Anyone here into Jazz?

[Newc]

I bought a Smooth Jazz Guitar CD a few years ago that has this track listing:

1.New Life - Chuck Loeb2.On My Way - Ed Hamilton3.Shootin' the Breeze - Ken Navarro4.Big Fun - Larry Coryell5.Bermuda Triangle - Artie Traum6.Endless Summer - Chieli Minucci7.So Far So What - Fattburger8.Oceanna - Special EFX9.Connection, The - The Connection10.Last Laugh, The - Fantasy Band

I like stuff like this - not too "out there" with off-key stuff. I've also got a Joe Pass Six String Santa CD, where he does lots of off-note stuff and it really ruins the songs for me.

[Endrik]

A lot of good new stuff out there, luckily jazz isn't impotent and stagnant like rock music is right now. Just what cookin' temperature you prefer? Swing, funky grooves, breakbeats, chilly downtempo, samba or caribbean feel, more straight ahead danceable grooves, polyrhythmic, free/avant-garde approach or something else?

Most of the new stuff is fusion. But not only the kind of fusion it was in the 70's, you know the Miles Davis, Return To Forever etc. stuff, where jazz was fused with rock, soul, funk, latin and all kinds of world music. Now there's jazz fused with musique concrète, sound collage, electronic music, DJ culture and many other ideas. Everything is a fair game. Actually it's hip to use the word Nu-Jazz instead of fusion these days.

I think the best new stuff right now is coming from Scandinavia or underground clubs of Paris. With the later you have to be there of course as it comes to life improvised on the stage.

That brings us to the colours on top of the rhythms. Each place has it's own mood and vibe.

Scandinavia has something that we call Nordic Jazz. Inspired by it's climate and culture. Minimalist soundscapes, electronic and shamanic music influences, listening to it puts you right into Norsk seashore along with dark days, snowy spruce trees and reindeers. But not all Nordic Jazz describes a nice Christmas card, some of it is rhythmically very mathematical and off the wall. A lot of great polyrhythmic drummers in the North.

Paris UG scene is rich for it's experimentation. There's no such thing as "wrong" note or sound. I can't even imagine how to start describing all that. Sometimes it's a crazy chops fest, sometimes Schoenberg's wet dream, sometimes compositions filled with beautiful cello solos, sometimes it's pure Porn music. Due a lot of African immigrants there's a cool West African flavour in some of the new jazz. Some of the African bass players just makes your jaw drop.

Jazz is very popular in the Mediterranean coasts, and there's a lot of great musicians, specially in Côte d'Azur, Riviera Ligure, Costa Brava etc. Relaxed vibe, organic sounds, often danceable grooves, mixture of all the different cultures. This music definitely nails the sunny climate/stoned beach party/pretty topless girls thing to the T. Most of the mainstream stuff is crap of course but there's also some pretty awesome psychedelia going on over there.

For newer type chops fest Jazz-Rock/Fusion, North Italy and Tokyo are great. Italian fusion has that Mediterranean jazz vibe, Tokyo has more British and American fusion or sometimes avant-garde influences.

In Berlin there's experimenting going on with combining broken rhythms with more house music type melodies.

London, tons of jazz bands and producer/DJ collabrations. Most of it is very funky.

NYC as the most experimental friendly music center in North America delivers some pretty awesome new stuff too. Crazy old school fusion rhythms fused with breakbeats, avant-garde harmonies mixed with electronic music soundscapes.

South West coast of Brazil has newer trendy jazz which is somewhat similar to Mediterranean jazz, more of that Samba, Latin American vibe going on there of course.

I think these are the main areas which have noticeable new jazz going on. There's many other strong jazz centers but the up-to-date-jazz movement isn't as dominant.

So as you see there's a lot of different stuff going on.

I'm not sure what to recommend. But I'll give a shot.

Let's start with the newest type of jazz. A jazz which is based on sampling.


