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Author Topic: The Jazz Thread  (Read 14762 times)

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Questhate

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #30 on: November 20, 2012, 10:53:19 PM »
Speaking of an artist that's not exactly technically brilliant, but has tons of soul -- I'm listening to a bit of Grant Green today:

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Tari

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #31 on: November 20, 2012, 11:33:18 PM »
Mmm Grant Green is so yummy.  The album is titled "With Sonny Clark" but the rest of the lineup is just as stellar.  People who say electric jazz guitar is for elevator music are, to quote Bertrand Russell, stupid heads.


I think my favorite from that collection is Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarily So. 

Which reminds me of another artist I've been listening to lately:

Andy Bey.  What a voice.  A bit self indulgent but not to the point where I'd consider any of the material recrementitious. It Ain't Necessarily So and his Someone to Watch over Me are so good.  Too bad he couldn't do much of this type of thing earlier in his career.  So soulful.


I'll chalk up the soul thing to a matter of semantics - "soul" may be as nebulous a term as "jazz". 
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rhythmdevils

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #32 on: November 21, 2012, 12:16:01 AM »
I wasn't saying they were mutually exclusive, I guess I need to be more clear on that again. 

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timjthomas

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #33 on: November 21, 2012, 12:32:28 AM »
For modern jazz, I am a big fan of the Tord Gustavsen Trio:

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LFF

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #34 on: November 21, 2012, 01:14:49 AM »


One of my all time favorites!  :)p1
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Questhate

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #35 on: November 21, 2012, 04:43:40 PM »
Quote from: rhythmdevils on November 20, 2012, 09:12:29 PM
I'm unfortunately not that into jazz (though I'd like to be, I just can't really get that into it), but if I had a top 100 list of most soulful albums, John Coltrane's interstellar space would probably be on it and it's certainly complex.  I think there's something profound he's trying to get out in that album that has nothing to do with the complexity of the notes, it's something you can't even put a finger on, but you can feel.

What jazz albums have you tried? We should put together an intro guide, or essential listening, on the first post perhaps.

The first jazz album I bought was Giant Steps. I did NOT like jazz at all. It was busy, chaotic, un-melodic, and not very pleasing to listen to at all. Imagine 2 of your first 3 jazz songs being Giant Steps and Countdown -- yikes. I never even made it as far as Naima until years later.

Then I picked up Grant Green's Idle Moments on a friend's recommendation, as well as Kind of Blue because it topped most "essential listening" lists. That soul blues style of Grant Green's guitar was right in my wheel house. I had the title track of that record on repeat all winter long. I listened to a lot of Jimi Hendrix back in high school, so the jump to Grant Green wasn't quite the chasm that the leap to Giant Steps was.

Then, when I finally got around to listening to Kind of Blue, I was hooked. That slow cooking modal style is like coffee and a newspaper on a rainy Sunday morning. I've listened to this record probably thousands of times, and its still one that I crave on certain days.

Anyway -- not disagreeing on the notion that "soul" is an intangible, but a critical component to my enjoyment of music. I find much pop music devoid of soul. It's all paint-by-numbers, manufactured bullshit. You could plug the Siri voice into that Carly Rae Jepsen song, and get essentially the same song.
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Questhate

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #36 on: November 21, 2012, 04:47:38 PM »
Quote from: Tari on November 20, 2012, 11:33:18 PM

I think my favorite from that collection is Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarily So. 


Yeah -- the It Ain't Necessarily So on that record is my definitive version. Nothing is touching it, that I've heard so far.
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rhythmdevils

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #37 on: November 21, 2012, 07:47:09 PM »
Quote from: Questhate on November 21, 2012, 04:43:40 PM
Quote from: rhythmdevils on November 20, 2012, 09:12:29 PM
I'm unfortunately not that into jazz (though I'd like to be, I just can't really get that into it), but if I had a top 100 list of most soulful albums, John Coltrane's interstellar space would probably be on it and it's certainly complex.  I think there's something profound he's trying to get out in that album that has nothing to do with the complexity of the notes, it's something you can't even put a finger on, but you can feel.

What jazz albums have you tried? We should put together an intro guide, or essential listening, on the first post perhaps.

