[simoon]

For me it would have to be Brand X - 'Unorthodox Behavior'.





Previously I was strictly a prog-rock listener, although much of prog has quite bit of jazz influence, this was my first foray into fusion.

This lead me into the other fusion masters (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Passport, Alan Holdsworth, Jean Luc Ponty, and so many others).

Then I began to explore other, non-electric, forms of jazz.

Fusion is still my main love in the jazz realm, but other progressive forms of jazz rank high among my listening. I am a huge fan of the late 70's and 80's ECM label's output.

[Rclark]

I've still only barely discovered this genre, and mean to get into it further.


One of the subgenre's I'm interested in is that sort of tv show type jazz from the 30's, 40's, and 50's.

[HsvHeelFan]

Three for me:

3.  Dave Brubeck Quartet  Newport '58
2.  Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
1.  Oscar Peterson - Swingin' Brass with the Oscar Peterson Trio (Big Band arranged by Russ Garcia)

HsvHeelFan

[bside123]

Kind of Blue

[lazydays]

Kind of Blue

I well remember when I first heard Kinda Blue, and was hooked on All Blues. But the old men sat me down for a better listen while explaining to me what I should be listening to. I came out of it with a deep love affair for Stella By Starlight and Flamenco Sketches. Later I learned about the change ups in Blue On Green, and how they setup everything in the song right to the last couple bars.

Now I suggest that if you really like Kinda Blue, that you look for the tribute disc that Wallace Rooney did (the yellow one), and the C.O.R.E. set (most call it the Valentine's Day Concert). The Autum Leaves cut will bring tears to your eyes, and the Stella By Starlight version was probably his best version ever. And if you love the tune Autum Leaves and dig key boards, then hunt up a copy of Live In Tokoyo by Gonzalo Rubacalba. In a dark room you can see the fire comming off his finger tips!! Hancock ain't got nothing on this guy!
gary

[bside123]

I well remember when I first heard Kinda Blue, and was hooked on All Blues. But the old men sat me down for a better listen while explaining to me what I should be listening to. I came out of it with a deep love affair for Stella By Starlight and Flamenco Sketches. Later I learned about the change ups in Blue On Green, and how they setup everything in the song right to the last couple bars.

Now I suggest that if you really like Kinda Blue, that you look for the tribute disc that Wallace Rooney did (the yellow one), and the C.O.R.E. set (most call it the Valentine's Day Concert). The Autum Leaves cut will bring tears to your eyes, and the Stella By Starlight version was probably his best version ever. And if you love the tune Autum Leaves and dig key boards, then hunt up a copy of Live In Tokoyo by Gonzalo Rubacalba. In a dark room you can see the fire comming off his finger tips!! Hancock ain't got nothing on this guy!
gary

Hi Gary,

Yes, my tastes have expanded since the first time I heard that record as well. Thanks for the tips. I will follow up and look for those recordings. I love to be brought to tears by beauty! 

Din

[lazydays]

Hi Gary,

Yes, my tastes have expanded since the first time I heard that record as well. Thanks for the tips. I will follow up and look for those recordings. I love to be brought to tears by beauty! 

Din

you can pretty much go by what I call "the gold standards" in the world of keyboards, and get a good disc most all the time. I like Chic Corea, Peterson, Rubacalba, Count Basie, Red Garland, Brubeck, Jarrette, and Monty Alexander. I also have a small handfull of guys I listen to that didn't record much, but still right in there with these guys. One of my all time favorites is a little known CD put out by Mark Buseli and Claude Sifferlon. Next to impossible to land a copy, but it's fantastic jazz.

     Trumpets are pretty narrow in scope, and I think you have to start out with the master, and work from there. That would of course be Louis Armstrong (he'll also lead us into some really fine reeds). Then of course we have Miles and Chet followed by Freddy Hubbard (his brother Urman may be the best acoustic piano player I've ever heard).  Plus there were several players out of the big band era that were simply outstanding. Nick Payton and Pharez Whitted are probably as good as anybody playing today. I learned the modus of the trombone from J.J. Johnson, but thru the years have came to know Slide Hampton and his much talanted family. J.J. and I used to set at a certain table in one club (always the third table from the door), and drink beer and critique the band. He was big on placing the musicians on the stage and timing. Learned a tremendous amount from out conversations, yet I can never recall ever discussing anything he ever performed. He was big on Slide and Steve Ture, plus an unknown kid that later moved to NYC. Still sadly missed to this very day.

      Lots of good reed players have came and gone over the years. Some never got much publicity, and others were well known. Everybody thinks of John Coletrane and Charlie Parker as they rightly should. But there are others worth the time to listen to. Most we will never get to see and others are gone. Sonny Fortune is worth the time, and I think he maybe the best alto player out there right now. Tenor players kinda come and go over time, and right now I'd put Rob Dixon right near the top. I've heard a guy out of Columbus Ohio a few times that just plain smokes!!! (name escapes me), and there are a couple guys from Chicago that are in the same class with this guy and Dixon. I'm a big fan of Benny Golson, Rollins, Lester Young, Colman Hawkens, Huston Person, and Turrentine. (the only guy I ever heard play Round Midnight better than Person was Jimmy Coe). Also liked Paul Desmond and Deuey Redmond a lot. There was a couple guys that played clairnet with Armstrong that were simply outstanding!! My favorite was the late Alvin Batiste out of New Orleans; just an all around fantastic musician and an even better teacher. Frank Glover is probably the best living clairnet player out there today (pretty good tenor sax player as well).

