RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
(07-14-2015 07:04 AM)UroboricForms Wrote: I've been getting more and more into Jazz over the last 2 or 3 years. It's quite daunting because there's so much of it...but I love that feeling of discovery. Reminds me of when I was younger and getting into metal.
I'm particularly fond of experimental/fusion stuff though I do love a good piece of vintage cool/modal or whatever.
I recommend people look into the ECM label for more left-field stuff. There's a David Torn record called Cloud About Mercury that has become a firm favourite of mine. It features the rhythm section of the 80s King Crimson lineup (Bruford and Levin), Mark Isham on trumpet, and David Torn's really tasteful, experimental shred guitar. Very un-traditional but musically very satisfying. Other artists worth looking into are Ralph Towner, Eberhard Weber (I've got an album of his, Pendulum, which is all complete solo bass arrangements, very impressive!), and Pat Metheny put out some stuff on there too.
Also really like Weather Report, namely the stuff with Jaco on bass. I play fretless myself and the guy never fails to blow me away. A real pioneer.
Miles Davis is also essential, from the older ones like Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet through Tutu which is a very good album IMO.
Here's a stunning Pat Metheny track featuring Jaco on bass.
Hahahahaa, Holy shit...this a millions time over. I've been obsessed with the ECM Record label and Miles Davis for years...and Jazz more generally.
I'm feelin' a little guilty here for not starting a jazz thread; I remembering wondering months ago if a jazz thread had ever been created on RooshV. I guess I don't use this forum enough to really care. But jazz has been one of my few true loves in life (other than women
I don't have enough time to hunt down the Youtube videos (or the computing power, I'm currently running a really old laptop that takes forever to load any page including Youtube videos), but I recommend the debut album by Steps Ahead, anything by Mahavishnu Orchestra (or even some of John McLaughlin's stuff with his group Shakti), anything by the recently passed Ornette Coleman, any of the progressive big band music by the likes of Kenny Wheeler and Dave Holland, and especially anything by Allan Holdsworth, which may appeal to some of the more metal-oriented guys on this thread.
To be honest, I've listened to so much jazz over the years that I'm finally starting to branch out and listen to other genres but I more than welcome this thread. I hope some of the RooshV forumers can see some of the diversity of the genre, which gets unfairly pigeonholed as un-diverse, lame and out-dated.
(This post was last modified: 07-17-2015 10:27 PM by Lion of Judah.)
07-17-2015 10:17 PM
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RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
Argh- Wanna throw a few more out there that I've been listening to on repeat recently:
John Scofield's mid 80s material- Still Warm and Blue Matter in particular
Pat Martino- Consciousness
Antonio Carlos Jobim- Passarim
Elias Regina- Elis '80
(This post was last modified: 07-17-2015 10:26 PM by Lion of Judah.)
RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
This guy's worth a look:
"The woman most eager to jump out of her petticoat to assert her rights is the first to jump back into it when threatened with a switching for misusing them,"
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2015 04:12 PM by shameus_o'reaaly.)
RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
Ah glad someone started this thread, I mentioned something like this in everything else lounge thread, but never got round to it.
I'm starting a jazz band today. They will be round in an hour or so. I'm excited becauss this is the first band I've ever led myself (I play drums and fill in for a lot of bands). It gets frustrating playing music with people who don't want to improve or listen to new ideas. It also gets frustrating being in bands, when no one can agree on anything. I think bands need leadership, so I'm going to take that role, hopefully shit gets done. Maybe you guys would be able to offer advice.
As for the jazz to listen to, what are your favourite jazz albums? and what jazz don't you like?? I love that Many Mansions track by Sonny Sharrock that was posted.
I was a big metalhead as a kid but first got interested in jazz when I heard Django Reinhardt.. really loved his stuff got most of it, and then I started checking out other famous jazz artists, Gene Krupa, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker but it wasn't until I heard ' A Love Supreme' by John Coltrane that I really started to love jazz. I still remember hearing that for the first time.
I think because, I discovered those jazz artists in a chronological order, I had never really heard jazz that wasn't 30s or 40s swing or bebop. This was the first modern jazz I ever heard and it blew me away, cos I only had heard old stuff. I had no idea the playing could be so intense and powerful. The drums were far more interesting and still intense and powerful as any metal I had heard. I had never heard anyone play such dark sounding chords McCoy Tyner was playing before, and of course so much passion and beauty in Coltrane's sax playing.
