Hello.

This is going to sound quite Neanderthal of me, but I'm going to brave the storm and ask anyway. A couple months ago, I picked up a great John Coltraine album, it was an assortment of a few tunes he played, "Giant Steps", "My Favorite Things", and about 4 or 5 others. Now, to me, this album sounds fantastic. I like hearing his extreme technical skill coupled with the laid-back music that backed him up. However, I also have a John Coltraine CD set that I can't really listen to, as great as the playing is, because it is just too "out there" for me. I'm a rock guy primarily, so my musical tastes are just not sophisticated enough to deal with the abstract flavor of that music (although I seem to be able to listen to Zappa and King Crimson from time to time with no problem).

Who would you guys/gals suggest for a listener such as me to look for? I don't like the crass commercial pap of Kenny G or that ilk; I think what I like was that bridge in the 50's from standard orchestral swing to the beginnings of bebop where the bands turned into combos, and the playing became more improvisational. Does that make sense?

Whaddya think?

rooster.

Hello.

This is going to sound quite Neanderthal of me, but I'm going to brave the storm and ask anyway. A couple months ago, I picked up a great John Coltraine album, it was an assortment of a few tunes he played, "Giant Steps", "My Favorite Things", and about 4 or 5 others. Now, to me, this album sounds fantastic. I like hearing his extreme technical skill coupled with the laid-back music that backed him up. However, I also have a John Coltraine CD set that I can't really listen to, as great as the playing is, because it is just too "out there" for me. I'm a rock guy primarily, so my musical tastes are just not sophisticated enough to deal with the abstract flavor of that music (although I seem to be able to listen to Zappa and King Crimson from time to time with no problem).

Who would you guys/gals suggest for a listener such as me to look for? I don't like the crass commercial pap of Kenny G or that ilk; I think what I like was that bridge in the 50's from standard orchestral swing to the beginnings of bebop where the bands turned into combos, and the playing became more improvisational. Does that make sense?

Whaddya think?

rooster.

Later, post Ornette Coleman influenced Coltrane is hard to listen to as he combines Ornettes Harmodolics with a blizzard of notes that makes it somewhat overwhelming. It took me awhile to aquire a taste for Ornettes work but now I really appreciate it..even that said I still find it hard to listen to Coltranes later works you are probably referring to.

Try Kind of Blue by Miles David, Bill Evans, Coltrane, etc... as that is one of the most popular jazz recordings of all time.
Also try releases from Miles second quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, etc... as that is some great music.
Wayne Shorter emerged to carry that group over at least two releases and his playing is phenomenal and you should like it if you enjoy the early coltrane.

Good Luck

Second on the Wayne Shorter.
For some excellent tenor work based on what you're describing I would check out:

Wayne Shorter- JuJu (with Coltrane's rhythm section)
Wayne Shorter- Night Dreamer (ditto)
Dexter Gordon- Go!
Coleman Hawkins- At Ease With Coleman Hawkins
Sonny Rollins- Saxophone Colossus
Sonny Rollins- Newk's Time
Yusef Lateef- Eastern Sounds

There's lots more to recommend, even just among tenor saxophonists, but this should give you a good start.

Good luck!

X2 on the Sonny Rollins Saxophone Collosus:thmbsp: That's an awesome recording!!!

Also try some Chalie Parker:thmbsp: He was where it all started with the sax imo:thmbsp:

I also like Charlie Rouse accompanying Thelonius Monk. He played with a real dry tone that has a distinct warm sound.

Intuition with Wayne Marsh and Lennie Tristano is also another classic that is much like Kind of Blue...imo

As soon as you said "standard orchestral swing", I thought of Phat Band. Give 'em a try. They're the best thing I've heard come down the pike in awhile, IMO. I'm listening to them as I type.

Stan Getz is excellent
The Album "Stan Getz & Bill Evans". It has Elvin Jones on Drums.

"Sweet Rain" has Chick Corea on keys

"Stan Getz & Gerry Mulligan" is fantastic

and for standard orchestral swing check out the album "Focus"

:uzi: and Kenny G

Don't rush away from Coltrane too quickly. :)
Sounds like you "get" him (at least the 1959-64 period) After Love Supreme, he does get pretty far out.
Check out the albums "Coltrane's Sound", or "Crescent".

