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Post by unalaguna on Apr 14, 2011 8:15:38 GMT -5
I know there are a few jazz fans on the Mooreatorium, so I thought I'd ask for some recommendations! I'm something of a jazz newbie, but over the past few months I've been trying to enjoy all sorts of music, and I've decided my jazz ignorance needs to end!
I've tried listening to a few so-called "classic" jazz albums, but with a few exceptions I find that I struggle to enjoy them. I somehow doubt I'm "programmed" to not enjoy jazz, and reckon that I just need to approach it from the right angle.
So I'd really appreciate a few recommendation of albums to ease me into jazz! Here are the few jazz albums I've listened to that have clicked with me (they mostly seem to be hard bop):
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Charles Mingus - The Clown
Moondog (if he counts)
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Here are some of the jazz musicians I've tried to listen to but haven't really appreciated yet:
John Coltrane
Thelonius Monk
Horace Silver
Miles Davies (I like some parts of Kind of Blue, but overall I struggle with that album)
Ornette Coleman
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Post by postymcposterton on Apr 14, 2011 10:37:01 GMT -5
Charlie Parker is essential... an amazing sax player... founder of be-bop... also some early, non-vocal Louis Armstrong is stunning. Adding to your list of classics, I'd check Mingus's Ah Umm and Mingus Mingus Mingus. Ornette is more free jazz; so it may be understandable to not be able to get into right away.
For newer stuff, I really love Dave Douglas (trumpet). His Keystone band is a bit fusion-y. his Brass Ecstasy stuff blends in trumpet and other horns. I'd also HIGHLY recommend John Zorn's Masada quartet (with Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen and Joey Baron). Their ten studio albums (may be hard to find physically, but I think available on iTunes), are brilliant. Great melodies (composed), great improvisation, and a great blend of world/jewish/klezmer sensibilities in jazz.
~Dan
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Post by worldengine on Apr 14, 2011 10:45:28 GMT -5
I'll suggest a couple albuns by modern jazz acts:
Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Contemporary Noise Sextet - Ghostwriter's Joke
Mindblowing stuff, and I'm sure that people who dig rock music will take them quite well.
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Post by vivace on Apr 14, 2011 11:18:19 GMT -5
Cool! I always think prog has a lot in common with jazz. Great musician ship matters a lot in both. In jazz though there are really no boundaries and the great thing is that the players go everywhere and play with each other in different combinations all the time. Which sort of happens in prog but definitely not as much. hmmm. Struggling with Kind of Blue kind of has me feeling a bit lost Una!  Thats sort of 'the album'...heheh i think ill just make a few suggestions of some classic stuff that i love: Cannonball Adderly something else is a classic album but if you dont like kinda blue im not sure youll like it but this is a lovely one: I guess it all depends on what you like about jazz. Maybe try Charlie Parker with Strings its really a beautiful album of standards by the greatest improviser of all time. It will take you to another place like good apple pie... For Coltrane i love Ole and my favorite things. Maybe try this, just so much power unleashed...love the McCoy Tyner keys: Finally as iv probably mentioned a bunch maybe my favorite living jazz musician is Chris Potter and i especially love his Underground band stuff. The drummer Nate Smith and guitarist Adam Rogers are just amazing. Interesting time changes etc...as a fan of prog you might really appreciate this stuff speaking of guitarists heres a nice one Metheny Meldau OK heres some pretty sick guitar EDIT: Sorry non of the youtube html thingie things worked... |
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Post by worldengine on Apr 14, 2011 17:17:14 GMT -5
Chris Potter, excellent call!!!
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Post by vivace on Apr 14, 2011 17:22:04 GMT -5
i saw him live in some interesting settings recently. Really nice guy!
I was just thinking about Jazz vs Prog. Definitely one of the things that first attracted me to prog was the superior display of musicianship. I just loved hearing these guys challenge themselves and me as a listener.
Jazz takes it to another level with the improvisation. Prog still maintains some kind of rock structure.
not a lot of time to write right now but its interesting to think of the similarities...
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Post by postymcposterton on Apr 20, 2011 8:45:56 GMT -5
Chris Potter, excellent call!!! Indeed... and his drummer (Nate Smith) is fuuuuun to watch play. ~Dan |
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Post by delerium on Apr 20, 2011 13:02:37 GMT -5
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Post by postymcposterton on Apr 21, 2011 11:51:02 GMT -5
I dig her... she's almost proggy in her style... quite technical, seems devoid of passion/emotion in jazz, though. Saw her a couple years ago in Seattle ( REVIEW LINK)... amazing show.  ~Dan |
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Post by delerium on Apr 21, 2011 12:25:32 GMT -5
I dig her... she's almost proggy in her style... quite technical, seems devoid of passion/emotion in jazz, though. Saw her a couple years ago in Seattle ( REVIEW LINK)... amazing show. ~Dan Agreed.. I think of her as mix of prog and jazz. I dig her style a lot though and would like to see her live someday. A drummer friend of mine played with her for a while. (he's a local legend as you might guess) |
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Post by vivace on Apr 21, 2011 12:30:35 GMT -5
i listened to the track and i like it...though my impression was also that it was a little soulless.
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Post by virtueorvice on Apr 26, 2011 9:05:00 GMT -5
i don't know whether you like jazz/rock or fusion. But i really like Greg Howe very much. He's a great solo artist with many great jazzy riffs and great power of improvisation. You can watch him here playing with Dennis Chambers and Tetsuo Sakurai:
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Thats sort of 'the album'...heheh 
