Who listens to jazz?

[Stonehenge]

I do.

I use to be into mostly rock but gradually went over to jazz though I still like the classic rockers like the Stones and others. Some like just singers but I'm mostly into instrumental stuff like Take 5, which I consider a monumental work of jazz. I love all the heavyweights such as Monk, Miles and many others plus newer artists and groups such as the Carribean Jazz Project, Paquito de Rivera and others.

What/who are your favorites and why do you like them? Do you like jazz better than pop or rock or just like it a little or just like certain tunes and certain players?

Then there are the blues which I think of as a subset of jazz though I'm sure I'll get an argument on that from someone. Who are your fav blues people? I like BB King and many others.

[JRL]

Good topic, Stoney. I am a huge lover of blues and jazz, and I see the line between them as very blury.

I also like the greats. Personal favorites start with Miles, Trane , Monk, Ellington. I have special love for the guitar playes such as Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis , Barney Kessel ect. I dig the B3 giants like Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff.

As far as younger players, I really like John Scofield and Joey Difrancesco.

I like pretty much all well known blues players, more so the older generation but a lot of young ones as well.

On the lighter side: Q. What;s the differnce between blues and jazz?
                             A. In blues you play 3 chords to hundreds of people, in jazz you play hundreds of chords to 3 people.

[senorsalvia]

Yesssirree, fine topic....  I too would say I mostly listen to rock satndards like the Stones, Animals,Who, but then, there's those times that I venture into other genres....  For Jazz,  I'd go with Miles first off, then maybe some Monk, or Taj...  Listened to some  Cab Calloway Sunday evening that was really cool....For Blues, Jeez, how I love the stuff!!  Touches me in a place that even rock does not reach;  somehow more visceral, more transforming...  Ha, when I mention blues, alot of folks have made the comment that ""That stuff is just depressing""  I always find it making me feel so much better, so settled and contemplative....  As far as Blues Artists, the list goes forever...  Billie Holiday-Joplin-Stevie Ray-John Lee Hooker-Robert Johnson-John Mayer-Albert  Collins-BB King-Early Zepplin-and so so many others....  Actually if I had to go to that fabled island and could take only one genre of music, it would be Blues instead of Rock............  Ha,,,  I'll be thinking of this thread now, for days!!!------

[Stonehenge]

Yeah, I do like blues a lot myself. When I was younger I said the same thing, "it's dismal" or something like that. That was before I got better educated and started listening to good blues and jazz. There are a few blues tunes, even some popular ones I don't like because to me they sound negative. Such as 'moaning' or whatever the name is and one or two others. There are a few jazz tunes I don't care for and a few jazz singers I don't like. I do not like Curt Elling though the DJ's seem to love him and play his junk all the time.

It's hard for me to remember the names of all the good artists and good tunes and albums. Sal, you mentioned some good names and JRL, you too. I would toss in Dizzy, Ray Charles, that piano player whose band was the range, and of course J Defranchesco, as Joe said. I'll think of some others soon as my head starts working again.

What about latin jazz, anybody into that? Paquito is great as are the Caribean Jazz Project. There are others but as usual I can't think of the names. Afro Cuban and a lot of world jazz is good. Probably not the right name but there is stuff nobody heard of out there which is very good. I even heard a rapper I liked years ago. He chanted in french, I think it was, and the rhythm and sound of it was hypnotic. I saw him on TV once and never again. Good stuff is hard to find but crap is everywhere.

I listen to the radio, mostly, and very seldom go to concerts. I have a cd collection but haven't upgraded in a while. The DJ babbles so much on the radio I turn the mute on whenever the song ends to avoid it so I miss out on a lot of trivia and stories.

[Stonehenge]

Bruce Hornsby and the range. I knew it would come to me.

[JRL]

So Many greats. I was listening to Little Walter's greatest hits CD, how I love that country blues sound.

Ray Charles of course. One of my favorite records is Thats What I Say, Scofields Ray Charles tribute.

A lot of what I dig falls through the cracks: The Meters, Roben Ford, Neville Bros, Dr John. I'm not sure what bin to put those records in.

And I can't fight the funk which is right next door to jazz: Tower of Power, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock's funky side, Earth Wind and Fire, James Brown, Maceo Parker ect.

As far as piamo players right now I'm into the great New Orleans piano man like Proffesor Longhair and James Booker. Anything from Nawlins is a good bet for me.

[Stonehenge]

Yeah, I know what you mean about not being able to classify some stuff but still liking it. Many or all those names are familiar. I'm pretty sure I heard cuts off that Ray Charles tribute album. And of course Herby Hancock. I mostly like instrumental over singing but Ray C is an exception to that rule. He is one of the greats.

A number of Beatles tunes were redone in a jazz format and came out super. Come Together, is one of those but there are others. I feel a little guilty not supporting the performers of today by going to their concerts but the cost has gone through the roof plus all the hassle. Some day they will have the internet figured out and you will be able to hear anything you like for a buck a tune or less and have a permanent digital recording. Maybe even a dime a tune. Wouldnt you rather have a dime from 100 million people than $20 from a handful?

