Recommendations Sought for Recent Jazz

Cafe Society
1

I’m a newbie, in that all of a sudden (as a byproduct of piano lessons) I’ve started to like the stuff. I know all the big names of the past, or that are still around and have been around for decades, but what’s current?

I stumbled upon Hiromi Uehara recently, and I think she’s great. I also discovered EST, and am not sure how I feel about them. It’s good music, but often a bit “backgroundy,” and perhaps too repetitive. Of course, with Esbjorn Svennson having died, they won’t be doing much in the future.

Anyway, I need more stuff to listen to. I’m not too picky WRT category or nationality (but no Kenny G type stuff, please).

The only thing I don’t need is jazz snobs saying “That’s not jazz, this is jazz,” etc.

2

One big name AND current jazz pianist is Brad Mehldau.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR8iiDEF4ek

Here he is with my favorite musician - Pat Metheny (who I strongly recommend if he’s not already covered by “been around for decades” - let me know if you’d like recommendations of his stuff).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8j_LRFO4Lc&feature=related

3

I’ve found it helpful in jazz to look for loose collectives who play together a lot (or just on one album i find great) and then delving from there into each players’ catalog. Looking at current jazz, I enjoy people on the Thirsty Ear Label (Matthew Shipp, David S. Ware, William Parker, etc., tho the best album from that series is DJ Spooky’s Optometry album) and the scene around John Zorn (including Dave Douglas, Erik Friedlander, Bill Laswell, Wayne Horvitz, Marc Ribot, etc.). They go into a lot more than what most would consider just jazz, but I think its a natural extension. Probably start with something under the Masada branch with them, I think I remember Masada: Live at Tonic 2001 being excellent.

Hope that helps.

4

Boy, popular topic! I think next I’ll start a thread on best sitar recordings. From Chad.

5

Yeah, I’ve noticed that jazz doesn’t get a huge response. But, a lot of the people who would normally be “working” today on the SDMB are off work today, so it’s even worse.

6

True. And since I’ve been let off for the holiday, I’m about to become one of them.

7

I’m on vacay and using BBerry so can’t type long - Meldau is great - so are the folks mentioned by infinitii - I will have to go back and review my music.

  • Greg Osby is a great sax player
  • same with Sherman Irby - try Big Mama’s Biscuits
  • Joe Lovano is a veteran by now but smokes - his disc with the Old School piano player Hank Jones called Kids is truly wonderful
  • try the Bad Plus for jazz invention applied to a variety of cool covers of songs from many genres…

All I got on the road…

8

If you like Big Band jazz, check out Either/Orchestra – I like them a lot.

9

Sorry for coming in late to this one; it’s pretty busy around here despite the Canada Day holiday.

Forgive me if I accidentally suggest someone you’ve already heard - I don’t go chronologically because ‘new to me’ isn’t much different from ‘new’, and I’m forever finding someone I missed when they first came out.

Big second to Brad Mehldau, on his own or with Pat Metheny.

Have you heard any of Mulgrew Miller (Piano)? I first heard him on the last two Tony Williams albums - I recently acquired ‘Live at Yoshi’s Vol. 1’, and I just haven’t gotten around to getting the rest of his work.

I don’t think Cassandra Wilson (singer, guitarist) is particularly new, but I love her stuff and recommend it every chance I get. Either ‘Belly of the Sun’ or ‘Traveling Miles’ would be a great place to start.

Bill Frisell (guitar) is another one who has been around for a while, yet isn’t as well known as I think he deserves to be. I love the Folk Songs Vol.1, but there are lots of great albums.

Wallace Roney is the most interesting trumpet player I’ve come across lately. Can’t recall the name of the disc (it’s in storage), but I also remember him from that Tony Williams ‘Tokyo Live’ album.

Not recent at all, but I can guarantee you won’t have heard George Essihos unless you live in Victoria or Vancouver. One of BC’s best kept secrets - I had the privilege of taking some lessons with him last year, and I’m hoping to work with him again when I’m back in Victoria in 2010. The two albums I have are Extraordinary Measures (George Essihos Trio) and Solo Journeys (George Essihos, piano)

I like me some Gnawa music, but I’m stumped for the moment on a Chadian sitar player. Might be a kora player or two from there.

Oh, hell, I know you didn’t ask and it’s considered ‘world’ not ‘jazz’, but I love the Justin Vali Trio recording that’s on WOMAD. Madagascar rhythms are just wild.

Tell you what - if you give us a hint of who you’ve listened to and liked, we can see what kinda goes along with that. I’m game to talk jazz anytime - what kind of stuff are you playing, by the way?