Bobby Broom is well worth the time to listen to live! I also like Fared Haque out of the same neighborhood. There are a couple unknowns that can easilly play with these two, but rarely get to be seen in public these days. (this group set a stage on fire anyday of the week). Broom and Frank Steans are the only two I've ever heard that can copy Wes Mongomery's licks and get them right. By the way I saw Mel Rhyne playing Friday night, and he's still cooking with the best of them! Anthony Wilson is also very good at his craft.

And all this leads me into a great musical loss in my book. We seem to have a vast shortage of vibe players these days. We lost Hampton, and seemed to have lost the intrument! I did hear a lady play vibes a few years back that was right in that same class (last I heard she lives in the Atlanta area). If she's playing anywhere down there it's worth the time and trouble to be there.

Mel Rhyne was known as one of the the best B3 players on the planet in his day. And that's part of a very short list. I love Charles Erlham (maybe spelled wrong), and Tony Manaco. Have heard Rhyne, Manaco, and DeFransico play together a few times, and Rhyne gets the nod. But I like the other two as well. Rhyne likes Brother Jack and Jimmy Smith a lot.

Scott Lafaro was the best bass player ever!! I tend to take the upright apart and select my musicians from one of three sections of the bass. In the neck I like Marc Johnson best by a wide margin. Over all Lynn Seaton is extremely good. At the brdge it's still hard to do better than Eddie Gomez. With slow sultry music it's hard to do better than Chuck Isreal playing on cat gut strings unmiced!!! I'm not a big electric bass fan, but do Like Bobby Cranshaw, Gale, and Johnathon Woods. Have also became a fan of the "stick", but finding somebody to play one is another problem (Frank Smith has one that he drags out on occassion). The best sounding upright bass I've ever heard period is the one Christen McBride plays, and he's gotta be one of the best out there right now if not the best. I'd just like to hear Gomez play that upright one time before I croak!
gary

[werd]

For me it would have to be Brand X - 'Unorthodox Behavior'.





Previously I was strictly a prog-rock listener, although much of prog has quite bit of jazz influence, this was my first foray into fusion.

This lead me into the other fusion masters (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Passport, Alan Holdsworth, Jean Luc Ponty, and so many others).

Then I began to explore other, non-electric, forms of jazz.

Fusion is still my main love in the jazz realm, but other progressive forms of jazz rank high among my listening. I am a huge fan of the late 70's and 80's ECM label's output.

This was one of the first for me too. 

[Andre2]

The music style of Tom Jobim, 'bossa nova' (or 'new trend'), was IT for me.

I was born in Brazil listened to his music a lot in the 70s when I was a teenager, his music style led me seek the jazz music as grew older, and Pat Metheny, David Brubeck, Anne Bison, John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell are predominant part of what I listen to thesse days.

Here you go... Tom and Pat - How insensitive

Off topic:
By the way do you all consider bossa nova to be jazz? 
Or is it close to jazz, and then other people 'turned'/'adapted' then to become jazz?

[rockadanny]

Believe it or not, when this album came out I bought it ($3.99) for the Tobacco Road cut. Low and behold, the great jazz on here grabbed me by the neck. What a revelation. Prior to this I thought jazz was Montovani and/or elevator music. Boy, was I awakened! (Thank God!)

[MrAcoustat]

Stanley Turrentine     Ballads

[MrAcoustat]

Bill Evans     You Must Believe In Spring.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414bInec%2BML._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[MrAcoustat]

[BobM]

This was one of the first for me too. 

Yeah, but Return to Forever Romantic Warrior was probably my first, or maybe a Mahivishnu album. The memory of those dayze all have a little haze on them. 

[pardales]

KoB

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[pardales]

Miles Davis:  Kind Of Blue
 

Yup....me too!   

[bpape]

Tower of Power - Tower of Power

[jjc1]

         
 

Off topic:
By the way do you all consider bossa nova to be jazz? 
Or is it close to jazz, and then other people 'turned'/'adapted' then to become jazz?

  The vast majority of Stan Getz recordings is Brazilian music. And I doubt anyone would say that Getz was not a jazz musician. Sure it's Jazz. Just sit back and enjoy it. I do!

[jarcher]

For there were 5 key albums from a jazz friend / buff at college all about the same time.  Prior to that had always heard jazz at one point or another, but hadn't really got into it

Thelonious Monk / Best of The Blue Note : particularly "Straight / No Chaser"
Art Tatum / Complete Capitol Recordings
Errol Garner / Mambo Move Garner
John Coltrane / Giant Steps
........and of course, Miles Davis / Kind of Blue

[CSI]

Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker.

I was in High School in the late Fifties listening to a lot of classical music and a little Elvis. My Mom gave me this album for Christmas on the recommendation of her hair dresser, a jazz fan. Sent me off on a whole new direction and I never looked back.