Need some Jazz recommendations..some pop and swing


OK, not even sure how to articulate this. I love music...almost all kinds...I have some Jazz and particularly like the Oscar Peterson and Stan Getz stuff. I have the feeling there's a treasure trove of Jazz I could be enjoying....here's the problem. Most jazz I hear...I enjoy...but never much more than in a background music sort of way. I absolutely love rock/alt rock when it contains Jazz (E.g. Soul Coughing, Steely Dan...etc. .so.

I think I need some Jazz with some pop elements/hooks to it... you might even be able to say I need some beginners jazz?

(and yes, I get that jazz is generally improvisational in nature...and does not exist to repeat hooks)

Jazz snobs: please step away...to me, it's about the music and I mean no offense!
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I find Brubeck very easy to get into

you might try Weather Report - Heavy Weather, lovely stuff
I'm still new to jazz, but I've been amassing a lot of it this past year.

I like these if I can suggest something other than "Kind of Blue" for intro to jazz.

Oliver Nelson -- Blues and The Abstract Truth
Donald Byrd -- Mustang
Lou Donaldson -- Fried Buzzard
Cannonball Adderly -- Somethin' Else
Sonny Clark -- Sonny's Crib
Jazz with a swing influence, up beat. My favorite for that would be Scott Hamilton. He recorded a lot of stuff for Concord Jazz. Excellent recordings as well.

You might do well to find a copy of AMG's All Music Guide to Jazz. It is an excellent and extensive source of information about performers and recordings.
Pat Metheny comes to mind as someone you'd probably enjoy. Check out his first 2 or 3 albums (on the ECM label) and then get a copy of "Imaginary Day". This is one of the BEST sounding recordings I have ever heard, truly reference quality.

Then, you might want to consider some offerings from Passport, Klaus Doldinger's band from the late 70s, early 80s. "Igaucu", "Looking Thru", and "Infinity Machine" will give you a good taste of what he has to offer. This is saxophone-driven jazz fusion at its finest.

Finally, you might want to consider Chick Corea's awesome band, Return To Forever. This is a group of superstars that were burning up the charts in the late 70s, early 80s. Try "Hymn of the 7th Galaxy" and "Romantic Warrior"; these are incredible efforts displaying absolutely the best musicianship ever seen/heard...

-RW-