If you’re not in ‘the know’, buying gifts for jazz lovers – or, even harder, jazz musicians – can be a tricky business.
For this guide, we’ve collected gift ideas from fans and professionals around the world to give you some inspiration for what presents to buy them…Â
Before we get into the full list, I just wanted to share my most recent and favourite discovery (and something that was on my Christmas list last year!):
- Stage and Instruments
- Dynamic Musician Poses
- Unique Collector's Item
- Exclusive Booklets - The 5 illustrated booklets have exclusive covers, featuring interviews with the set's fan designer and LEGO designers who brought it to life.
So anyway, whether you’re looking for actual instruments and accessories for a beginner musician, to audio equipment and books about jazz, this guide is organised by various categories so you can get straight to the point!
Lego aside, here’s a brief look of our top 3 favourite jazz gifts right now…
Part design history, part trip down musical memory lane, this anthology of jazz album artwork is above all a treasure trove of creative and cultural inspiration. Spanning half a century, it assembles the most daring and dynamic jazz cover designs that helped make and shape not only a musical genre but also a particular way of experiencing life.
Vinyl fan? This record player stand has space to store up to 200 records!
Got your own suggestion? Leave a note in the comments section.
Here’s the rest of the best from us…
Jazz posters
From 14 year-old budding jazz musician to 30-something father-of-two, one thing has remained consistent: jazz posters on my bedroom wall.
You can check out my full article on the most iconic jazz posters, but in case you’re in a rush, my current favourite (which does change relatively frequently..!) is this…
Saxophone gifts
Whether you’re buy a gift for a sax player or just someone who’s a fan of the instrument, here are some of our top jazz gift ideas…
Wooden reed case
The saxophone reed may be the cheapest part of the instrument, but it’s important they’re kept in perfect condition.
This reed case looks great and avoids unnecessary chipping in advance of playing.
Saxophone wine rack
Most saxophone players are given one of these at some point, and this saxophone-styled wine rack is one of the better-looking ones!
It’s handmade and the slightly vintage paint finish reminds us of the legendary Selmer saxophones from the 1950s and 60s.
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Selmer saxophone patent t-shirt
As you might expect, there are some horrendous pun-based t-shirts available for saxophone players. If that’s your thing, you might want to check these out.
But this one we’ve picked here is actually very stylish for those in the know: the original patented design of an early Selmer saxophone.
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Coltrane by Ben Ratliff
This is, in our opinion, the best book about John Coltrane.
Written by New York Times critic Ben Ratliff, it tells the story of one of the greatest saxophonists of all time.
“American jazz writing needs more books like this, which engage jazz with an expansive literary imagination in a broad cultural context… This is an important and rewarding book.” ―Downbeat Magazine
Patent Saxophone Print
Sticking with the patent style, this is a great-looking print of a 1929 saxophone design, providing both jazz history and a great looking piece of art.
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Maiden Voyage Play-along book
Jamey Aebersold is something of a legend in jazz education circles, with his vast series of play-along books helping musicians get to grips with improvisation for more than 20 years.
This one, whilst not specific only to saxophone, gives the beginner/intermediate improvisor the chance to play some jazz standards made famous by some of the sax greats, such as Impressions, Watermelon Man, Doxy & Satin Doll.