[jasonb]

I'm trying to get into jazz music but I don't really know where to go from here. The only jazz or jazzy stuff I own is some Norah Jones, Diana Krall and some jazz fusion that is really more progressive rock than jazz. The fusion/prog that I am referring to is stuff like The Aristocrats, Gavin Harrison & O5RIC, Anglagard, IAmTheMorning, and Planet X.
 
So, any suggestions on what to try? I have a MOG account, so anything that is on there I am willing to try out. I like the idea that jazz is usually live instruments, meanwhile rock/metal is usually overproduced and is often not very dynamic. I love lively, well recorded drums, so anything with top class drummers would be good. This is head-fi, so recordings that are mixed/mastered well would be great of course. I'm open to ideas. My Last.fm account profile is in my signature if that helps to get an idea of what I like.
 
Thanks in advance guys and gals.

 

[jasonb]

I'm checking out this one right now:

 

[jasonb]

Checking this out now:

only 2 songs in and I like it a lot already. I guess I like jazz with female singers, I have always had a soft spot for good female vocals, so this should be no surprise to me. 

 

[fabb892]

I frequent these boards (but haven't posted since I joined..a lot has changed!), and was just coming here to create my own Jazz help thread when I saw this..
 
I'm in a similar position I think. I've recently been getting into some Jazz/Rock fusion (?) stuff like Nucleus' Elastic Rock, which has been a sweet listen. Between that end of the scale and full blown jazzual experiences like Bitches Brew I don't really have much experience, I'm afraid. 
 
I'd love to know more about what's in between artists like Norah Jones and Miles Davis or Sun Ra.
 
Anyway, sorry I couldn't offer you any knowledge..but I guess it's all about hearing new & exciting things, so I'll put down some random tracks I dig and hope you do too
 
 
Awesome album- got me listening to Soft Machine, too. 

 
You'll definitely recognise this if you didn't know it already. I'd love to get into more like this.

 
My favourite track from this album

 
Just three randoms I can remember at the moment! I guess if you're into less rock, more I don't know..hiphoppy vibes I would check out RJD2 (Ghostwriter), and guys like Bonobo, Quantic, Mr Scruff, Karriem Riggins.
 
Really not sure what genre this next one fits into, but it's still an absolute fave of mine.
 

 
 
Sorry for all the links! 
 
 
 
Edit: woah, missed your post about The Cinematic Orchestra. How did you find it? Love that record..Ninja Tune is one of the best labels out there.

 

[Anavel0]

iTunes Radio has several good Jazz stations. I'm currently in the same boat, trying to learn about Jazz.

Right now they have a Jazz Showcase station featured that's playing a lot of really good and interesting stuff.

And after listening to mostly rock and pop, it's really nice to hear all the string and horn sounds. Woke my ears right up.

 

[jasonb]

iTunes Radio has several good Jazz stations. I'm currently in the same boat, trying to learn about Jazz.

Right now they have a Jazz Showcase station featured that's playing a lot of really good and interesting stuff.

And after listening to mostly rock and pop, it's really nice to hear all the string and horn sounds. Woke my ears right up.

Same here, but I listen to mostly prog rock and metal, which like I stated earlier is usually overproduced.
 
and thanks to fabb892, I will definitely try those links very soon. 

 

[Hijodelbrx]

OK, you guys are gonna thank me later!  The following is a clip of a band that I've always felt should be of particular interest to Head-fier's for a number of reasons.  1st, they're a young band, Head-Fi's full of young 'minds'.  2nd, from an audio(phile) point of view, they record live, self-produce their recordings to CD/DVD and the recording's are impeccable.  But 3rd, and most importantly, as you'll see when you check out the clip, they record in the round with a small audience seated in the center, and EVERYBODY'S wearing headphones!  Try to imagine yourself seated there.... the sonics plus the physicality (slam!) are a dream come true, but I digress.  I should mention that this ain't your granddaddy's Jazz.  It's instrumental (no vocals), improvised (at times) and ton's of fun!  I own and can recommend so much 'standard' Jazz but this is a personal favorite that I hope you'll enjoy!
 