The first jazz album I bought was Giant Steps. I did NOT like jazz at all. It was busy, chaotic, un-melodic, and not very pleasing to listen to at all. Imagine 2 of your first 3 jazz songs being Giant Steps and Countdown -- yikes. I never even made it as far as Naima until years later.

Then I picked up Grant Green's Idle Moments on a friend's recommendation, as well as Kind of Blue because it topped most "essential listening" lists. That soul blues style of Grant Green's guitar was right in my wheel house. I had the title track of that record on repeat all winter long. I listened to a lot of Jimi Hendrix back in high school, so the jump to Grant Green wasn't quite the chasm that the leap to Giant Steps was.

Then, when I finally got around to listening to Kind of Blue, I was hooked. That slow cooking modal style is like coffee and a newspaper on a rainy Sunday morning. I've listened to this record probably thousands of times, and its still one that I crave on certain days.

Anyway -- not disagreeing on the notion that "soul" is an intangible, but a critical component to my enjoyment of music. I find much pop music devoid of soul. It's all paint-by-numbers, manufactured bullshit. You could plug the Siri voice into that Carly Rae Jepsen song, and get essentially the same song.

I've heard quite a bit of jazz.  I actually took a semester long jazz history course in school to try to get into it.  Kind of Blue was also the first jazz album I liked and still probably my favorite.  I don't dislike jazz by any means, I have a lot of respect for the good artists and love seeing a good live show.  But at home it's just not really what I want to listen to usually and doesn't move me that much except for that cerebral respect.  But I imagine there being a time in my life when that changes. 

I should also say that it's not from lack of understanding of music, I grew up playing classical violin, could sight read, etc.  I don't much like classical music either which is why I sadly wound up stopping the violin in high school, but I don't think I've heard the stuff I'd like. 
« Last Edit: November 21, 2012, 08:56:16 PM by rhythmdevils »
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Tari

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #38 on: November 21, 2012, 08:50:06 PM »
Jazz can be hard to break into.  Like any music (well, any music that doesn't sound like a tree shredder processing another tree shredder) I suggest people give it a fair shake, try an album or two from different jazz periods and movements (at least five to ten spins of any given album) to see if anything strikes you.  If not, listen to what you like and maybe jazz will be something you enjoy down the road.


I will say that due to chord progressions and tempos that are often not in consonance with the endless 6251 what people have come to expect, it may take effort on the part of the listener that they may not always be accustomed to.  This is not specifically targeted at you RD, just general musings:


  I think there are three things music can do -1) It can cater to the "level" of the listener, with no real effort or exertion needed on the part of the listener 2) It can be at the level it is at, which is not where the listener is, requiring the listener to strain to benefit from it, or 3)  It can straddle the two, balancing a "popular" element along with more "artistic" facets. 


Personally, I have my "comfort" music which I really enjoy, I have the music I have to strain to really get enjoyment out of on a musical level (as opposed to just being wowed by technical brilliance), and - this is most of my collection - music that bridges the two. I enjoy all three but music that is just a bit poppy with oodles of depth is what I find myself gravitating towards.


This middle ground is great because the balance of power is sort of in the middle - the musicians/composer makes compromises from their "ideal" of what they would put out for the sake of the listener, the listener makes compromises in listening to something they may come to enjoy in the future rather than what they enjoy now, and both parties benefit as a result.


I don't begrudge anyone their comfort music, but eating only your comfort foods make you fat, lazy, and bored.  Listening to exclusively "reacher" music and moving on to the next thing as soon as you grasp the last thing isn't great either-  you're never taking time to truly appreciate your music collection. 


Hopefully I'm not too long winded but that's just always been a philosophy of mine and I find it beneficial. 
« Last Edit: November 21, 2012, 09:11:07 PM by Tari »
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itshot

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Re: The Jazz Thread
« Reply #39 on: November 21, 2012, 10:43:28 PM »
Quote from: Questhate on November 21, 2012, 04:43:40 PM
What jazz albums have you tried? We should put together an intro guide, or essential listening, on the first post perhaps.

Please do! I'm growing tried of the stuff I listen to nowadays... I think it'd a good opportunity for jazz newbs like me to get started on the right track as well!
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