Can you recommend Jazz for some one that doesn't like Jazz?
Let me explain, I have tried to like jazz for over 30 years. I rarely find something I like. To me it sounds too disjointed, like everyone is trying to out do the others and they are all playing a different song. I know there has to be some good instrumental smooth jazz artists I am missing. If you have any suggestions of whom to try let me know. Some that are on my Jazz playlist is Pat Metheny-"It's for you" Bill Frisell _"Heard it through the grapevine" Holly Cole, George Benson... for an example of things I do like.
I'd love to have a 100 song Jazz playlist. So what'ch got for me?
In my collection, many of the best sounding recordings happen to be of jazz. The following is a list of some of these outstanding recordings:
Armstrong: "Satchmo Plays King Oliver" (early stereo, but not surpassed in sound quality).
Ellington: "Blues in Orbit" (again late 1950's stereo recording that is amazingly good. I use an original issue, six-eye Columbia recording to demonstrate how little recording arts have advanced)
Brubeck: "Time Out" (original six-eye Columbia that sounds better than reissues)
Clark Terry "Alternate Blues" (a reissue from Classic Records, I believe, that is extemely dynamic)
Yamamoto Trio: "Midnight Sugar" (Japanese Three Blind Mice record. ANY TBM record will sound fantastic; CD is decent, but not as good)
Great Jazz Trio: "Direct from L.A." (original East Wind (Japanese) label album. The CD reissues are decent, but, not as dynamic as the original).
Bill Berry Allstars: "For Duke" (a direct to disc album from M&K records. Any other M&K direct to disc record will also sound good, such as "Fatha")
Oliver Nelson: "Blues and the Abstract Truth" (many different reissues and they all sound quite good)
Rollins: "Saxophone Colossus" (one of the great recordings for music and sound quality; I use it to demonstrate how good MONO can sound)
Modern digital recordings also do a great job with jazz. I offer two samples:
Anour Brahem: "Thimar"
Stefano Battaglia; "Re Pasolini"
I don't usually think of vocal works as jazz. To me it is its own genre and there are MANY great sounding recordings. I will only offer one example of a top singer playing with a first rate jazz orchestra:
Thanks for the positive feedback from those who found my comments helpful.
There is of course, much more to Jazz than I mentioned! I'd advise anyone who wants to explore Jazz to get a copy of the All Music Guide to Jazz which does a good job of describing the various sub-genres and movements of this great American art-form. It also offers reviews and recommendations.
You could also, as has been suggested, watch the Ken Burns series. Just be aware that he spends much of his time discussing early Jazz and then rushes through later movements and developments. It's still worthwhile despite its lopsided focus.
Stuartk did an excellent job describing improvisation in jazz. It is a lot of fun following how the ensemble weaves its way through a tune, particularly where that tune seems almost, but not totally, unrecognizable. I suggest listening to Lester bowie’s outrageous, joyous and silly romp through the song “The Great Pretender.” Even where it seems to have devolved into noise, you can still hear the tune and enjoy what the band is doing.
I like the MJQ recommendations made above, but, they may not be as accessible as the "Time Out' recommendation. Still, it is hard to say what will connect with any one listener. I had a friend who I lent some jazz CDs to as an introduction. Just as a joke, I included Coltrane's "Interstellar Space" and it turned out to be the album he most liked.
I also like the suggest Samba recordings. There is a lot of interesting South American jazz worth exploring. I recommend Gato Barbieri's "Latin America: Chapter 1." The track named "India" is a good track to sample.
Still, it is hard to say what will connect with any one listener.
Yes. I’ve recommended music plenty of times to friends. Sometimes, they’re enthusiastic; other times, they show surprisingly (to me) little enthusiasm. There’s a lot that goes into our preferences and while we may be able to come up with objective rationales, I believe much of what drives them is unconscious.
Much as I’ve tried, I’ve never been able to handle Gato’s abrasive screeching. It’s like fingernails on a blackboard to my ears. On the other hand, there are other sax players whose altissimo overblowing doesn’t affect me in the same way. Why? Who knows?
I am currently listening to some Billy Cobham, I remember listening to him late nights when I was in college. WLAV out of Grand Rapids MI. Also "Hey Joe" by Markusphillippe, Sweet Emotion by Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon. Also "Heard it through the Grapevine" by Bill Frisell. This is stuff I like.
