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Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
This is the jazz thread for inforoo. Talk about any jazz you want here. Old jazz, new jazz, afro punk, swing, fusion, bop, post bop, acid - whatever. Anything except smooth jazz - you'll have to create a different thread for that. Some people like jazz but it's an older genre and so I totally get being unfamiliar or even intimidated by it after you get past a few of the big names. So we can make this a discussion, debate, education, or whatever as long as we're talking about it.
For those of you who read all this and say "so what?" here's a video with a couple of guys who two of my kids are named after:
We just had a new club open here called The Cave. They are hosting their Jazz in the Gulch on Sunday through Wednesday.
"Sundays feature “straight-ahead” or acoustic jazz groups. Mondays belong to salsa or other Latin styles. Big bands pack into the venue on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are dedicated to funk and fusion jazz artists."
I'm thinking a Tues or Wed would be fun to check this out.
We just had a new club open here called The Cave. They are hosting their Jazz in the Gulch on Sunday through Wednesday.
"Sundays feature “straight-ahead” or acoustic jazz groups. Mondays belong to salsa or other Latin styles. Big bands pack into the venue on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are dedicated to funk and fusion jazz artists."
I'm thinking a Tues or Wed would be fun to check this out.
I'd check any of those nights. Latin and salsa are great dancing music.
First, Dave Brubeck Quartet: I was lucky enough to see them once live. I rank it up there with any musical experience I've ever had.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yExwkQYcp0 Blue Rondo a la Turk
Next, this might be "smooth" but it is one of the most sensual songs of all time: John Klemmer - Touch
Weather Report - Birdland
Return to Forever - Duel of the Jester & the Tyrant
After downloading Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums, I checked out a Miles Davis LP (can't remember which one) but man it was a revelation.
I'm assuming you are referring to Kind of Blue. Shame on you for not remembering that.
That was it. It popped up as I road tripped back to NOLA a week back so I wasn't able to check which album came up. Listened to it again this morning and I feel like I've just found my long lost love, so good.
I'm assuming you are referring to Kind of Blue. Shame on you for not remembering that.
That was it. It popped up as I road tripped back to NOLA a week back so I wasn't able to check which album came up. Listened to it again this morning and I feel like I've just found my long lost love, so good.
When I first started playing bass my teacher was a jazz musician. He had me learn almost that whole album. It was instrumental (ha!) In my understanding of music.
Post by Funky Munky on Nov 8, 2014 16:32:50 GMT -5
This is a great thread. I love all of the current New Orleans jazz/funk that is going on that city. We've started making an annual pilgrimage to eat well and listen to what's current. If any of you guys are headed that way get yourself down to Frenchmen St. after midnight. I love Kermit and the RBB, there are great musicians coming through there all of the time. I totally understand the idea of Miles being a revelation, amazing mind there.
Debated on posting this in here, but I think it applies still to the goal of the thread. BADBADNOTGOOD definitely try to continue a jazz legacy for a newer generation, and they always seem to be able to do it in interesting ways. They have this album coming out with ghostface killah, and the production just seems to be so on point from what I've heard from them. Obviously, if you're looking for a gateway into jazz and you don't have any extensive background, this is an easy way to go about it.
Post by billypilgrim on Nov 10, 2014 18:34:38 GMT -5
Roo obviously isn't a jazz festival, but I've seen some good to amazing jazz performances there over the years, including Big Sam's Funky Nation (2014 and 2010), Jon Batiste (2014), John McLaughlin (2013), Pedrito Martinez and Spectrum Road (2012), Rebirth Brass Band (2010 and 2006), Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (2011 and 2006), Medeski Martin & Wood (2010), Henry Butler (2008), and Galactic (too many to mention).
Roo obviously isn't a jazz festival, but I've seen some good to amazing jazz performances there over the years, including Big Sam's Funky Nation (2014 and 2010), Jon Batiste (2014), John McLaughlin (2013), Pedrito Martinez and Spectrum Road (2012), Rebirth Brass Band (2010 and 2006), Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (2011 and 2006), Medeski Martin & Wood (2010), Henry Butler (2008), and Galactic (too many to mention).
I was recently thinking about all the jazz greats I've seen who have since passed away. A lot of them were already pretty old by the time I saw them, so it makes some sense (Lionel Hampton was 88). Then there's Jaco Pastorius, who died way too young. He revolutionized the electric bass in jazz and made it a more relevant instrument influencing everyone from Herbie Hancock to Santana to Joni Mitchell to Metallica. An unfortunate combination of hypomania, drugs and alcohol led him to be killed in a fight at 35.
