[LugBug1]

Following the very successful 50's/60's Jazz thread, I'd love to hear about some quality up-to-date Jazz recommendations. I've been scouring the web looking for clues as to what may float my boat out of recent releases and have found some really nice stuff.. and also some very dull safe stuff.
 
I like my Jazz to be expressive, raw and hard work! With the occasional ballad...
 
But thats just my taste. Any recommendations from 2000 onwards would be welcome and hopefully useful for all Jazzters on here.
 
I'll kick off with this little gem that I found:
 
Christian Lillingers Grund - First Reason (2009).  Hes a twenty something year old drummer and boy does he drum! This is his first solo release and I've played it to death since I downloaded it. It's got everything I like about jazz; Spontaneity, original ideas, soul, and also important for me is great recorded sound. 65 mins of great modern Jazz.
 

 
 
 
  

 

[zowie]

I just searched through my database of the thousands of albums in my collection for ideas and, as expected, hardly any 21st century jazz recordings.  Suggest you check out William Parker, Joe Giardullo, and projects by World Saxophone Quartet alumni.  Anthony Braxton, Geri Allen and Bill Frisell are still going strong too.

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

I just searched through my database of the thousands of albums in my collection for ideas and, as expected, hardly any 21st century jazz recordings.  Suggest you check out William Parker, Joe Giardullo, and projects by World Saxophone Quartet alumni.  Anthony Braxton, Geri Allen and Bill Frisell are still going strong too.

Thanks for that will do. Contemporary Jazz is similar to contemporary classical, not much money involved and because of this very few newcomers see the light of day.. nevermind a recording studio!

 

[OneIntervention]

If you don't mind a video game soundtrack, my favorite Jazz piece would have to be this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl6NzC1gnmU
It's a soundtrack from Bayonetta, not sure when it was made.

 

[Chris J]

 
Who says you can't get any FANTASTIC 21st Century Jazz?
This stuff is ALL smokin!
 
disclaimer: yes I do dig 20 century jazz
warning: no fusion albums, almost no electric instruments in this list, yes, I'm a traditionalist
 
Roy Hargrove Big Band:   Emergence       Roy is an amazing trumpet player withan almost breathy tone, very cool modern big band stuff, melodic, some tunes have a nice swing to them, check out "Ms Garvey, Ms Garvey"
 
Roy Hargrove Quintet:  Earfood                  hard swing bop with an old R&B feel
 
Roy Hargrove with Strings                       excellent in the tradition of Bird with Strings or Clifford Brown with Strings
 
Jane Monheit:  Taking a Chance on Love      jazz vocalist who isn't Diana Krall (LOL!), traditionalist, what a sexy voice, maybe her finest album, ohhhhhh baby!
 
Jane Monheit:  Home                                  more from Jane, very traditional small band stuff, hmmmm, maybe this is her finest album
 
Sophie Milman: Take Love Easy                another great female jazz singer, very nice smoky voice
 
Jill Barber: Mischievous Moon                  femala jazz singer with an almost 50's doo-wop feel to it
 
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra               no singing!  just great contemplative jazz from a female soprane sax player, her sister Ingrid joins her on trumpet, who says chicks can't play jazz?
 
Wynton Marsalis: At The House Of Tribes:      hard swinging jazz date, full of fire and energy
 
 
  

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

 
Who says you can't get any FANTASTIC 21st Century Jazz?
This stuff is ALL smokin!
 
disclaimer: yes I do dig 20 century jazz
warning: no fusion albums, almost no electric instruments in this list, yes, I'm a traditionalist
 
Roy Hargrove Big Band:   Emergence       Roy is an amazing trumpet player withan almost breathy tone, very cool modern big band stuff, melodic, some tunes have a nice swing to them, check out "Ms Garvey, Ms Garvey"
 
Roy Hargrove Quintet:  Earfood                  hard swing bop with an old R&B feel
 
Roy Hargrove with Strings                       excellent in the tradition of Bird with Strings or Clifford Brown with Strings
 
Jane Monheit:  Taking a Chance on Love      jazz vocalist who isn't Diana Krall (LOL!), traditionalist, what a sexy voice, maybe her finest album, ohhhhhh baby!
 
