Best jazz for first timer?

[_DOM_P_]

Okie so I love most types of music and have lots of fun creating everything from death metal to ambient.

But the one style i have always wanted to really get into is jazz, now i know its probably the biggest Genre out their with lots of different styles and sounds but for a first timer like me whats the best way to get into jazz?

I have some jazz cds but theirs no real style they fall into with no lead musiciians just "the so and so band"

Could any one give me some pointers not just on jazz bassists but jazz bands?

Thanks

[IdealWay]

I think a good way to get into jazz is to start with the early music and move forward chronologically. Aurally study the elements that define the different periods/styles in jazz music (Blues, Dixieland, Ragtime, Swing, Bebop, Hardbop, Cool Jazz, Free Jazz, Fusion, etc.) and try to zone in on the role of the bass in each (they are very different). By starting at the beginning you will be exposed to the progression of jazz music as it actually occurred in time, and you will better understand why and how jazz has evolved up to today. This approach will familiarize you with the roots of jazz and establish a foundation upon which you can build. As you're listening to the music, it wouldn't hurt to read up on jazz history as well. There's ALOT to learn, so take it one step at a time don't get overwhelmed.

I'd start with Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Bennie Goodman, and Duke Ellington, just to approach the threshold of the door which you seek to crack open. For a cursory sketch of jazz history you can start reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz

Have fun with it!

[The Lowe Down]

You can get a cross section of different genres by cherry picking different bands and albums.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue is required listening.

Thelonius Monk - pretty much everything.

Benny Goodman's - Carnegie Hall concert is a good early big band.

You have to listen to some Count Basie and Duke Ellington to capture the later Big Band sound.

Ornette Coleman is a good one for Free Jazz. This is not my cup of tea, but thee is some coolness here.

Dizzy Gilespie has some really good AfroCuban sounds later in his career.

You can check out Weather Report, Jeff Lorber and many others for the fusion sound.

Maceo Parker and the JBs loosely fit into jazz. They were sort of a crossover into funk and R and B. The Life on Planet Groove album is good as well as their Anthology.

You have to listen to some New Orleans brass band type stuff as well. Rebirth Brass Band, Preservation Hall, Dirty Dizen brass all fold a bit of teaditional marching band sounds with blues.

Some would argue that blues and funk and the like are not "jazz" and they would probably be right, but in some fashion the musical styles are just shades of grey.

PBS ran a really good history of jazz years back that cut across a lot of genres and how they bled into each other. I think they show it periodically. If you can track that down it is a good starting point too.

All of these will be very contrasting styles

[dougjwray]

Originally Posted by The Lowe Down

PBS ran a really good history of jazz years back that cut across a lot of genres and how they bled into each other. I think they show it periodically. If you can track that down it is a good starting point too.

I wonder if you're referring to Ken Burns's documentary.

http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Film-Ken-...7152942&sr=1-1

He always does brilliant work, and this is no exception, although some people felt that he quit around 1960, before free jazz.

[dalkowski]

If you can, listen to jazz radio stations on the internet. iTunes radio has many, including KJAZ and WBGO. Boston's WGBH is on iTunes, too, but they're really scaled back their jazz offering to 9pm - 5am Eastern time since a major programming overhaul a few months ago. Near me, there's wicn.org out of Worcester Mass which is very good, but sometimes a little too much on the vocalist (John Pizzarelli, Tierney Sutton, Stacey Kent, et al) side for my liking.

I've discovered some awesome music and some new favorites on these and other outlets. I like the "surprise factor" of radio. If anyone can recommend any other stations, pipe up.

[pharmakon]

You can listen to a whole bunch of music and end up asking yourself, "Is that jazz?"


The Burns documentary is definitely the way to go. Take notes.

[bassbeard]

You can stream the entire Ken Burns documentary if you have netflix.

[The Owl]

Originally Posted by The Lowe Down

You can get a cross section of different genres by cherry picking different bands and albums.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue is required listening.

Thelonious Monk - pretty much everything.

Benny Goodman's - Carnegie Hall concert is a good early big band.

You have to listen to some Count Basie and Duke Ellington to capture the later Big Band sound.

Ornette Coleman is a good one for Free Jazz. This is not my cup of tea, but thee is some coolness here.

Dizzy Gilespie has some really good AfroCuban sounds later in his career.

You can check out Weather Report, Jeff Lorber and many others for the fusion sound.

Maceo Parker and the JBs loosely fit into jazz. They were sort of a crossover into funk and R and B. The Life on Planet Groove album is good as well as their Anthology.

You have to listen to some New Orleans brass band type stuff as well. Rebirth Brass Band, Preservation Hall, Dirty Dizen brass all fold a bit of teaditional marching band sounds with blues.

Some would argue that blues and funk and the like are not "jazz" and they would probably be right, but in some fashion the musical styles are just shades of grey.

PBS ran a really good history of jazz years back that cut across a lot of genres and how they bled into each other. I think they show it periodically. If you can track that down it is a good starting point too.

All of these will be very contrasting styles

Good picks!

