Most sophisticated and intelligent musician


Let's stay with not classical musicians.
It's John McLaughlin for me.
inna
I would agree with Schubert and Apperup, but I would like to include Thelonious Monk.

Don't know about moby but his music reflects that to some degree at least compared to the norm these days.
Really?

Is there such a thing as a "sophisticated" musician?

Intelligence is another thing. In this department I would add:

Paul McCartney

Mick Jagger
Joe Jackson. Although he's know as kind of a New Wave kind of guy, he's classically trained at London's Academy of Music where he went on scholarship.

His catalog is pretty vast covering everything from light punk to Jazz, to Big Band to 4 part Symphonies.

If you see him live, he'll often drift in and out of well known classical pieces interjecting them with some of his hits in a really clever manner. The guy really loves all kinds of music and is well versed in many genres.
If you insist about excluding the best musicians,, that leaves Keith Jarett.
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There are some accomplished works of art around that are sophisticated, even technically daunting but not necessarily enjoyable - subjectively of course.

In fact, sophistication sometimes is achieved with the compromise of melodic flow - the antidote of "Easy listening".

Those I found to be sophisticated, intelligent and enjoyable at the same time with *some* of their works:

Arvo Part
Enrico Rava
Sting
Miles Davis
Norman Winstone
Patricia Barber
Kenny Wheeler Quintet
Charles Lloyd
Dr. Billy Taylor.
He was a great musician and educator. He brought the Jazzmobile to New York City.
Pierre Boulez has more intelligence, taste and has acheived more, than ALL the others mentioned put together.
Did I miss Mingus in there somewhere? Votes also for Metheny, Costello, and how about Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood (not film score Greenwood, since he's classical!)?
I can live with Duke Ellington and Monk but Bjork?
In an unusual way, I could say that Steve Roach and Jorge Reyes especially when playing together( Suspended Memories, Vine,Bark&Spore ) are quite intelligent. Great ambient/tribal music.
Gotta toss Duke Ellington (not classical for the most part) in the pot just in case he was omitted otherwise.
i would say that there are a lot of musicians who are highly intelligent but on paper i guess i would go with kris kristofferson (phi beta kappa, rhodes scholar, &c).
Gene Simmons - they call him Dr. Love.

Kid Rock - he's not straight outta' Compton, he's straight out the trailer.

Axl Rose - no explanation needed.
Hmmm. Thanks for the definition,CW. Seems to me he was both sophisticated in his understanding of complex feelings and issues, and bohemian in his lifestyle. Whether he was more of one attribute than the other can be debated. For me, his music is enough of an answer.

bohemian (noun)

A person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior.
so·phis·ti·cat·ed/səˈfistiˌkātid/Adjective
1. (of a machine, system, or technique) Developed to a high degree of complexity.
2. (of a person or their thoughts, reactions, and understanding) Aware of and able to interpret complex issues; subtle.
Cwlondon: Very keen observation on Bono. I agree 100%.
But I wouldn't put Sting in the same league.
opinions, opinions, opinions.......
Macdad: I LOVE IT!!!

let's move forth.
Seal for sure. Anyone who can talk Heidi Klum into marrying them is a genius!! She looks awefully happy too, so "Well Played" Seal.
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Macdadtexas

Re Sting, exactly! Very pleased with himself, which is never the sign of a truly sophisticated person.

He would top my list of pseudo sophisticates, or perhaps tie for first place with Bono.

Having said that, I also like the early Police music.
Sting's " Soul Cages" was great in my opinion...after that it was all downhill in my opinion.
Jorge-perroito,

"Da do do do, Da, da da da" that is genius!

Sting thinks he's smarter than he is, and I hate his music on his own. Which I don't understand, since he wrote all the songs for the Police, and I think those are sublime. Maybe the interaction with 2 other great musicians (yes, I agree Sting is a GREAT musician), led to those wonderful songs.

Anyway, I would take Stewart Copeland or Andy Sommers over sting in the sophistication and intelligence race.