I became obsessed with coltrane's music for a year or two, and started listening to Pharoah Sanders and some of the more experimental stuff, but I'm not interested in noisy boring free jazz.
I've listened to a lot of jazz since then and was gonna list some favourite albums but this is taking me too long, so maybe another time.
Most overrated album though: Kind of Blue.
Boooring. Blue in Green is beautiful, but man... theres barely anything to listen to on the other tracks on most of the time. It sounds like blasphemy because every player on it is a legend but.. yeah it just sends me to sleep.
RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
Love this thread. I'm really into jazz - any kind that gets my feet tapping (so all except bebop and some modern stuff) - especially since I started dancing nearly a decade ago.
My favourites would be New Orleans style, by far, and basically anything that swings, but also love the various world variations (gypsy, bossa nova, flamenco, afro cuban etc.) I'm very much into blues as well.
Current favourite NOLA bands: Shotgun Jazz Band, Tuba Skinny
Love the whole culture and vibe that goes with it too.
Another of my favourites is Gordon Webster from New York. Too many to choose, but here are some I enjoy dancing to:
RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
(07-19-2015 10:03 AM)RedPillUK Wrote: Ah glad someone started this thread, I mentioned something like this in everything else lounge thread, but never got round to it.
I'm starting a jazz band today. They will be round in an hour or so. I'm excited becauss this is the first band I've ever led myself (I play drums and fill in for a lot of bands). It gets frustrating playing music with people who don't want to improve or listen to new ideas. It also gets frustrating being in bands, when no one can agree on anything. I think bands need leadership, so I'm going to take that role, hopefully shit gets done. Maybe you guys would be able to offer advice.
As for the jazz to listen to, what are your favourite jazz albums? and what jazz don't you like?? I love that Many Mansions track by Sonny Sharrock that was posted.
I was a big metalhead as a kid but first got interested in jazz when I heard Django Reinhardt.. really loved his stuff got most of it, and then I started checking out other famous jazz artists, Gene Krupa, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker but it wasn't until I heard ' A Love Supreme' by John Coltrane that I really started to love jazz. I still remember hearing that for the first time.
I think because, I discovered those jazz artists in a chronological order, I had never really heard jazz that wasn't 30s or 40s swing or bebop. This was the first modern jazz I ever heard and it blew me away, cos I only had heard old stuff. I had no idea the playing could be so intense and powerful. The drums were far more interesting and still intense and powerful as any metal I had heard. I had never heard anyone play such dark sounding chords McCoy Tyner was playing before, and of course so much passion and beauty in Coltrane's sax playing.
I became obsessed with coltrane's music for a year or two, and started listening to Pharoah Sanders and some of the more experimental stuff, but I'm not interested in noisy boring free jazz.
I've listened to a lot of jazz since then and was gonna list some favourite albums but this is taking me too long, so maybe another time.
Most overrated album though: Kind of Blue.
Boooring. Blue in Green is beautiful, but man... theres barely anything to listen to on the other tracks on most of the time. It sounds like blasphemy because every player on it is a legend but.. yeah it just sends me to sleep.
Good luck with the band. I'm also a drummer and have played in the jazz band at my old college.
I started off as a metal head. Jazz nowadays is a musicians music, although it used to be popular music for the masses back in the day. Unless you're a musician or some kind of dancer/artist, it usually falls on deaf ears and unfortunately has a lack of appreciation.
I would say A Love Supreme is my favorite jazz album. I still remember the first time I listened to it and freaked at out at that opening sax melody in Resolution. Just incredible.
(This post was last modified: 07-19-2015 04:00 PM by AldoKelevra.)
07-19-2015 03:59 PM
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RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
John Coltranes "Giant Steps" by Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The first three minutes of this is some of the most technically beautiful piano playing I've ever heard. The cutaways are of Peter Erskine and Michael Brecker, obviously admiring. The riff at 2:43 to 2:50 one of many crazy moments.
07-20-2015 10:45 AM
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RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
Has anyone seen the Ken Burns documentary series on jazz? I loved it, curious what others thought.
I'm a country music fan, probably about as passionate as that genre of music as you can find. I was really surprised watching that documentary how much influence early jazz had on the progression of country music. Burns didn't cover this directly it was just something I noticed because country music is what I know.
