The Jazz - discussion, recommendations, shit, cat

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I've been listening to jazz records every night before bed. Puts me in a chill frame of mind.

Man, how brilliant is Miles' soundtrack to Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud? Remarkably evocative stuff. If walking through steamy alleyways in Paris at midnight is anything like listening to that album, it's a place I need to be. The ambiance of it is tangible.

I'm also greatly enjoying Destination Out by Jackie McLean. Vibes are a delightfully creepy instrument sometimes.
 
I have heard Générique from that album, I believe it was on one of iYup's DI playlists. Good track.

I am frequently chuffed with myself that I listen to jazz. I'm one of the very, very few people my age I know who does. It feels cool.
 
LemonMelon said:
Man, how brilliant is Miles' soundtrack to Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud? Remarkably evocative stuff. If walking through steamy alleyways in Paris at midnight is anything like listening to that album, it's a place I need to be. The ambiance of it is tangible.
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It is a brilliant piece (for a great film, by the way). To think that they basically created it on the spot in front of a projection, using just some basic chord progressions, speaks of Miles' immense talent.

I've been on a Bill Evans mood lately. The Village Vanguard recordings are a masterpiece of piano jazz.

I also recommend Cannonball Adderley's Something Else, with Miles, Hank Jones, Sam Jones and Art Bakley - a great ensemble. Their Autumn Leaves rendition is beautiful, especially Miles' solo (which I've transcribing lately). Such a masterful use of space and simplicity.
 
cobl04 said:
I have heard Générique from that album, I believe it was on one of iYup's DI playlists. Good track.
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It was and is one of my very favorite Miles tracks.

gump said:
I also recommend Cannonball Adderley's Something Else, with Miles, Hank Jones, Sam Jones and Art Bakley - a great ensemble. Their Autumn Leaves rendition is beautiful, especially Miles' solo (which I've been transcribing lately). Such a masterful use of space and simplicity.
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Great album. Miles and Blakey together was one hell of a duo.
 
That's wicked, thanks for sharing. If you like that you should really check out Thundercat (and Flying Lotus) if you haven't already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOooD9TRfh4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o0JT2AWiIY

I remember a conversation I had with iYup once about the state of jazz in modern music. Like it kind of completely disappeared off the map... in the 50s, 60s, 70s, I mean, there's a classic jazz album being released just about every week. But somewhere along the line it fell off the perch. Maybe there was nowhere to go.

But iYup was saying that if Miles was around today he'd be playing this sort of electro-infused jazz. Jazz can still be found on a lot of records, it's just sort of merged with electronica.

Badbadnotgood is another act that makes music quite similar to the above

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atBp0-W9o68
 
I like Flying Lotus a great deal. Until The Quiet Comes was really solid, and I go back to it often still. I haven't heard Los Angeles and 1983 yet, though. Will give the other bands a try, thanks for recommending.

I feel that there's a lot of stuff being produced that is just hard to get - and as you said a lot of jazz influences can probably be felt in some electronic music.

One of my favorite things about New York is that the jazz scene is still vibrant, with several clubs having top-notch programmes every week. Some of it is still driven by the big names (like Wynton Marsalis), but from time to time you come across a youngish musician.

Just because I'm a bit obsessed with Brad Mehldau right now, here's an amazing cover. My right hand hurts just by watching him play this (it's also remarkable how he can easily improvise melodies with both hands at the same time).

Brad Mehldau plays Bittersweet Symphony (Jazz à Vienne 2010) - YouTube
 
gump said:
I like Flying Lotus a great deal. Until The Quiet Comes was really solid, and I go back to it often still. I haven't heard Los Angeles and 1983 yet, though. Will give the other bands a try, thanks for recommending.

I feel that there's a lot of stuff being produced that is just hard to get - and as you said a lot of jazz influences can probably be felt in some electronic music.

One of my favorite things about New York is that the jazz scene is still vibrant, with several clubs having top-notch programmes every week. Some of it is still driven by the big names (like Wynton Marsalis), but from time to time you come across a youngish musician.

