[Bobby]

Hello!
     I am looking for some mellow, kickin back and relaxin', tube luvin' jazz.  A trumpet playing front man is preferred but not required.  Any suggestions are more than welcome, but I am kinda looking for some newer artists (read: not miles).
     
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Bobby

[Rob Babcock]

I highly recommend Micheal Franks.  The guy is a great songwriter, has some great backing musicians, and all his stuff is pure cool, mellow stuff.  I'd say start with Dragonfly Summer.

Depending on what you call jazz, I like Diana Krall, Norah Jones and some Harry Connick Jr.  I'll confess tho to not being a big jazz fan, much less a jazz purist.

For something in a mellow vein I you may also want to check out (the very foxy) saxaphonist Candy Dulfer.  She's good, but nothing really challenging or envelope pushing.

[Tonto Yoder]

Terence Blanchard "Let's Get Lost" or "Music from Films."  Blanchard on trumpet, "Lost" features several popular vocalists (Krall, Jane Monheit,Cass Wilson & Dianne Reeves).  "Films" is fairly laid-back instrumental.

[Carlman]

I don't know if it's what you're looking for but, I really like albums with Stan Getz doing Samba styles.  I don't like Stan Getz by himself at all... but, there's at least a few Getz/Samba albums that would fit the bill of mellow jazz.  Great Sunday morning music.... maybe a little more 'loungy' than 'jazzy' but, you might like it.

If you do, you'll probably like an album called 'chilled champagne' that's sold at 'World Market'.  WM is a store that's kind of like Pier 1 but, with more stuff.

Good luck, Mellowman.

[Tyson]

Pat Methany and Charlie Hayden - Big Mousouri Sky.

[ddemeterio5]

Michael Franks - The Art of Tea
the only MF album I have but a great album with big artists like:
Larry Carlton - guitars
Joe Sample - keyboards
Dave Sanborn, Michael Brecker - Sax
produced by Tommy Lipuma

Kenny Rankin - Because of You

if you dig New Orleans kind of jazz try:
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Whatcha Gonna Do for the Rest of Your Life

for that Afro-Cuban beat try:
Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club
Paquito Rivera - Portraits of Cuba

for a highly improvized jazz try:
Pat Metheny - Quartet

[mojoman]

If you like trumpet players you might try Chuck Mangione or Hugh Masekela. Maybe Michael Brecker.  There's always vintage Miles.  Maybe something like Kind of Blue or Sketches of Spain.

If by mellow jazz you're describing the smooth jazz genre, try The Yellowjackets or The Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra or Acoustic Alchemy.

Edit: Should have said Randy Brecker,  Micheal play tenor sax, pretty well I might add.

[Rick Craig]

Hello!
     I am looking for some mellow, kickin back and relaxin', tube luvin' jazz.  A trumpet playing front man is preferred but not required.  Any suggestions are more than welcome, but I am kinda looking for some newer artists (read: not miles).
     
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Bobby

Depends on what you like. If you enjoy straight ahead or bop, try Roy Hargrove's "Approaching Standards". For smooth jazz Rick Braun is a good choice. Erik Truffaz you may like for more progressive / ambient jazz. I also second "Let's Get Lost" by Terence Blanchard. It's one of my favorites for both music and sound. All of the above are trumpet players.

[Tonto Yoder]

Blanchard's "Let's Get Lost" is also a good way to sample some of the hot names in female vocals.  If someone doesn't want to buy an entire Jane Monheit CD, he can listen to the tracks featuring her on the "Lost" CD and decide if he wants more.

It's available as an SACD, but I'm not sure if it's a hybrid or just single-layer.

[Scott F.]

I am looking for some mellow, kickin back and relaxin', tube luvin' jazz.  A trumpet playing front man is preferred but not required.  Any suggestions are more than welcome, but I am kinda looking for some newer artists (read: not miles).

OK, no Miles

Try some of these;

Ray Brown - Some of My Best Friends are Trumpet Players - very good
Chris Botti - almost anything he has done is good - smooth trumpet music
Tord Gustavsen Trio - their debut album - piano, bass, drums - very cool
Esbjorn Svennson Trio - Somewhere Else Before - See my review over at TNT-Audio
Pat Metheny - Still Life Talking, We Live Here and Imaginary Day - this guy is just phenominal
Herb Alpert - Beyond - you might be suprized how good this one is

Now heres some older stuff that you really need to try. If not, you have no idea just how good Jazz can be. Plus, this is where the new stuff came from.