Listen to this self-titled album, probably his best - it's got Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Sam Moore, and Blood, Sweat & Tears on it and it sounds exactly like 1976.
Roo obviously isn't a jazz festival, but I've seen some good to amazing jazz performances there over the years, including Big Sam's Funky Nation (2014 and 2010), Jon Batiste (2014), John McLaughlin (2013), Pedrito Martinez and Spectrum Road (2012), Rebirth Brass Band (2010 and 2006), Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (2011 and 2006), Medeski Martin & Wood (2010), Henry Butler (2008), and Galactic (too many to mention).
Definitely not smooth. Wynton is a brilliant trumpeter and whenever he plays with his dad it's always very old school and almost understated, like on this album. One of the most annoying things about Wynton is his lack of appreciation for anything jazz-related post 70s - which means he excludes acid, some of the more recent afro-cuban jazz rhythms and fusion among other styles from his concept of jazz. There are a lot of jazz enthusiasts who agree with him and, in my opinion, it's hurt the genre over the last 25 years or so.
Definitely not smooth. Wynton is a brilliant trumpeter and whenever he plays with his dad it's always very old school and almost understated, like on this album. One of the most annoying things about Wynton is his lack of appreciation for anything jazz-related post 70s - which means he excludes acid, some of the more recent afro-cuban jazz rhythms and fusion among other styles from his concept of jazz. There are a lot of jazz enthusiasts who agree with him and, in my opinion, it's hurt the genre over the last 25 years or so.
Glad someone else said it. Wynton is a great player, but that's about it. Seeing as how he's one of the most vocal and recognizable jazz artists today I think it'd be much better if he were more open to genres outside of swing.
Branford on the other hand... Branford is the shit.
Oh man. I could talk about jazz all day. (I unsuccessfully tried starting this thread before.)
My serious interest in jazz started with a few more contemporary artists / groups such as Vijay Iyer, The Bad Plus, Bill Frisell, etc. I quickly fell deep into the world of free and avant-garde jazz. From there, over time, I worked my way backwards to the classics of the 50s-60s. Chronologically, and I know this is gross oversimplification, but from a very high level I tend to think of pre-50s as the early period dominated by big bands, and so forth, the 50s-60s as the golden age, 70s as the ECM age representing a shift towards a new sound after the sound of the golden age burned out, 80s-90s as the meh age that didn't produce very much memorable jazz music as compared to other time spans, and 2000 on as the modern age. There are so many entry points into the world of jazz: pick an instrument, musician, subgenre, record label, etc. and you could spend years investigating whatever selection you made.
In its purest form jazz offers a glimpse into the musician's feelings that flow directly from the performer's heart, through their instrument, and into the lister's ears. I don't think any other genre is as inherently intimate, emotional, (and sexy?) as jazz.
Anyway, a couple of the more interesting things going on right now within the jazz universe IMO:
The Blue Note 75th Anniversary reissues. Don Was, current Blue Note President, decided to run a series of vinyl reissues of classic Blue Note records, reissuing 5 albums per month, starting back in March. These classics have been remastered and are also available for download as hi-res lossless (24bit flac) from HDTracks, complete with .pdf liner notes, including both the original and updated notes as well as photos and high quality cover art. I have been 'playing along' focusing some listening time on roughly one album per week. The majority of them were previously in my collection already, but I have discovered some "new" gems along the journey. Eg: Back At The Chicken Shack.
Clean Feed Records. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Since the late 00s, this label has really been picking up momentum and continues to release some of the very best modern jazz each year. Their releases tend to run anywhere from on the edge to well into the avant-garde spectrum. If anyone is interested at all, I would love to write up a guide to this label, giving some background story and album recommendations, etc. -- maybe we could start a series, breaking down various labels. There are many labels today in a similar niche, but I don't think any offer a higher consistent quality than Clean Feed. Essential release: Adam Lane's Full Throttle Orchestra - Ashcan Rantings (2010).
I have to get back to work now, but I'll leave you guys with this..
The Free Jazz Blog. Okay, this isn't exactly a "thing" in the sense as the other things, but I read this site every day to keep up with new releases within free jazz / avant-garde / free improvisation.
Last Edit: Nov 12, 2014 14:29:00 GMT -5 by G: typo - Back to Top
If you're a fan of me, you're a fan of your motherquackin' self.
