What JAZZ are you listening to?

Anthony Braxton "Trio (London) 1993"
Evan Parker
Paul Rutherford

Marion Brown "Porto Novo"

Peter Brotzmann "The Dried Rat-Dog"
Hamid Drake

Anthony Braxton "14 Compositions (Traditional) 1996"
Stewart Gillmor

Anthony Braxton "11 Compositions (Duo) 1995"
Brett Larner

Braxton's woodwinds juxtaposed against Larner's koto makes for an interesting listen. Very nice.

Lee Konitz "Motion"

John Abercrombie "The Third Quartet"

Cannonball Adderly "Things Are Getting Better"

Ben Webster "Gone with the Wind"

Brad Mehldau "House on Hill"

Ben Webster "Stormy Weather"

Joe Lovano "Kids"
Hank Jones

"Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster"

So, if a rock guy wanted to listen to a little jazz (which he knows nothing about), what would be a good starting point?

Originally posted by Crowley
So, if a rock guy wanted to listen to a little jazz (which he knows nothing about), what would be a good starting point?

Are you looking to get an idea of what jazz is about in all its various styles or are you looking to find something that you might immediately like?

Originally posted by Crowley
So, if a rock guy wanted to listen to a little jazz (which he knows nothing about), what would be a good starting point?

Steely Dan. 🙂

John Scofield is a good place to start, I think - "A Go Go" made with Medeski, Martin & Wood was an instant classic as soon as it got released, and it's pretty funky. You could check out Joey DeFrancesco too - he's one of the best musicians alive today, and he's pretty funky too.

Originally posted by Crowley
So, if a rock guy wanted to listen to a little jazz (which he knows nothing about), what would be a good starting point?

Nah, just go with Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" and move into Jazz if you like it later

I guess I'd like to have a spread of music, to see what jazz is all about...?

Originally posted by Crowley
I guess I'd like to have a spread of music, to see what jazz is all about...?

There's no way to cover all of jazz in a handful of recordings, but the following are all strong albums that are quite likeable, reasonably different and should be readily available. They were all recorded in the late 50's.

Coleman Hawkins "Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster"
Dave Brubeck "Time Out"
Cannonball Adderly "Somethin' Else"
Charle Mingus "Ah Um"

If you're really open-minded, you might want to check out these:
Ornette Coleman "The Shape of Jazz to Come"
Andrew Hill "The Point of Departure"
Paul Bley "Time Will Tell"
Rova "Bingo"

If you check out anyone's recommendation, post your thoughts on this thread. It'll be interesting to hear your comments. One thing to keep in mind is that to get the most out of them, you'll probably need to change the way you listen to music.

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
[b. One thing to keep in mind is that to get the most out of them, you'll probably need to change the way you listen to music.[/b]

"you mean like listening to the notes he's NOT playing? pffft. i can do that from home!" - H. Simpson

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
One thing to keep in mind is that to get the most out of them, you'll probably need to change the way you listen to music.

Huh? The only way I know to 'listen to music' is putting it on the stereo and letting the sound waves enter my ears.

Originally posted by uzless
"you mean like listening to the notes he's NOT playing? pffft. i can do that from home!" - H. Simpson

That Homer 🙂

Originally posted by Crowley
Huh? The only way I know to 'listen to music' is putting it on the stereo and letting the sound waves enter my ears.

In general there are different things to listen for in jazz. For example, the drums on Point of Departure rarely overtly state the beat. However there is an underlying pulse that propels the music forward. You'll find richer harmonies, more complex rhythms, more sophisticated melodies, etc. It pays to listen actively rather than passively. It pays to listen to each individual instrument as well as the whole.

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
In general there are different things to listen for in jazz. For example, the drums on Point of Departure rarely overtly state the beat. However there is an underlying pulse that propels the music forward. You'll find richer harmonies, more complex rhythms, more sophisticated melodies, etc. It pays to listen actively rather than passively. It pays to listen to each individual instrument as well as the whole.

A lot of that stuff comes with time.

Try not to complicate it too much.

Listen, relax, enjoy.

Currently listening to:
Oscar Peterson, Exclusively for My Friends - Vol I