One of the best finds of recent years is Skalpel from Poland. Incredibly organic sound. A lot of the samples are from old Polish jazz records, some of the stuff is programmed and some is played by live instruments.

This is my favorite track, just pure perfection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipv_n3JcP0g

a groover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdhPez5mzik

melancholic vibe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6E_ND7nExI

psychedelia influenced http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFscgjr22jU

dark downtempo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKILL_gLhL0


The Dining Rooms from Milano, some of their tunes are pretty famous. Chill-out tunes with vinyl pops, some for coffee houses, some for getting busy with a woman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4sBjVnips0

We can't forget Monsieur Ludovic... I mean St. Germain. If you put together jazz, electronic dance music and a french DJ you automatically think this is for getting into the pants of that hot chick who's not the nose candy fiend fake blonde in the annoying mainstream techno clubs but the one who occasionally reads and like jazz... well sort of.. but still eager to show cleavage and shake her booty on the dance floor. If you thought it's anything like that... then you were correct. But Blue Note actually releases this. So some if it is actually quite good. The Tourist album was the best, top notch musos doing most of the jamming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUjZ-wybIU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fs8idEA3vY

And this is something interesting, Blues House http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlq0BJlDGT0


Of course some dudes are striking back, most of those those electronic things played on instruments.

John Scofield has done some awesome modern jazz. The album Überjam is the best. His mission to piss off jazz purists worked more than well.

Here's Sco doin' it the jungle style http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLzIrpM5TEg


Although Nerve mostly plays live dnb and dubstep, they still are world class jazz musicians and some tunes they can't avoid showing it.

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/jojomayer2md05.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QghQvtzr4Qk

Ok, let's move to north. There's so much good Nu-Jazz coming from Norway but Jaga Jazzist is definitely the most well known. Pretty popular in Europe. Hard to define their music though, they mix everything with everything and mix the result with everything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVIFUQV20NM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3kOVxteDAQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeOvxU7bW4c

Let's continue with Norway, some essential minimalistic Nordic Jazz other than Jan Garbarek.

Bugge Wesseltoft, probably defines Nordic Nu-Jazz. Great colours on the piano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LydYEu1frR8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2nTsusafA0

jamming with Sco http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8A6SWB50YE


Nils Petter Molvær, very interesting trumpet tone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b84qlPD5jcA

vibe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh7b3G4cl1U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3qlXDy0O1g

Trygve Seim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbv_o_Irhy4

One of the most important names in modern jazz was Esbjörn Svennson Trio from Sweden. Sadly Esbjörn died two years ago. Great sense of melody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSue44uhWYE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzuRKN0ALws

The Cinematic Orchestra, very Nordic sounding group from England. Call this the another invasion of the vikings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed9CYDt99tA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t7mqUN6NU8

Here's some not so well known yet not so out there new French jazz that I've been listening to lately.

Clément Petit - A very melodic cello player, keeping up the tradition of string instruments in French jazz.

With Pierrejean Gaucher Trio (pretty unique sounding guitarist who often plays with Christophe Godin), which has plenty of rockin' elements.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5QAGzneD9M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z45HyXK6odc

Erik Truffaz, a great trumpeter, kick ass electric jazz, early 70's Headhunters and Miles stuff mixed with all kinds of modern ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHrY-j7rIk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQn-zoXgYuY

Louis Sclavis, amazing improviser, probably the best clarinet player I've ever heard, some cool middle-eastern influences.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4CegAWlH8Q

Let's cross the Atlantic...

