Post-1960s Jazz

[tommyjacobs]

Thanks to everyone who recommended artists on the recent jazz thread. I've just started listening to jazz, and it helped me discover some artists that were new to me.

 

One thing I noticed is that almost all of the albums on jazz "best of" lists are from the 1960s or earlier. Does anyone have any recommendations for jazz artists/albums that have recorded after that period? Who are the prominent jazz musicians recording/performing today?

[mountain bed]

Does fusion count? There are many who would say no. I would say yes - the first Return to Forever LP is a solid masterpiece.

[deepseacatfish]

I think fusion would count--in which case the Mahavishnu Orchestra's first two albums would be a good place to head with that, and perhaps Herbie Hancock's "Headhunters" (and of course Bitches Brew...which came out in '69 so it doesn't really count here).

 

Ornette Coleman has released plenty of great stuff post-1960's, Bill Frisell and Pat Methany are both post-60's generally great jazz guitarists, Andrew Hill may have his best output in the 60's but there's lots of great stuff after that, if you're looking for weird definitely check out John Zorn, and without a doubt William Parker would be a good place to start looking at post-60's stuff.

 

While the 50's and 60's may be a golden age for jazz (and fusion in the 70's certainly took some wrong turns), there are lots of great things post-1969 and a lot going on right now.

[Lammycat]

I'm not real big on Jazz, but:

 

Pat Metheny, particularly w/ Lyle Mays and Sonny Sharrock I enjoy quite a bit.

 

Chick Corea, too.

[deepseacatfish]

Chick Corea, too.

Oh yeah, there's plenty of good stuff there.

[aricandover]

I think fusion would count--in which case the Mahavishnu Orchestra's first two albums would be a good place to head with that, and perhaps Herbie Hancock's "Headhunters" (and of course Bitches Brew...which came out in '69 so it doesn't really count here).

 

Ornette Coleman has released plenty of great stuff post-1960's, Bill Frisell and Pat Methany are both post-60's generally great jazz guitarists, Andrew Hill may have his best output in the 60's but there's lots of great stuff after that, if you're looking for weird definitely check out John Zorn, and without a doubt William Parker would be a good place to start looking at post-60's stuff.

 

While the 50's and 60's may be a golden age for jazz (and fusion in the 70's certainly took some wrong turns), there are lots of great things post-1969 and a lot going on right now.

 

 

 

you can't go wrong with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Ornette Coleman or John Zorn.

[mountain bed]

Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House (with Alphonse Mouzon - a KILLER drummer) and Billy Cobham's Spectrum are must-hear records.

[Leo]

For some of the better jazz being performed today, check out Dave Holland, Scott Colley, Chris Potter, and a group consisting of Mark Turner, Jeff Ballard and Larry Grenadier, called Fly.

[theashtraysays]

Elvis Costello did a record a couple years ago with the Metropole Orkest called "My Flame Burns Blue". It's quite good.

[WaronWar]

Yes, I beat Louie B to giving some advice on Jazz!

 

For an obvious recommendation, check out Miles Davis's electric stuff, but it tends to sway listeners.

 

In more present times, I just saw Chris Potter at my school about a month ago (we actually had a master class too with him), and he was great. He had a great backing band, and his solos explored many realms. So yeah check out Chris Potter Underground.

 

On the Chicago side of things, I have been getting into Ken Vandermark (sax player) and all of his groups. Moreover, I have really been digging Jeff Parker's (guitar) solo record "Like-Coping," and the band he's in (though I am not sure if they still play much anymore) Istope 217. With listening to Istope 217, this could then lead you Rob Mazurek (trumpet) since he's in the band which then might cause you to check out The Chicago Underground records he is a part of (in which Jeff Parker is sometimes a part of too).

 

Finally, I love Nels Cline's records, and they are worth a listen. Moreover, all the people he is involved with have a good catalog for music.

[tommyjacobs]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

[deepseacatfish]

On the Chicago side of things, I have been getting into Ken Vandermark (sax player) and all of his groups. Moreover, I have really been digging Jeff Parker's (guitar) solo record "Like-Coping," and the band he's in (though I am not sure if they still play much anymore) Istope 217. With listening to Istope 217, this could then lead you Rob Mazurek (trumpet) since he's in the band which then might cause you to check out The Chicago Underground records he is a part of (in which Jeff Parker is sometimes a part of too).

 

Finally, I love Nels Cline's records, and they are worth a listen. Moreover, all the people he is involved with have a good catalog for music.

Chicago has a great scene for modern "out" jazz, definitely all worth looking into. Rob Mazurek is also part of the Exploding Star Orchestra. Nels goes without saying, but check out a lot of the things he guests on (including his brother Alex Cline's albums) there's lots of great stuff out there.

[JerseyMike]

The Bad Plus- they have a fresh, modern take on Jazz.

