Need Advise on Jazz Music?

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 3:28pm

Its time for me to download (buy) new jazz music on iTUNES - perfect to soothe my stressful afternoons. I enjoyed the following Artist & their CD's...

Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
Chet Baker- My Funny Valentine
Dave Brubeck-Time Out
John Coltrane- A Love Supreme
Charlie Parker- The Essential Charlie Parker

So I am looking for something instrumental... Pls advise?

Thank you so much!

J*

Edit : nothing experimental.
Updated On: 2/28/08 at 03:28 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 3:30pm

Chris Botti
Fourplay
Brian Culbertson

Enjoy!

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 5:57pm

Thanks Taz!

Anymore recommendations?

J*

[jenna2]

Posted: 2/28/08 at 6:02pm

Oscar Peterson is my hero. I'd recommend him to anyone.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:21am

Thelonious Monk is great. Try UNDERGROUND first.

[slimandslam]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:17pm

I love Thelonious Monk as much or more than the next guy, but I wouldn't describe him as someone to "soothe my stressful afternoons." Once you get used to his off-kilter syncopations and his tendency toward chromatic chord changes, you'll greet them like old friends, but it can be a little confusing for the newcomer.

If you're looking to mellow out, a good one is the album Beyond the Missouri Sky, a duet album from Charlie Haden (bass) and Pat Metheny (guitars). A pleasant conversation between two superb musicians.

Bill Frisell (guitar) can be all over the map musically, but his work in a more "traditional" trio setting goes down well. I'd recommend Gone, Just Like a Train or the double album East/West.

And pretty much anything by the Modern Jazz Quartet (commonly referred to as MJQ) would be a winner. It's jazz presented as chamber music.

If you decide you like this stuff, you should invest in a jazz record guide. I like the MusicHound guide, myself; it's out of print but easy to find. Penguin, All Music, and the Rough Guide are also reportedly reliable and readable, though I don't own them myself.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:21pm

Is Thelonious Monk's jazz recording just pure piano solos?

J*

[slimandslam]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:25pm

Is Thelonious Monk's jazz recording just pure piano solos?

Mostly not. Many of his albums have one or two solo pieces on them, and he occasionally did some work with a big band (or, really, a medium-sized band), but most of his work was either with a trio (piano/bass/drums) or a quartet (piano/tenor sax/bass/drums).

The album Thelonious Alone in San Francisco is, as you can guess, a solo album, if that's what you're looking for.

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:26pm

Pat Metheny Group. Some of my favorite CD's by them are...

"As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls"
"First Circle"
"The Way Up"

Pat Metheny also has a nice solo CD out called "One Quiet Night"

Lyle Mays (The group's keyboardist) has a few solo CD's out also. These 2 are my favorites of his:

"Street Dreams"
"Lyle Mays"

Their music is Jazz Fusion. I have seen The Pat Metheny Group (PMG) several times in concert. They also have concert DVD's available. They are one of my favorite groups. I listen to something by them every night before bed.

Updated On: 2/29/08 at 12:26 PM

[chris d]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:28pm

Bill Evans' "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" is a treasure. :)

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:57pm

The five you listed are essential Jazz CDS Jay. Monk might be a bit...out there for you. Maybe Oscar Peterson? He has a lot of great piano recordings- solo and with his ensemble. I also like the Charlie Parker Cole Porter recordings. Maybe try some Vince Guarldi? He did the "peanuts" music for the Charlie Brown TV specials- piano, bass & drums.

Charlie Hayden is awesome. Look for his album of movie music- for this crowd I think it would be a big hit. He uses his group to provide some appropriate "late night" music, then adds in two cuts (taken from an old LP, with static, needle pops and all) of old forgotten vocals. It's truly magical. I'm going to have to google the title.

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:58pm

Haunted Heart

[slimandslam]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 8:13pm

Always Say Goodbye is another "movie music" jazz CD from Charlie Haden. Both it and Haunted Heart are terrific. However, as mentioned, they both do have some vocal tracks, so be warned if you're trying to stay instrumental.

[bk]

Posted: 3/2/08 at 6:37pm

Oy, all these jazz experts. From the list of the original poster, I'd say, yes, you must get some Bill Evans - my "advise" is to start with Conversations With Myself, one of the greatest albums ever made, and if you like jazz with orchestra, go directly to Bill Evans With Symphony Orchestra, with arrangements and orchestrations of classical pieces by Claus Ogerman, also one of the greatest albums ever made.