Just because I'm a bit obsessed with Brad Mehldau right now, here's an amazing cover. My right hand hurts just by watching him play this (it's also remarkable how he can easily improvise melodies with both hands at the same time).

Brad Mehldau plays Bittersweet Symphony (Jazz à Vienne 2010) - YouTube
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Oh cool man, can't remember if I'd seen you talk about him or not. Cosmogramma is his masterpiece if you ask me, though Los Angeles and 1983 are both great too.

This song, from his Pattern+Grid World EP, is one of my fav tracks of his and one of my fav videos of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPLNK3mn7zE

gump said:
My right hand hurts just by watching him play
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sicko.
 
cobl04 said:
I remember a conversation I had with iYup once about the state of jazz in modern music. Like it kind of completely disappeared off the map... in the 50s, 60s, 70s, I mean, there's a classic jazz album being released just about every week. But somewhere along the line it fell off the perch. Maybe there was nowhere to go.

But iYup was saying that if Miles was around today he'd be playing this sort of electro-infused jazz. Jazz can still be found on a lot of records, it's just sort of merged with electronica.
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Looking around the music landscape the last few years, I think there is a fair amount of jazz influence. Interesting though that it's now taking the form of 30s-60s vocal jazz. Julia Holter comes to mind, and I think Kanye had a track on Yeezus that heavily sampled Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit." Xiu Xiu also just put out a Nina Simone covers album.
 
About that dwindling modern jazz scene...

The new BADBADNOTGOOD album is unbelievable, just like the last one. It's all original material this time, but they absolutely pull it off.
 
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I believe it is an album, but that can be fluid. BBNG2 was a free mixtape for a while but there is a vinyl release for it now. I'm guessing this one will be sold from the jump.

Songs.to has been delivering on the stream front for me lately and it did in this instance as well. Good quality too.
 
I didn't know they had a new one coming either.

They're insanely good live as well.
 
cobl04 said:
No, looks like it's on Big Fun. Pretty much all the youtube links imply that it's on Bitches Brew, which is weird.
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A lot of those Big Fun tracks have appeared as bonuses on various editions of Bitches Brew. All Big Fun tracks came from the BB sessions, I believe.
 
So this guy Kamasi Washington, you've probably never heard of him. But I suspect you may soon, if you finish this post.

He just dropped a 2 hour, 45 minute jazz fusion record appropriately titled The Epic and it's actually really fucking terrific and worth every second. Some people are hyping it up as a modern day Bitches Brew but that's really quite lazy. This is a much more traditional, song-oriented record without long stretches of experimentation and there are even some vocal jazz tracks mixed in. It definitely keeps you entertained all the way through. Anyone who likes jazz needs to hear it.

Here's a track from it, which is 14 minutes but actually quite a small sample relative to the length of the album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NFS8WXfCI
 
He's on Brainfeeder, and played on To Pimp a Butterfly. Will definitely be checking this out. I just listened to Bitches Brew tonight, funnily enough.
 
Yeah, it was smart of him to have an album waiting in the wings so closely after To Pimp a Butterfly. I hope he gains some exposure, because he deserves it.
 
LemonMelon said:
So this guy Kamasi Washington, you've probably never heard of him. But I suspect you may soon, if you finish this post.

He just dropped a 2 hour, 45 minute jazz fusion record appropriately titled The Epic and it's actually really fucking terrific and worth every second. Some people are hyping it up as a modern day Bitches Brew but that's really quite lazy. This is a much more traditional, song-oriented record without long stretches of experimentation and there are even some vocal jazz tracks mixed in. It definitely keeps you entertained all the way through. Anyone who likes jazz needs to hear it.
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Very cool - thanks for sharing. This is a nice throwback to the late-60s; reminds me of Miles' Second Quintet and some of the associated acts (Shorter, Carter, etc) that came out of it. I'll be sure to check out the album proper.
 
Wow, I totally missed it. RIP. Will listen to The Shape of Jazz To Come and Free Jazz tonight.
 
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