[jc4prez]

Joshua Redmans latest is fantastic its called "East West" I'm going to see him in two weeks. I'd also recommend Roy Haynes's "Love Letters", it features Redman, Dave Holland, John Scofeild and some other great players. As for Scofeild I'd also recommend his collaborations with Medeski Martin and Wood. There solo material is great too although they often get lumped in the Jam scene.

 

Oh and Pat Martino!

[aricandover]

Joshua Redmans latest is fantastic its called "East West" I'm going to see him in two weeks. I'd also recommend Roy Haynes's "Love Letters", it features Redman, Dave Holland, John Scofeild and some other great players. As for Scofeild I'd also recommend his collaborations with Medeski Martin and Wood. There solo material is great too although they often get lumped in the Jam scene.

Oh and Pat Martino!

 

 

[mkush001]

www.indiejazz.com

[markosis]

Why am I just now finding out about this indiejazz.com? Thanks for the link.

 

I'd like to recommend Steve Lehman, an alto-saxophonist from New York. His music is of the cutting-edge variety, lots of rhythmic exploration and use of electronics. He has and continues to play with Anthony Braxton. I got the chance to see Steve and an acoustic quintet in an amazing intimate venue in Philadelphia and it was killer. Check him out.

 

I'd also like to recommend checking out Ars Nova Workshop, a Philadelphia company which brings alot of cutting-edge/avant-garde jazz artists to Philadelphia. Even if you're not from the area, just to check out their upcoming shows and to get some names of newer jazz artists would benefit anyone interested in new jazz.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Terje Rypdal

Barre Phillips

Eberhard Weber

John Abercrombie

Ralph Towner

Jean-Luc Ponty

Philip Catherine

Charles Kynard

[LouieB]

Yes, I beat Louie B to giving some advice on Jazz!

 

For an obvious recommendation, check out Miles Davis's electric stuff, but it tends to sway listeners.

 

In more present times, I just saw Chris Potter at my school about a month ago (we actually had a master class too with him), and he was great. He had a great backing band, and his solos explored many realms. So yeah check out Chris Potter Underground.

 

On the Chicago side of things, I have been getting into Ken Vandermark (sax player) and all of his groups. Moreover, I have really been digging Jeff Parker's (guitar) solo record "Like-Coping," and the band he's in (though I am not sure if they still play much anymore) Istope 217. With listening to Istope 217, this could then lead you Rob Mazurek (trumpet) since he's in the band which then might cause you to check out The Chicago Underground records he is a part of (in which Jeff Parker is sometimes a part of too).

 

Finally, I love Nels Cline's records, and they are worth a listen. Moreover, all the people he is involved with have a good catalog for music.

Waronwar is very conversant on post 60s jazz...I have been busy at work and just logging in on this now....but he knows what he is talking about.....

 

Chicago has a great scene for modern "out" jazz, definitely all worth looking into. Rob Mazurek is also part of the Exploding Star Orchestra. Nels goes without saying, but check out a lot of the things he guests on (including his brother Alex Cline's albums) there's lots of great stuff out there.

The Bad Plus- they have a fresh, modern take on Jazz.

Terje Rypdal

Barre Phillips

Eberhard Weber

John Abercrombie

Ralph Towner

Jean-Luc Ponty

Philip Catherine

Charles Kynard

All good suggestions on this thread. I was about to make a snarky comment that there is no good post 60s jazz but of course that is ridiculous (and untrue.) What is true is that after the mid-60s things do get a bit hazy however. So let's break it down a bit. Don't forget that lots of the "new thing" artists of the 60s (thos on Impulse and other indie jazz labels) were still practicing there art, such as Ornette, etc. So let's take this post by post. Post 60s Miles falls into the fusion category in general, which includes some pretty interesting stuff including Chick Corea and Return to Forever, John McLaughlin's Mahvishu Orchestra and of course Weather Report with Wayne Shorter and Joe Zwanel (not responsible for bad spelling in the middle of the night.)

 

Ornette did extremely interesting stuff along similar lines with his releases, more fusiony in a more general respect. As did other 60s type artists such as Pharoh Sanders, Marion Brown, etc. etc. Kind of too tired to think of more names but I will tomorrow. These are the "new thing" type artists, that border on avant most of the time. Check out the Impulse catelogue for some of their work. Cecil Taylor was very active in the 70s.

 

Eberhard Weber, John Abercrombie Ralph Towner Pat Metheny, etc. were all part of the ECM label stuff of the70s, all easy to still find on vinyl and while sort of mellow (this is much of an offshoot of Gary Burton's work) there is alot to recommend checking out. Like I said these albums have been dumped by many collectors, but even the Keith Jarrett albums that were so popular (his Impulse stuff is good too) are still worth getting to. Sometimes all these things get a bit self indulgent (particularly the Jarrett material) but alot is there to be had. Ponty did some interesting although pretty commercial records. You can find them by the stack at most used record stores on vinyl as well. He is sort of in the light jazz/fusion category and while I have many of his albums I wouldn't really pull them out anymore, but that is just me.