Jane Monheit:  Home                                  more from Jane, very traditional small band stuff, hmmmm, maybe this is her finest album
 
Sophie Milman: Take Love Easy                another great female jazz singer, very nice smoky voice
 
Jill Barber: Mischievous Moon                  femala jazz singer with an almost 50's doo-wop feel to it
 
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra               no singing!  just great contemplative jazz from a female soprane sax player, her sister Ingrid joins her on trumpet, who says chicks can't play jazz?
 
Wynton Marsalis: At The House Of Tribes:      hard swinging jazz date, full of fire and energy
 
 
  

Brilliant stuff! I knew It was out there! and yeah I'm not one for electric instruments in jazz either. Jazz loses something when synthetics get involved.
 

 

[Spyro]

Some of the best of contemp jazz!
 
 
Michael Brecker: "Pilgrimage"
Chris Potter: "Gratitude"
Joshua Redman: "Mood Swing"
Brad Mehldau: "Day is Done"
Brian Blade Fellowship: "Perceptual"
Christian Scott: "Rewind That"
David Sanchez: "Cultural Survival"
Kurt Rosenwinkle: "The Enemies of Energy"
Mike Moreno: "Between The Lines"
Yellowjackets: "Timeline"
Pat Metheny Group: "Speaking of Now"
Christian McBride: "Kind of Brown"
 

 

[zowie]

We do not have the same taste in jazz.

 
Quote:

Some of the best of contemp jazz!
 
 
Michael Brecker: "Pilgrimage"
Chris Potter: "Gratitude"
Joshua Redman: "Mood Swing"
Brad Mehldau: "Day is Done"
Brian Blade Fellowship: "Perceptual"
Christian Scott: "Rewind That"
David Sanchez: "Cultural Survival"
Kurt Rosenwinkle: "The Enemies of Energy"
Mike Moreno: "Between The Lines"
Yellowjackets: "Timeline"
Pat Metheny Group: "Speaking of Now"
Christian McBride: "Kind of Brown"
 

 

 

[Br777]

esperanza spalding
 
joshua redman gets a +1
 
bireli lagrene
 
richard bona
 
Dave holland quintet
 
anything with terri lyne carrington (drummer) if she's still makin music
 
 
 
 

 

[mrpink44]

I'd have to disagree that there are very few newcomers who see the light of day when it comes to contemporary jazz! I actually believe that jazz has a large number of modern artists who are carrying jazz into an exciting new era. I recently started up a website that's focusing on reviews of contemporary jazz albums - the site is less than a week old, but I'm hoping to do 2-3 reviews a week. I'm no technical expert on jazz - just a fan trying to express what I enjoy or dislike about different recordings and hopefully make the reviews more useful to those of us who want good music and not a short, technical explanation that really doesn't answer the question "will I like it?" I'm not sure I accomplished that with my first review, but it's a learning process and they will improve. Here is the link - again, it's a work in progress and something I do in my freetime:
 
http://www.jazzjunkie.net/
 
As for jazz recordings from this decade, I'd recommend checking out the following, many of which I'll be doing reviews of in the coming weeks:
 
Jason Moran - Ten
Brad Mehldau - Anything Goes or any of The Art of the Trio volumes
Eric Reed - The Dancing Monk
Donny McCaslin - Perpetual Motion
Ray Brown, John Clayton, and Christian McBride - Super Bass and Super Bass 2
Bill Charlap Trio - Live at The Village Vanguard
Joe Lovano - Bird Songs
Jeremy Pelt - The Talented Mr. Pelt
Joshua Redman - Mood Swing
+1 for Christian McBride - Kind of Brown
+1 for Roy Hargrove Quintet - Earfood
 
Happy listening!