Count Basie - Chairman of the Board - OMG! get this one, especially on vinyl from Classic Records
Count Basie - April in Paris
Count Basie and the Kansas City 6
Count Basie - Oh, just go by some Basie  
JJ and Kai (JJ Johnson and Kia Winding) - almost anything, these guys were dual lead on mainly trombone quartets.
Coleman Hawkins - Today and Now, The Hawk Relaxes - I really think this guy is solely responsable for "Smooth" Jazz, except he did it back in the 50's playing a sax.
John Coltrane - Giant Steps - it doesn't get much better than this

Lots to choose from. If you are looking for a good intro into "real" jazz, Pat Metheny is probably the best for the modern stuff and Basie is the best for the older. Between them you have about a million groups and records to explore.

Have fun

[Scott F.]

I am looking for some mellow, kickin back and relaxin', tube luvin' jazz.  A trumpet playing front man is preferred but not required.  Any suggestions are more than welcome, but I am kinda looking for some newer artists (read: not miles).

OK, no Miles

Try some of these;

Ray Brown - Some of My Best Friends are Trumpet Players - very good
Chris Botti - almost anything he has done is good - smooth trumpet music
Tord Gustavsen Trio - their debut album - piano, bass, drums - very cool
Esbjorn Svennson Trio - Somewhere Else Before - See my review over at TNT-Audio
Pat Metheny - Still Life Talking, We Live Here and Imaginary Day - this guy is just phenominal
Herb Alpert - Beyond - you might be suprized how good this one is

Now heres some older stuff that you really need to try. If not, you have no idea just how good Jazz can be. Plus, this is where the new stuff came from.

Count Basie - Chairman of the Board - OMG! get this one, especially on vinyl from Classic Records
Count Basie - April in Paris
Count Basie and the Kansas City 6
Count Basie - Oh, just go by some Basie  
JJ and Kai (JJ Johnson and Kia Winding) - almost anything, these guys were dual lead on mainly trombone quartets.
Coleman Hawkins - Today and Now, The Hawk Relaxes - I really think this guy is solely responsable for "Smooth" Jazz, except he did it back in the 50's playing a sax.
John Coltrane - Giant Steps - it doesn't get much better than this

Lots to choose from. If you are looking for a good intro into "real" jazz, Pat Metheny is probably the best for the modern stuff and Basie is the best for the older. Between them you have about a million groups and records to explore.

Have fun

[Tonto Yoder]

     I am looking for some mellow, kickin back and relaxin', tube luvin' jazz.  A trumpet playing front man is preferred but not required.  Any suggestions are more than welcome, but I am kinda looking for some newer artists (read: not miles).

Are you familiar with Chet Baker??? A contemporary of Miles, he was often contrasted with him--hot vs. cool, East coast/West, white/black.
I do like his trumpet playing, but his voice is a little too wimpy for my tastes (though that same aspect is what others consider seductive). Of course, this ISN'T a newer artist but it also ISN'T Miles.

My 2 cents--Michael Franks has a similar voice to Chet (obviously, others like him but he's never been my cup o' tea).

[Bobby]

Thanks for some great suggestions!  I am about to place an order from Tower to pick up some of the titles mentioned.

Please keep the recommendations coming for great, late night, jazz.  I am not a big fan of smooth jazz, but, other than that I am willing to try out some new things.  Please feel free to suggest recordings that you really like but don't necessarily have a trumpet front man.  

Thanks a bunch in advance!!

[Rob Babcock]

If you've never heard him before, you might also like "Big" Al Hirt.  Some of his stuff is more jazz and some more standards; I really like "Man With the Horn" and "Our Man in New Orleans".

[brotherman-5th floor]

"Know What I Mean?" by Bill Evans and Cannonball Adderley

Late 50's but suprisingly fresh sounding and my absolutely favorite sit down and chill album (...well assuming no Miles).

BTW, at the risk of pissing some old timers off, Cannonball was the sax player Coltrane never managed to become

[Scott F.]

BTW, at the risk of pissing some old timers off, Cannonball was the sax player Coltrane never managed to become

OK, just who are you calling old  

So I'm fat.... and bald......and I wear bifocals....and my knees don't work so well anymore. Does that mean I'm old? .....well...maybe.

Just remember, inside of every old person is a teenager wondering "What just happened?".

Actually, when it comes to sax players, I prefer Coleman Hawkins over both Cannonball and Coltrane. Tell you what though, I'll have to pick up a copy of "Know What I Mean". Thats one of the many I don't have yet. So much music, so little time.

[hifitommy]

the old CTI albums which many had him on them.  also, llittle sunflower by milt jackson features FH to great effect.

these were the forerunners of smoov jazz, back when it was still jazz.  yeah, mellow jazz is the right word.

[hifitommy]

FREDDIE HUBBARD