The Jazz & Blues Recommendation Thread
 

Hi people,

i'm a big rock and punk fan myself, but i'm trying to expand my horizon.

Can you guys point me towards some good jazz & blues songs & bands?
Like good stuff to start of with?

I would really appreciate it, greetz

Cool jazz songs like:
 

Does anyone know of songs similar to the following:

patrice rushen - hang it up
like the heavy brass section

you tube: "cowboy bebop opening" (sorry cant post direct links yet)
Not sure who - Tank!
cool bass/driving brass section

Victor wooten - amazing grace

$160 Million Chinese Man - Oceans 11 version
just wow.
I've heard other versions of this, and the oceans one puts everything to shame.

Please/thank you

well seeing as it's a Sticky i guess i'll post here


anyone know any good Jazz fusion? only groups i really know are Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. plus i really like the work of Charles Mingus, anything else related to or like that?

A lot of Miles Davis' latter works (the electric era) were pretty much the beginnings of jazz fusion. I've been scouring blogs and torrents for a few months looking for a few good albums and I really haven't seen much. However, I recommend:
Wather Report - Heavy Weather
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

As for Charles Mingus, I suggest you check here.

Oh yes, definitely Bitches Brew and Live Evil by Miles. Also, if you like the Weather Report, do some research on Jaco Pastorious - legendary bassist for the band. I've been listening to a couple newer jazz bands including performers Skerik, Charlie Hunter and Stanton Moore. They were originally in Garage a Trois, I think and dispersed to do their own thing. Though I'm unsure of the whereabouts of Skerik, Charlie Hunter and Stanton Moore both have their own trios. I am uneducated on the differences between acid jazz and jazz fusion, so I'm not quite sure what to label them, but Outre Mer by Garage a Trio is a great album to start off with just to get a sample of the three. Skerik is an amazing saxophonist. They guy does wonders with air. :) Charlie is on the guitar and Stanton is usually on the drums. Hope this gave you a little boost on your jazz mission.

:clap: Good Show
Stanton Moore's solo albums are great. MMW would be a very accessible suggestion as well. I have yet to meet anyone who has heard miles' Kinda' Blue an not liked it.

Acid Jazz=funky jazz
Jazz fusion= electric jazz or rock & jazz hybrid hence the term fusion.

the two genres do overlap quite a bit

Thanks, SATCHMO - for the Acid Jazz and Jazz fusion definitions and the clap. And yes, I failed to mention Kinda Blue, but that's a given in the jazz world, no? The 50th Anniversary Edition was recently released and it makes me feel ****ty to see so many people take advantage of this to make a few more bucks, but hey, maybe this will reach out to some new listeners. I've not listen to much MMW, but will take the suggestion. Also, have you heard of Tin Hat Trio?

ha, i just noticed- you've given me the clap. :laughing:

One of my pet peeves when it comes to jazz albums is the over inclusion of alternate takes which seems to be a go to thing for anniversary re-releases. It's ok if there's 1 or 2 alternate takes, but when the last half of the album is just alternate takes of the first half, that IS just someone trying to make some extra money off of an albums reputation. I will say though that the alternate take of Flamenco Sketches on the Kinda' Blue re-release is almost like a completely different song.

Yes, well, mainstream media does have a knack for repeatedly raping a good album with re-releases, remixes and alternate takes after they realize how much money people will spend on it. I suppose its no help when consumers buy into the bull**** anniversary specials and such. I've yet to hear the alternate take on Flamenco Sketches, but will definitely check into it now.

Jazz suggestions!
 

In a silent way,sketches of spain-miles davis
lynn ariale live
anything by martial solal
anything by mvq[martin vallely quartet]

i dont think i have quite "gotten" any jazz i have listened to so far. or maybe it just isn't my taste. what is the one jazz album that everyone should hear.

[YO[/YOUTUBE][QUOTE=ti dont think i have quite "gotten" any jazz i have listened to so far. or maybe it just isn't my taste. what is the one jazz album that everyone should hear.[/QUOTE

one jazz album everyone should hear
 

Newcomers to jazz might enjoy going back into the early days of jazz, to listen to some Bix Beiderbecke. His melodic inventiveness is simply stunning, transcending genre by sheer musicianship. There's about 2cds worth of recordings left from Bix, who died in 1931 aged 28; make sure you get one with "Clarinet Marmalade" on it.

The jazz album I couldn't do without would be collection of Billie Holiday tracks, any collection of Billie Holiday tracks. I just can't resist her gorgeous super-sensual delivery, she was a wonderful instrumental soloist and her instrument was her own voice.

If you like your Jazz a little more funky you could do worse than check out most things on the Tappen Zee label.

This was me before I got into jazz. It seems that for a lot of people it takes a catalyst to break into the mode of appreciating The rhetoric of jazz music. I strongly recommend Bitch's Brew by Miles Davis. I'm not one to recommend fusion albums to jazz newbies but this album is really the exception. It's what converted me after a long spell of failed attempts to "get" jazz.

check out soil and pimp sessions. been dubbed 'japanese death jazz' and they're sick!! check out A.I.E and see how you go...

I recommended these Dutch performers in another thread:
Also I can highly recommend Dutch performers Benjamin Herman (also with New Cool Collective), Michiel Borstlap, Eric Vloeimans and Jasper Blom.
All worth checking out.

Considering I am a huge delta blues fan. I will just go ahead and direct you to some of the most respected, and heart throbbing blues artists I have had the pleasure of discovering.