 

[mrpink44]

Quote:

esperanza spalding
 
joshua redman gets a +1
 
bireli lagrene
 
richard bona
 
Dave holland quintet
 
anything with terri lyne carrington (drummer) if she's still makin music
 
 
 
 

Carrington is still making music and finally getting some recognition - she is gracing this months cover of JazzTimes!
 

 

[Br777]

Quote:

Carrington is still making music and finally getting some recognition - she is gracing this months cover of JazzTimes!
 

 
i saw her play with herbie hancock at jazzfest in chicago back around 2002.. AMAZING!
 
Dave Holland Quintet played there too and were equally great.
 
 

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

I'd have to disagree that there are very few newcomers who see the light of day when it comes to contemporary jazz! I actually believe that jazz has a large number of modern artists who are carrying jazz into an exciting new era. I recently started up a website that's focusing on reviews of contemporary jazz albums - the site is less than a week old, but I'm hoping to do 2-3 reviews a week. I'm no technical expert on jazz - just a fan trying to express what I enjoy or dislike about different recordings and hopefully make the reviews more useful to those of us who want good music and not a short, technical explanation that really doesn't answer the question "will I like it?" I'm not sure I accomplished that with my first review, but it's a learning process and they will improve. Here is the link - again, it's a work in progress and something I do in my freetime:
 
http://www.jazzjunkie.net/
 
As for jazz recordings from this decade, I'd recommend checking out the following, many of which I'll be doing reviews of in the coming weeks:
 
Jason Moran - Ten
Brad Mehldau - Anything Goes or any of The Art of the Trio volumes
Eric Reed - The Dancing Monk
Donny McCaslin - Perpetual Motion
Ray Brown, John Clayton, and Christian McBride - Super Bass and Super Bass 2
Bill Charlap Trio - Live at The Village Vanguard
Joe Lovano - Bird Songs
Jeremy Pelt - The Talented Mr. Pelt
Joshua Redman - Mood Swing
+1 for Christian McBride - Kind of Brown
+1 for Roy Hargrove Quintet - Earfood
 
Happy listening!

I've saved your website in my faves, well done that man!
 
Thanks for all these recommendations guys.
 
 
 
I've also been listening to and thoroughly enjoying these recently:
 
Keefe Jackson quartet: Seeing you See

 
 
Myra Melford Extended Ensemble - Even the Sounds Shine

 
 
 
Koch Schutz Kappeli - Acceleration

(this was recorded 1987 woops!)

 

[tru blu]

I'm gonna start with one by the iconic drummer we just lost: Paul Motian. His trio with saxist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell was nearing its 25th anniversary when this gorgeous disc was recorded in 2005…dreamy and tough simultaneously, always discursive…
 

 
Paul Motian - I Have The Room Above Her
 
 
Speaking of anniversaries, the pianist Jason Moran (who also did a bit of time with Motian in the last few years) recorded the following trio disc with his regular group Bandwagon in 2010 to commemorate a milestone…the variety of stuff he fits on it is even more amazing 'cause he actually pulls it off…groovy-sounding gospel-blues…Thelonious Monk…a spliced thing with a Jimi Hendrix-inspired feedback loop…Conlon Nancarrow…pieces associated with Billie Holiday and Bert Williams…
 

 
 
Jason Moran - TEN

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

I'm gonna start with one by the iconic drummer we just lost: Paul Motian. His trio with saxist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell was nearing its 25th anniversary when this gorgeous disc was recorded in 2005…dreamy and tough simultaneously, always discursive…
 

 
Paul Motian - I Have The Room Above Her
 
 
Speaking of anniversaries, the pianist Jason Moran (who also did a bit of time with Motian in the last few years) recorded the following trio disc with his regular group Bandwagon in 2010 to commemorate a milestone…
 

 
 
Jason Moran - TEN

What took you so long! Brilliant stuff
 
 
I'm enjoying the ivory tickling of this guy, he seems quite unique in his approach
 
Paul Bley - Not two Not one