Need some upbeat, fast-movin Jazz

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
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I've always wanted to own some Jazz albums...but each time I go to get one...I preview it and find that it's not what I had hoped for. I'm feeling pretty ignorant in this realm of the music biz.


Most of the Jazz I've liked has been the stuff played live....and memory fails me who the artists were.


I can't stand "smooth jazz" nor can I tolerate "acid jazz".


And while I do like blues, I don't like the morose, depressing, moody kind of jazz.


I like the stuff that is more like 'Big Band'....upbeat, fast, etc. (but not just retro swing music...contemporary too)

The kind of stuff that would go great with a can of Vault "energy soda". :D


So, whatcha got....


Any suggestions?

Dan
 
I like Hugh Masekala, and Dizzy Gillespie. A good solid combo can be found with the Jimmy Smith Trio. Back in the days that he played with John Mayall, Johnny Almond was known to play a hot soprano sax. In fact some of the mid-nineties Mayall music was really jazz instead of blues. Going back a few years, I've always liked Artie Shaw and Count Basie; but, then my father played swing.

Hey, I forgot Randall Bramlett who Brenda and I went to see last weekend. The stuff he did when he was in Sealevel is my favorite.
 
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Dan,

Listen to these options at Amazon:

Ways Not to Lose by The Wood Brothers

Night Train by Oscar Peterson

Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell

The Inevitable by Squirrel Nut Zippers

Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin' Daddies

These are ones I could think of... I don't know if these are waht you are
looking for.

Joel
 
Here is a good on-line jazz radio station to listen to while doing computer chores.


http://www.kplu.org/on-air.html

Also some good big band sounds that you can download for free from the Airmen of Note, a fine service band. There are 6 or 8 really good recordings with quite a bit of variety. You can probably find something you like in there.

http://www.airmenofnote.com/sounds/TOC.htm

I'll have more sources for you soon.:)

JH
 
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Jimmy Thackery or Melvin Taylor. Not brassy, but more electric. Hard to describe...but good! Taylor does a kick-ass version of Texas Flood!
 
I like zydeco or swing for uptempo stuff. If you haven't listened to former Stray Cats frontman (the) Brian Setzer (orchestra), give that a look. Of course, most people checked them out when swing was making a revival several years ago.
 
You might also enjoy a listen to the Count Basie Orchestra. And +2 on the Bebop; Miles Davis' "Birth of Cool" and "Kind of Blue" are the ones for me.
 
how has no one recommended Parker? Bird and his descendants are the place to get started and fall in love with this music.

just go get Giant Steps by John Coletrane if you can only own one jazz album. if you want a diverse sample for the entire realm of jazz, Ken Burn's Jazz is a good choice.

personal picks: Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and for something more contemporary try Wynton Marsalis.
 
I also recommend Mingus and Monk. They're very accessible and folks who say that they don't like jazz seem to enjoy both.

My favorite Mingus album is Ah Um. Great album.

Any live Monk album is great as well.
 
http://www.accuradio.com/channellist/

Go down the list to Jazz (what else :p ) and pick a channel, check it out, let it play in the background. When you find a sound you like, call the player back onscreen and check out the album, piece, and artist. You can actually buy it through them but I don't know that they have the best prices.
 
For something a little more poppy, but very upbeat (mostly), check out the Cowboy Bebop OST (original soundtrack). It's probably easier to just watch the series, if you're into that.
 
Love me some Monk, and Coltrane. I've been on a huge kick by a band I just found out about, The Black Keys. Not Jazz!!! But some very cool rock-blues. They're self-titled album has some great, great stuff. Sorry to interject something you didn't even ask for!!
 
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