Robert Johnson
Huddie Leadbetter Williamson (Aka: Leadbelly)
Mississipi John Hurt
Skip James
Charlie Patton
Blind Lemon Jefferson
ANDDDDDDDDDDDD Son House.

Hope you enjoy these great legendary blues musicians as much as i do!

Nostrovia!

I listen to Shirley Bassey - Chaka Khan - Aretha Franklin - Streisand and Eva Cassidy ... just begun listening to Ella Fitzgerald

my problem with Jazz is that i really get lost so much it's vast.

so if you could label the genre that i listen to ... so i could have like a starting point ...

and can anyone recommend the extreme opposite ... like if i want to change ... cause I've been listening to the above for 4 years and i need a wider taste in here.

Well judging by your tastes I think you would really be into Sarah Vaughn.

^ I listened to her too ... the thing is ... i only know this one style of jazz ... i'm asking for the total opposite ...

I dig me some Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ornette Coleman and of course Miles Davis

Well, if you mean OPPOSITE opposite, you can look for Ornette Coleman or Joe Maneri (who recently passed). They are the inventor and perfecter of Free Jazz (in that order).

Or if you want to stay in the vocal realm, you could try Nina Simone, who is a little more "out there", but still pretty accessible.

"Kind of Blue" (don't know why people are calling it "Kinda' Blue") is the one jazz album EVERY one should own. Start there.

What I do is take an album I like, listen to it, then do two things: 1) Read the track list and search for any songs that aren't originals, then search for the same songs by other artists, 2) Do the same thing with the players on the album. For instance, with Kind of Blue, you could choose an instrument you like, see who plays that instrument (Bill Evans, Coltrane, Art Taylor, Miles Davis, Adderly) and then look for albums by that artist.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arbitter05 (Post 612254) Hi people, Can you guys point me towards some good jazz & blues songs & bands? Like good stuff to start of with?

blues - I'd have to say Davy Knowles (think he's Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam now but sure you can find him!)

jazz - can't say my jazz knowledge stretches much beyond Miles Davis but I listen to a lot of jazz/funk/soul and I can highly recommend a London band called Mama's Gun (myspace.com/mamasgun)

..

any recommendations for me??

if you want something fresh and modern, i suggest checking out Erik Truffaz. every album he puts out is absolutely brilliant.

I have yet to get into jazz.
For some strange reason I cannot sit and listen to instrumentals.

The weird part is, I dont even listen to the lyrics until the 6th or 7th time I hear a song. But if there are no vocals I just skip to the next song. Has anyone had that problem? I admire the sheer talent most jazz musicians have, I just haven't got into it yet. Can anyone recommend a good starting point for a Jazz nooby like me?

Thanks!

I recommend starting out by listening to some classic albums of the old masters and some of the current masters and this way try to find out what you like. I got introduced to jazz by watching "Bird" the Clint Eastwood movie about Charlie Parker. I then started listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk (old masters), etc. and later on to Joshua Redman, Eddie Palmieri, Branford Marsalis (current masters), etc.

I found out I like old bebop, hard bop, a bit of fusion and not so much vocals or big band. So then I started digging out more old bebop records, and new ones discovering new jazz styles I like on the go.

Awesome thanks! My friend gave me a copy of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue. Ill start there.

They should really just give everyone a copy at birth.

I've never really listened to jazz or blues before I came upon this thread about 10 minutes ago. I downloaded some Billie Holiday, and i want to cry it's so moving. Never been so moved by music thats just coming out of my computer speakers. I've listened to "Crazy He Calls Me" 3 times and it still hurts to listen to it (which, in case you were wondering, is a very very very good thing in my world). My Uncle is a Jazz man and plays the Sax in a few different bands, so he can guide me...but my word! How did i not realize what a wonderful world was within my grasp!!! thank you thank you thank you!

Question.

Thus far with my Jazz knowledge it has all been instrumental.

Are there any vocals in any form of jazz music?

some names that come to mind are Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nora Jones and Nat King Cole. am i on the right track MB?

Norah Jones is way new compared to Billie Holiday and kind of in a different realm, but i love them both :) im no expert though, just excited about my new experiences

Cool Ill check them out. Much appreciated.

Oh yeah

Yes, there's plenty of vocals in jazz music. Although there's a thin line between jazz, soul and blues in this case. Check out big names like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole. I myself aren't a big fan of jazz with vocals but love Billie Holiday and Sinatra. Nowadays Norah Jones and Jamie Cullum come to mind but I don't like their style.

Definitely Sinatra and Fred Astaire if you're looking for smooth vocal jazz

Agreed on these suggestions; however, not all of them were Delta bluesmen. Also, it's Huddie William Ledbetter, aka Lead Belly, not Leadbelly.

Keeping with Southern flavoured blues, I'd like to add these bluesmen:

Blind Willie Johnson
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Lightnin' Hopkins
John Lee Hooker (his album Burning Hell is some of the best acoustic blues ever recorded)
Barbecue Bob
Big Bill Broonzy
Ishman Bracey
Reverend Gary Davis
Tampa Red
Bukka White

The Mississippi Sheiks were one of the, if not the most popular band in Mississippi, and most of the South, of their time.

definietly check out ahmad jamal. hes one of the greatest of all time, and influenced miles a ton

Thanks. I dont know if this counts because I know little about jazz but I rather like Louis Armstrong.


Also does anyone know a good starting point for Weather Report/Jaco Pastorius? Thanks.