Calling all jazz fans!

[DanielBenoit]

There seems so few of us out there, we seem to have definitley died out since the 20s'

So who's your personal favorite? Is modern jazz any good? Share some of your favorite tunes from Youtude.

As for me, I would have to say that Louis Armstrong is an artist who completely embodied the spirit and joy of jazz, he was a true man of heart and ecstasy and will live forever.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Hbh_-IRs8


Though I must admit, this is probably the greatest jazz video I've ever seen on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4TbrgIdm0E


Here's one of the most beautiful things ever concieced in the 20th century, Glenn Miller certianly is vastly underappretiated. This is a deeply personal song for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n92ATE3IgIs

[Dirtbag]

My problem with modern jazz is that half the time it just sounds like old jazz. But I think a lot of musicians have and continue to keep the growth going by taking old aspects of jazz and adding more modern techniques. Like the Mars Volta, Portishead, and A Tribe Called Quest. We can't forget about jazz fusion bands either. Like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. This is getting a little off topic though.

My favourite jazz musician was probably Miles Davis due to his ever changing style and his ability to completely concentrate that style within himself. I've always thought of him as a true jazz man even though purists vehemently disagree.

There are so many greats keyboard players that I personally idolize for their creativity and their energy but Bill Evans plays with a style that reaches me deeply.

I've always liked this video.

Waltz For Debby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2LFVWBmoiw

Modern Jazz Quartet - Django
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmpLtYmSlvM

Chick Corea & John McLaughlin - 7/15/81 - La Baleine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA6ox3Pc7Ho


The Inhabitants is a modern jazz band that I think is worth checking out.

http://www.myspace.com/theinhabitants

[*Classic*Charm*]

I'm a Dave Brubeck fan. I've seen his quartet live twice now and they're just incredible. He's almost 90 years old and just keeps on truckin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V9VS...eature=related

[stlukesguild]

After classical music, jazz is probably my biggest musical love. I have no problem with the notion that the best jazz may just be equal to a great deal of the best classical of the last century. Indeed, I greatly suspect that the music of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and others will long outlast that of Boulez, Schoenberg, Cage, Stockhausen and many others of the more esoteric strains of classical music.

My personal preference in jazz is for music of the Bop era... and especially for small groups (Miles, Monk, Coletrane, Brubeck, Lennie Tristano, Charlie Parker, The Modern Jazz Quartet etc...) although I love the big bands of Ellington, Armstrong, Goodman, Count Basie, Gillespie, etc...

Modern jazz can be quite interesting. I have very little patience with most rock or blues/jazz fusion and even less with the free-form works of Ornette Coleman etc... I like what the Marsalis brothers have brought to jazz, but I agree that (especially in the case of Winton) the results may not be all that original, but rather a very, very good continuation of a tradition. Indeed, I find his strongest work to be found in his series of "Standards" recordings. Perhaps the most interesting new jazz, however, in my opinion, is to be found coming out of Europe and involving a merger with elements of various ethnic traditions, classical music, folk music etc... Among some of the most intriguing I would include Anouar Brahem, the French Tunisian artist who creates music that merges elements of traditional Arabic/Islamic music with elements of French folk music, and French classical music (especially that of Erik Satie and Impressionism) as well as jazz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_q5JuleA4E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOPK0...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUsh_KCqE8A

Brahem frequently works with the French pianist Francois Couturier, who is an interesting artist in his own right. He brings a more Modernist Classical European sensibility as well as elements of Japanese music (Takemitsu especially) to his work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G72vbe4j7zo

Following in the Arabic-Jazz tradition I would highly recommend the recording, Making Music by Zakir Hussain with John McLaughlin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6oumW5ZuGk

The East Europeans and Scandinavians also bring something interesting to the mix. Take for example the Tord Gustavsen Trio with their icy, precise jazz infused minimalism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVst12PvZJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohe4ymCgyl4

Or the Polish Tomasz Stanko Quartet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fz9_dLyeSo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_XRVq46JHg

[jocky]

At last a post worth listening to. Try Jethro Tull, MY SUNDAY FEELING.

[Virgil]

For me it's Duke Ellington.

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

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVrIYpty4YA&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhK-zYfFsIY

[jocky]

For me it's Duke Ellington.

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

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVrIYpty4YA&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhK-zYfFsIY

I didn't watch them all Virgil, at least I am honest ,almost, but that was pretty cool. Now for the easy part, define jazz. If you dont reply within thirty seconds, I will take it you dont know what you are talking about. Send your reply to Cleo and Johnny

[jocky]

There seems so few of us out there, we seem to have definitley died out since the 20s'

So who's your personal favorite? Is modern jazz any good? Share some of your favorite tunes from Youtude.

As for me, I would have to say that Louis Armstrong is an artist who completely embodied the spirit and joy of jazz, he was a true man of heart and ecstasy and will live forever.

