jazz worth listening to

[x15]

hey..
i've been playing bass for about two years now(with a recently purchased & insanely gorgeous ibanex srx505), and i want to start playing jazz and blues and things like that-mostly because the basslines are more complex and varying.. and if nothing else, the music's just more mellow..problem: i'm completely lost and i have no idea where to start..the only things i've been listening to from that genre are miles davis and muddy waters. any guidance at all, will be thoroughly appreciated.. guidance which would involve me downloading songs that are easily available on the internet instead of lps, would be appreciated-more still : )

[CQBASS]

John Coltrane, Mingus, Charlie Parker. These three are a great place to start. Look for recordings with Ray Brown or Ron Carter on bass as well. Jazz will open up a whole new musical world to you IMHO.

[xolin]

Originally Posted by CQBASS

John Coltrane, Mingus, Charlie Parker. These three are a great place to start. Look for recordings with Ray Brown or Ron Carter on bass as well. Jazz will open up a whole new musical world to you IMHO.

For sure...my first albums were John Coltrane's Blue Train and Miles' Kind of Blue. Those struck me right away. Of course my next album was Al Di Meola's Electric Rendezvous which I love to death despite what others think...but that fusion only has components of the jazz that you would be starting with. (Anthony Jackson f'n rocks on it though).

Anyway, listen listen listen...there's tons out there and it will really be a "new world" as he said.

Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie - Bebop originale
Miles Davis - Cool to original fusion
Coltrane - Oh my gosh...Avant-Garde/Hard bop ...but prob the best ever (check out My Favorite Things and Giant Steps...you'll love em...also for modernish: A Love Supreme)!
Sonny Rollins - Get some african/carribean vibe
Oscar Peterson - For some big band awesomeness
Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz
Charles Mingus - Amazing tone/soloist on bass...even better composer (check out the Ken Burns Jazz collection for Mingus, its a good review of his best)
Thelonius Monk - Crazy man, but genius..and has some great accessible ditties with some great soloing
Dave Brubeck: For some west coast

Well...I guess those are some of the bassics...I'd start with Miles/Coltrane/Parker/Mingus as was suggested...try building lines over the simpler progressions (Autumn Leaves is of the easier variety...You can do So What to experiment with how modes or scales work).

[xolin]

Originally Posted by x15

hey..
i've been playing bass for about two years now(with a recently purchased & insanely gorgeous ibanex srx505), and i want to start playing jazz and blues and things like that-mostly because the basslines are more complex and varying.. and if nothing else, the music's just more mellow..problem: i'm completely lost and i have no idea where to start..the only things i've been listening to from that genre are miles davis and muddy waters. any guidance at all, will be thoroughly appreciated.. guidance which would involve me downloading songs that are easily available on the internet instead of lps, would be appreciated-more still : )

Oh...and get to know the basic song structures (Roman numerals used, assuming you know some chord theory):
12-bar Blues (eg: 4 bars I, 2 bars IV, 2 bars I, 1 bar V, 1 bar IV, 2 bars I)
Basic 32-bar Jazz chorus: 8 bar A section, 8 bar B section (bridge): Played AABA

Basic progressions and turnarounds woudl be the II-V-I and variations of that, and the basic 12bar blues one V-VI-I

Well that's where to start...it sounds more complex at first.

EDIT: AND GET A REAL/FAKE BOOK of jazz or blues! (or um..find one some other way *cough* pdf *cough*

[Michael Jewels]

For more modern and/or smooth Jazz, go here: http://www.higheroctave.com/index.asp

1.) Click on Smooth Jazz.

2.) Go to the bottom of page 3.

The Cd, "Higher Octaves is Smooth Grooves," is phenominal. For someone starting a jazz collection, this will give you a nice balance to more traditional jazz. Excellent music to chill by.

Also check out Smooth Grooves 2 & 3 at the top of page 4.

Go through the entire site. I'm sure everyone can find something they like here.

Mike

[Michael Jewels]

X-15, I'm not so sure about playing this music on bass, but for listening...

Mike

[xolin]

If you want fusion (harder brooklyn-style "smooth jazz")...check out Marcus miller, lol.
Serious I love his stuff, but its not always the "let's have an intimate conversation with music" type jazz...
On M2 he did an AMAZING rendition of Coltrane's Lonnie's Lament (great ballad) on Bass Clarinet and Bass.

Better known Jazz Double Bassists:
Paul Chambers (Miles, Coltrane, tons others), Ron Carter (he's on everything...really.), Ray Brown (ditto), Charles Mingus, Charlie Haden (Free jazz with Coleman).

If you don't know Jaco Pastorius...shame.