Recommend me some jazz

[beelzelboss]

I'm looking to start listening to jazz. A lot of jazz.

I really enjoy big band stuff, and what I guess is contemporary jazz (by contemporary I imagine what you would hear at a country club during brunch. Three piece band, drums, bass, singer and or guitarist)

Shoot anything at me from lively to mellow, I'm willing to try it all!

[Marton]

You should start by the classics first. Stuff like Bill Evans, Coltrane, Miles Davis...

[Jim Nazium]

The genre is vast, it's hard to know where to start. One of my favorite albums is "Maiden Voyage" by Herbie Hancock; it isn't big band per se but it is more composed than improvised. I think you'll dig it. "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis is one that everyone recommends, and they're right. It's more of an improvisation showcase for the players - Coltrane, Adderly, Bill Evans, Miles, and Paul Chanbers - quite a line up. I'm a big Wes Montgomery fan; check out "The Incredible Jazz Guitar" or "Dynamic Duo", which features Jimmy Smith on Hammond organ.

[groooooove]

for modern stuff - robert glasper with either his trio or his Experiment band are as hip as it gets. the last few..well..all, jacob fred jazz odyssey albums are very nice as well, on the "contemporary + hip jazz" scene.

you'd want to as a bass player, be well versed in the classics as well as contemporaries.. you should get a few records featuring each of the "biggies"- ray brown, christian mcbride, niels henning orsted peterson (especially with joe pass on guitar), scott lafaro, ron carter, ext ext...

then the electric bassists in jazz- jaco, derrick hodge, richard bona, john pattitucci (he belongs on the other list as well)

you'd be wise to also get all of john coltranes records with the classic lineup, jimmy garrison, elvin jones, mccoy tyner..

im hardly even starting to scratch the surface, but this is somewhere to start..

[pica]

Just do an internet search on "100 greatest Jazz albums".

[Jim Nazium]

Oh, Stefon Harriss is a contemporary vibrophonist who is doing some really hip stuff.

[singlemalt]

Go to your local library and grab handfuls of cd's from the Jazz section.

Then check out the DVD section for live performance stuff to watch.

Read the notes on what you like, cross reference the players and off you go...

Just like popular music, there's lots o crap and some stuff that will knock your socks off.

One of my favorites: Gonzalo Rubalcaba The Blessing, with Charlie Haden and Jack De Johnette.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by beelzelboss

.
I really enjoy big band stuff, and what I guess is contemporary jazz (by contemporary I imagine what you would hear at a country club during brunch. Three piece band, drums, bass, singer and or guitarist)

In spite of evryone's recommendations (all good stuff)-
"Contemporary Jazz" (County Club brunch) sounds like Smooth Jazz....i.e. "yuppie Jazz".

Not a fan at all-
Although some Spryo Gyra, George Benson, Tom Scott, Diana Krall, The Rippingtons...some Yellowjackets. If I hadda listen to Smooth, this is what I would play.

Miles Davis was also mentioned...his career spanned several genres (some he even invented).
Kind Of Blue, Sketches Of Spain, Birth Of The Cool....may be the sort of stuff played at a Country Club brunch.
Bitches Brew, On The Corner, Agharta, Panagea, etc is NOT!


For "classic" Jazz-
One of my first-ever Jazz albums was Charles Mingus: Changes Two. Great album, great band, great compositions, etc.
Andrew Hill: Point Of Departure is in the same mold.

A band that is somewhat "current"...Dave Holland Sextet.
Something "current" & more electric: Chris Potter Underground.

