I'm looking for some good jazz...

Alchemist449

I know the basics like Buddy Rich and Coltrane but other that I'm kinda clueless. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

snarks

Here are some good jazz artists that I got hooked on when I started listening to jazz:

Saxophone:
Dexter Gordon
King Curtis
Michael Brecker
Charlie Parker

Trumpet:
Miles Davis - Particularly the album Kind of Blue (considered greatest jazz album of all time by many)
Dizzy Gillespie

Guitar:
Joe Pass
Wes Montgomery

Piano:
Thelonious Monk

edit: Additionally, if you find you want to acquire a lot of jazz music, I'd suggest looking at eMusic: they charge much less per song than iTunes and as such is a great way to experiment with new genres. All the artists I listed here have some albums on eMusic.

Alchemist449

snarks wrote: »

Additionally, if you find you want to acquire a lot of jazz music, I'd suggest looking at eMusic: they charge much less per song than iTunes and as such is a great to experiment with new genres. All the artists I listed here have some albums on eMusic.

I just use my Zune pass since it's really the best and cheapest way for me to try out new music. I used to use eMusic but my iPod died so I went Zune and stick by it. (Except for the software)


And thanks :P I've already started to get some of the stuff.

gobassgo

Jazz is great stuff.
Cannonball Adderly is a fantastic saxophone player, as is James Carter and Wayne Shorter. Eric Dolphy might be hard for you to digest, but definitely check Dolphy out and Charles Mingus. Grant Green, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Stitt, Jimmy Smith, all quality stuff.

Yarr

Dave Brubeck / Dave Brubeck Quartet is nice

Blowflu

If you're in the mood for something different try Bela Flek and the Flecktones. The lead guitar is a banjo, and the drums are all electronic, but every single member of that band is a phenom and I consider their bass player (Victor Wooten) to be one of the best alive today.

Another artist I've been listining to as of late has been Hiromi. She's a piano player who just goes by her first name, but she's writing some pretty amazing stuff for such a young artist. She's also got a great band backing her up too, plus she experiments with keyboards. Pretty good stuff, and she's got a myspace. Check it out.


As for classic albums, try Giant Steps from Coletrain. Also Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Both are ones that I've listened to over and over. And if you're a fan of anime or just want to listen to some crazy ass jazz (read: fast as hell) try some songs off the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack. The group name is The Seatbelts, and songs like Tank! are ones that have blown me away.


EDIT: Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gilespe (sp?). Both are players in the same vein (the first sax, the second is trumpet) but I love em to death. Both legends on their respective insturments.

gneGne

You could go to some internet radio site (www.di.fm for example) and listen to their Jazz channel. It shows the artists and song. Then dig deeper into that particular artist you like.

Dead Guy Perez

snarks wrote: »

Piano:
Thelonious Monk
Bill Evans

Zifnab

snarks wrote:

Piano:
Thelonius Monk
Bill Evans
Oscar Peterson

Also, Art Blakey, Sean Jones, Gene Krupa (maybe? depends on what you're looking for), Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan...

Endomatic

I don't much about jazz, but I do like the sound of most of the stuff I hear.

What're some good artists to relax to? Nothing to fast, not TOO many different instruments. Steady and smooth is what I'm looking for. I find it gets to be a little bit of a cacophony when there are too many instruments and I get a little on edge, which defeats the purpose.

Koekjes

The best advice I can give you is to pick up a few compilation jazz albums. The usually have a dozen or so different jazz artists on it. These things make for great taste tester albums.

Borders Books & Music usually have some sort of set-up that allows you to listen to parts of the album in the store. This is where I get all my music.

CptKemzik

Since the subject of a bass player (Wooten) was brought up, I'm going to make the obligatory suggestion of Jaco Pastorius. Godly jazz fusion bass playing. He was also part of Weather Report, and did some big band compositions too.

Also try to look for some Miles Davis stuff with Marcus Miller working the bass.

I'm also going to second the suggestions of Dave Brubeck/Brubeck quartet, and Thelonius Monk.

Alpine

I vehemently second Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

gobassgo

Honestly, the only Miles Davis albums that have Marcus Miller that are ACTUALLY worth listening to are We Want Miles and Man With The Horn (both of which are fantastic). Most of that 80's fusion period's stuff is kind of terrible.