Heernt from NYC, driven by Mark Guiliana, the maddest drummer of the new generation, ridiculous chops and off beat rhythm patterns. Some of their stuff is very out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NToGVbGrZ8o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA10WTZLnaQ

Christian Scott, young shizzlin' trumpet player from New Orleans. Great tone and playing, although his first solo album was kinda weak, the second one "Anthem" was absolutely incredible, pretty dark vibe, reflecting the horrors of Katrina. Some post-rock goin' on there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e653a3HzQzs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KdDi5RZZdE

That's it for now. There's just too much stuff out there.
A great place to get a taste of good jazz is a TV channel Mezzo. During the day (after European time) they play classical music and during the nights a lot of great jazz, blues, funk etc. It's definitely my favorite music channel http://www.mezzo.tv/

[VitaminG]

you're out of control, Endo. I'm gonna have to set aside an evening to work through all the links & recommendations.

[atomic charvel guy]

Endy is an apalling young man. I knew he'd come through on this stuff. I'm too busy
listening to Anita O'Day, she's the shit!! sounds just like billie holiday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_axsQM1K6U

[Hellbat]

Endy is an apalling young man. I knew he'd come through on this stuff. I'm too busy
listening to Anita O'Day, she's the shit!! sounds just like billie holiday.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_axsQM1K6U

That is the most amazing production for a song recorded in 1955. I am blown away. I miss music with dynamics that isn't compressed all to fuck and back.

[atomic charvel guy]

ain't it though? pretty much knocks my head right off. I saw a
documentary on Anita a couple of months ago Batty, she was
a freakin' hellraiser.

[micha]

I love the whole django/gipsy thing.
The Rosenberg Trio goes into this direction, I like them a lot!
awesome guitar playing and great melodies there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp4K-DLv4oQ

My brother came up with this quintet from finland couple of days ago.
Still have to get my hands on some of their stuff, but I like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ClOE_idE4&feature=related

[Hellbat]

I love the whole django/gipsy thing.
The Rosenberg Trio goes into this direction, I like them a lot!
awesome guitar playing and great melodies there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp4K-DLv4oQ

My brother came up with this quintet from finland couple of days ago.
Still have to get my hands on some of their stuff, but I like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ClO...eature=related

Top one sounds like they listened to this a lot...

[Endrik]

France is full of gypsy jazz groups. Most of them are just hobby musicians but play amazingly good. I remember when I went to Vaison-La-Romaine because it has one of the best markets in the world and while I was absolutely nuts about buying everything I could I saw those local cats playing there. I was like WTF?!?!?! They were kicking more ass than most A-list pro musicians.




I recently discovered that I have some gypsy blood in me but sadly I still can't play like Django though, not even close

[micha]

Top one sounds like they listened to this a lot...

yes, there's indeed some rythmic similarities here and there.
although these guys sound a bit more hispanic to my ears...
but awesome shredders as well...
I'll never get how people can play shit like this without a plec.
cool stuff!



rosenbergs listened to a lot of reihardt as well:

the only comfort is, I'm pretty sure they all suck on distortion channel...

[Endrik]

yes, there's indeed some rythmic similarities here and there.
although these guys sound a bit more hispanic to my ears...
I'll never get how people can play shit like this without a plec.
cool stuff!

The similarities should be there as Gypsies pretty much invented Flamenco too. Only the location was different, gypsy jazz was born in Paris, flamenco was born in Andalucía which had heavy middle eastern and north african cultural influences.

You can actually play faster with fingers than with a pick but it's also much harder of course.

[micha]

You should give E.S.T. a try as well.
Unfortunately the piano player died on a diving accident couple of years ago, but they did have some awesome tunes for sure!!

This is the opening track from one of my favourite albums of them: Tuesday Wonderland.
Check out the tiltle track as well:

Both, the bass player as well as the piano player use lots of mostly guitar effects (seen a POD somewhere in the Piano for example). The result is often quite stunning.

[Endrik]

you're late :P

[micha]

Oh, yes I see...
Sorry, but I was a bit in a hurry when your long post showed up.

But posting EST twice won't hurt anyway. Multiple posts are always a sign something could be worth checking out.
Maybe the threadstarter shows up twice as well.

[atomic charvel guy]

doesn't get much cooler than this-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKZbFNLWzKQ&feature=related