Any jazz lovers out there?

[rikadik]

Hey,

I have a dilemna: I think I really like jazz music and want start listening to more, but don't know where to start buying CDs, beyond the obvious really famous artists. Now I know jazz is a bit of a wide genre and lots of people say how much they love jazz and don't really know what they're talking about (that's me at the moment), but I really have faith in ATOT to help me on my way.

Why not name a few of your favourites artists, including which of their albums represent the best way into their music, and which of their songs best sum up everything that is good about them.

If you do the above I will happily give you a :beer: so you can chill out to your favourite smooooooooth jazz.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[everman]

kkjz.org is a good start. They don't really play what I'd call "smooth jazz" too often though. You can go through their playlists and look it up on itunes.

 

[aplefka]

I got my dad a turntable to USB thing this Christmas. Once I show him how to use it I'm sure he'll be adding a lot of his albums that have never been released to CD and I hope to be able to upload them the next time I come home.

 

[jarsoffart]

I'm not too avid a listener, but I like Dave Brubeck a lot. His quartet recorded "Take Five," among other really great pieces. I know Miles Davis' Kind of Blue has some sort of legendary status (but I can not speak from personal experience). I also like Thelonious Monk. I've also heard the Hornsby Trio in concert, and I liked them a lot, but their music has more of an avant-garde flavor to it in comparison to Brubeck. Brubeck's music is almost like classical music I think. Well as close as you can get with jazz.

 

[jpeyton]

I play the yazz flute.

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: everman
kkjz.org is a good start. They don't really play what I'd call "smooth jazz" too often though. You can go through their playlists and look it up on itunes.

Cheers, might give it a whirl. I'm not just tlooking for smooth jazz. Anything really! :beer:

Originally posted by: jarsoffart
I'm not too avid a listener, but I like Dave Brubeck a lot. His quartet recorded "Take Five," among other really great pieces. I know Miles Davis' Kind of Blue has some sort of legendary status (but I can not speak from personal experience). I also like Thelonious Monk. I've also heard the Hornsby Trio in concert, and I liked them a lot, but their music has more of an avant-garde flavor to it in comparison to Brubeck. Brubeck's music is almost like classical music I think. Well as close as you can get with jazz.

I'm actually already very fond of Dave Brubeck. Take Five is my signature piece whenever someone asks me to play something on the piano. I have Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis which is pretty good, have to give Kind of Blue a go, as well as the others you mentioned. :beer:

 

[flunky nassau]

There are many eras in jazz. Which one are you listening to right now?

I prefer late 60's/early 70's jazz, where jazz became infused with funk. Jazz albums from artists like Jimmy McGriff (organ) started sounding really funky. Specifically, try Jimmy McGriff "The Worm" (1968 Solid State).

You can't really go wrong with early 70's albums from artists like Donald Byrd, Ramsey Lewis, Duke Pearson, Roy Ayers and a lot of stuff on the CTI label.

Of course you have the classics:

John Coltrane "Love Supreme" "My Favorite Things"
Miles Davis "Bitches' Brew" "Kind of Blue"
...but of course these are more straight-ahead jazz, except for Bitches Brew which is sort of fusion & experimental.

I'm glad you discovered jazz music. I've had some people want to listen to jazz but would always ask me, "so what do i listen for?" I think Dizzy Gillespie said that if you have to explain it to someone, then it was just never meant for them.

 

[ni0v]

Good modern jazz:

The Vandermark 5
Vijay Iyer
Fieldwork
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Bill Frisell
John Abercrombie
The Claudia Quintet
Dave Holland
Steve Coleman & the Five Elements
Happy Apple
Ingrid Laubrock
Aka Moon
William Parker
Octurn
Satoko Fuji Quartet
Gebhard Ullmann
Bobo Stenson

 

[effowe]

Get some Herbie Hancock, I especially like his 80's stuff like "Headhunter." Check out Grant Green if you want some funky stuff. Other good stuff: John Coltrane, Ruben Wilson, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus. Look into the label "Blue Note", pretty much everything that they have put out is great. Madlib, a hip hop producer, remixed songs off Blue Note for his "Shades of Blue" album. One of my favorites as it blends the old with some hip hop beats, done really well. He is also the man behind "Yesterdays New Quintet" which is my favorite jazz band. They have 3 or 4 albums out now, with Madlib doing the production on all of them, and a live band on "Sound Directions".

 

[chocobaR]

Originally posted by: rikadik
Any jizz lovers out there?

Fixed.

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: flunky nassau
There are many eras in jazz. Which one are you listening to right now?

I prefer late 60's/early 70's jazz, where jazz became infused with funk. Jazz albums from artists like Jimmy McGriff (organ) started sounding really funky. Specifically, try Jimmy McGriff "The Worm" (1968 Solid State).

You can't really go wrong with early 70's albums from artists like Donald Byrd, Ramsey Lewis, Duke Pearson, Roy Ayers and a lot of stuff on the CTI label.

Of course you have the classics:

John Coltrane "Love Supreme" "My Favorite Things"
Miles Davis "Bitches' Brew" "Kind of Blue"
...but of course these are more straight-ahead jazz, except for Bitches Brew which is sort of fusion & experimental.