The band: Snarky Puppy - The record: Ground Up - The tune: Thing of Gold - Get ready to get bit by the Pup!!  Don't forget to listen thru your phones!!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZBlRkF0-to&feature=player_detailpage
 
here's another!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX7HunLvZuw&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL56C375F19BCE3208
 
and another!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1cskIan5Jw&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL56C375F19BCE3208
 
and one last one for the win!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0d2zOrebuwM

 

[TJ Elite]

It took me a long time to be able to appreciate jazz but nowadays it is by far my favorite genre, and I listen to anything from drone to trance, black metal to modern classical – just don't throw an average pop album my way, thank you. For several years I only had a couple of jazz albums in my collection and I can't remember if I ever got anything out of them back then. Then some years ago I devoted a lot of time and effort into acquiring more jazz records and trying to listen to them, trying to figure out what they were all about. I can't remember what inspired me to do this, but I'm truly glad for doing it. It probably took me close to a year of active listening to learn how to listen to jazz, what things to pay attention to and how to interpret what I'm hearing. Based on my own experiences, getting into jazz can take its time and it certainly takes active effort on one's part, but once you one day realize something has just clicked for you, it is a genre that will give back so much more than you had to give it, and then some.

 

Before I get to recommending you some stuff you can get started with, a quick word to dispel a misconception that some people getting into the genre, myself included, can have when they are first getting familiar with jazz. Some people have the impression that jazz along with classical is a genre you can only be able to appreciate if you have in-depth knowledge of music theory. Instead of trying to say in my own words how that simply is not true, I'm going to quote Art Blakey, one of my favorite jazz musicians and jazz drummers:

 

"You don’t have to be a musician to understand jazz. All you have to do is be able to feel. If you pass through life without hearing this music, you’ve missed a great deal."

 

Well said. All you really have to do when you listen to music, any music, is feel it. For me jazz 

– and just art in general 

– is first and foremost about expressing yourself, expressing your feelings and thoughts. That is why the improvisational aspect is integral to jazz for me. Since each solo is unique, you are expressing what you are thinking and feeling right at that moment, and because each performance is different, you have to always be constantly listening to what the other people in the group are playing and adapt your own playing to support what they are doing. This means there is always interplay going on between the members and therefore it is like everyone is having a conversation via music. There is of course music that is played on instruments typically associated with jazz, but with minimal or even no improvisation involved. This kind of music can certainly sound jazzy, but I have always found it difficult to decide whether I consider it to actually be jazz. Whether it is or isn't of course has no bearing on how good or bad the music is, but to me such music seems to lack the spirit of jazz.

 

But now to some music you can listen to. Below are some personal selections organized into a groups. Things that should be relatively easy to approach, slightly less straightforward stuff, and a couple of wild cards which with good fortune might resonate with you right away but might also likely require a bit more experience under your belt before coming back to them. I've also mentioned a couple of modern less traditional jazz albums which might strike a chord, you never know. Feel free to tell about your impressions and I'll be only happy to share more things based on your feedback. Also apologies in advance, I have no idea what is and isn't available on MOG, so if any of these albums mentioned are not on there that is simply unfortunate.

 

Also, why not check Rate Your Music's jazz chart on your own? Simply taking a look at the top 100 should keep you busy for a while. → Link ←

 

---

 

Simply essential basic albums

 

Art Blakey

 - Moanin'

Bill Evans

 - Waltz for Debby

Dave Brubeck - Time Out

Dexter Gordon - Go

Hank Mobley - Soul Station

John Coltrane - Blue Train

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue [The best-selling jazz record of all time. Need I say more?]

Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus

Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music

 

Once you've gotten your feet a little wet

 

Alice Coltrane

 - Ptah, the El Daoud [It is far too seldom that you get to hear harp in jazz like on this album's latter half. I also wouldn't mind there being more female jazz musicians in general.]

Art Blakey

 - Free for All [The title cut is simply a torrent of youthful energy.]

Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um [Pure brilliance from start to finish. Mingus was a genius.]

Dave Brubeck - At Carnegie Hall

Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage

Horace Silver

 - The Cape Verdean Blues

Jackie McLean - Destination Out!

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things [I think that the rendition of the title track on this album is one of the most important recordings in the still quite brief history of recorded music on our planet. It is simply an essential part of our musical heritage.]

John Coltrane - Crescent [One of my favorite John Coltrane records. This one often gets overlooked in his quite vast discography.]

