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Jazz Music?
Animelee
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Since I was a kid, I've been into jazz music. I was just screwing around with the radio one day when I was around eight-years-old, and I landed upon a jazz radio station from here in Southern Ontario/Western New York. That day, I just listened to the different songs for hours, wishing I could play along. That's what got me into the tenor sax when I was in middle school.
I've been in love with a few specific tracks for the past few years now. Examples shall follow.
You know the type of music that would be perfect to listen to when driving around a nice city on a summer evening/night with some of your best friends? Like "Road to the West" by The Seatbelts? Here's a video with the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NepjSvz431g
Or the type of music you'd listen to when going for a jog on a nice spring or summer day? Watching the sun break at 5 AM with some of your best friends? Perfect songs, like "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang? Here's the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bfzWj5a_Y4
How about now? It's October, the weather is getting cooler. Come November 1st, it'll be the Christmas season. Decorations are gonna be up at the mall. Commercials will be on TV. People will be putting lights up. The works. Now what isn't more perfect for this end-of-the-year celebration like Vince Guaraldi's jazz music? Here's some of it, and I'm sure you'll know where it's from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss37kQBAnzk
Here's another good one, just for the heck of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vQIMXvurQk
I recently became obsessed with The OneUps, too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCGYlsqKmPA
Over the past few years, my jazz collection has been piling up. But most of it is vocal, and it either falls into the funk category or acid jazz category. Jamiroquai, some of it Bill Conti's music, etc.
I'm trying to find some more "traditional" stuff, like from The Seatbelts, Vince Guaraldi, etc. Something along the lines of the five videos I posted earlier.
Would you guys have any recommendations for specific artists and/or tracks that I should check out?
It doesn't have to be as slow as those "ambient" songs I posted earlier, it can be fast too. Ugh, I wish I could express what I meant perfectly into coherent sentences, but... hopefully you'll all know what I mean.
Thanks!!
I've been in love with a few specific tracks for the past few years now. Examples shall follow.
You know the type of music that would be perfect to listen to when driving around a nice city on a summer evening/night with some of your best friends? Like "Road to the West" by The Seatbelts? Here's a video with the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NepjSvz431g
Or the type of music you'd listen to when going for a jog on a nice spring or summer day? Watching the sun break at 5 AM with some of your best friends? Perfect songs, like "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang? Here's the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bfzWj5a_Y4
How about now? It's October, the weather is getting cooler. Come November 1st, it'll be the Christmas season. Decorations are gonna be up at the mall. Commercials will be on TV. People will be putting lights up. The works. Now what isn't more perfect for this end-of-the-year celebration like Vince Guaraldi's jazz music? Here's some of it, and I'm sure you'll know where it's from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss37kQBAnzk
Here's another good one, just for the heck of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vQIMXvurQk
I recently became obsessed with The OneUps, too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCGYlsqKmPA
Over the past few years, my jazz collection has been piling up. But most of it is vocal, and it either falls into the funk category or acid jazz category. Jamiroquai, some of it Bill Conti's music, etc.
I'm trying to find some more "traditional" stuff, like from The Seatbelts, Vince Guaraldi, etc. Something along the lines of the five videos I posted earlier.
Would you guys have any recommendations for specific artists and/or tracks that I should check out?
It doesn't have to be as slow as those "ambient" songs I posted earlier, it can be fast too. Ugh, I wish I could express what I meant perfectly into coherent sentences, but... hopefully you'll all know what I mean.
Thanks!!
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Also: early work of Miles Davis, the album In a silent way, for example.
I ran into a lot of stuff on last.fm, in case you're on there.
edit:
kind of blue
bitches brew
birth of cool
miles plays for lovers
In order of awesomeness.
if you don't own Kind of Blue get it. Damn near perfect.
edit again!
medeski martin and wood is a jazz triplet (is that the right word?) that is pretty solid but they tend to be more experimental as far as instruments.
Well, like the guy above said, get Kind of Blue, just because it's the best known jazz album. From the first track you've got here, I'd say DEFINATELY check out Jan Garbarek, he's a Norwegian tenor player. He's a little less on the smooth jazz side, but still pretty accessible.
Make sure you get an album by Pat Metheny called "The Way Up". I listened to this album for probably 2 months straight, it's really amazing, I think you'll be into it based on those youtube clips you posted.
To check out a piano trio like the charlie brown one, check out Brad Mehldau's "Art of the Trio". There's 5 volumes, start with 1. He's recognized as one of the best jazz pianists in the scene right now.
Anyway, check those out, and go from there. If you like what you hear on those, see who played bass or drums or sax on them, and find other albums those guys play on. You'll find some cool stuff.
EDIT: I don't know how easy these are to find online, if you're into buying music you won't be disappointed, but I know Brad Mehldau has some video clips on his website if you need convincing.
