Jazz Of All Types

I think we had a thread for this at one point, though it was a little more narrowly focused, so I'm making a new one.

This thread should be for all kinds of jazz, be it big band, bebop, hard bop, modal, contemporary, fusion, or some kinds that I missed.

So, to start I'm a big fan of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Esperanza Spalding, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Allan Holdsworth, as well as Guthrie Govan and the Fellowship.

I'm also a pretty good jazz guitarist myself, so if anyone has questions regarding playing jazz, feel free to ask them here, too.

First things first - KCSM and WBGO are great 24/7 jazz stations. The only thing bad about them is that both do extremely irritating fundraisers every month or so, where it'll be a week of money begging and two minutes' worth of music, and WBGO has NPR reports in the early morning.

Second: any albums (besides Mingus Ah-Um, Kind of Blue, and A Love Supreme) worth getting?

Giant Steps, Pithecanthropus Erectus, Bitches Brew.

I can think of a lot more, but I'm kind of tired at the moment.

So many.... It seems like you're looking more for the jazz classics, then? How about Charlie Parker With Strings?

I'd also recommend Djangologie, but 4 C Ds is a bit much for some people. Django Reinhardt is a genius though, so it's totally worth it. One of the few old-fashioned jazz guitarists I can actually listen to.

edited 13th Jul '11 7:39:36 PM by Solstace

Here's a little list I made awhile ago in the Gateway Albums thread. Nowhere near complete, but it's a good starting point.

• Modern Jazz Quartet: Modern Jazz Quartet at the Music Inn Vol 1, Django, Modern Jazz Quartet at the Music Inn Vol 2, Fontessa
• Bill Evans: Autumn Leaves, Trio 64, Waltz for Debbie, Portrait in Jazz
• Dave Brubeck: Time Out, Time Further Out, Jazz Impressions of Japan
• Charles Mingus: Blues and Roots, Mingus Dynasty, Mingus Ah Um, Pithecanthropus Erectus, The Clown
• Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, It's Monk Time, Monk's Music, The Unique Thelonious Monk
• John Coltrane- Giant Steps, Blue Train, A Love supreme, Ascension, My favorite things, Coltrane Jazz, Meditations
• Miles Davis -1958 Miles, Milestones, Bitches Brew, Birth of the Cool
• JJ Johnson and Kai Windig- Jay and Kai, An Afternoon at Birdland, Jay and Kai, 'Nuf Said, Trombone for Two, Jay and Kai + 6, The Great Kai and J. J., Swinging Together Again
• Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
• Milt Jackson- Sunflower, Bags Meets Wes!, Very Tall
• Ornette Coleman- Something Else!!!!, Tomorrow Is the Question!, The Shape of Jazz to Come, Change of the Century, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Ornette!

edited 13th Jul '11 7:51:43 PM by Thenamelesssamurai

Haha, definitely gives me some things to use to flush out my library. I'm more of a fusion buff than the good ol' stuff.

I like jazz, but I know little about it.

I'm sure at least one purist will probably shoot me for saying this, but I like "Take Five".

Haha, I remember the album that that was sampled on, from waaaaaaay back when in the Exchange club.

If they shoot you, it's their loss. I like "Take Five" too.

Most of my Jazz Library is split evenly between late 40's through 70s era jazz and Jazz fusion, with a little bit of Modern and big band era jazz in there too. It's kind of funny that I'm such a big Bebop fan, since my Dad is the opposite and can only really get into the swing/Big Band and Dixieland stuff, with a few other things from that era.

I like big band sometimes, but there are so many tunes built around the same changes, that they all just start sounding the same to me after a while. I prefer bebop and the more heavily improvised stuff because even though the changes are similar, every player approaches them differently, with different substitutions and phrases and it's ultimately much more interesting to me.

Then you have fusion which is, well, fusion.

Swing is just something that I only get the urge to listen to once in awhile. Though there are a few things from that era that I can listen too almost endlessly, such as Art Tatum and Fats Waller. And "Old Blue Eyes". Never get tired of Him.

I'm more of an Ellington person. I could listen to Symphony in Riffs for hours.

Duke Ellington was bloody brilliant. I would add his The Far East Suite to any list of essential jazz albums.

I just got a Pharoah Sanders album (Karma) and....

woah

Ladies and Gentlemen, Squarepusher!

edited 14th Jul '11 4:06:00 PM by inane242

erm, what.

Squarepusher is electronic music.

...If you bothered listening to the song I posted, you'd have noticed that.

edited 14th Jul '11 4:32:14 PM by inane242

Well pardon me, I'm already listening to something and I'm only familiar with his ear-rape work. So forgive me for inconveniencing you.

Jeez.

On that note then, Everything was Altered by BLÆRG.

jazz fusion like T-SQUARE is quite radical

for future jazz i go for Jaga Jazzist's One Armed Eye-Bandit

old school jazz has to be john coltrane

include obligatory Cowboy Bebop mention

Soil & PIMP Jazz Sessions both have an awesome name and is possibly the best death jazz band ever

What We Must by Jaga Jazzist is a great album. I really need to get more albums by them.

I'm clueless when it comes to jazz. The only jazz I know (and like, for the record) is Squarepusher's Music is Rotted One Note - which I might add is pure jazz, unlike inane's example.

I also haven't actually attempted to approach it yet, since to me it seems like a genre focused on instrumental prowess rather than texture and atmosphere (which is what I prefer in my music). However, perhaps someone can prove me wrong, hint hint.

edited 15th Jul '11 5:20:13 AM by Litis

they are a great but very underrated band
it was by chance i saw it in the av club

Well, there definitely is a lot of stuff focusing purely on technical prowess, and no shortage of jazz fans who think it's the be-all and end-all of jazz. But there's also a lot of exceptions.

First of all, Duke Ellington. I've read some critics say that, while he played the piano, but his real instrument was the entire jazz orchestra, and I'm inclined to agree. "It Don't Mean a Thing", "The Mooche", "Mount Harissa".

Miles Davis did some texture-focused albums, particularly Birth of the Cool (which was a reaction to bebop's focus on technical prowess) and Bitches Brew (which caused the jazz purists to accuse Davis of selling out). "Moon Dreams." "Spanish Key" (Part 1)

Then there's Jaga Jazzist. Some folks call them nujazz, some folks call them future jazz, I say they've split the difference between jazz and Post-Rock. "I Have a Ghost, Now What?"

edited 15th Jul '11 5:19:45 AM by MetaFour

i like Oslo Skyline better but that too is a nice song