[Stonehenge]

The Marsellis brothers, especially Winton. Not sure of the spelling there. Those were some I was trying to think of the names of the other day. All of them are great and I think they all have their own groups but sometimes collaborate. Arturo Sandoval is another excellent jazz musician.

[JRL]

I like Branford Marselis a lot. He plays it all, from the Dead to Sting to jazz to Nawlins funk. Wynton of course is a fabulous musician but too much of a purest for me, He is one of those cats tryin to  "legitimize" jazz. he wants to clean it up for the concert hall. I feel that jazz is really a folk music, and the audience is an active participant. It neads shouts and moans, not polite applause. Celebration!!!

One guy and band we haven't hit yet is the late Joe Zawinul and Weather Report. Now thats what I call fusion!!! It's deep stuff, and when I saw them in 1976 they were on the cutting edge of world culture. You could feel the future, it was such a mix of the most modern and the most timeless. They were beyond my ability to describe. I remember as we filed out after the show, no one was talking. Still one of the best shows I ever saw.

[Stonehenge]

I'm not sure if I have heard Joe Zawinul or not. I hear a lot of stuff and never know who did it. I do like a lot of stuff that was labeled fusion.

Yeah, the Marselis brothers are great. I know what you mean about concert hall type jazz. I like the more 'folk' type myself but I like it all. Wynton has done some outstanding work.

What about zydeco? It's jamaican but also is connected to N Orleans, in my mind at least. It's some great stuff, I recall Beausoleil as one I'd like to hear more from. Do you consider zydeco to be related to jazz? I know it's hard to put a lot of things into catagories.

Good music of whatever type sometimes puts me into a good sort of trance. I just want to sit there and let the music wash over me and carry me away. Better than drugs.

[JRL]

As  matter of fact I have been hard at work playing with a Cajun/zydeco/Louisiana r&b band called The Bayou Boys. Summer is zydeco season, just got back from The Isleton Crawdad Festival, did 2 gigs today back again tommorow.

Zydeco like most music from Louisiana is a wonderful mix of influences. It really is native to Louisiana, but there is a similarity to reggae. Other inluences are blues, r and b, french music, country, ect. I thought I knew something about it when I joined the bayou Boys 2 years ago, but its been an education. I really fell in love with it, the rythyms, the earthy songs and the great bass players. I will post a list of some acts to check put if you are interested.

Cajun and Zydeco have many things in common but there are definite differences. Cajun like Beausoleil was created by the French Canadians exiled to Louisiana. It has more of the French and folk influence. Zydeco comes from the Creole side of the tracks, it's got a harder edge and uses the rubboard, and modern zydeco has a lot of blues, funk, and rock in it.

I don't hear a lot of jazz in Cajun/Zydeco, but maybe a bit. Our violin/electric mandolin player is a country swing monster, so that influences everything he plays.

Good thread here. Lets keep it going!! I can talk music forever![/url]

[Stonehenge]

Beausoleil, pronounced bow-so-lay for those new to this, is a terrific group. They've been around for at least 20 years. It's amazing that you are part of a zydeco group. What instrument do you play? I'm sure you've told us many times but the old memory doesn't always work.

>Cajun and Zydeco have many things in common but there are definite differences. Cajun like Beausoleil was created by the French Canadians exiled to Louisiana. It has more of the French and folk influence.

Oh mon, you put every ting in little boxes.

(feeble attempt at island accent)

[JRL]

I play bass. Cajun and Zydeco do have some differences for sure, and many similarities. Sometime da boxes have their use. It's good to know where stuff comes from, no?

One thing I am not though is a purist, I likes my gumbo with all da flavors.

Oh, yeah ://http://www.bayouband.com  We got a CD in the final stages of production.

[Stonehenge]

Something wierd happened last night. I turned on the pbs radio channel I listen to and it sounded really good. It was a while before I noticed it was classical music and not jazz. What tipped me off was that the DJ's were different people. Then I noticed it was classical. I'm not really a classical fan but some of it is quite decent.

They play classical during the day and jazz at night but the hours vary.

[JRL]

We got two(2) NPR stations: one plays classical around the clock, the other is news by day jazz by night. It's really the only station I listen to since our Air America station became a christian music station over night.

I don't really dig bassplayer solo records tat much usually, but I do l like to check in and check the new guys out. One guy I like is my mentor and friend Todd Johnson. His best stuff is with jazz guitarist Ron Eschte. Ron is know as the best  pure jazz guitar player in LA. Todd plays 6 string bass Ron plays 7 string guitar. Todd's got a lot of stuff up on Youtube.

A younger guy I like is Mat Garrison. He is Coltrane bassist Jimmy Garrison's son. He is taking the bass guitar in some interesting directions.
If you like your jazz more in  funk/pop direction check out Marcus Miller. He is prolly the best around. At 19 he was procucing, arranging, playing bass and a bunch of other instruments for none other than Miles Davis.