Does anyone actually LIKE jazz?

[Cato]

4 hours ago, Japhet said:

Jazz covers an immense spectrum of music and I don't see how anybody could dislike all of it.

I downloaded a 70 track Sun Ra 'box set' a while ago.

That covers a pretty big spectrum just on it's own.

Some of it is pretty straightforwards other bits are absolutely bonkers and quite a lot of it falls into the mysterious category of 'music I'm not sure I actually like, but find fascinating to listen to anyway'.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Cato

[burno70]

I've got into jazz more and more over the last 5 or so years. Stems from Jaco - Weather Report. I love Some Kind of Blue - Miles Davies, it's awesome. Don't like the noisy/atonal/everyone is soloing genre, leaves me cold. Looking forward to listening to some of the artists posted on this thread so I kind find more that I like.

Also, having a stab at a bass solo version of Take 5 (Dave Brubeck Quartet). Working on it for a couple of months now as it was above my technique level - but that's how you improve, right?  

[Staggering on]

1 minute ago, burno70 said:

I've got into jazz more and more over the last 5 or so years. Stems from Jaco - Weather Report. I love Some Kind of Blue - Miles Davies, it's awesome. Don't like the noisy/atonal/everyone is soloing genre, leaves me cold. Looking forward to listening to some of the artists posted on this thread so I kind find more that I like.

Also, having a stab at a bass solo version of Take 5 (Dave Brubeck Quartet). Working on it for a couple of months now as it was above my technique level - but that's how you improve, right?  

I've tried Take 5 on my upright and it's a challenge.What key are you playing it in?

[burno70]

I think it's in B minor but would have check.

[TrevorR]

Loads of types... from 20-30s swing bands through Wes Montgomery and Dave Brubeck to Joe Pass, Larry Carlton, smooth jazz to souly, funky, acidy jazz... so many great artists and styles to explore.

[adamg67]

I need some help understanding what Jazz even is.

I like Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters, but that's because it's basically Funk. Presumably it's improvised, so that's why it's Jazz? 

I like some of the bluesy Jazz stuff, like Art Blakey.. "Moanin", but that's because it's mainly improvised Blues.

Then there seem to be things that are Jazz that aren't so improvised, and also don't seem to borrow so much from other genres, like swing and big band, which are okay.

Then there's a big chunk of "Jazz Club" style stuff I really don't like, which is very improvised an original but doesn't seem to groove much to me.

So do I like Jazz? I have no idea.

[Leonard Smalls]

24 minutes ago, adamg67 said:

basically Funk.

So is this, but borrows much more from Ornette Coleman's harmolodic musings than Herbie's relatively straight-ahead grooves.

 

[Coilte]

27 minutes ago, adamg67 said:

I need some help understanding what Jazz even is.

 

I would not get too hung up on labels. Granted, they can be useful  in some circumstances. "Jazz" IMO is an "umbrella" name for a vast variety of music which has been constantly evolving since around 1900, and is still doing so. Generally, people have an era preference in this evolution. 

[tinyd]

Over the years I've increased my jazz listening and it's now about 80% of what I listen to. Of course, it's just another genre of music and it's not for everyone, but I think that unlike some genres, good jazz recordings can give you something new decades after you first hear them. I'm quite 'traditional' in that I think that the Coltrane Quartet (e.g. A Love Supreme) and Miles Quintet (Miles Smiles) recordings from the mid-60s haven't really been improved upon, but there's plenty of great contemporary stuff as well.

[Count Bassy]

Old style jazz , Dixy Land Jazz etc YES.

'Modern Jazz' No.

[Leonard Smalls]

16 minutes ago, Count Bassy said:

Old style jazz , Dixy Land Jazz etc YES.

'Modern Jazz' No.

That's what my dad would have said!

As far as he was concerned, jazz was Sidney Bechet, King Oliver, Jack Teagarden etc. And he loved Chris Barber...

I quite like a bit of kicking trad jazz as well.

[Coilte]

4 hours ago, burno70 said:

 Looking forward to listening to some of the artists posted on this thread so I kind find more that I like.  

"AKA MOON" might be worth checking out. They are a Belgian.. (have a great bassist too BTW...he studied with Jaco )..band and have been on the go since around the early 90's. They have a core membership of three (sax, bass and drums), but have collaborated widely with many different artists. The track below is from a recent album in which the band give their interpretation of Scarlatti's sonatas. Kind of like ..."jazz meets classical". 😎

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80lVklIvd8s

 

[bassbiscuits]

I've tried. I really have. 

The only jazz i'm at all familiar with is a couple of Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck albums I have, so late 50s and early 60s I guess. 

That hardly counts as a wide cross section of jazz I know!

Maybe it's cos it's not stuff I grew up loving or influenced by particularly, so while I can see it's worth, musically and technically, it just doesn't fire me up in the way I'd expect if I loved it. 

Sorry. 

Edited September 14, 2018 by bassbiscuits

[TrevorR]

4 hours ago, Coilte said:

I would not get too hung up on labels. Granted, they can be useful  in some circumstances. "Jazz" IMO is an "umbrella" name for a vast variety of music which has been constantly evolving since around 1900, and is still doing so. Generally, people have an era preference in this evolution. 