Post by steveternal on Nov 12, 2014 14:36:28 GMT -5
Oh boy, another attempt at a jazz thread.
Don't get me wrong, I really hope this one succeeds. But jazz threads on Inforoo are like New Years diets: they never seem to last more than a month. My heart can't be broken again...
Oh man. I could talk about jazz all day. (I unsuccessfully tried starting this thread before.)
My serious interest in jazz started with a few more contemporary artists / groups such as Vijay Iyer, The Bad Plus, Bill Frisell, etc. I quickly fell deep into the world of free and avant-garde jazz. From there, over time, I worked my way backwards to the classics of the 50s-60s. Chronologically, and I know this is gross oversimplification, but from a very high level I tend to think of pre-50s as the early period dominated by big bands, and so forth, the 50s-60s as the golden age, 70s as the ECM age representing a shift towards a new sound after the sound of the golden age burned out, 80s-90s as the meh age that didn't produce very much memorable jazz music as compared to other time spans, and 2000 on as the modern age. There are so many entry points into the world of jazz: pick an instrument, musician, subgenre, record label, etc. and you could spend years investigating whatever selection you made.
In its purest form jazz offers a glimpse into the musician's feelings that flow directly from the performer's heart, through their instrument, and into the lister's ears. I don't think any other genre is as inherently intimate, emotional, (and sexy?) as jazz.
Anyway, a couple of the more interesting things going on right now within the jazz universe IMO:
The Blue Note 75th Anniversary reissues. Don Was, current Blue Note President, decided to run a series of vinyl reissues of classic Blue Note records, reissuing 5 albums per month, starting back in March. These classics have been remastered and are also available for download as hi-res lossless (24bit flac) from HDTracks, complete with .pdf liner notes, including both the original and updated notes as well as photos and high quality cover art. I have been 'playing along' focusing some listening time on roughly one album per week. The majority of them were previously in my collection already, but I have discovered some "new" gems along the journey. Eg: Back At The Chicken Shack.
Clean Feed Records. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Since the late 00s, this label has really been picking up momentum and continues to release some of the very best modern jazz each year. Their releases tend to run anywhere from on the edge to well into the avant-garde spectrum. If anyone is interested at all, I would love to write up a guide to this label, giving some background story and album recommendations, etc. -- maybe we could start a series, breaking down various labels. There are many labels today in a similar niche, but I don't think any offer a higher consistent quality than Clean Feed. Essential release: Adam Lane's Full Throttle Orchestra - Ashcan Rantings (2010).
I have to get back to work now, but I'll leave you guys with this..
The Free Jazz Blog. Okay, this isn't exactly a "thing" in the sense as the other things, but I read this site every day to keep up with new releases within free jazz / avant-garde / free improvisation.
Ah G, sorry. I don't think I was around a lot during that period and never even saw that thread. But you're right, it's hard to keep a jazz thread going around here. There's a few here interested and I'm sure we can get more interest. My plan is to keep this thread alive as long as possible.
As to the Blue Note deal - Don Was has been great for the Blue Note revival - not just in the reissues but in bringing new blood like Gregory Porter and bringing old legends like Wayne Shorter back into the fold. I haven't heard a ton from Clean Feed, but I'm going to check out the Adam Lane. And I, at least, would be interested in a write up with recommendations from their label. I'm going to do a thing on ECM one of these days as they've been perhaps the best over the past 7-8 years at releasing a wide variety of jazz-type stuff.
And them Breckers. They know what they're doin. Anyone requested by Zappa has nothing to prove.
All right daddio, yeah.
F&@#&@&%KK!!! YEAAHH SKUNK FUNK! Nice! I'd almost come to believe I was the only person left on earth who knew this awesome song existed! So good! I have 2 contributions to this thread. I'm a HUGE fan of Latin/Cuban Jazz so Los Van Van needs some love!
I'd also like to contribute a drum solo from Joey Baron who I think is the most musical drummer alive today with the possible exception Airto Moreira. Try, JUST TRY to not watch the whole thing!
Wow. A jazz thread. I get in the mood sometimes but I find that it's hard to play unless you're listening alone because it's not the most popular genre and I don't like to drive people off (usually). I was fortunate in college to buy off a good chunk of a friend's vinyl collection and it was in impeccable shape. This album was in it and made me research other jazz classics because I fell in love with it. Check it out. You won't regret it.
This is probably the next one I fell in love with. After that I became a slut.