It might help to know some of your favorite genres, and artists within those genres, you currently listen to.
For example: a friend of mine, who is a hard rock/metal fan, wanted to explore some jazz, and wanted some recommendations.
So, since he was already used to the intensity and heaviness of those genres, I recommended things like: Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Brand X, Al Di Meola, Panzerballett, since their brand of jazz is also very intense and fiery.
But if someone was into classical music, I might recommend something in the chamber-jazz subgenre. Like: Oregon, Jan Garberak, Eberhard Weber, Ralph Towner, Azimuth, Craig Taborn.
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Have you thought about ´´ Brasilian Jazz ´´ ?
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@fthompson251
To enjoy Jazz, you need to understand at least two things: 1) Jazz improvisation is a language and 2) there is a general pattern or structure to Jazz performances.
As with any language, it’s best to start out simply, so that you develop an ear for the "alphabet" and the "grammar". You wouldn’t start learning Russian by jumping into a Tolstoy novel! You’d start with single words, then simple phrases, then sentences, then simple conversation, etc.
As far as the structure goes, whether playing a "tin pan alley" standard by someone like Cole Porter or George Gershwin, or a tune written by a Jazz player such as Duke Ellington or Thelonious Monk, what generally occurs is: a main melody or theme is stated at the beginning, then players take turns improvising on that theme, then the main theme is repeated.
You’ve heard this approach in Rock. Take a song like "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers. There is a main theme or melody that is introduced at the beginning and played several times. Then soloists (D. Betts, Les Dudek, Chuck Leavell) take turns improvising on the main theme. Then the main theme gets repeated to close it out.
Jazz is similar, it’s just that the music tends to be considerably more complex and those players who are not soloing tend to be more interactive with the soloist as opposed to Rock, Pop, Country, R&B, Blues, where they stick to prescribed backing parts that tend to remain the same throughout the tune. Note that there are genres/recordings where all the players are improvising at once (typically referred to as collective improvisation) but most Jazz follows the template I’ve described.
To comprehend improvisation on a theme, you need to know the theme, so it’s "playing in your head" while you’re listening to the improvisation. This helps you "make sense" of the improvisation and grasp how the soloist is using the main melody as a basis for creating new melodies, both adhering to and diverging from the main melody. If you cannot hear the main theme/melody, then improvisation may simply sound like a collection of random notes to you!
Naturally, the simpler the theme, the easier it will be to keep track of it.
Having said all of the above, there is no universal law that states that you must like Jazz! Not every genre is for everyone.
I know nothing about smooth Jazz nor do I stream so I can’t be much help with recommendations.
I can suggest listening to music that while not being Jazz, is "jazzy"
"Stardust" by Willie Nelson
"Breezin’" by George Benson
Try Classic Jazz, such as Louis Armstrong
Try jazzy Blues, like "The Real Thing" by Taj Mahal or "One More Mile" or "Alright Again" by Gatemouth Brown. Try vocalist Mose Allison
Try Louis Jordan’s jazzy R&B or Country Swing, such as Asleep At the Wheel.
Jazz had an enormous influence on popular music during the 70’s. Check out vocalists Michael Franks and Al Jarreau. Joni Mitchell released a series of albums very much influenced by Jazz, some even utilizing Jazz heavyweights such as Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. "Court and Spark" is probably the most accessible. This was the era of Jazz Fusion such as Weather Report, HeadHunters, Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as "jazzy" bands with more of an R&B flavor such as Stuff, LA Express, Earth Wind and Fire, and the Crusaders, to name a few. Jeff Beck released a series of jazzy albums with "Blow by Blow" being the most celebrated. The CTI label was very popular, generally offering a smoother, more accessible take on Jazz.. There were popular jazzy Latin artists such as Flora Purim and Caldera. There arose a sort of "world music" approach, characterized by bands such as Oregon and Shakti.
The ECM label emerged at this point, featuring artists such as Keith Jarrett, Ralph Towner, Gary Burton, Jan Garbarek and Pat Metheny. It was a cooler, more European esthetic with great sound quality. Some of this music is quite accessible and melodic while some is more abstract. Try "Crystal Silence" by Chick Corea and Gary Burton, "Bright Size Life" by Pat Metheny or "Belonging" by Keith Jarrett.
There is also "bluesy Jazz", such as Stanley Turrentine. Try "the Spoiler" or "Midnight Blue" by Kenny Burrell or "Back at the Chicken Shack" by Jimmy Smith. There is a lot to enjoy in this genre! Mingus could be very Bluesy. try "Blues and Roots".
