Anyone here into jazz?

Megii

Just thought I'd ask as a newby to the forum - it's kind of the big enthusiasm of mine, especially the older-school guys like Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel, Joe Pass etc. etc.  I do also like current players too though, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Mike Stern, could go on. As far as my own playing goes, it's jazz again really, and a bit of an interest in bluesy stuff also (of course the two go together quite well). Not so hot on the modern rock styles, although I do enjoy hearing it done well, and I'd certainly count myself as a Guthrie Govan fan.

Bucket

I bought "Virtuoso" by Joe Pass recently... quite like it, not my usual cup of tea though.

Megii

Cheers Bucket, and at least you've given it a go!

Lixarto

There are, of course, three types of jazz:

i - Hot

ii - Cool

iii - What time does the tune start?

I like type (i) - my grandfather (d 1931) played trumpet and clarinet in a jazz band, which makes him a contemporary of the great Bix Biederbecke.

So in a nutshell, beyond The Belgian, I am unsure of guitar in a jazz concept.

Hmm.

monquixote

I like jazz though I don't listen to a lot of guitar jazz.

I like Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, but I mostly listen to modern stuff like EST, Polar Bear, Gogo Penguin, Portico Quartet, The Bad Plus, etc

The Fitzgerald and Pass albums are the only guitar albums I do listen to a lot. 

Bucket

I like Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and more modern stuff like Pat Metheny and Al Di Meola (in small doses)... I'm not so big on jazz guitar really, but I quite like jazz in more general terms. I like a bit of Django too, although again only in small doses.

I also like a band called the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, but they're not particularly jazzy. Slightly misleading name. There's jazz elements, also bits of electronic stuff, even some post-rock. They're really rather good. Not sure why I'm telling you this... I'm a tad drunk.

monquixote

Give some Bad Plus a listen 

They are modern Jazz, but with a lot of pop and electronic influences.

jmaster

that bad plus is awesome, I'd never heard of them before. 

I love all the older jazz stuff, I'm in a jazz trio playing the classics (badly), not mad on some of the more out there atonal noise jazz jam kind of stuff though.. I like Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Django Reindhart, Fats Waller, Miles Davis, Martin Taylor, etc etc

@Bucket have you heard any Bireli Lagrene? It's like Django on steroids, pretty sure he could outshred any widdler I can think of, especially on an acoustic anyway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQC0x-t80XY

Bucket

I'll check that out tomorrow

ourmaninthenorth

Listen to a lot of Jazz, some great guitar players, but it's the blowers and the pianists that do it for me. Having said that though, there's no a single guitar player of the genre that I can accurately emulate...hence my excuse, I don't play Jazz, just play Jazzily... ) b-(

benmurray85

Jazz was always a dirty word to me but recently I thought I should really try and broaden my horizons so I picked up Miles Davis "kind of blue" My goodness what a surprise. Great album. I also really like Ed Bickert for guitar playing. I seem to really like the "chordy" type of stuff. I also really getting into rockabilly playing.

benmurray85

Btw that bad plus performance is superb. Thanks for the heads up

monquixote

The Bad Plus are unbelievable.

I saw them at Ronnie Scotts last time they played and I had to collect my jaw from under the table on the way out.

VimFuego

my dad was a jazz saxophonist is his younger days and I grew up in a house filled with jazz music. Consequently I can't hear more than a bar or two without slipping in a blank state from which I awake in the Colombian jungle wearing only a pair of torn purple trollies.

Fretwired

What most people think of jazz .... :-)

Megii

Cheers for all replys chaps, it would seem the short answer to my question is a "yes". I'd not come across Bad Plus, and I really like that a lot, thanks for making me aware monquixte.  And I'm absolutely with you re Ed Bickert Ben, somewhat underrated I feel, or at least too little known. I think with a lot of jazz, it is the kind of music that needs a bit of time to listen and get to know about, after which the doors open a bit. So perhaps will always be an acquired taste, and Fretwired, you are probably right about the general impression of jazz - those were a particularly hilarious series of sketches on the Fast Show, and I would admit an element of truth there!

Jalapeno

Check out Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue

(I like jazz guitar Mike Stern back to Django/Charlie Christian)

failed_astronaut

I like the jazz (that's a soft "j") Joe Pass is the king as far as I'm concerned but I love Kenny Burrel, Grant Green and Jim Hall. Strangely, I also don't listen to a lot of jazz guitarists, more horn players - coltrane, rollins etc. and the Buddy Rich big band. And it might be sacriligious but I can't dig fusion or a lot of modern jazz.

Megii

Way ahead of you on Kenny Burrell Jalapeno, one of my favourites!

axisus

I had a massive jazz phase about 20 years ago, all sorts, mostly the more famous people. Not been so much into it since, other than the modern guitarists, Metheny, Stern, Carlton etc.

Megii

failed_astronaut said:

I like the jazz (that's a soft "j") Joe Pass is the king as far as I'm concerned but I love Kenny Burrel, Grant Green and Jim Hall. Strangely, I also don't listen to a lot of jazz guitarists, more horn players - coltrane, rollins etc. and the Buddy Rich big band. And it might be sacriligious but I can't dig fusion or a lot of modern jazz.

In terms of just mastery of the instrument, I think I'm tempted to agree with you about Joe Pass, an astonishing musician. I've listened to him for years, but I still find him jaw-dropping every time. But for me, just pipped as a personal favourite by Wes Montgomery, don't know why - probably best not to analyse. Of course both of those are on the level where comparisons become a bit naff really. I think some fusion can seem a bit cheesy and contrived, but I still like it lol. And the modern jazz would not be my main thing, but the local jazz people in Grimsby have put on quite a few gigs with top British modern jazz people lately, and as a result I'm getting more into it. Some incredible musicians - if they played rock with the same skill, they would be huge names I think!