Now I’m really confused. When you bring up Aerosmith in a thread that’s ostensibly about Jazz, you’ve lost me! One of the main differences between Rock and Jazz is the latter's harmonic sophistication. Perhaps this is the stumbling block for you-- you can't actually hear what's going on. This would definitely make it difficult to appreciate Jazz.
I often find it unfathomable that certain artists and albums are disliked by a lot of people. I have a hard time trying to figure out why Eric Dolphy fits into the category of artist that some people truly don't like. I would put the Mal Waldron/Eric Dolphy/Booker Evans "The Quest" album very high on a starter list for a jazz collection. I cannot think of too may cuts more beautiful than "Warm Canto."
As I mentioned before, you should start with a Blue Note compilation, such as "Best Blue Note Album in the World Ever" which is a two CD collection featuring many of their best artists. If you don't find three or four tracks in that collection that you really connect with and enjoy, then jazz might not be for you.
i don't think your post ruffled any feathers. You received a lot of diverse suggestions from those responding and that is all to the good. If we misread what you were looking for, it is because it is quite hard to interpret your thread title. No one who dislikes something can be expected to be well versed in the subject, so people have been recommending things that you should sample to see if you like it. If, on the other hand, your interest were limited to the likes of Holly Cole, George Benson and Bill Frisell and Pat Methany, I did not read it that way; I thought you were also interested in expanding your search to find other things that you may like. If your search were just for things you are already inclined to like, you could use a streaming service which will suggest other music similar to what you say you like.
I DID take the suggestions and I grew my playlist. There are so many in this thread it has become overwhelming but over time I will try them out,
I put something a my Jazz playlist while ago and got scolded because it isn’t Jazz. Hell I didn't know. I was just identifying things I like for guidance. Hell it was an improvisation on a popular rock song I thought was cool.
You said
I often find it unfathomable that certain artists and albums are disliked by a lot of people.
SO if I don’t like something I got no class I guess. This is what I mean by ruffled feathers. But I did benefit from this thread, I did find some things I like and that is what I was looking for so mission accomplished. I am not a true Jazz lover but I can still enjoy some of it but not be a card carrying member.
I don't see a lot of feathers getting ruffled, certainly not for this forum, aka Angry Birds. People get worked up about jazz!
Two quick things: first, it's okay not to like jazz, not to like Miles or Bird, not to like rainbows or puppies. Second, my advice would be Radio Swiss Jazz, if you have internet radio. It's easy listening but legit; lots of beat-steady tunes, some swing, good vocals, and nothing too demanding.
No scolding. Just stating simple fact. You can call a duck a goose if you want but be prepared for people to tell you "no-- it’s actually a duck". That’s all there is to it. Doesn’t mean they’re trying to give you a hard time. I have no idea why you should take this personally.
I was not at all scolding and was not directing that statement to ANY suggestion. I was merely pointing out how hard it is to predict reactions to any piece of music or artist. The example I gave was of someone whose music seems universally likable, at least to me, yet others would disagree. That is why threads like this are helpful—a wide selection of music is suggested.
I have not read the whole exchange, but I'll give you a fine recommendation: subscribe to JazzRadio.com. There are 45 stations with all kinds of different jazz genres, and you can always find something you like. There is a free program, but subscription to their highest resolution MP3 cost only $9 per month. Music is very good, and it sounds very good. I love it.
Jazz covers a lot of different types. I suggest you listen to WDCD.org to get a taste of what you may enjoy. They play a lot of excellent jazz and cover most types. That's how I got into Jazz. You may be surprised what you hear. They also play the blues. They don't play the same play list either, you'll hear different stuff every day. Also some of the DJ's are Jazz musicians themselves. WDCB is a really good place to hear Jazz....
Well, I like "Complete Communion" with Don Cherry.
However, the following displays his "signature" abrasive edge that (contrary to my earlier characterization) is not limited to the upper register of the horn:
I’m fine with players who vary the texture of their tone. I simply find unrelieved abrasiveness fatiguing. It’s like a knife with a burr on the blade that "snags" everything it touches.
First off let me say thank you to @larryi for suggesting to us here to check out Gato. I try to give comments with thankfulness in my intentions when I post here.
Someone told me long ago that, ’someone’s dog can be another’s hit’. And that same person told me there are only two types of music, ’good and bad’.
My first ever Gato Barbieri ’album’ I bought was Caliente! He did a cover of Marvin Gaye’s I want you and I’ve been a fan ever since. Fast forward, in my quest to learn Portuguese I discovered more about his music.
