jazz
Amel Larrieux
You might have heard her name when she was lead singer and musician apart of Groove Theory, the group that brought you songs like Tell Me and Keep Tryin’. She’s also a Grammy nominated artist for her work with Stanley Clarke and Glenn Lewis. Regardless of her credentials, she’s an Obnoxious artist who’s got all the makings for the best soul and jazz singer of our generation.
Nefertiti | Miles Davis
Aside from my newly found interest in the Avishai Cohen Trio, Miles Davis is the first name that pops in my head when someone sparks a conversation about jazz. I’m sure this is the case for a lot of people, but have you really taken the time to listen to his albums in entirety, or are you like me and are just vaguely familiar enough to carry on a conversation with other jazz enthusiasts? He had several masterpieces, but would you be able to pick out your favorite? Maybe it’s just my nature to pick less obvious, but my choice is Nerfetti.
Gently Disturbed | Avishai Cohen Trio
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with a little place I like to call NYC. That obsession just sky-rocketed. Today, I fell in love with the NYC jazz scene. How could I have been missing out on this for so long? The band that triggered this notion was The Avishai Cohen Trio… absolutely incredible. Gently Disturbed is the kind of album that makes me wish I could write jazz.
Progressive Jazz | The Bad Plus
Remember when I said you don’t listen to enough Jazz. Then I reminded you that it was true. Well, it is true, I did say that, and you still don’t listen to enough jazz. I’ve got another jazz band that everyone should check out. The Bad Plus is a three piece band consisting of a piano, upright bass, and one hell of a drummer.
A Brighter Day | Ronny Jordan
The jazz genre itself really never stirred any interest in me when I was younger. I was looking for something I could latch onto and something that vibed with me. Though of course I had heard of the leaders like Thelonius Monk and Miles Davis, they just never hit me in a way that I could just put them on my ipod or I could jam out to on my 7.1 sound system. I particularly was looking for something more soul-driven and something that was smooth. Then came Ronny Jordan, my introductin into the world of jazz.
The Real Guitar Heroes
I’ve heard far too many conversations about ‘great’ guitarists that seemed to exclude the obvious choices. Well here’s my chance to list a few of the great guitar players that I feel aren’t referenced enough, and this time I’m armed with audio clips.
The Next Step | Kurt Rosenwinkel
I’ll bet ten bucks that you don’t listen to nearly enough jazz. Don’t lie. I certainly don’t. I’ve been on such a long quest of seeking out obscure rock bands that I sometimes forget about other genres. But if you’re a fan of jazz guitar fused with some sax, you’ll dig Kurt Rosenwinkel.