If you want some experimental jazz from the 60s and 70s that will blow you mind check out Rhasan Roland Kirk. He's a blind guy that would play 2 - 3 saxes at once, Later one he lost an arm, and just went right ahead and modified his horns so he could still play em (though I doubt he could play as many at once by then)
It seems too gimmicky to be good, but you'll forget about that once you hear him. Apparently he's also the flute player on that austin powers dance song Soul Bossa Nova, take that for what you will :P
He's played as many styles as he has horns so it may take some discography searching to find something you like
edit: also, Coltrane, there's no way not to love him. If you want fast be-bop style stuff get Giant Steps (I'd take it toe-to-toe with kind of blue anyday). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZRnkBK_0no
And of course The Love Supreme, pretty much considered THE jazz album. here's a snippet from the opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMrK7564Egs
edit again: Here's some more random names to check out if your bored
Charlie "Bird" Parker - King of Bebop sax, you'll be hard pressed to find anything approaching a ballad from him. (I can't find a video of Kim, but that song rox my sox)
Dizzy Gillespie - The guy with the bent trumpet and the puffed out cheeks, he did a lot of playing with Parker, It's all good. (he was also one of the priviledged few who got to play with The Electric Mayhem
Stan Getz - another sax player, and he's actually a white guy! Best tone out of a tenor sax that I've ever heard, reminds me of Miles' "dark style" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTf9BxJSyCc
Dave Brubeck - piano player from around the 60s. His most recognizable song
McCoy Tyner - Coltrane's old standby pianist, has a lot of great stuff without coltrane too
Bobby Shew - Contemporary Jazz Trumpet
J.J. Johnson - One of the few mainstream jazz trombone players from the bebop era http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZieBsj2ts&mode=related&search=
Arturo Sandoval - Mostly Afro-Cuban stuff, grew up in Cuba listening to Parker and Gillespie and Later joined them on stage. If you like Latin jazz I can't think of anyone I'd reccomend over him
Eric Dolphy - multi-instrumentalist, musical genius. Died in Berlin in 1964. He basically invented jazz flute.
Gerry Mulligan - Baritone saxophonist. Made the instrument legitimate. One of the cool jazz originators, along with some other West coast guys. He played on Birth of the Cool. Great arranger.
Charles Mingus - THE jazz bassist (until Jaco Pastorius came along), and the heir to Duke Ellington. An amazing virtuoso on his instrument, but an even better composer.
Chet Baker - West Coast jazz trumpeter. Played in a pianoless quartet with Gerry Mulligan. The tracks cut by these two cats together are absolutely legendary. He also came out with a very popular and influential version of My Funny Valentine (although, I prefer the JJ Johnson/Stan Getz At the Opera House version).
Freddie Hubbard - Influential trumpeter. Very distinctive, and can be considered the heir to Gillespie as far as trumpet artistry and virtuosity goes. A technically superior player to Miles Davis. He's Wynton Marsalis' favourite trumpeter, actually.
Ornette Coleman - The guy invented free jazz with the album The Shape of Jazz To Come definitive, and very important in the history of modern jazz. I'm not a big fan, I don't really like his style.
Sun Ra - You'll be hard pressed to find any recordings by him, because almost all of his recordings were self-published or released on small, independent labels. But Sun Ra and his "Arkestra" made some of the best straight ahead big band recordings of the '50's, and became the first (that I know of) big band to head full on into free jazz. His main tenor sax player was...
Pharaoh Sanders - My favourite sax player. He gave Coltrane lessons near the end of his life. I love love love his style and his albums. He is big into free jazz and the avant-garde, having similarities to Yusef Lateef and Eric Dolphy. If you aren't too married to bebop and it's descendants, this is the guy you should check out, especially if you want something easier to listen to than Coltrane's late era.
Bill Evans - Pianist, perhaps the most distinctive jazz pianist apart from Cecil Taylor. He played in a very understated, restrained style. Much like Miles Davis before he went electric and became unlistenable. His refined style can be a little hard to get into, but once you take the time to listen to his stuff and take it for what it is, you'll never go back to a world without Bill Evans.
Cecil Taylor - I don't have any of the guy's albums at the moment, but he's batshit insane in his playing. Very avant-garde, more 20th century classical than jazz, especially in his later era recordings. Check him out if you have the guts.
Modern Jazz Quartet - One of my favourite groups ever, and very important in the history of jazz. They could be put right up there with Coltrane's classic quartet or Miles Davis' two great quintets. Milt Jackson headed it on the vibes, and they created some awesome awesome sound scapes. Much like Bill Evans, they played in a refined style that heavily influenced the Third Stream movement.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - The guy is without introduction. Just go get some of his albums. Most great jazz players have at some time or another been a member of the Messengers. His group is definitive, and his drumming style is classic.
There, that should get you started. If you want specific album names, say so, and I should be able to come up with a decent sampling.
way to make me feel dumb, I went on thinking he was a sax player for like 7 years now :P
Medeski, Martin & Wood is excellent fusion type jazz.
Mulatu Astatke is hard to find but pretty much created Ethiopian jazz. (He's got a couple tracks on the Broken Flowers soundtrack)
Koop is not quite jazz...maybe acid jazz/trip hop? They take instrument samples from classical/jazz music and remix those tiny samples into what sounds like completely human recordings. Sort of like what Prefuse73 does with vocal samples...except with instrumental samples.