Keith Jarrett

 - The Köln Concert [One of my personal top 10 albums of all time. I'm not religious, but this album simply sounds like god descended from heaven and played an hour for us.]
Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame [One of THE classic fusion albums and something a fan of progressive rock might find it easy to get into.]
Miles Davis - A Tribute to Jack Johnson [Another fusion record a rock fan shouldn't necessarily have too much trouble getting into. I enjoyed this record long before the world of jazz opened to me.]

Pete La Roca - Basra

Wayne Shorter - Juju

 

More demanding must-hear albums

 

Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch! [One of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded.]

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

 

Vocal jazz

 

Diana Krall - Live in Paris [You mentioned Diana Krall, but in case you haven't heard this one.]

Patricia Barber - Café Blue

Patricia Barber - Modern Cool

 

More modern jazz records

 

E.S.T. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio) - Viaticum

 
Hilary Hahn & Hauschka - Silfra [I'm not sure if this can be called strictly a jazz album, but it is completely improvised and blurs the line between classical and jazz. Also one of the best sounding albums I've heard in my life.]
 
Hiromi - Another Mind [Also search YouTube for videos of her performing live. It is seldom that you will find a person as joyous and full of life as this girl.]
 
Iiro Rantala - Lost Heroes [Only some sections contain improvisation, but an album well worth hearing. "Tears for Esbjörn" is dedicated to fellow jazz pianist Esbjörn Svensson who passed away and was Iiro's good friend. Iiro has said that he was depressed for a long time after his friend's passing and it had a large impact on his music.]
 
 
Iiro Rantala New Trio - Elmo [Just watch the video and you'll understand why this is not your typical jazz trio.]

 

Pekka Kuusisto & Iiro Rantala - Subterráneo

 

Portico Quartet - Isla

 
 
And there you have it. If that seems like a lot, trust me, it isn't really in the grand scheme of things.

 

[agentgreen]

  OK, you guys are gonna thank me later! 

 
I'm thanking you NOW!
 
These guys are awesome.

 

[brunk]

Here's some additional artists. Sorry if they have been mentioned already. I Wish i could create columns, but I can't. This list should keep you busy for a long time
 
Anna Marie Jopek
Bill Evans
Billie Holiday
Brad Mehldau Trio
Cannonball Adderly
Cassandra Wilson
Charles Mingus
Charlie Parker
Chris Botti
Claire Martin
Coleman Hawkins
Count Basie
Dave Brubeck
David Sanborn
Duke Ellington
Ella Fitzgerald
Eric Dolphy
Freddie Hubbard
George Benson
Grant Green
Grover Washington Jr.
Hank Mobley
Herbie Hancock
Hiromi
Horace Silver
Jaco Pastorius
Jaques Loussier
Joe Harriot
Joe Henderson
Joe Lovano
Joe Zawinul
John Abercrombie
John Coltrane
John McLaughlin
John Scofield
Joyce Cooling
Karrin Allyson
Keiko Matsui
Keith Jarrett
Kenny G
Lee Morgan
Lee Ritenour
Lou Donaldson
Louis Armstrong
Madeleine Peyroux
Manhattan Jazz Quintet
Marion Meadows
Melody Gardot
Michael Brecker
Michael Buble
Nina Simone
Pat Metheny
Patricia Barber
Paul Taylor
Rebecca Pidgeon
Richard Bona
Ruby Braff
Russ Freeman
Sade
Sarah Vaughan
Wayne Shorter
Sonny Rollins
Spyro Gyra
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Stan Getz
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Turrentine
The Modern Jazz Quintet
The Peter Malick Group
Thelonius Monk
Valerie Joyce
Van Morrison
Weather Report 
Wes Montgomery

 

[jasonb]

thanks guys. this should keep my busy.

 

[rambler]

Given that you like female singers, find some greatest hits from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday.

 

[HONEYBOY]

I also have been on a mission to learn more about jazz. I figure you may be interested, so a heads up that edX will offer a new course from The University of Texas at Austin starting Jan.21, 2014. It's entitled Jazz Appreciation. Here's a link to the course's intro video:
 

 

[Hijodelbrx]

Here's a simple little 'trick' that might help when listening to Jazz.  If any of you are like me, you've 'air-guitared/drummed'.  When listening to Jazz, try 'air'ing along with ANY of the instruments.  You haven't 'aired' 'til you do Coltrane!!

 

[Radioking59]

Go to your local library and check out the Ken Burns PBS documentary Jazz. While not perfect, it is an excellent place to start. It used to be on Netflix but I don't know if it still is since I'm no longer a subscriber.