Stan Getz is terrific. Brubeck's followup to Time Out, Time Further Out, also terrific. Wes Montgomery's two A&M classics, A Day In The Life and Down Here On the Ground, both with orchestrations by Don Sebesky, are fantastic. Can't go wrong with Chet Baker or Art Farmer. And any Toots Thielmans album is worth getting.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/2/08 at 6:59pm

Thanks guys!

I looked at iTunes:

1. Pat Metheny Group- too modern for me...

2. Charlie Haden- The Missouri album is too guitarish for me...

Nothing modern.. I like Miles Davis but I am not a big fan of his latter work like Bitches Brew, Doo-Woop & TuTu..bt love his early albums...so youll get an idea to what kinda jazz instrumental music that I like...

I listen to Stan Getz- that's mostly the music .. I like...

Thanks again for your all recommnedation...

J*
Updated On: 3/2/08 at 06:59 PM

[bk]

Posted: 3/2/08 at 7:18pm

jaystarr, go directly to Bill Evans - go listen to clips at amazon from the Symphony orchestra CD and the Conversations CD. BK will not steer you wrong.

Also, with a show connection, if you've never heard the series of Sondheim in jazz CDs I produced with Terry Trotter, you should seek them out - we did Passion, Sweeney, Follies, Company, Funny Thing, and A Little Night Music in Jazz.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/2/08 at 7:27pm

Thanks bk...

oh I would love that..Terry Trotter on Sondheim's Passion, Sweeeny and so on...

One of my favorite Jazz Vocal album is Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong on Porgy & Bess.. love everytime Lious plays his horn while Ella sings... I have the whole Ella Fitzgerald take on all Broadway composers...

There's only one album on Terry Trotter on iTunes but I will check the library for availablity or just buy it on Borders...

Thanks soo much!

J*
Updated On: 3/2/08 at 07:27 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 3/2/08 at 7:34pm

I love Charles Mingus--maybe Mingus Ah Um would be a good start with him. He's got a lot of good stuff, though.

[bk]

Posted: 3/2/08 at 7:48pm

Jaystarr, I have stock on some of the Trotter CDs - let me see what I have and I'll let you have them cheaper than anywhere else, just to get you hooked on these fantastic CDs. You can e-mail me at kritzerland at aol dot com.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/5/08 at 1:07pm

Thanks whoever advise me to get Stan Getz.. i just downloaded it on iTunes for $9.99-
and I really LOVE it! and that's what exactly what I am lookung for.. like his rendition of Body & Soul.. -j*

The Essential Stan Getz:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=1105977&s=143441

Updated On: 3/5/08 at 01:07 PM

[BkCollector]

Posted: 3/5/08 at 1:50pm

That's one of my favorite albums.

Also try Miles' Sketches of Spain, interesting stuff.

[chris d]

Posted: 3/5/08 at 2:26pm

I like Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage." good stuff.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/5/08 at 2:40pm

Ive listened to Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. I borrowed it from the Boston Public Libarary, unfortunately I can't really get in to the sound of the album..though his KIND OF BLUE is probably my favorite jazz instrumental CD of all time..

Its kinda hard to pinpoint what I really like in jazz... something slow...not modern..


I just downloaded another one from iTunes called PORTRAIT IN JAZZ by Bill Evans Trio and I love all teh songs.. specially Come Rain or Shine...I love the sound of bass...

oh.. I like the Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage too...since I bought two album already today.. I will get this next week. Thanks so much! -J*

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=61625881&s=143441


Updated On: 3/5/08 at 02:40 PM

Posted: 3/5/08 at 2:43pm

Jay give Charlie Haden another listen- but stick to Haunted Heart- it has a very different sound from Missouri.

Ella is the best, ever. If you don't have the "Songbook" series you should at least get the "Best of" compilation. She recorded all the essential music of the first half of the 20th century and made them "Standards".

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/5/08 at 2:54pm

Thanks Joe. I actually have all of Ella's songbook..my favorite is probably her double Cole Porter album.. then followed by the Harold Arlen Songbook, then George Gershwin Songbook and 2 CD Rodgers & Hart Songbook. I guess I love all of them.

I love Billie Holiday.. her voice is very haunting like her Moonlight in Vermont & One for My Baby..I have her Verve's Billie (holiday for lovers) and of course.. Dinah Washington.. Not really big into Nina Simone & Sarah Vaughan- I dont know why?
I am just big into these three jazz lady...

I just discovered Peggy Lee.. and I must say.. I like her Jazz Vocal CD.

J*


Edit: my favorite Billie Holiday's are Speak Low.. her song "Solitude" gives me goosebump everytime I listen to it..it feels like I lived during her time..kinda deja-vu..."weird! "



Updated On: 3/5/08 at 02:54 PM