I've basically exhausted pop/rock/folk genres to the point where I'm in dire need of something new. Several times I've tried to appreciate Miles Davis and Charles Mingus etc to no avail. If it helps I really love Bernard Herman's 'Taxi Driver' soundtrack....any jazz similar to that you could suggest. Thanks

Bernard Herrmann is a tough one in that he wasn't so much a Jazzer as much as a film composer. He was known for writing film scores to marry film to his music as opposed to writing Jazz. I hope that makes sense. So to suggest music similar to his is difficult, other people here could probably suggest something.

As for straigh-up good, essential, important, amazing Jazz; there are a ton of artists/albums I could suggest. If you haven't gotten into Miles Davis nor Charles Mingus then you need to try again. You can't fully enjoy Jazz without appreciating the both of them, not only because their influence is felt everywhere but because they play on so many of the Jazz essentials. I will recommend a slew of artists and some of their highlights, hopefully you enjoy some of them:
Mile Davis:
'Round About Midnight
Milestones
Kind of Blue
Sketches of Spain
Miles Smiles
Bitches Brew
John Coltrane:
Blue Train
Giant Steps
My Favorite Things
A Love Supreme
Stan Getz:
Getz/Gilberto
Sweet Rain
Jazz Samba
Captain Marvel
Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out
Herbie Hancock:
Empyrean Isles
Maiden Voyage
Head Hunters
Crossings
Charles Mingus:
Oh Yeah
Blues and Roots
Mingus Ah Uhm
The Clown

Plus there are many other albums from monster artists like Sonny Rollins, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gerry Mulligan, Cannonball Adderley, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Brecker, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Buddy Rich, Ornette Coleman and many others I have probably forgotten. I hope some of these help.

And here is some trivia for you, concerning you love for the score from Taxi Driver. Did you know that Herrmann died the actual night that he finished the music for Taxi Driver? Eerie huh?

Awesome,thanks a bunch. I will sink my teeth into that list very soon....I had heard about Herrmann dying loke that, it is quite bizzare.

fragilekida has compiled an excellent beginners' list, so there is little to add , except Louis Armstrong's early Hot 5's & 7's.

You will possibly develop a love for a certain tone, be it trumpet, tenor/alto sax, guitar etc. so possibly then you will begin to get a clearer image of what soundscape you like. The Penguin Guide to Jazz is excellent.
You will also find heaps of great recommendations on the other Jazz threads.

Finally, for a modern outfit I recommend E.S.T. (Esbjorn Svennson Trio).

Good suggestion on Loius Armstrong, Ishmael. I have never been a fan of Armstrong's work, for whatever reason, so I tend to forget him and I often dismiss him. Although I may not like his music too much, he is important. Good call.

Louis Armstrong is undoubtedly my favorite individual in Jazz history. Maybe it has something to do with my Pop being born in 1910 and idolizing the Man, long before I was even born. Even so, it works for me.

If that doesn't make sense, Paul French would consider Louis the Chuck Berry/Elvis Presley of Jazz. He's not alive to justify his comments, so I'll just say, "HE WAS RIGHT!"

The only thing left to debate is whether the Hot 5's and 7's are better served on disc by the JSP company or Columbia records.

I have both; my vote is for the JSP box.

quote:

Originally posted by The Ninth Wave:
I've basically exhausted pop/rock/folk genres to the point where I'm in dire need of something new. Several times I've tried to appreciate Miles Davis and Charles Mingus etc to no avail. If it helps I really love Bernard Herman's 'Taxi Driver' soundtrack....any jazz similar to that you could suggest. Thanks

The bands that got me into jazz were the cross-over groups that used it in their sound but weren't exclusively jazz. I moved onto 'proper' jazz later.

The self titled John Zorn/Naked City album is a fun record - a lot of people think it's too random and off the wall, but I think it's got a great sense of humour - it ties in nicely with your 'Taxi driver' soundtrack and features several soundtrack 'cover versions' including a gorgeous rendition of 'Chinatown'. There's also blasts of funk, metal, punk and country & western to keep you awake in the boring bits.

A related artist to Naked City is jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. Try and get hold of his 'Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones' album. It's very laid back album - very pleasant stuff. Bill Frisell also played on 'Come away with me' (Norah Jones).

Frank Zappa offers some very jazzy moments amongst all the usual scatological references and 'toilet humour', but when he's good he's outstanding.

From there, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis etc should be a little easier to get into.

FUCK!! We forgot Duke Ellington.!!!

Unforgiveable....Ninth Wave...head straight for the Blanton-Webster 3cd set on Bluebird, and you will find everything you need...wow, how did that slip by me!!!

Wow, thanks guys, you certainly know your stuff

My hero (Madlib)'s hero, or at least one of them, was Sun Ra. He's pretty controversial; He dressed ancient-Egypt-meets-outer-space, He claimed he was from Saturn, and he was really avant-garde. He's a lot harder to listen to and appreciate than say, Trane or Herbie Hancock, but historically I'd say he's pretty damn important too. I'd check out Atlantis and/or Space Is The Place by him.

quote:

Originally posted by The Ninth Wave:
Wow, thanks guys, you certainly know your stuff

Don't be too modest - You probably know about tons of stuff we've never heard.

Has nobody mentioned Sonny Rollins? Right up there with Coltrane as one of the great tenor sax players. Saxophone Colossus is his most-recommended album.

Instead of writing a dissertation on jazz I'll keep it short and mention that Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk was the first jazz album that I really fell in love with. So you might want to give that a try.

I am in the same position of The Ninth Wave and I am after recommendations.

I am familiar with/own most of those in the list above. I particularly appreciate a spot of Chet Baker. What I am really after is sultry female jazz vocalists. My reference point being Roisin Murphy's track The Truth on Handsome Boy Modelling School's first album. I love the kind of smokey chilled, lounge-room vibe, coupled with some hip hop beats.

Not sure if this forum is for the purists or people who are into other stuff.

This here's an invitation to open my mind. Hurrah.

I really don't know much about female jazz vocalists, let alone sultry ones. However, Billie Holiday had one of the best voices of all time and is my favorite jazz singer of all time, male or female. Her raw, emotional voice was incomparable and unmatched. You can check out pretty much anything by her and you will be stunned at how amazing she truly was.

John Coltrane's A love Supreme and Miles with Coltrane Kind Of Blue is what made me venture into jazz. Those were mentioned, and if you like Coltrane I recommend the 1961 Village Vanguard boxset. But you are just starting out. Other soundtracks I'd recommend for their jazz stylings would be:

1. Afterglow - composed by Mark Isham
2. Leaving Las Vegas - score by Migke Figgis with some jazz vocals by Sting, Don Henley.

Personnally, my favorite Jazz player is Charlie Parker. He's the one that got me into Jazz and even though i'm still pretty new to the genre, his stuff is what i "get" the best.
John Coltrane's right behind though.

I don't know about you guys, but to me, it takes a lot of time to really get jazz and i feel like i'm still light years away. some stuff i listen and even though i can get through the album, i know in the back of my mind that i haven't even started to scratch the surface of all the subtleties and arrangements.

I'm not sure which of Charles Mingus' works you've sampled (and subsequently failed to enjoy), but my personal favorite of his is The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady. This album is steamy, sultry, and brilliant, and I strongly recommend you check it out. I'd also like to second Thelonious Monk's Brilliant Corners. And if you want to hear a great live performance, pick up Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, which was only recently discovered and released.

Jazz sux.