10

The Weight. I’d love to hear her do it with Levon Helm.
You Gotta Move. Jazz Spiritual.
Wichita Lineman. She can take pop and make jazz.
Hot Tamales. A Robert Johnson Blues song.

Run the Voodoo Down and Time After Time.

Blue Light Till Dawn
Come On In My Kitchen. Hellhound on my Trail. More Robert Johnson.
Tupelo Honey.

  • Blue Light Till Dawn.* Her own, haunting.

New Moon Daughter. My favorite of her albums.
Strange Fruit. Billye Holiday.
Death Letter. Son House.
Last Train to Clarksville. She can take pop…I already said that.
A Little Warm Death. Oh, my.
Harvest Moon. You’d never know it was by Neil Young.

Blue Skies.
Shall We Dance. My favorite song of her’s. She’s deciding whether or not to take the guy home with her by how he dances with her.
Blue Skies. Beautiful and happy.

11

I don’t want to color people’s suggestions, though. I tend to be all over the map, anyway. As far as older stuff goes, I like Oscar Peterson, and Art Tatum, and Django/Stephane, some Miles Davis, and some of the faster McLauglin/Shakti stuff. I don’t like stuff like Kenny G or Chuck Mangione. Not too keen on Charlie Parker be-bop generally. I don’t know that much that’s new, which is why I’m asking. I guess that’s enough.

Overall, the more mellow it is, the less I like it.

I"m just a beginner at piano. My teacher has me doing various standards: “Green Dolphin Street,” “How High the Moon,” “A Foggy Day,” “Take the A Train,” stuff like that. Some I like, some not so much. In 5 or 6 years I might halfway know what I’m doing; in 10 I might be worth listening to. Who knows?

12

Oh yeah, and I quite like Brad Mehldau.

13

Evan Christopher is my favorite jazz clarinetist. His latest CD is Django a la Creole. I also like Live at the Meridien.

Christopher often plays with Tom McDermott, my favorite New Orleans pianist. My favorite CD of theirs is Danza. McDermott’s Live in Paris and Choro do Norte are also great.

The New Orleans Jazz Vipers are a small swing band. My favorite of their CDs is Hope You’re Comin’ Back.

14

Tord Gustavsen works for me - although it’s mellow. Mellow intense, not mellow sappy.

YMMV, but I LOVE it.

15

Thanks so much for the suggestions so far. I’m working through what I can find on YouTube. I’ll probably bump this on Monday, because I’m getting great stuff.

16

Another recommendation for The Bad Plus. Their covers are cool, and their non-cover stuff is pretty good too. Jazz trio–piano, drums, bass, all fantastic musicians.

17

Bump (in the hope of catching people who might have been on vacation last week).

18

I don’t really know any “recent” jazz. What I do know (that hasn’t been mentioned):

Crusaders Stomp And Buck Dance
Jean-Luc Ponty Enigmatic Ocean
Weather Report Birdland
(Klaus Doldinger’s) Passport Schirokko (1973)
Herbie Hancock Chameleon
Chick Corea Armando’s Rhumba
Stanley Clarke Hot Fun
Al DiMeola Egyptian Danza / Race with the Devil on a Spanish Highway
Return To Forever The Romantic Warrior

Videos are not necessarily representative, but the result of a (very) cursory search. They may not be “real” jazz, either. :rolleyes:

19

Heard any Brandi Disterheft? CBC radio on demand recording of her live at The Rex here. Come to that, it might be worth the time to explore what other performers the Ceeb has put up there lately.

Speaking of such things, you might also want to check out/listen live to Jazz FM as a useful source of music you haven’t heard before. There’s also a section of available concerts and archives.

20

Anything by Manhattan Transfer. There’s an Anthology album; I also really like The Offbeat of Avenues, and love their version of Joy Spring from Vocalese.

The NPR music web site is a great resource, too. Here’s their Jazz/Blues page. They also have some good jazz programs. The one I’m most familiar with is JazzSet. I haven’t listened to it in a long time, but Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz is also a good resource. (Looks like they have shows going back to 2007 online.)

I’m a big Diana Krall fan (especially Live in Paris) and also really like Kurt Elling.

Another good jazz resource for music you might not be familiar with is my local NPR station. They produce a show called Jazz Sunday that’s incredibly varied. They have playlists online going back to 2004. (The banter between tunes is pretty amusing - and educational - as well.)

Cool links, DfrntBreign. I love Birdland and am always glad to hear different interpretations.