I apologize for my steam of consciousness, random listing. Pick up something like the All Music Guide to Jazz for a more organized and complete introduction to Jazz and all its sub-genres. Jazz is an enormous genre -- a vivid spectrum incorporating a very wide range of stylistic "colors". Perhaps you simply haven’t been exposed to those parts of the spectrum that appeal to you. Spotify is one way to explore many Jazz/jazzy artists and discover what you might like.
I hope this has been at least somewhat helpful.
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Bob Brookmeyer and Stan Getz. I’m not a big jazz fan either but I really like these two. If you have Tidal or Qobuz you can use the related artist feature to explore others as well.
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Thanks I am making a list to try. I do like Mose Allison, have a lot of his stuff.
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@fthompson251
If you look up Mose Allison on the All Music Guide site or Spotify, you will find suggestions for similar artists. You might find this feature helpful!
Another jazzy Blues album -- "Jazz Blues Fusion" by John Mayall.
Another suggestion for 70’s Latin Jazz would be the first version of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever that recorded "Return to Forever" and "Light as Feather".
OK, I will shut up now!
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Try Eddie Higgins . He is easy to listen.He has Christmas album.
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Joni Mitchell is a good call. I really like her jazz infused albums.
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@fthompson251
Your query is one of the things I appreciate about the A’gon discussion board. Thanks for asking!
Try Ray Charles. Genius + Soul = Jazz. Ray Charles' sound is readily accessible.
Try Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. Stellar musicianship and a great recording.
If you like blues-influenced vocals, try Billie Holiday.
If you like melodies, try Joe Pass.
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Since you like Mose, I would throw in Michael Franks and later George Benson. Dave Frishberg, and Jose James might also strike you. Best of luck and happy Holidays.
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Here are a couple that could ease you in, and If you like these you can try some of their other albums that are also largely excellent — Joe Sample “Old Places, Old Faces” is kind of a smooth jazz, and a little more traditional jazz but still approachable and not too hardcore is “Oscar Peterson meets Roy Hargrove and Ralph Moore.” You might also try Cyrus Chestnut’s self-titled album, which is different still from the other two but very enjoyable as well. Hope you enjoy!
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Here’re some accessible jazz musicians to try. I suggest "accessible" because you can more easily discern and learn to appreciate theme and variation which, as described above, is central to jazz. None of my suggestions are Big Band, Avant Garde, raucous, cacophonic, etc. You can find more music by any of the musicians I mention simply by going to Wikipedia and searching. For each artist, there should be a "Discography" section that describes each disc. WARNNG: I looked at this list after drafting it and realize it’s a little top-heavy with Charlie Haden:
1. Solo piano/piano with one other instrument: Fred Hersch (he also has trio recordings), but look for his solo recordings (e.g., "Solo" from 2020); Marcus Roberts (e.g., "Alone with Three Giants"); Keith Jarrett (many, but try "Last Dance" with bassist Charlie Haden); Hank Jones (his solo recordings and especially is albums with bassist Charlie Haden, "Steal Away" and "Come Sunday"; Bill Evans ("Alone" or his other solo works); Scott Joplin’s music played on solo piano (e.g., Marvin Hamlisch’s playing for "The Sting"; Thelonious Monk "Solo Monk."
2. Solos or two instruments or trios: The bassist Charlie Haden had several -- in addition to the ones I mentioned above, try "Beyond the Missouri Sky" with guitarist Pat Metheny and "Charlie Haden/Jim Hall."; Bill Evans’ "Live at Village Vanguard".
3. New Orleans, i.e., Dixieland music: Evan Christopher’s "Clarinet Road" (there are 3 volumes) and "Delta Bound";
4. Quartets and larger: "Silence" by Charlie Haden and Chet Baker; "Kind of Blue" by Miles David (don’t try this one first); Ben Webster ("King of the Tenors"; "Soulville"; "Jazz Round Midnight");
I could go on and on and even find some recs without Charlie Haden (!), but I’ll stop for now and let some more knowledgeable folks take over. And there are some great suggestions, above. Good luck!
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If you've been trying for 30 years and you just don't get, then why keep trying. It's not like anything going to change.
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Some very knowledgeable posts here already. I'll just add my 5 recommendations -- you mentioned "smooth jazz," so here are some well recognized albums:
Breezin by George Benson
Duotones by Kenny G
The In Crowd by Ramsey Lewis
A Day in the Life by Wes Montgomery
Mister Magic by Grover Washington, Jr.
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@fthompson251
I’m right there with you. It’s like I’m supposed to like Miles Davis but the music is just meh to me. I appreciate the technical ability but it all just sounds like people playing scales.