 

Most of the AACM material on Delmark and other small and mostly out of print labels (but back in print on CD sometimes) includes great stuff by the ARt Ensemble, Antony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell (part the Art Ensemble) and a whole host of folks. Great more avant or experimental stuff from them. Even the more recent stuff from the younger AACM type folks such as Nicole Mitchell and Ed Wilkerson (8 Bold Souls, Frequency) is excellent, some on Thrill Jockey some on Delmark. Many of the AACMers did great stuff on small labels all through the 70s and 80s as well. Jeff Parker certainly fits into this group and the group below. We keep talking about the dean of this group Fred Anderson who with the best drummer in the world, Hamid Drake have done phenomenal records.

 

On the Chicago side, we are rightfully proud of the Chicago Improvisors, the white branch of the Chicago jazz scene with Ken Vandermark and his crowd (including Fred Lonberg-Holm), which includles Rob Mazerek and his groups the Chicago Underground Duo, Trio, Quartet, Exploding Star Orchestra which includes alot of the Chicago and other associated folks and now AACMers, etc Other great folks are Jim Baker, Kent Kessler, the list goes on and on. Closely associated with these folks are the post-rock crowd of the aforementioned Isotope 217, Tortoise. All of these artists record on each others records. You can go broke trying to keep up; Doug McCombs alone plays on enough to kill a horse. Check out Vandermarks work particularly including his big band the Territory Band and there are all sorts of associated artists on Chicago based Okkadisk which will break your bank account once you start buying them.

 

I totally enjoy the Bad Plus. Some bad rap them, but they are all in good fun and very accomplished musicians. See them if you get a chance, you won't be disappointed.

 

A group of younger musicans who isn't that young anymore who are associated with the new traditionalist movement are Wynton Marsalis and his brothers and friends, such as Branford and the very fine pianist Marcus Roberts. These guys play more modern type and even traditional jazz, but if you can stomach them Marsalis long pieces yield interesting stuff.

 

Most people here recommend Nels. I just bought a few more of his CDs. Why not, he is good in Wilco. Check out his collegaue Scott Amendola for some good stuff that is not as far out.

 

I can't help but promote Von Freemans albums on Premonition records. Great older sounding straight ahead stuff from the last of the great Chicago tenor men. Some folks like singer Kurt Elling and Patricia Barber, singer and piano player also both from Chicago.

 

Check out the European scene. Someone will chime in with their favorites, but there are dozens (hundreds) of albums on obscure European labels. Some of this is far afield from "jazz" but certainly inspired by 60s US avant artists.

 

Buy a copy of Downbeat, an old mainstream jazz magazine still in print and see what they are recommending for contemporary jazz. I am a big fan of Joe Lovano on sax, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Kenny Garrett on sax; let's be honest, just because jazz is on longer a big seller there are a ton of super talented and less well known artist practicing what is mainstream and worth checking out. Guys like Dave Holland, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter are putting out excellent stuff. I am forgetting whole groups of folks, but visit the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago or the jazz section at Amoeba on the west coast and look around. There is no shortage of new stuff being put out daily. The jazz schools produce tons of great musicans.

 

At the moment this is the best I can do. Admittedly I don't buy many contemporary albums with the exception of the Chicago artists, but there are more than enough out there. Heck Blue Note continues to put stuff out that is worth buying. Again, get a line on some of the smaller indie labels and you can have a field day with newer material.

 

That's it for now....sorry to go on and on, this is a big topic. Get of into the sidetracks of the jazz/improv scene and you will find great stuff.

 

LouieB

[LouieB]

Actually a bit of feedback from the original poster on what he wants would be nice at this point. There is honestly no reason to go on and on about a million different little schools of music if we don't know what he would like. Are we talking jazz here or improv music or fusion or what? Heck there is a really cool guy named Reginald Robinson who has revived ragtime, actually composing new peices and getting a McArthur genius grant in the process. There are repetory groups that play early jazz and ragtime sorts of material too.

 

We didn't talk about the neo-swing movement of a few years ago either. There are so many highways and byways of post 60s jazz so it is hard to tell. So let's hear back.

 

LouieB

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Eberhard Weber, John Abercrombie Ralph Towner Pat Metheny, etc. were all part of the ECM label stuff of the70s, all easy to still find on vinyl and while sort of mellow (this is much of an offshoot of Gary Burton's work) there is alot to recommend checking out.

