12 great jazz recordings to test your hi-fi system

Here's our pick of a dozen jazz tracks that will tell you all about the way your music system is performing. Skiptomaincontent WhatHi-Fi?THEWORLD'S#1TECHBUYER'SGUIDE Search Subscribe RSS UKUSCanadaAustralia WhatHi-FiMagazineSubscriptionWhatHi-FiMagazine...Whysubscribe?ThebesthomeentertainmentbuyingadviceIn-depth,unbiased,expertreviewsIssuesdeliveredstraighttoyourdoorFrom£4.99View News Reviews BestBuys Deals Advice Features Awards Forum More Awards Subscribe Newsletter Sound+Image AustralianHi-Fi trendingSkyGlassBestwirelessearbudsSpotifyHiFiPS5stockBestTV WhatHi-Fi?issupportedbyitsaudience.Whenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.Learnmore Jazzisadivisiveart-form.Forthosewhoarepartial,it'sAmerica'ssinglelargestcontributionto20thcenturymusicandpopularculture.Forthoselessconvinced,itcanoftensoundlikeit'sbeingmadeuponthespot–atextbook'Icouldhavedonethat'formofart.ButregardlessofwhetherornotyouknowyourBasiefromyourBird,there'snodenyingthehi-fipotencyofsomeofthebestjazzrecordings.That'swhywe'veselectedthesedozenpieces.Theyallhaveplentytotellyouaboutthewayyoursystemisperforming.Andwithanyluckthey'llbring(atleastsome)jazzontoyourradarifit'snottherealready. Tostartsamplingthesetunesrightaway,we’veputtogetheraplaylistoneachofourfavouritemusicstreamingservices:ListenonAppleMusicListenonDeezerListenonQobuzListenonSpotifyListenonTidalBillyCobham–StratusTotestoverallbalanceRenowneddrummerandnotoriousmusicalrisk-takerCobhamis,naturally,theengine-roomhere–buttheoverallbalanceof Stratus isperfectfortestingthewayyoursystemapproachesafiercelycomplicatedrecording.Drums,percussion,keyboards(acousticandelectricpiano,plusMoogsynthesizer),acousticandelectricbass,hornsandwindinstrumentsalltakeaturn–andwhenthey’reallchippinginsimultaneously(astheydofrom5:15)yoursystemwillneedtodemonstrateallitspowersofresolutiontokeepthisvirtuosofist-fightincheck.TheloniousMonk–BodyandSoulTotestdetailThere’snomistakingaMonkrecording–hisutterlyuniqueimprovisationalstyleiswithoutpeer.Hisworkisatitsmostquestioningwhentacklingaclassiclikethis,wherethecombinationofstabbingattack,unpredictablenotereleasesandhesitationsmakesforfascinating(ifnotalwaysthemostrelaxing)listening.Thissolopianopieceisalivewithtinydetailsinitsoddballkeyreleases,periodicsilencesandglissandos–theattacksanddecaysareuniquetoMonk,butifyourset-upcan’tdishthedetailshe’llendupsoundingmorelikeLesDawson. ChickCorea–ReturntoForeverTotestmidrangequalityLikethemajorityoftheserecordings, ReturntoForever isanensemblepiece.Butit’sCorea’sstaggeringlylyricalelectricpianoplayingthatstealscentrestage,andconsequently(alongwithpercussionistFloraPurim’swordlessvocalinterjections)themidrange.TheremarkabledisciplineofCorea’splayingmeanshesoundsfluentandexpressiveevenaseachstaborcaressofhiskeyboardisdeliveredsquarely–soitfollowsyoursystemneedstobeabletodeliverallthewarmthandwitloadedintothemidrangetohearhimtobestadvantage.Plusitneedstoputenoughspacearoundthekeyboardsoundsastheycompeteforspacewithvoice,flute,drumkitanddouble-jointedbass.  BobDorough–ThreeisaMagicNumberTotestspaceSchoolhouseRock! isaseriesofcartoonsthatappearedonSaturdaymorningU.S.televisionfromthe1970stothe1990s–BobDoroughcomposedandperformedmanyofthesongsfromtheseries.Herehe’shelpingviewerslearntheirmultiplicationtables.Asatestofyourset-up’sabilitytoestablishasenseofspace(inaperformancethatfeaturesmultipleelements) ThreeisaMagicNumber isamongthebestaround.Everyinstrumentandvoiceshouldexistinitsownspaceonthesoundstage,relatedtobutnotoverlappingtheotherelementsoftherecording.Sometimestheemptinessisjustasimportanttoarecordingasthesounds,andthat’sindubitablythecasehere.JohnColtrane–AlabamaTotesttimingOnSeptember15th 1963,theKuKluxKlankilledfourAfrican-Americangirlsbybombingthe16th