So it has only been in the last year or so that I've grown to appreciate and enjoy jazz, and now I listen to it quite a lot at work and in the evening. However, I tend to listen to just the same few musicians (Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Miles Davies, Ahmad Jamal, Thelonious Monk and The Oscar Peterson Trio) though, and I'm looking to branch out.
So, Hubski, do you have any recommendations?
Personally I really like Charles Mingus. He has some really fun bass lines that I feel most other jazz musicians overlook. In my opinion, Mingus is the best jazz bassist. He understood both his instrument and the role it could play in a composition better than any other bassist has. Mingus is the guy I can always listen to. If you want something a little more modern, check out Herbie Hancock. He has some interesting electronic jazz music that feels kinda experimental while still staying firmly in the territory of jazz. And then there's the 80's take on jazz with Jaco Pastorious. He's just a wicked awesome electric bassist. I've actually studied this guy when I started playing electric, and some of his compositions are incredibly complex.
Oh totally! I was saying that most composers overlooked the power that the bass had in jazz.
Thanks for all the recommendations! I'd come across Charles Mingus' name before, but I've not listened to him previously. I'll be sure to check out some of his stuff -- from the brief listen I gave it, I think I'll like it. I fee like electronic jazz music is something that I've still not quite got used to yet, it doesn't quite gel with me as much as the stuff I usually listen to. The Herbie Hancock you linked has a wicked funky beat to it though!
Herbie Hancock made a couple more really killer jazz-funk albums, if you want to pursue that sound some more:
His more traditional stuff is also really great:
Haha I'm happy to see someone else recommending Brad Mehldau. I found this video a while back that you might enjoy of Brad Mehldau and Elliot Smith jamming on some TV show. I probably wouldn't call it jazz, but Elliot Smith is an awesome songwriter/guitar player and Brad's presence only adds to the tune, of course.
Wow thanks for the link. I love both Brad Mehldau and Elliot Smith, but didn't know that they played together before.
Thanks for the specific recommendations for albums, I checked out both the Hank Mobley and the Sonny Rollins & Theolonious Monk albums and will definitely be listening to both again, as well as checking out some of their other stuff.
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Modul - 49_44 If you like polyrhythms this band will satisfy. They describe themselves as 'Zen Funk' and they really are one of the most interesting listens I've come across recently. Hypontising and deeply groovy. Some of my favourite compositions come from this band. Gretchen Parlato - Weak Lovely smooth sound with tasty female vocals leading the pack. Not much more to say. Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Jack DeJohnette - Sunrise This one has more ambient styling. Sprawling compositions that amble along but with enough musical flair to keep your attention. It's inspiring to just sit back and let this wash over you; the musicianship is unparalleled. Portico Quartet - Ruins A very contemporary sound. This band has actually now lost a member and renamed themselves simply as 'Portico'. However, their albums as a quartet are still their strongest material. Bring in electronic elements and the use of the ever beautiful Hang gives this lot their unique character. Tommaso Cappellato & Astral Travel A modern masterpiece that as far as I know goes relatively unknown. Coming out on the always excellent Jazz Re:freshed label, its a dreamy and groovy dive into the mind drummer and composer namesake. It's got that spiritual jazz vibe. Matthew Halsall - Fletcher Moss Park Another band on the spiritual tipped side of things. Matthew Halsall, who owns his own label which puts out great material, takes us on a smooth ride. GoGo Penguin - Kamaloka Attaining a mercury prize for album of the year for 2014, these guys shouldn't be overlooked. A really cool fusion of genres.
I've been studying a few jazz guitarists lately to try and lift some of those great chords and my two personal favorites are Ted Greene and Lenny Breau. However, any cursory investigation of jazz guitar would be incomplete without listening to a least a bit of Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, and Django Reinhardt. On the more modern and less guitar centric end of things, I've personally been absolutely smitten with Brad Mehldau lately, and Kneebody is all the west coast jazz students are talking about nowadays.
Thanks for all the recommendations -- I'm especially liking Lenny Breau and Kneebody. I'll be sure to check out some more from all your suggestions!
I am a huge fan of BADBADNOTGOOD. It is by no means pure jazz, but does have a very strong jazz element, along with instrumental hip-hop and electronica. I don't have much time to go into any detail, but just check it out. They have three solo albums and one collaboration with Ghostface Killah (way more hip-hop than jazz on this one). All albums are available on full on youtube to have a listen. BBNG:
This is going to sound a bit odd, but insaneintherain does great Jazz renditions of videogame music. Link's Awakening, to Pokemon, to Skyrim, he has a wide variety of songs and styles that even if you're not a gamer you might enjoy listening to.
I'd recommend exploring Latin Jazz. It opens up a sprawling tree of styles, musicians, and a deep history. I love the different instrumentation, especially for the percussion. Cal Tjader is a good starting point to transition from what you're used to. Soul Sauce is my favorite one of his albums.
Latin Jazz is an area I've never explored, so thanks for giving me a great starting point to dive into it some more!
I really like Bill Evan's music, you should check it out! Here is one of my favorite albums: Portrait In Jazz
Some jazz fusion:
Brand X (Phil Collins on the drums by the way)
Return to Forever featuring several jazz greats including Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke:
Isotope:
And here are some general recs: Charlie Hunter:
Hiromi:
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers:
Hiromasa Suzuki Trio:
Ornette Coleman:
Medeski, Martin, & Wood:
Herbie Handcock and The Headhunters are amazing. Also try some Billie Holiday.
Check out some Red Mitchell! Also, the 4 guys he plays with in these videos (Joe Pass, Billy Mays, Lee Konitz and Clark Terry) are all good jumping off points as well (though I think Joe Pass has some associations with Oscar Peterson, so you might already be listening to him a lot).
She has one of the best female voices in the music industry and most don't know who she is. I say Melody Gardot Amazing music, voice, and story. Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart [Full Album] http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTIb4fKCEAev1nKj9CwdRblYWn3NDZ7S3
Yes, my partner is a fan of hers - she has a great voice. I love the song 'sweet memory'. Thanks for suggesting!
I like Antonio Sanchez. He's the person who composed the soundtrack for Birdman. He's a Jazz drummer and I think he's fantastic.
If you're looking for some very different stuff, you should give The Bad Plus a listen. I'm wearing out the grooves on my copy of Never Stop, but I think my favorite album of theirs is These Are The Vistas. They have a way with teetering on the edge of cacaphony and coming back from the precipice that makes my brain happy.
I took a look at The Bad Plus last night and really enjoyed them, so I'll definitely be listening to them some more. It was also surprising (in a good way!) to hear them cover some non-Jazz songs, which work extremely well.
Thanks for the suggestions. Wes Montgomery is really right-up my street and I'll definitely be listening to more by him. I'm not so familiar with guitar-based Jazz, but I liked all the other suggestions you made and will definitely be investigating them some more!
Some more guitar players: Jim Hall
Grant Green
Tal Farlow
Herb Ellis
George Benson
Philip Catherine
Pat Metheny
Thanks for the reply! Both are very different to one-another and also to what I'd usually think of in terms of Jazz, but I liked both. Ibrahim Maalouf's song reminded me somewhat of Beirut's music, although I can't quite pin down why -- probably just the tone of trumpet!