"Mellow" is the right word, but some of it is definitely recommended, as you said. Eberhard Weber's Yellow Fields and Silent Feet are great, and John Abercrombie's Timeless is really good. Some of the Abercrombie stuff isn't mellow at all, he just rips on guitar. Same with another guitar hero, Terje Rypdal. Check out Waves, which can be found on Amazon for about 10 bucks.

A group of younger musicans who isn't that young anymore who are associated with the new traditionalist movement are Wynton Marsalis and his brothers and friends, such as Branford and the very fine pianist Marcus Roberts.

I agree with you on Marcus Roberts ... excellent "newer" guy. I could never get into the Marsalis school, but that's just me.

Guys like Dave Holland, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter are putting out excellent stuff.

Wayne Shorter is one of my all time favorite sax players, second only to Coltrane. But I've never found anything post-60s by him that I could stomach. Got any recommendations, Louie? (Or anybody else?)

[tommyjacobs]

Actually a bit of feedback from the original poster on what he wants would be nice at this point. There is honestly no reason to go on and on about a million different little schools of music if we don't know what he would like. Are we talking jazz here or improv music or fusion or what?

 

Thanks for the insight, Louie. To be honest, I'm not sure I know enough about jazz to answer your question.

 

Recently, I dug up a copy of "Kind of Blue" that I've had for a while and put it on. I connected to it in a way I didn't when I first bought it (though I still liked it then), so I've decided to start learning more about the genre.

 

I bought "A Love Supreme" by Coltrane and loved it, and I picked up "Free Jazz" by Ornette Coleman because it reminded me of "Troutmaskreplica." Then I saw the big jazz thread on this board as it was dying, and I thought I'd pick the brain of those of you who knew more about it.

 

I like the cool jazz of the 1950's and 1960's and some of the free jazz I've listened to. I'm not familiar enough with the music to say much more than that, and I'm really just trying to find out what is out there to explore. I'm planning on trying to sample the artists mentioned on this board this weekend to see if anything resonates.

 

Thanks again for the information.

[jc4prez]

speaking of Kurt Elling I just saw him at the mill last friday. The show was great although he seemed to have been dabbling in the nose candy. He did do his fantastic version of Resolution.

[LouieB]

"Mellow" is the right word, but some of it is definitely recommended, as you said. Eberhard Weber's Yellow Fields and Silent Feet are great, and John Abercrombie's Timeless is really good. Some of the Abercrombie stuff isn't mellow at all, he just rips on guitar. Same with another guitar hero, Terje Rypdal. Check out Waves, which can be found on Amazon for about 10 bucks.

 

I agree with you on Marcus Roberts ... excellent "newer" guy. I could never get into the Marsalis school, but that's just me.

 

Wayne Shorter is one of my all time favorite sax players, second only to Coltrane. But I've never found anything post-60s by him that I could stomach. Got any recommendations, Louie? (Or anybody else?)

I agree about Abercombie. I saw him in the last few years with Dave Holland (I think..can't remember excactly.) Saw him decades ago with Towner, great show. Wide Sargasso Sea is one of my favorite albums of the theirs on ECM (don't ding me for spelling errors..). While Abercrombie isn't "mellow" in some respects, he is certainly not a guitar hero in the hard rock school of guitarists, so by contrast he is sort of mellow. Weber's records are also excellent. Most of this stuff has fallen into disfavor though in general, but I would still recommend it. As I mentioned, much of it is available used on vinyl even. ECM was a very high quality company that took great pride in their LPs, so even after several decades they should play pretty well. I am surprised no one has gone nuts about the Jarrett material. The Koln concert may be one of the largest selling jazz albums after Kind of Blue. Back in the day everyone had a copy as well as the blue box set of other improv he did. He was such an egomaniac that he believed some day people would transcribe his improv work such as these albums and play them from charts. Go figure. Didn't happen (not yet) but his output on ECM was huge (including multiple box sets of concerts.)

 

I more or less agree about Marsalis only because he can be such a stuck up ass, but his longer works are significant to some. And he did win a Pulitzer for Blood on the Fields or whatever it was called. The first jazz composer to receive this (since they wouldn't give it to Duke Ellington.)

 

Yea, frankly I don't know of any recent Shorter stuff that I personally have heard. I enjoy his work with Hancock even in the last couple decades, but admittedly he was great back in the Blue Note and fusion days, perhaps greater than now. I did see them play together and he was outstanding, but not sure about his recorded output, just haven't bought any.

 

Regarding Kurt Elling. I don't think he was on anything but his ego. Which may have been significant enough to make you think he was doing something else. (I could be wrong.) Kurt is a mixed blessing, a great vocalist, but a bit pompous.

 

LouieB

[LouieB]

A young jazzman that is worth checking out (and which I had forgotten about in earlier posts, but discovered again when looking on my shelves) is Don Byron. He has done an interesting variety of stuff.

 

LouieB