I'm glad you discovered jazz music. I've had some people want to listen to jazz but would always ask me, "so what do i listen for?" I think Dizzy Gillespie said that if you have to explain it to someone, then it was just never meant for them.

The jazz section of my CD collection is currently very small. I've wanted to expand it since playing jazz arrangements on the piano and hearing jazz groups play in bars. I currently have some Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, John Schofield, Soulive, St. Germain... so quite a range but very limited at the same time. I also have a few random jazz compilation CDs.

I will give all of the ones you mentioned an audition on YouTube etc then maybe buy a few CDs. I often spend an hour or two just sat in my living room listening to music with a nice drink, so I'm sure I can find a few gems and chill out from all the stressful things going on in my life at the moment!

:beer:

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: The King of Missouri
Good modern jazz:

The Vandermark 5
Vijay Iyer
Fieldwork
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Bill Frisell
John Abercrombie
The Claudia Quintet
Dave Holland
Steve Coleman & the Five Elements
Happy Apple
Ingrid Laubrock
Aka Moon
William Parker
Octurn
Satoko Fuji Quartet
Gebhard Ullmann
Bobo Stenson

:beer:

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: effowe
Get some Herbie Hancock, I especially like his 80's stuff like "Headhunter." Check out Grant Green if you want some funky stuff. Other good stuff: John Coltrane, Ruben Wilson, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus. Look into the label "Blue Note", pretty much everything that they have put out is great. Madlib, a hip hop producer, remixed songs off Blue Note for his "Shades of Blue" album. One of my favorites as it blends the old with some hip hop beats, done really well. He is also the man behind "Yesterdays New Quintet" which is my favorite jazz band. They have 3 or 4 albums out now, with Madlib doing the production on all of them, and a live band on "Sound Directions".

:beer:

 

[Kadarin]

I like smooth jazz, with artists like Peter White, Marc Antoine, Paul Hardcastle, Boney James, Candy Dulfer, etc...

 

[Crazee]

Check out any of the following as they are all very strong and represent different styles and eras:

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um, Pithecanthropus Erectus, Black Saint and the Sinner Lady link
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme, Ascension, My Favorite Things, Blue Train link
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come, Free Jazz, Sound Grammar link
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way, Birth of Cool, Sketches of Spain link
Thelonius Monk - Brillant Corners, The Best of the Blue Note Years link
Charlie Haden - Dream Keeper link
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus, Without a Song link
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage, Head Hunters link
Art Blakey - Moanin', a Night in Birdland link
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil link
Charlie Parker - The Savoy and Dial Studio Sessions link
Horace Silver - Song for My Father link
Wes Montgomery - Incredible Jazz Guitar link
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Ella and Louis link
Ella Fitzgerald - The Best of the Song Books link
Louis Armstrong - 25 Greatest Hot Fives and Sevens, Plays W C Handy link
Dexter Gordon - Go! link
Oscar Peterson - Night Train link
Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine link
Art Pepper - Meets the Rhythm Section link
McCoy Tyner - The Real McCoy link
Wynton Marsalis - Live at the House of Tribes link
Karrin Allyson - Ballads link
Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Clifford Brown and Max Roach link
Billy Holliday - Lady Blue link
Jimmy Smith - The Sermon link
Coleman Hawkins - Body and Soul, Desafinado link
Joe Henderson - Page One, Double Rainbow, Lush Life, So Near So Far link
Diana Krall - All for You, Livr in Paris, Love Scenes link
Ernie Watts - Unity Link

I can name more if you want, just let me know. (Edited to link some samples from YouTube)

 

[iamme]

use pandora.com and put in your favorite artists, to get some suggestions.

 

[Farang]

The fact that Sidney Bechet has not been mentioned is a crime.

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: chocobaR

Originally posted by: rikadik
Any jizz lovers out there?

Fixed.

:roll:

Very clever. Why don't you go run along and practice your long division?

 

[0roo0roo]

last.fm

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
last.fm

I've never really liked it for finding new artists. It is fun to look at what music I was listening to this week two years ago though.

 

[Nitemare]

Joshua Redman, John Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis, Charles Mingus, David Benoit, Duke Ellington, Eric Marienthal, Louis Armstrong, Najee, Sonny Rollins

 

[Chronoshock]

Lots of good suggestions here for me to look up too, marked

 

[potato28]

I'm not a smooth jazz man, but thats because I play more big band and boogies. Check out last.fm, I can't really suggest anything else.

 

[kedlav]

NPR usually has jazz at nights, while most of it is run of the mill, sometimes they play some quite stellar, less popular pieces.

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: kedlav
NPR usually has jazz at nights, while most of it is run of the mill, sometimes they play some quite stellar, less popular pieces.

My dad used to complain how back when he donated to them in the 80s it was cuz they used to play great jazz every day, Then they slowly cut back, then started another station that was supposed to be an all jazz station every day, and now neither plays jazz that much.

I found this one online station I like on iTunes, KMHD. They're online at KMHD.org too.