StreetBaptistChurchinBirmingham,Alabama.JohnColtrane’slament/eulogy/rebuttaloftheeventisoneofthemostaching,resoluteandindomitablepiecesofmusicyou’lleverhear.Andintermsofitsimpact,timingiseverything–yoursystemmustdescribetheinterplaybetweenthemusicians(andthehorrorthat’sall-butaudibleinColtrane’splaying)togivethepieceitsfullweightofimport.RahsaanRolandKirk–BlacknussTotestdynamicrangeKirkwasatestofdynamismallbyhimself–afterall,nottoomanyhornspecialistsroutinelyplaythreeinstrumentsatatime.Andwhensurroundedbyanextensiveensembleallgatheredtocelebratetheblacknotesofthekeyboard,hebecomesamongthemostfranticexaminationsofyoursystem’sdynamicabilityyou’llhear.Blacknuss startsquietly,getslouder,getslouderstill–andthenfluctuatesbetweenthosestatesforaslongasitfeelslikeit.Canyoursystemkeepup?No?Timetostartauditioningnewcomponents.MulatuAstatke–YékérmoSéwTotestrhythmEthiopia’sleadingpercussionistandvibes-playerisstillgoingstrongattheageof74.Andwhilehewasvirtuallyunknownoutsidehishomelandduringthe1970s(whenhewasathismostinspiredandproductive),the21st centuryhasseenabigupturninhispopularityand,consequently,hisfortunes.Ifyoucanthinkofarecordingbettersuitedtotestyourset-up’sunderstandingofandfacilityforrhythmthanthisbeautifullyrealizedcombinationofAfricaninflection,Latintempoandtime-signature,andjazzinterplay,byallmeansletusknow. JacoPastorius–ComeOn,ComeOverTotestbasscontrolItwouldn’tbeoverstatementtocallJacoPastoriusagame-changerwhenitcomestojazzbass.Hevirtuallysingle-handedlymadeelectricbassanacceptablejazzinstrument,andplayeditlikeawell-schooleddemon(hisdouble-jointedthumbshelped,nodoubt).On ComeOn,ComeOver hetakeshisinstrumentforexercisesofallkinds.Yourset-up’slow-endfidelityhastoextendtospeed,tonalityandspeedagainifJaco’svirtuosicshowing-offistobeheardtobestadvantage. PharoahSanders–AstralTravelingToteststereofocusIt’sonethingtoestablishasoundstageofguitar/bass/drums/voiceandhaveyoursystemdescribeitconvincingly.It’squiteanothertopopulateyourstagewithkotoflute,balaphone,saxophone,fingercymbals,altofluteandcowhorn(alongwithallthemoreusualjazzensembleinstruments)andassumeyourset-upwillbeabletomakesenseofit.If AstralTraveling istositbelievablybetweenyourspeakers,yoursystemwillhavetomakeeachgentle,undemonstrativeelementco-existharmoniously–afterall,what’sworsethanyourclavesimpactingonyourviolin? MoseAllison–EverybodyCryin’MercyTotestattackanddecayWhereunderstatementandlow-temperatureswingareconcerned,fewperformerspercolatedlikeMoseJohnAllison.Hiscombinationofbluesandjazzwasnevermorefullyrealisedthanon EverybodyCryin’Mercy –butasfarasyourelectronicsareconcerned,it’sallaboutthesoftattacksandlengthydelaysAllisonputsonhispiano(aswellasthesimilarlylaid-backapproachofhisdrummerandbassist).Withoutproperdescriptionoftheleadingedgeofnotes(andtheirlingeringdeparture),atonofthetune’ssardonichumourislost.  ArtEnsembleofChicago–ThemedeYoyoTotestorganisationAcollectivelikeArtEnsembleofChicago,withthemanyandvariousinstrumentstheydeploy(a1969tourofEuropesawthemuseover500,including‘littleinstruments’likebicyclebellsandwindchimes),wouldbedifficultenoughtoorganiseatthebestoftimes. ThemedeYoYo isemphaticallynotthebestoftimes,featuringasitdoesseveralepisodeswherethebandareseeminglypusheddownthestairswhiletapeisrolling,onlytoemergestillplayingatthebottom.Ifyourhi-fisystemcankeeptrackofallthedifferentinstrumentalstrandsastheycareerpastthemicrophone,itspowersoforganisationaretobeapplauded.   AliceColtrane–ALoveSupremeTotesttreblequalityTheintensityofAliceColtrane’sreworkingof ALoveSupreme isanexaminationofeverypartofasystem’sfrequencyrangereproduction(aswellasofthelistener’sheartandmind),butit’sinthetreblethatthistuneisabletoseparatethemastersfromthepretenders.Theshakenpercussion,grindingorganinputsandharpchromaticsallworkyourset-up’stopend–thereneedstobesmoothness,butnotblandness,toallthesesounds.Andthat’sbeforeFrankLowe’ssquealingsaxbeginsitsimpressionofsomeenragedgeeseataround4:59.MORE:Musicforsleep:thebestambientalbumstohelpyourelax10ofthebest-soundingvinylrecords10ofthebestmoviescorestotestyoursystem50greatBritishalbumstotestyourhi-fisystem Seeallcomments(1) 1Comment Commentfromtheforums MostofthesealbumsorartistshavebeenfeaturedonStuartMaconiesFreakZone,Sunday8pmonBBC6music. 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