And I add:

Big Band

Stan Kenton - Kenton In Hi Fi
Duke Ellington - Ellington Uptown
Gil Evans - Out of The Cool, The Individualism of Gil Evans
Dizzy Gillespie - The Complete RCA Victor Recordings
Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall, Big Band and Quartet In Concert

Fusion:

Mahavishnu Orchestra: Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire

Return to Forever - Hymn of The Seventh Galaxy

Also check out

Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus, Oh Yeah, Ah Um, Charles Mingus presents Charles Mingus

Ornette Coleman - Change of The Century, The Shape of Jazz to Come

Jimmy Smith - just about anything!

Wes Montgomery - So Much Guitar!

Gerry Mulligan - Jeru, Mulligan Plays Mulligan, What Is There to Say, Age of Steam, Carnegie Hall Concert, The California Concerts Vol I & II

[neilshane]

If you've never listened to jazz before, you absolutely must start with Kind of Blue. There's a reason it's the biggest-selling jazz record of all time- it's outstanding.

Then explore from there. Get some more Miles albums. He was the innovator in nearly ever major style of jazz.

The more records you hear, the more people you'll start to recognize. Get albums by those artists. Jazz listening, as well as jazz playing, is a lifelong pursuit and passion. I started listening in college in the mid 1990s. I have hundreds of jazz albums and I've barely scratched the surface. It's such a diverse and wonderful art form.

[_DOM_P_]

Thanks everyone been a real help

[sikamikanico]

I don't find the chronological approach useful when it comes to music... I just start paying more attention when a certain name/band gets mentioned a couple of times, as an influence of my favorite musicians... for example, this method quickly led me to discover the great Jamerson, as he's been so often mentioned as an influence

by making such connections, I usually find something familiar in the music I discover, which makes it easier for me to understand (and like, because I don't like music I don't understand)....

maybe such an approach would fit you... it helps me all the time, but in the end, i also find mood very important - if i listen to something for the first time on a wrong day, i will not like it! sometimes my head just ain't open enough to "get" something bigger and better

[MarkMcCombs]

I'm no jazz expert, but I would not recommend starting at the beginning, as I think that would be too big of a contrast to what you're accustomed to listening to. Me, I wouldn't "get it".

I'd say start with either the well known standards, stuff that no matter who you are you'll recognize (Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, earlier Miles Davis, Norah Jones or Diana Krall) or better yet get some sort of Jazz sampler cd or a dinner party mix. Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts Christmas cd is a great one, very listenable. Or start with the blues. From there I think you can start branching out, but if you were to start with recordings made in the 1930's I think you'd lose interest fast, I would.

My .02, I can always be proven wrong.....

[groooooove]

giant steps by john coltrane. just listen to it over and over again, and itll leave you hungry for more..

[bertbassplayer]

Originally Posted by bassbeard

You can stream the entire Ken Burns documentary if you have netflix.

Last time I tried to watch it on netflix it didn't have the entire documentary... and a lot of it the sound and picture weren't synced. (EDIT: It looks like they have the entire documentary available now).

Anyway, going with the Ken Burns vien, I'd recommend the CD collection that goes along with the Ken Burns documentary. I bought it when I took History of Jazz in college, it was required listening. It's pretty good as it goes through the different eras of jazz pretty well.

http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Burns-Jazz...7158422&sr=8-3

[pica]

Do a internet search for "the 100 best jazz albums of all time".

[MLC_BassPlayer]

Another comment from left field:

Steely Dan's Aja would be a decent jumping point. Followed by anything by Jean-Luc Ponty.

[dalkowski]

Whatever you do, avoid Kenny G.

[pharmakon]

Originally Posted by dalkowski

Whatever you do, avoid Kenny G.

How can you say such a thing?

if you see Kenny G, DON'T avoid him! Keep driving straight and maybe give it a little gas!

[bertbassplayer]

Originally Posted by dalkowski

Whatever you do, avoid Kenny G.

He said he was looking for jazz... not Saxophone Pop .

[baalroo]

Originally Posted by sikamikanico

I don't find the chronological approach useful when it comes to music... I just start paying more attention when a certain name/band gets mentioned a couple of times, as an influence of my favorite musicians... for example, this method quickly led me to discover the great Jamerson, as he's been so often mentioned as an influence

by making such connections, I usually find something familiar in the music I discover, which makes it easier for me to understand (and like, because I don't like music I don't understand)....

maybe such an approach would fit you... it helps me all the time, but in the end, i also find mood very important - if i listen to something for the first time on a wrong day, i will not like it! sometimes my head just ain't open enough to "get" something bigger and better

This is the closest to my opinion on the subject in this thread so far. You gotta find stuff the vibes with YOU before you'll be able to start to "get into" a genre. If you can find some things that you find relate-able it will make the process much easier... basically try to ease your way into the genre in as natural a way as possible.

What sort of stuff do you enjoy the most currently? (feel free to answer this in whatever way you find appropriate... be it genres, bands, moods, styles, melodic content, etc) and then maybe people could make some more targeted recommendations considering the genres has been around for about 100 years there's an awful lot of diversity under the "jazz" umbrella. there's even a lot of stuff out there that ties in to the more "underground" and "alternative" scenes than one might initially think.