Which Jazz Artist’s Influenced your Musical Taste?

Back in the seventies, I was listening to Weather Report, Earl Kluge, David Sanborn some big band etc,  but I listened mostly to Rock and a little Classical. A few years before I retired, I really started to lean more to Jazz trios, quartets, quintets. And as we all know there are many! Whether it Bill Evans or Art Farmer, Billy Cobham or Sonny Stitt, Art Blakey or Miles Davis, I pretty much enjoyed them all, but I can’t really say there was one person or even a few people who influenced my journey,  but for now, I am happily exploring as many as I can.

I started with the 3 M’s. Miles,Mingus,and Monk. From there it just a matter of seeing who their sidemen were and who influenced them. Next thing I knew it was down the rabbit hole. Armstrong to Zawinul, there has been a wealth of great players. sturtk covered many of my favorites.

A buddy's dad was big into the swing stuff when I was 8 or 9 years old.  Got me into Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey.  I didn't appreciate Frank Sinatra at the time (I do now), but did appreciate the talent of the Andrews sisters.  From there, I got into many of those named above and especially the fusion artists.  A solid foundation and an ever-expanding catalog to savor!

Dec 9, 1965 as a 6 yr old watching Charlie Brown Christmas on TV and not knowing that the music was jazz.

Vince Guaraldi's instrumental version of "Christmas Time is here" is the most perfect gateway song to jazz.

It explains why I'm also a big fan of Bill Evans - I love the softer touch on the keys.

Let’s play jazz violin

Jean LucPonty, Stephane Grappelli, John Blake jr.

Michal Urbaniak