Dan, Jazz comes in so many shapes and sizes it is pretty hard to define. Kirk Rowland to Acker Bilk. The blues you can nearly define, but jazz you cannot. Was Louis Armstrong a Jazzman or a chrysalis of the things to come? I agree with Daniel that heart and ecstasy will live forever, however we all agree on one thing, where would we be without our music?

[AuntShecky]

Louis, of course. Fletcher Henderson. BIX!
The Duke, the Count. Pianists like Earl Hines, Errol Garner, Dave McKenna, Bill Evans -- the list goes on and on! Dave Brubeck Quartet, MJQ.

Stan Getz. Gerry Mulligan. The tragically underrated Woody Herman.

Don't listen to anything else until you hear:
Benny Goodman -- Live at Carnegie Hall. "Sing, Sing, Sing"
and --
Duke Ellington's famous 1956 Newport Jazz Concert--especially the extended solo by Paul Gonsalves on"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue."

I admire the avant-garde jazz artists who came after Miles, but I wish I could say I "liked" it.

By contrast, some of the artists lately who say they are "jazz" artists are a little lily-livered, sort of superficial. I'm not mentioning any names. But I think you know who I mean.

But they are many contemporary jazz artists who are innovative without being too inaccessible. Wayne Shorter and Billy Taylor are still around, I think. I like Bill Cunliffe and Pete Yellin. Also Harry Connick, Jr. may often step into the "pop" arena, but I never heard anything by him that I
didn't totally enjoy!

I'd better stop or I'll be here all afternoon. But I think you've given me the impetus actually to start a blog!

PS-- try this website-- they post a new free jazz
video every day!
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzvideos.php

[DocHeart]

Miss Peggy Lee, Things are Swingin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8G27ciXssQ

[Virgil]

Louis, of course. Fletcher Henderson. BIX!
The Duke, the Count. Pianists like Earl Hines, Errol Garner, Dave McKenna, Bill Evans -- the list goes on and on! Dave Brubeck Quartet, MJQ.

Stan Getz. Gerry Mulligan. The tragically underrated Woody Herman.

Don't listen to anything else until you hear:
Benny Goodman -- Live at Carnegie Hall. "Sing, Sing, Sing"
and --
Duke Ellington's famous 1956 Newport Jazz Concert--especially the extended solo by Paul Gonsalves on"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue."

I admire the avant-garde jazz artists who came after Miles, but I wish I could say I "liked" it.

By contrast, some of the artists lately who say they are "jazz" artists are a little lily-livered, sort of superficial. I'm not mentioning any names. But I think you know who I mean.

But they are many contemporary jazz artists who are innovative without being too inaccessible. Wayne Shorter and Billy Taylor are still around, I think. I like Bill Cunliffe and Pete Yorn. Also Harry Connick, Jr. may often step into the "pop" arena, but I never heard anything by him that I
didn't totally enjoy!

I'd better stop or I'll be here all afternoon. But I think you've given me the impetus actually to start a blog!

PS-- try this website-- they post a new free jazz
video every day!
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzvideos.php

Thanks for that website Aunty. Oh I forgot Stan Getz. I just love his sax.

Miss Peggy Lee, Things are Swingin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8G27ciXssQ

Peggy Lee is great. I also love Rosemary Clooney.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O07SVoCyFP4

[Babbalanja]

I love 60's/70's jazz, and here's Eric Dolphy ripping it up with Mingus's band.

John Coltrane was one of the old guard, but he skronked it up with the best of them. This performance of Vigil is like a mini-Ascension.

Ornette Coleman is The Man of modern jazz, and here he plays at Birdland with James Blood Ulmer on guitar.

Albert Ayler and Sun Ra were free-jazz legends in the 60's. Ayler had a raw evangelical fervor to his music, but Sun Ra always seemed like Duke Ellington on acid.

One last blast: the shambolic Cecil Taylor Unit and one of their quantum jazz compositions, Unit Structures.

[AuntShecky]

Bet you've forgotten what today was, but this ditty might
take the sting out of it:

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

[BlueSkyGB]

Thelonious Monk....when I just want to listen
Coltrane..who I sought to imitate when I was a music major...
and of course Billie Holiday....her phrasing is always a pleasure
I have many other favs....but I find my taste runs more towards the blues side of jazz.....

I tend to find the current crop of jazz players...well their playing is good..
but they seem to lack soul..if you know what I mean

and like has been said before....
the one, the only...
Louis Armstrong......

[crisaor]

I'm another fan.

Miles is my all-time favourite, though his latter, more innovative works hold less interest for me.

Others include John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Stan Getz, and Astor Piazzolla (I consider his style to be jazz with bandoneon, not tango).

As a final note, I should mention I despise most of the "singer jazz". Diana Krall is in my enemy list.