I'll second the suggestion of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and add Charles Mingus' "Ah Um", Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners" or "Straight, No Chaser" and Cannonball Adderley's "Somethin' Else".

Each of these albums have engaging melodic movement and offer more than just horn players blowing over a vamp (like much late bop and hard bop can sound to me)

Theres some excellent threads suggesting jazz in the music forums. For my taste I prefer the likes of

Sonny Stitt
Kenny Burrell
Oscar Peterson
Miles Davis but only the first 4 or 5 titles.

Be glad to suggest more but lets hear from others.

Yes on Miles Davis, try "Bitches Brew" Zappa may have been inspired by some of this.

Also, highly recommend "The Crossing" by Dave Brubeck. His drummer in this release is just fricken ossum!

I am an Art Blakey fan.

Sometimes Coltrane can be a bit overwhelming.

How about Dave Brubeck?

Who would you guys/gals suggest for a listener such as me to look for? I don't like the crass commercial pap of Kenny G or that ilk; I think what I like was that bridge in the 50's from standard orchestral swing to the beginnings of bebop where the bands turned into combos, and the playing became more improvisational. Does that make sense?

Whaddya think?

rooster.

Standard orchestral swing was fading away in the late 40's. Charlie Parker reinvented jazz and started the bebop craze in the 40's. In the mid 50's bebop became hard bop. Jazz into the 60's would take on many forms from hard bop to soul to free. Knowing you don't like the 'free' jazz such as later period Coltrane or Coleman (and many others), and you're a rock and roller, I think you might like:

Art Blakey - A Night At Birdland Volumes One and Two.
Art Blakey - At The Cafe Bohemia Volumes One and Two

Anything Art Blakey is golden really. Well, almost anything.

Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Clifford Brown and Max Roach - At Basin Street
Eric Dolphy - Outward Bound
Eric Dolphy - Far Cry
Dexter Gordon - Go!
Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up
Grant Green - Idle Moments
Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame
Jackie McLean - Bluesnik
Jackie McLean - Demon's Dance
Art Pepper - Meets The Rhythm Section
Art Pepper - Intensity
Art Pepper - Gettin' Together
Art Pepper - Smack up
Hank Mobley - Soul Station
Hank Mobley - Roll Call
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Lee Morgan - Tom Cat
Stanley Turrentine - Up At Minton's

Cheers

Here is a good place to start relative to building a jazz library. It's a very nice list, I have 85-90 of the 100 listed (+ several hundred not listed).

http://home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/jazz100/top100.html

Give a listen to anything by JOE HENDERSON.

Stan Getz,
Gerry Mulligan,
Jimmy Giuffre...

That should wet your whistle and get you going down the road to Jazz appreciation... from there you can choose to go "east" and venture to the east coast realm of jazz which is in and of itself a great place, musically... Ellington, Armstrong, Ella...

I highly recommend Gordon Goodwin's "Big Phat Band"

Here is a good place to start relative to building a jazz library. It's a very nice list, I have 85-90 of the 100 listed (+ several hundred not listed).

http://home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/jazz100/top100.html

That list is a great place to start. (Like Art K., it's kind of shocking to realize I have almost all of that.)

Let the liner notes be your guide once you get a few of those. Not so much the comentary (though that will be of interest); but, mostly the list of musicians. That's a good way to branch out and limit the guess work a bit. I would add:

The Incredible Jimmy Smith: The Organ Grinder Swing
Les McCann & Eddie Harris: Swiss Movement
Quincy Jones: Walking In Space
Keith Jarrett: Life Between the Exit Signs

oh, and

Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light (with Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mays and Don Alias)!! ...you can get that on DVD, too...

Les McCann & Eddie Harris: Swiss Movement

Yes! I forgot that one.

If you cant find some goodness in this thread then I dont Know what.

Coltrane does have some stuff that is a little out there when he freewheels but Id say his covers are fantastic. I wore out a copy of "Ballads"

An excellent album, and readily available on vinyl for some reason is Les McCann & Eddie Harris on the Album Swiss Movement. A live recording at Montreux.



..

If you like rock and are interested in hearing it mixed with jazz then I'd recommend a Miles Davis record that I don't see mentioned much "A Tribute to Jack Johnson". It's Miles with John McLaughlin and a little Herbie Hancock with a few other notables that I can't remember off the top of my head. It's good, real good...