That said I do find myself drawn to the quite a bit of it just not all the hard core
Cannonball Adderley Nancy Wilson
Oscar Nelson Blues And The Abstract Truth
Paolo Fresu Alma
Paolo Fresu Mare Nostrum
Lady Blackbird
Sidsel Endresen, Bugge Wesseltoft Out Here. In There (which gets kinda out there but grows on you)
and then classic jazz singers Ella, Sara, Dinah Washington and not really jazz but has to mentioned Etta James
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This is great everyone and thank you for all the suggestions, I got some homework to do! I should have not described my wishes as smooth jazz, that isn't correct. Some I have already added to the Jazz playlist are Kenny Burell, Wes Montgomery, Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine and Bob Brookmeyer. THANK YOU!
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@fthompson251 -
Since you mentioned Ron Carter, check out the duet recordings he did with Houston Person.
Chemistry
Dialogue
Now's the Time
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Interesting thread as I also find Jazz confusing. I like George Benson Breezing, Vince Guaraldi Peanuts (big childhood fan), and some 1939-1940s jazz I heard in movies. Never warmed up to Bill Evan’s, Miles Davis, or thus type of seemingly “Freeform” jazz - some trumpet solos just sound awful/irritating, lacking melodies. I tried to look up jazz genres, there were over 30 - totally confusing. So I gave up digging into jazz for now as I have plenty of other favored genres to explore: rock, classical, vocals, soundtracks, big band, etc.
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I am not an expert but Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Count Basie, Blood Sweat and Tears, Tom Waits are easy and fun. But I always feel like: if I enjoy it and I understand it, it's probably not jazz. I also agree with the point that if you haven't gotten to like jazz till now, what's the point? There are probably 100s of tracks produced this year alone that match your taste and you haven't discovered yet.
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Fourplay, four80east, yellowjackets, acoustic alchemy, dave koz, miles Davis, Diane krall, pat methany, chick corea, and there are many more I listen too
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I would flip through the recommendations. You’ll find some that you like, follow that thread and over time your appreciation for the genre will likely expand and expand… and expand.
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Chico Freeman, Spirit Sensitive. Harry Lookofsky, Stringsville. Keith Jarrett, Facing You. George Winston, maybe?
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I’d suggest giving Ken Burn’s “Jazz” documentary series a spin of you have never seen and see if that helps you find some jazz of interest.
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I think if a friend wanted to be introduced to jazz, I would recommend to get a taste of stuff that leans jazz, but not hard core and see if it blossoms... some of the later Steely Dan, Gregory Porter, Erin Bode, Monkey House. Then take a listen to something like Dave Gruisen or Euge Groove, then take a listen to For Duke a terrific Duke Ellington tribute. It's a progression, see if this works at all for you.
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It is important to keep in sight that almost all 20th century most dominant popular music forms originated in the Jazz and blues traditions. Most pop and rock are direct descendants of early combinations of African forms played on European instruments.
Listen to the huge discography available of 5 decades recorded by Duke Ellington; the entire 20th century of music is there. You call it Jazz if you want.
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Here are some of my ideas of accessible, melodic jazz:
Curtis Stigers - Gentleman
Jan Harbeck Quartet - The Sound The Rhythm, Copenhagen Nocturne
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Lynne Arriale Trio - The Eyes Have It, When You Listen
Mark Isham - Blue Sun
Ellis and Branford Marsalis - Loved Ones
Peter Bernstein - Better Angels
If you like any of those, let me know and I’ll recommend more.
In your listening to jazz, you've probably noticed that often no two albums by a jazz musician are likely to sound the same. So try to find the specific albums recommended.
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I am not a big Jazz fan, either. Jazz Fusion, yes, but traditional Jazz, no. I just never could get into it. Appreciate the skill, but I'm an old school rock guy.
However, I discovered a band a few years ago that I really enjoy, Bohren & der Club of Gore, a German ambient/jazz band from Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Check out the albums "Midnight Radio" (1997), "Sunset Mission" (2000), or "Bohren for Beginners" (2016). Incredible, in my humble opinion. Pour a glass of bourbon, dim the lights, and fire up the hash pipe. You'll be in for a treat.
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@fthompson251,
Wow! Some very nice suggestions here! Even as @maxwave suggest, some Brazilian Jazz! Nice! Find a college jazz ’radio’ station on the internet, such as Clark Atlanta’s University station WCLK and press play and just listen...And see what you might find and like.
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Joey Defrancesco multi instrumentalist, if you like Hammond organ he's the guy. Jimmy Smith another great one. Bill Evans great arranger, great bands.
