One more thing…if you’re looking for something a little more old school, then go back to the great jazz pianists of the early to mid 1900s:
Bill Evans
McCoy Tyner
Keith Jarrett
Oscar Peterson
Bud Powell
Thelonius Monk
A couple more contemporary ones:
Brad Mehldau may fit your bill. Very heavily influenced by Bill Evans, he came along in that wave of early 90s jazz players, but I’ve a feeling you might actually like him.
Plus one off-the-wall suggestion:
The Bad Plus. It’s a jazz trio (piano, drums, upright bass) who play pop and rock classics. WAIT WAIT WAIT! Before you think this is some kitschy schtick, I assure you, it’s not. They perform very nuanced and very heartfelt renditions of songs such as “Heart of Glass” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Really, they play these tunes with a true jazz soul without losing the spirit of the original. It’s hard to sell in words, but it really is incredible. Try the album These are the Vistas.
Bravo. I salute you and will have the Jag detailed for you by my humble man servant. (Not that you actually GET the Jag, but I will have it nice and shiny.)
Keith Jarrett’s chops are undeniable. I’m just waiting for an electronics genius to invent a device that can completely eradicate all signs of Jarrett’s maddening humming, singing, yelling, and other idiotic vocal tics from those certifiable works of art. I’m a Philistine, what can I say?
Bill Evans? Maybe the early years, although his chords were often complex and I’m looking for simply beauty. Theloneous Monk’s discordant boppish riffs aren’t what I’m looking for; he reminds me of quantum mechanics and I ain’t Einstein. McCoy Tyner, perhaps. Must research more.
Obviously, Freejooky has been rendered speechless by my interrogatory.
I have a confession: listening to the zippy little tunes in the Shrek soundtrack, the sounds of Rufus Wainrights voice has captured me.
What of his should I start out with?
Can you recommend any other singer in the similar vein?
Since you are in the music knowledge biz, and I am too lazy to google, what ever happened to The Proclaimers . I just love their only album, which I forget the title and have owned since it was released in the UK (light years before the US Release) and have since (cough) misplaced it.
Check out Josephine Marsh. She’s a very funky box-player from County Clare. Fans of Sharon Shannon should definetely have a listen.
Johnny Connolly’s father, also called Johnny Connolly, is a great melodeon player.
The most famous Irish box players is probably Joe Burke and he recorded plenty.
From Cork we have Jackie Daly. He recording some lovely albums solo, in duet with fiddler players and with the bands Patrick Street, De Dannan and Buttons and Bows. Anything he’s on is worth buying.
Less famous, but one of my own personal faves is the very fiery Andrew MacNamara or any of the recordings of the band The Lahawns which he plays in.
Other good ones are Charlie Piggott, Tony MacMahon and the probably the Godfather of Irish accordion: Joe Cooley.
If you are are having trouble finding any of the these, this shop does mail order. The lads in there will probably also be very glad to help you out if you know what kind of thing you like, but don’t know who makes it.
As am I. If you have any more questions regarding Irish accordeons, give me shout as I can talk about them forever.
That’s a great album and a very difficult question. I’m mainly replying in symphathy as I have faced the exact same problem. Very hard.
Did you try the Yungchen Lamo on the same label as Sevara ? I found her a bit to cerebral, but worth a try. I think the same guy who did the “bleepy” stuff on Yor Yor worked with this singer as well.
Otherwise the later albums of Yat-kha from Tuvan, South Siberia feature a female vocalist. They are a lot more rocky than Sevara Nazarkhan, but are very good band and the best match I can find for you.
[ul]
[li]Air Supply[/li][li]Chicago ('60s and '70s, but one should never, ever forget the '80s)[/li][li]Bad Company (yes, even their “Holy Water” years)[/li][li]Bootsy Collins[/li][li]Diana Krall[/li][li]Queen[/li][li]The Darkness[/li][li]Gil Shaham[/li][li]Def Leppard[/li][li]They Might Be Giants[/li][li]Michael McDonald[/li][li]Earth, Wind & Fire[/li][li]Bee Gees[/li][li]Neil Diamond[/li][li]Parliment[/li][li]Barry Manilow[/li][li]One Hit Wonders from the '80s[/li][li]Doobie Brothers[/li][li]Shooting Star[/li][li]Loggins and Messina[/li][li]Ohio Players[/li][/ul]
Couple years ago, the Blind Boys of Alabama put out an album, Spirit of the Century, that got a little airplay on non-gospel airwaves. I heard a cut, bought the album, and it totally blew me away. I loved the vocal harmonies, the stripped-down production, the bluesy feel of the album, the non-traditional arrangements, and the song selection (two Tom Waits songs!). But… I know practically nothing about gospel in general. So if I liked Spirit of the Century, what other gospel albums would I like?
For reference, I also like things such as Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, a lot of the traditional Alan Lomax recordings, Hank Williams Sr, Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash (especially very early and very late), early Elvis, Carl Perkins, the Yardbirds, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, the Gories, and a lot of other stuff that’s less pertinent (I think) to the question above.
Oh, I listened to 69 Love Songs and loved it, thanks Freejooky.
Can someone recommend me a few bands/singers based on this list? I’d really appreciate it. I’d list my playlist, but that’d be terribly obnoxious, so here are the most relevant. Thanks.
For APC, check out Tool. For Nightwish, check out Lacuna Coil, the Gathering, After Forever, Epica, and Evanescence. For Radiohead, check out Porcupine Tree and Anathema.
They Might Be Giants (prefer the later, more fleshed-out stuff)
The Strokes
Spacehog
Beck (but not folk Beck, robot Beck)
Ash
Some other pluses: bands with keyboards, bands with female or mixed-sex vocals, strong basslines, non-mumbly vocals. Absolutely no whining.
Recommend away! I have an Xmas Amazon wish list to fill.
I really want to listen to some newer stuff. I don’t really listen to any “new” bands except for the Strokes and a few random singles. I heard half of an album by this band called Clinic that I really liked; I think they’re new.
Should I be ashamed that I like Aaron Neville’s voice?
(Regardless, I’ll keep on liking his music, but just wanted to get the verdict from a music expert.) The Grand Tour is my favorite album.
If I like Green Day I’ll like?
What school of pop is Fountains of Wayne in? Recs based them as well, please…
Since resurrection isn’t forbidden, let me resurrect this thread to say Thanks, pulykamell. I’ve been listening to these two albums pretty regularly for the last few months, and enjoying them quite a bit.
