TheBig3

I'm going to make a recommendation here that I think is the best way for experiencing new jazz, so take it for what its worth but I'd say use Pandora or LastFM and just let it run.

Jazz is like any other art form, just experience a whole bunch without making a concious effort to do so.

I think its healthier for your understanding but thats just what i think. Too many people want to decide "I'm going to be intelligent, i'm going to listen to jazz" and then they come here bemoaning the death of "real music like jazz" and they end up getting screwed.

I don't think you're in the same boat but I'm trying to illustrate the issues with forcing it.

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cardboard adolescent

duke ellington, air, mulatu astatqe, and sun ra are all pretty great

Janszoon

Own several Duke Ellington albums already: Two of the Carnegie Hall Concerts, The Soundtrack to Anatomy of a Murder, and some Ken Burns compilation of his music. Do you have any specific albums you'd recommend?

I own one Sun Ra live album and have always been curious about his stuff. Do you have specific recommendations?

Air and Mulatu Astatqe are new names to me. Any thoughts on a good starting point with either of them?

Meh. I might try that but honestly that's not how I normally get into music, I normally by albums based on recommendations or stuff I've read about them. So going the LastFM route something is kind of forcing it for me.

cardboard adolescent

for sun ra space is the place is good fun, air lore is a great album, and mulatu astatqe's music is documented in a comp called ethiopiques vol 4

mr dave

just gonna note the distinction between the jazz 'air' from the 70s and 80s and the electronica act called 'air' from the late 90s to present in case some lurkers are looking to download. might have to be a little creative with web searches.

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Janszoon

Thanks!

Ah, I actually already have that album and love it. I didn't realize it was all one guy though, I thought it was a comp of different people. My copy is just a burned CD and I guess never really paid attention to the tracklistings in iTunes when I imported it.

Rocnono

Not sure if this is on the right track, but I found I drifted into Bossa Nova, especially Antonio Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz. I have found it unexpectedly rewarding in musical sophistication and it sure is soothing to listen to after a stressful day

Janszoon

Heh. Yeah, when I first read that recommendation, I thought, "Air? WTF, those guys aren't jazz." Then I turned to Wikipedia and found out that there's another Air just like there's another Nirvana.

Sounds good to me. I know Stan Getz by name but I'm not familar with his music. Antonio Carlos Jobim I've never heard of.

Rocnono

Jobim wrote the Girl From Ipanema, but don't be put off, the original version is terrific, and he did other such gems as Wave, Stone Flower, Aquas de Marco and a host of others

Janszoon

Ah, well I definitely know "The Girl From Ipanema".