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In the same boat as you regarding taste in Jazz. I do like Grover Washington's Winelight album and I really like Abrahm Burton’s version of Laura. Stumbled on Dave Koz and Friends Jazzy Christmas album recently and the first track is really special.
Enjoy your pursuit. Maybe report back on what you enjoyed.
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Check out Norman Brown, Paul Jackson, Jr, Lee Ritenour, Chuck Loeb, Fourplay, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, Yellowjackets with Jimmy Haslip on bass, Weather Report, Return to Forever and The Chick Corea Elektric Band.
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Hi,
As is obvious from the posts above, it's a massive field with lots of individual preferences.
Some of my favourite albums:
Anything by Nik Bartsch but especially the Live album
Manu Katche is excellent: albums like Neighbourhood
The Astounding Eyes of Rita by Anouar Brahem I like a lot. It's a world/jazz fusion type album.
Happy exploring
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Tom Scott and the LA Express - Tom Cat
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@OP Chet Baker, Paul Desmond. And though some people hate CTI recordings, a lot of Wes Montgomery's CTI recordings are very listenable. And speaking of Wes Montgomery, Lee Ritenour's Wes Bound is an outstanding recording - in the quality of its engineering and musicianship.
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I am exactly like you. I’ve tried for decades to like jazz. It just doesn’t grab me much at all. However, I have one recording I could gladly listen to again and again. It’s the only jazz record I can say that about and I have a small collection of recordings by very well known jazz artists.
I came across this recording thanks to Michael Fremer. He was invited to speak at our Audiophile Foundation and he talked about this recording. I decided that if Michael Fremer recommended it I would buy it. I have a perfectly good turntable and a relatively large vinyl collection, but I don’t buy LPs any more as I’m hooked on streaming my own large CD collection. I made an exception and I am very very glad I did.
the recording is named “Rufus Reid and Caellan Cardello. It’s just a piano and a double bass.
The recording was done in a small performance space in NYC and billed as “New Directions in Jazz Piano”
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I subscribe to Qobuz and Tidal using Roon and if I wanted to listen to jazz, from Roon I would go into Genres, then it gives you 20-30 options of what kind of jazz you want to listen to: contemporary, fusion, soul jazz, smooth jazz and many more. Subscribing to Qobuz/Tidal allows you to you to listen to millions of tracks in each genre without ever buying anything
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Start with Miles Davis Kind of Blue. Listen to the whole album every day for a month.
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Jeez, not a lot of love for the "classics" here. ;-)
I'm a big-band and swing guy myself, but I enjoy a lot of "modern" jazz that is tuneful and swings. Here are what are considered some pretty classic albums and some of my favorites:
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Jimmy Giuffre - The Jimmy Giuffre 3
John Lewis - Grand Encounter
Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots
Duke Ellington - The Great Paris Concert
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - I Talk With the Spirits
Stan Getz and Jimmy Rowles - The Peacocks
Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
Ben Webster - At the Renaissance
Oscar Peterson - Girl Talk (Exclusively for My Friends)
Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster
Sarah Vaughn - Sarah Vaughn (with Clifford Brown, 1954)
Dinah Washington - Dinah Jams
Billie Holiday - Recital (Verve, 1952)
That's just off the top of my head.
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Return to Forever, Romantic Warrior
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This album just came out this month, and I think it's an incredible jazz album for anyone who doesn't like jazz. You just have to hear this.
Jeff Parker - The Way Out of Easy
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Stream a good radio station like WBGO.
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I would start with a music appreciation class. Learn how to listen to the musicians interacting with each other. Learn how they are listening to each other and then making incredible music with queues to each other. That is what makes jazz and other forms of improvisational music so incredibly, whether rock, bluegrass, jamband or any other. Sometimes I just focus on one instrument then gradually other players seep into my listening space. It’s a wonderful experience, imho
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Any Steely Dan record
would be a good intro
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I found years ago that big band jazz is pretty easy to enjoy & “ understand “ for someone unfamiliar w/ much of jazz as I was. It’s generally more structured w/ less improvisation.
stuartK’s explanation of jazz is excellent & it may sound strange but I really began to appreciate the Grateful Dead after I realized that much of their music follows this jazz format of stating a central theme as a group, taking turns w/ variations on that theme & then finally returning to that group theme albeit often a bit changed or even expanded. For those who don’t know, Jerry Garcia was a great musician who could play many types of music at a high level.
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Almost every person who "doesn't like jazz" seems to like simple solo female vocal jazz artists like Norah Jones's first record, Holly Cole's early releases, Sophie Milman, Patricia Barber, even Blossom Dearie.
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