Exactly... 

What is rock? Thin Lizzy, Tom Petty, Meshugga, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, Yes, The Stones, Talking Heads, Nirvana, U2, Coldplay, Dr Feelgood, PJ Harvey...

What is pop? Lady Gaga, The Human League, The Carpenters, Black Lace, Carly Simon,  The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Dusty Springfield, Pet Shop Boys, The Beach Boys... 

Edited September 13, 2018 by TrevorR

[Rich]

I like bebop and modern jazz.
Fusion, I love in a big way. 
I even like smooth/dinner jazz -- well some of it, anyway.
A good jazz big-band is a thing of beauty, although I prefer it instrumental. Not mad keen on jazz singers -- Cleo Laine, bless her, drives me up the wall.  

'Trad' Dixieland/ragtime type jazz? I hate, loathe and detest it. All you can ever hear is the feckin clarinet, wailing away and playing a totally different tune to everyone else, and the bloody banjo going donk-donk-donk-donkadonk-donkadonk. Arrrggh. Given the choice between a} listening to a Kenny Ball album, and b} dragging my fingernails down a blackboard repeatedly whilst listening to a Nigel Faraj speech on an endless loop, I'd say bring on the blackboard. 

[bassace]

When I was at school jazz was the music and the nascent rock and roll was enjoyed by thickoes and teddy boys - yes , really. And I’ve been playing jazz ever since. Mind you, rock improved and there was a lot of love for it. So I enjoy rock/pop, a lot of it anyway. And a lot of other musical genres. But I enjoy jazz best.

I’ll get my beret.

Edited September 13, 2018 by bassace

[BassTractor]

12 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

playing 'Misty'

Ha! Reminds me of the time I was playing "Misty" when a classical organist came in, commented on the "dirty" chords, and proceeded to try and play the dots whilst shivering with the excitement of being a sinner.

I kid you not.

[Dad3353]

6 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

...a classical organist came in, commented on the "dirty" chords...

In all my years of playing this, I'm still on the 'vanilla' chords, which wouldn't conjure up Beelzebub I'm sure. (Well, not the way I play 'em, anyway..!  ).

[drTStingray]

On 12 September 2018 at 18:23, Bilbo said:

I like good Jazz but I don't like bad Jazz. The best thing is, I get to choose. 

And there's lots of both (even by my choice!!) - Moondance??!! 😂

[drTStingray]

I like quite a lot of it.

http://youtu.be/zqNTltOGh5c

So What - whose bass riff has been adapted by many including Roy Orbison (Pretty Woman) and The Beatles (Day Tripper). Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is a wonderful album in my view and highly influential of much jazz and popular music following it. 

And about 25 yrs later with Marcus Miller on bass - I've borrowed those bass parts in Tutu quite often!! And another great album along with Amandla. 

http://youtu.be/sAMJy-PHzKE 

Edited September 13, 2018 by drTStingray

[tinyd]

7 hours ago, drTStingray said:

I like quite a lot of it.

http://youtu.be/zqNTltOGh5c

So What - whose bass riff has been adapted by many including Roy Orbison (Pretty Woman) and The Beatles (Day Tripper). Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is a wonderful album in my view and highly influential of much jazz and popular music following it. 

There's a good book by Richard Williams on the influence of Kind Of Blue, you've probably seen if but if not it's well worth a read. My favourite nugget was the fact that James Brown's band lifted the horn stabs in Cold Sweat from So What.

[mangotango]

On ‎12‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 09:05, Cato said:

Jazz is a broad church.

But with fewer dead bodies than Broadchurch.....most of the time, anyway.

Jazz. The only music that matters.  To me, at least.

 

Don't get me wrong - I love reggae, soul, funk, blues, rootsy stuff of all varieties, World Music, Celtic....but it's Jazz that is important in my life.

[JellyKnees]

Mmmmm jazz, it's just like the Bonzo's said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABcNAwytrOY

[lowdown]

Yep, love my Jazz (listening and playing).

Today my ears have been taking in Charlie Parker and Wes Montgomery, along with Dave Grusin's Big Band album, 'West Side Story', and Michel Camilo's Big Band album, 'Caribe'.

 I like it pretty varied really.

[bassace]

12 hours ago, drTStingray said:

I like quite a lot of it.

http://youtu.be/zqNTltOGh5c

So What - whose bass riff has been adapted by many including Roy Orbison (Pretty Woman) and The Beatles (Day Tripper). Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is a wonderful album in my view and highly influential of much jazz and popular music following it. 

And about 25 yrs later with Marcus Miller on bass - I've borrowed those bass parts in Tutu quite often!! And another great album along with Amandla. 

http://youtu.be/sAMJy-PHzKE 

I’m just not hearing this. Orbison’s and the Beatles’ tunes use a piano figure from the blues predating Miles by a decade or three. There are a few books analysing Kind of Blue, I’ve not read most of them but would be very surprised if they attached the KoB connection to these pop tunes.