@stuartkyou have introduced me (us) to more music than I can count, and I appreciate you for that. You also take to the time to write about said artist’s in a way that shows you are also a wordsmith and it is enjoyable to read your posts. Along with that, your wit shines through and now and then you make me/us chuckle and it’s just so darn refreshing as I know you mean no harm, no foul.
I haven't read the entire thread but I haven't seen anyone suggest Take Five by Dave Brubeck. And has anyone suggested big band like sing sing sing by Benny Goodman?
Dunno that I'm any more eloquent than you on the topic of Jazz but thanks for your kind words.
My first exposure to Gato was something similar... and so, I was quite surprised by what I heard when the needle dropped on the first Flying Dutchman release I'd gotten my hands on! I do enjoy his note choices/melodic sense. It's just that "edge" that gets to me. But as I've grown older, my tolerance for such things has diminished. When I was young, it was the more "outside" the better. Now, I prefer more consonance. Life is "dissonant" enough!
There have been several suggestions, including my own, for Brubeck's "Time Out" album which has the fantastic "Take Five" track. I do agree that there are many Benny Goodman albums that display terrific music making and virtuosic playing. I have some original six-eye Columbia stereo recordings from the late 1950's and early 1960's of Benny Goodman that are among the finest recordings that I have in terms of sound quality.
I think there may have been some suggestion that certain types of jazz recordings are not sophisticated or demanding enough to be included in suggestions. I don't think that is the case. I often listen to simple, tuneful music that others would call easy listening. So what if it is easy listening if it is simply beautiful? In that category. I would suggest recordings by the Tord Gustavsen Trio. These ECM recordings have the benefit of that label's consistently good engineering. I would also suggest that one look for recordings of the pianist Geoffrey Keezer.
@stuartkHold up! I’m a southern rock and roll freak! The Allman Brothers Whipping Post! With two drummers in the band?! Similar to James Brown’s band! Come on now! And dare I say Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mother’s Finest!? And I had forgotten about Gato's Flying Dutchman label releases, thanks!
It took me a long time to develop an ear for more esoteric jazz. My thing is the era after jazz died, and popular music (Doors, Hendrix, Cream, etc.) became the market.
If I wanted to introduce somebody to jazz in an incremental way (there are so many different forms), I'd start with Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth. It is every bit as important, in my estimation, as Kind of Blue, but doesn't get the level of accolades that the Miles record does. I'm a huge fan of anything under the rubric of "spiritual" or "soul" jazz, but a lot of those records have gotten to be collectible and expensive. There is a remaster of Dream Queen that Bernie G. cut that is cheap and allegedly from the tape- the OG is a 4 figure record- it's lo-fi lounge music, but the title track is killer. Likewise, the track "Turiya and Ramakrishna" on Alice Coltrane's Ptah, the El Daoud, is stunning. The reissue is pulled from a digitized file, the OGs command beaucoup today. If you like something fairly straightforward, try Art Pepper Today- a late record in his short life- the track Patricia, which was released three times, includes Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes and Stanley Cowell. Stunning performance, and the copy I have, an early Japanese pressing is quiet and extremely good sounding.
I tend to go for small and private label jazz that is more obscure, but it took time for me to get to this-- it is a process of learning, and being accustomed to sounds that may at first seem cacophonous. Exposure allows you to develop an ear for this- one of the least popular Pharoah Sanders' releases-- self titled, on in the India Navigation label, did not sell well at the time, but OGs now command big money. It was reissued a couple years ago.
To me, a lot of modern post-bop is a process of exploration. There's a lot of records out there. You just have to develop an ear for it and get engaged in the process of exploration. It's quite fun, though it has gotten expensive on vinyl.
Jazz isn’t for everyone. Which is why so few in America purchase it. I believe that’s because most haven’t developed an ear to appreciate it. And yes, it helps if you’ve played an instrument to give you greater technical understanding. However, there are many artists you’d probably truly enjoy if you heard them.
I prefer, sax, trumpet, piano, guitar, the vibes. I play piano, flugelhorn, and guitar. But you don’t have to be a jazz nerd like myself to develop an appreciation for it. That’s what you’re striving to do.
Try these:
The Crusaders - Free as The Wind album, from 1976
and their Live at the Roxy album, from 1975. That’s easy listening enough.
As been said, any Wes Montgomery CTI album, especially Bumpin and Bumpin on Sunset.
Miles Davis’ album Working with the Quintet, a classic album from 1955 and its beautiful ballad It Never Entered My Mind is a show stopper. In fact it was that album that got him signed to Columbia Records as a comeback musician after a stint with drugs. I don’t judge anyone for we as a society have a huge problem with alcohol addiction.