[Luckie]

Bitches Brew- Miles
Studio Tan- Zappa
A Love Supreme- Coltrane

[Lonesomedave]

I AM NOT SURE IF THIS FITS YOUR DESIRES. IT IS NOT BIG BAND STUFF, BUT HERE GOES(and by the way, i don't know how "bass player oriented" you want to be), but:

START WITH SOME 50'S/EARLY 60'S STUFF; miles davis, wes montgomery, charles mingus, john coltrane. there is enough there to not only get you started, but you might not ever want to leave.

next move into some 70's stuff; chick corea, weather report; jaco pastorious on his own, stanley clarke on his own--now, here is a real dilemma....i don't know how serious you are about wanting to keep it smooth and mellow. those people i have listed push the boundaries of smooth and mellow, but this next one breaks them all to hell...MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA! smooth and mellow they aint, but if you want to really experience 70's jazz at it's most full tilt awesomeness, they are a must (inner mounting flame, between nothingness and eternity, & birds of fire); you can't say you have really experienced 70's jazz until you listen to them. mahavishnu john mclaughlin is arguably the greatest electric guitar player to ever walk the planet (not saying he is, just saying the argument could be made)

also, believe it or not, jeff beck did some very good work in the mid 70's, some i believe with jan hammer...listen to "Blow by Blow".

those items should keep you well occupied.

happy listening, you will enjoy.

/s/ Dave

[Spectrum]

Lots of good big band and swing out there, but when you're ready for something else I recommend Dave Brubeck's Time Out album. That's the album that got me started, and from there I started to really appreciate Miles Davis and then on to Coltrane and eventually into edgier and more experimental stuff. But it started with Brubeck.

And if you get a chance to see him play live, for god's sake do it. He's 90 now but he still performs. I've seen him twice, most recent was last year in DC.

[spiltcoil]

The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse by Duke Ellington.

[Lonesomedave]

Originally Posted by Spectrum

Lots of good big band and swing out there, but when you're ready for something else I recommend Dave Brubeck's Time Out album. That's the album that got me started, and from there I started to really appreciate Miles Davis and then on to Coltrane and eventually into edgier and more experimental stuff. But it started with Brubeck.

And if you get a chance to see him play live, for god's sake do it. He's 90 now but he still performs. I've seen him twice, most recent was last year in DC.

+1 to that...god, how could i have left brubeck off the list! but by all means include him in the first group, of miles, coltrane, montgomery etc. you will not be disappointed.

/s/ Dave

[onosson]

Some favorites off the top of my head (sorry if they've already been mentioned) spanning the years:

John Coltrane - Giant Steps, Impressions
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way, Sketches of Spain, Live-Evil
Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, Mingus Ah Um
Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off, Maiden Voyage, Sextant
John McLaughlin - My Goal's Beyond, After the Rain
Joshua Redman - Live at the Village Vanguard
Hiromi Uehara - Brain, Voice (new)
John Scofield - A Go Go

[noplayinfool]

A big band bass enthusiast might like to hear the Blanton/Webster years of the Duke Ellington band, as well as the duos Duke and Jimmy Blanton recorded together. Jimmy Blanton is known as the bridge from background bassists to the more modern concept of a laying it down type who could also solo like a horn player.

[WoodyG3]

Well, don't forget Glen Miller and Benny Goodman since you mentioned big band. Louis Armstrong, too, if you are looking at older stuff.

From later days, I highly recommend anything by Dave Brubeck. He and his band were both technically proficient and artistically brilliant.

[GrapeApe]

Lot of good suggestions here - just dive in and see what you find.

I would definitely check out Medeski, Martin, and Wood though.

Also, Bad Bad Not Good's "Odd Future Sessions" and "Electric Relaxation" cover on youtube. Sick playing on those.

[sigmafloyd]

Miles Davis - kind of blue
John Coltrane - giant steps

Don't pass go until you have those. Some of my favs are:

McCoy Tyner - the real McCoy
Cannonball adderley - something else
Milt Jackson - bags groove
Art Blakey and the jazz messengers - moanin

All pretty classic bebop albums. I pretty much started by getting all the classic miles and Coltrane albums and was not disappointed

[Lonesomedave]

oh yeah,

and if you want guitar playing, in addition to john mclaughlin & wes montgomery, try some al dimeola & pat metheny

/s/ Dave