and historical relevance of the releases are of paramount concern.

Top Jazz Albums Available Now:

• John Coltrane - Blue Train (Tone Poet 180g LP)
  A modal masterpiece remastered from the original analog tapes.
• Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (UHQR 200g Clarity Vinyl LP Box Set)
  Quite possibly the greatest jazz album of all time at the highest fidelity.
• Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard (45RPM 2LP)
  A definitive live piano trio demonstration featuring lush ambient sound and rich detail.
• Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (Prestige Stereo 180g LP)
  This saxophone-centric set strikes a balance between the exuberant and introspective.
• Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (Blue Note 20th Anniversary 3LP)
  A new millennium jazz vocal style classic with pop crossover.

Why Audiophiles Love Jazz

Jazz records typically feature a lot of air and space between instruments, allowing the organic quality of the instruments to shine, as well as intimate mic placement - all great qualities for high-fidelity playback. Labels such as Blue Note, Verve, Impulse!, and Prestige were early pioneers of sonic quality, frequently recorded by engineers like Rudy Van Gelder, whose warm and dynamic sound remains the gold standard in jazz.

Today, the legacy of Blue Note has passed. Analog recording was originally impossible to achieve higher-res quality. Another reason why these Blue Notes sound the way they do is that they were recorded using tape recording equipment, not digital equipment, and resampled. Tone Poet, Analogue Productions, and Speakers Corner, among others, keep the tradition alive by re-releasing hard-to-find jazz albums with an AAA mastering chain, 180 - 200g record weight, and archival-grade jacket.

Building a Jazz System: Gear That Takes You to the Next Level

Whether you're building your jazz collection or working on fine-tuning it, updating your playback equipment can be a game-changer:

• Audio-Technica Turntables - Praised for their detail, very balanced, excellent for acoustic jazz
• Phono Preamps - Bring to life the .
• Nitty Gritty Record Cleaners - Bring your vintage jazz pressings back to life with perfect playback!
• BCW Archival Sleeves - Shield rare and collectible Jackets

In the case of live jazz recordings, the stereo image and the room's acoustics are particularly crucial. A great setup should make you feel like you're in the room with the musicians.

Jazz for Every Mood

One of the beauties of jazz is its emotional spectrum. Whether you want rousing swing, contemplative ballads, or avant-garde seeking, there's a subgenre here for you.

• Feeling mellow? How about Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Bill Evans?
• Craving intensity? Cue up Charles Mingus, Pharoah Sanders, or Eric Dolphy.
• Want something groovy? Search Jimmy Smith, Herbie Hancock, or Grant Green's early Blue Note records.
• If you are in the mood for female Vocal Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Diana Krall are the height of sophistication.

Utilize Elusive Disc's exhaustive filtering system to peruse jazz by format, label, artist, and beyond.

The bottom line: Jazz is a gradient-led journey, and you're just a passerby.readLine

Jazz is not merely music; it is life, expression, and art in its dynamic form. Each listen unveils new textures and ideas. Stocking jazz records on vinyl or SACD takes you closer to the emotions and sense of improvisation that jazz is all about.

At Elusive Disc, we offer a wide selection of jazz and blues music, allowing you to find the perfect recording to feed your soul and complement your system.