Dianna Krall, a pianist and singer has a huge following. I’m more impressed with her early work from the 90’s to 2005.
That’s a good start. But don’t give up on the genre. You simply haven’t listened to what appeals to you yet. And you won’t know until you listen a lot. That’s what most of us have done for many decades. Personally, I grew up on jazz, soul, and all of the 60’s popular music because that’s either what was on the radio or played at home by my parents. Enjoy the journey.
Watch the Ken Burns series, "Jazz" on PBS. That may go a long way in clarifying your understanding of jazz. My mom took me to hear Armstrong when I was 10 (1951), and he sold me on jazz immediately. His Hot 5 and Hot 7 records helped define the direction of jazz (and, to a degree, pop and rock, and even Broadway) for decades. Listen to those recordings a number of times, and pick out a different instrument to follow each time you listen. Finally, take in the numbers as a whole. Armstrong said they did not improvise--everything they did was planned--variations on themes, Also, pick up the Willie Humphrey performance of "My Blue Heaven" on YouTube. His extended clarinet solo there is a model of elegance. For utter abandon, find the YouTube recording, "Ice Cream," by the December Band in 1965. John Handy's extended sax solo in the middle of the piece will have you shaking your head just as a few members of the band were doing. For ancient history, try "High Society," Picou-1959 and hear a very old Alphonse Picou do his turn of the 20th-century variation on that old college fight song march. In many modern performances of this song, the clarinetist will play Picou's variation, and then present his/her own take. Another bit of history--one of the first multi-track recordings. In 1941, Sidney Bechet played all 5 instrumental parts in "Sheik of Araby" by recording one part, then accompanying that with a second part, then those two with a third, etc. Finally, pick up a few of Tuba Skinny's long sessions on YouTube, and if you get a chance, hear them live. Their vocalist, Erika Lewis, will make you cry. They are preserving traditional jazz as well as any group in the world.
I rarely find something I like. To me it sounds too disjointed, like everyone is trying to out do the others and they are all playing a different song.
@fthompson251 When someone is not the greatest composer (just doesn't have it in his head, it takes some smarts, y'know), all he can do is try and showcase what a instrument specialist he is.
It's not unique to Jazz.
Take for example two of the most talented guitar players in the world today, Joe Satriani (also a phenomenal composer), Steve Vai (just an instrument specialist and that's about it, meh).
Once upon a time (a long time ago) when i was a student in college, my part time job was being the cheap pianist on hire for the dance department. I would observe the cheerleader greek types and the more artistic types that showed up in the ballet, modern, jazz, etc classes. Both categories could have the same physical aptitude, i.e., you give them a choreography and they can execute it.... but, ask the cheerleaders to choreograph something of their own, chop chop, it just didn't show up in their heads, the aptitude isn't there, y'know, it takes some smarts. The other category, the ones with some smarts and true artistic muse are the ones who may end up in chicago ballet, etc.
I don't like jazz either.
But, umm, try a couple of these tracks from this Scandinavian guy and pretend its not jazz perhaps, keep the subwoofer on...
If it didn't work, just move on to indie rock or a wind ensemble or something else.
You don't have to say you love jazz for extra audiophile street cred (or something, y'know). If ya don't like it, ya don't like it.... there are plenty of genres out there.
I believe that’s because most haven’t developed an ear to appreciate it. And yes, it helps if you’ve played an instrument to give you greater technical understanding.
I think those of us who play instruments have a much more developed ear for music in general. I agree that this can be a big help.
Agreed. Wayne Shorter’s Blue Note recordings were in fact my first non-fusion Jazz record purchases. Believe it or not, I bought them because of the cool cover art! Then I played them and fell in love. Those Shorter albums are still favorites of mine. And, his very first Blue Note "Night Dreamer" is perhaps the most accessible, because the heads are so simple and easily hummable.
In the liner notes of one of the "Kind of Blue" reissues (can’t keep ’em all straight) there are quotes from Duane Allman about his love for Miles. He loved Coltrane, too. In high school, we used to stay up all night listening to music and the Fillmore album was in heavy rotation. I can still sing along to long stretches of the solos on Whippin’ Post and Elizabeth Reed. That music is deeply embedded in my brain!
@fthompson251if you’re into smooth jazz I’ve got a good one. Gato Barbieri had a plethora of jazz albums from 1975. His best selling was titled Caliente. It was a hot album. Here’s his take on a well known Santana tune Europa.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