For late 50's style "improv with a groove" I'd recommend anything by Mingus from that time period. Find something with "Haitian Fight Song" on it and tell me it doesn't put a grin on your face.

If you like rock and are interested in hearing it mixed with jazz then I'd recommend a Miles Davis record that I don't see mentioned much "A Tribute to Jack Johnson". It's Miles with John McLaughlin and a little Herbie Hancock with a few other notables that I can't remember off the top of my head. It's good, real good...

...it's bad to the bone, actually. :thmbsp: :D

...then if you're feelin' lucky you can check out "Screaming Headless Torsos". no, really... :naughty:

If later Coltrane is a stretch for you, stay away from Sun Ra <G>.

Plenty of good suggestions in this thread.

...then if you're feelin' lucky you can check out "Screaming Headless Torsos". no, really... :naughty:

Looks interesting. I think I'll wait until the wife leaves later on to check 'em out on last.fm.

I'm a Chet Baker kinda guy myself...love that cool West Coast trumpet sound he had. Stanley Turrentine comes to mind as well, and old Lester Young stuff makes me want to get out my flat hat.

You might like Coltrane's Blue Train better than the later stuff. Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker are more accessible also. Early and late Miles is great- can't digest much of the middle years though. Oscar Peterson has tons of stuff with lots of different people- he makes everyone better and isn;t as experimental- a craftsman for sure.

Here is a good place to start relative to building a jazz library. It's a very nice list, I have 85-90 of the 100 listed (+ several hundred not listed).

http://home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/jazz100/top100.html


..cool man, thanks from me too :smoke:

You might like Coltrane's Blue Train better than the later stuff. Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker are more accessible also. Early and late Miles is great- can't digest much of the middle years though. Oscar Peterson has tons of stuff with lots of different people- he makes everyone better and isn;t as experimental- a craftsman for sure.

I was going to mention Blue Train as well, a fantastic piece of work and not too out there

Apart from all the great stuff mentioned also check out;

Eric Dolphy - Outward Bound (my fave LP of his is Out to Lunch, but it sounds as though this could be a bit too "out" for you yet)
Lee Morgan - Sidewinder
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba (if this don't make you shake your rump you're dead from the waist down!)

I'm a rock guy primarily, so my musical tastes are just not sophisticated enough to deal with the abstract flavor of that music

Check out Al Di Meola for some rock influenced guitar work. Start with Electric Rendezvous, then Elegant Gypsy Suite.

I started out in jazz before there was an Internet, only a low powered FM station in my neighborhood. So my record collection grew from what I liked on KBEM, plus you'll notice that most titles have musicians sitting in the studio that are primary names, or headliners in their own right.

Lee Morgan
Jimmy Smith
Dexter Gordon
Dave Brubeck
Eddie Harris
Dizzy Gillespie
Charlie Parker
Art Pepper
etc...

Who would you guys/gals suggest for a listener such as me to look for? I don't like the crass commercial pap of Kenny G or that ilk; I think what I like was that bridge in the 50's from standard orchestral swing to the beginnings of bebop where the bands turned into combos, and the playing became more improvisational. Does that make sense?

Whaddya think?

rooster.

XM USED to have a channel called Beyond Jazz, and it played a lot of the music I really like, so I dropped XM. They were announcing who was playing where and in Annapolis, MD, they had a band called 'The Dead Kenny Gs'. I laughed for a couple of miles when I heard that one. Go to youtube and type Pat Metheny's name into the search bar, them look for him talking about Kenny G. He absolutely can't stand G and makes it incredibly clear.

Re: the Coltrane that you can't get into- get some Eric Dolphy and listen to that a few times. After that, the Coltrane will be a piece of cake.

Check out Internet Radio stations. My favorite is Attention Span Radio, Fusion Groovin' and Fusion 101 on the 365live network. For members the streams are called MP3Pro and sound good. They boast a ton of independent stations runned by music lovers like ourselves, not corporate satellite B.S.
These stations are a lot like the underground stations I grew up with in the early 70's.
There are tons of Straight Ahead Jazz & Bebop as well, CB

These have probably been mentioned above, but all are very easy to enjoy, are true jazz classics, and some of the cuts will probably sound very familar:

The Dave Brubeck Quartet- Time Out
The Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train
Stan Getz - Getz/Gilberto
Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain, Kind of Blue

Also, one of my favorite Jazz internet radio stations:

http://www.mellowradio.nl