(This post was last modified: 08-27-2015 05:33 PM by Grodin.)
RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
(08-27-2015 05:31 PM)Grodin Wrote: Has anyone seen the Ken Burns documentary series on jazz? I loved it, curious what others thought.
I'm a country music fan, probably about as passionate as that genre of music as you can find. I was really surprised watching that documentary how much influence early jazz had on the progression of country music. Burns didn't cover this directly it was just something I noticed because country music is what I know.
Never heard of it. Interesting to here.
Jazz is hugely responsible for the evolution of many types of music. Many types of music can be traced back down the branches to jazz at the roots.
Just a broad example- Jazz---> Funk ----> Hip Hop ---> Rap, etc.
Just a broad generalization, but it's there.
08-28-2015 09:33 PM
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RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
I have been an intense Jazz lover since my teen years. I was exposed to it since early childhood as my late mother and aunt were aficionados of the genre and they played it early and often in our home. In my lifetime I have gone to jazz clubs with friends and family, but other than my previously mentioned mother and aunt, I've only known two people that were into the music like I am. An old girlfriend, who happened to be a musician, and my deceased brother. Two. I have quite the collection, old vinyl, cds, dvds, books and lots of songs and memories in my brain. Jazz like baseball and the American Constitution is very dear to me. This is not the Golden Age of anything and it certainly is not the Golden Age of jazz. The art form is still alive, and may it live forever. Lots more I can say so I will just list of few of my favorites. Thelonious Monk and Django Reinhardt leave me speechless in awe. The word genius certainly applies here. Gene Ammons is my favorite tenor sax man. Not as powerful or creative as Coltrane, but I love that straight ahead Chicago style of playing. Love organ jazz and saw Jack McDuff twice, two decades apart. He was a very accommodating gentleman between sets and after hours. I enjoy forgotten artists like tenor man Wardell Gray and baritone sax man Leo Parker, both of whom died young. I could go on and on. Ken Burns ain't got nothin' on me. Like the late Dizzy Gillespie used to sing "Oop Bop Sha Bam."
09-27-2015 07:43 PM
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RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
(07-14-2015 12:46 AM)AldoKelevra Wrote:
Jazz is one of the greatest musics and arts ever created. It's birth and evolution spawned many heroes, different types of jazz, influences, and a music that evolved from rebellion to mainsteam. It is solely responsible for many types of music, musicians, and influences of the past and today. It brings a nostalgic past feeling and image to anyone that hears it and the world would not be the same today without its history.
History
In a brief nutshell, Jazz was first being played from the 1890s and gaining popularity in the 1920s. Eventually evolving to its many different forms and types after the 1920s, becoming America's truly first art, and mainstream music. Eventually fading out in the 1960s and 70s, although still popular the world over today.
It was first played by blacks rejecting the European classical music that was pushed upon them. Improvisation and a swing rhythm are the backbones of jazz that are easily recognizable. It's a music hard to explain, but the moment you hear it, you know that it is undeniably jazz.
Styles
There are many different styles of Jazz from swing, big band, latin jazz, to bebop, to cool jazz, and to its younger brother funk, and its cousin, the blues.
The world has adopted jazz and amazing sounds have been created with jazz and other countries customs creating incredible sounds from bossa nova from Brazil, gypsy sounding jazz from France, and Afro-Cuban jazz from Cuba to name a few.
Heroes
Miles Davis, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, etc. etc. The list goes on and on great influences from past to present.
Examples
Miles Davis
John Coltrane- Bebop
Bossa Nova
Afro Cuban
French 'Gypsy' style
I'm a big fan of Brazilian Jazz/ Samba/ Bossa- Jobim, Gilberto, Gal Costa, Maria Bethania, Gilberto Gil, Elis Regina, etc., too many great songwriters, vocalists and talented musicians to name them all. Thanks for the "Desafinado" video- a very nice version of one of the standards of the genre.
10-02-2015 01:33 PM
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RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
Really really nice thread guys I didn't realize how much I dig this fusion style jazz, I want to contribute a little MMW this little improv is what some people call experimental or "acid-jazz"
RE: Jazz Appreciation- One of the Greatest Arts of All Time
How does the jazz scene look like in other countries? Sadly, it seems jazz is dead as a cultural force in the United States, but I hear it's still fairly popular in Asia and Europe.