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New Jazz music suggestions

mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
edited January 2006 in Music Talk
So Im starting a new radio gig in a few weeks and the Program Director wants us to start playing more "new" jazz stuff (NOT NuJazz). He threw around names like The Bad Plus, Kneebody, Medeski Martin and Wood and E.S.T. Does anyone else out there have any ideas for newer Jazz Groups that might fit into this format without veering off into the hippie-jazz-funk spectrum that we are trying to avoid? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
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  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    THere are some old jazz muscians that are still making some really decent stuff.

    My roommate threw on some John Scofield



    I immediately asked him what year it was because it was really funky sounding (the drumming was real nice!), only to find out it was made in 1997. I was going to make a similar post to this after hearing that album.
  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts



    Candy?
  • theory9theory9 1,128 Posts
    What about Tortoise?
    Not a lot of horns, but mellow and dynamic at the same time...
  • tonyphronetonyphrone 1,500 Posts
    the Soil & Pimp sessions - heard it on Gilles Peterson...pretty tight.
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts

    i was actually going to suggest them, but i had to clown.


    isn't medeski martin, and wood the epitome of "hippie jazz-funk?" im not clear on what exactly you're looking for. if you wanna get on the Tortoise tip, you should check out Jaga Jazzist. they've done some stuff on Ninja Tune.
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    isn't medeski martin, and wood the epitome of "hippie jazz-funk?"

    Pretty much... they do have their moments though
  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    MMW, in my mind, tread the fine line. They were doing thier thing way before the neohippiejazzjamfunkthing really came about and they have kind of found an audienece with those types, but I cant hate them for that. They are just trying to get paid. I think MMW is the closest to the neohippiejazzjamfunkthing as we want to get.
  • verb606verb606 2,518 Posts
    isn't medeski martin, and wood the epitome of "hippie jazz-funk?"

    Pretty much... they do have their moments though

    for sure. i'm not hatting, i'm just wondering how mrmatthew's says his boss threw out MMW as a suggestion but then they want to avoid "hippie jazz-funk." it's like saying "play some Mobb Deep or Dipset, but try to avoid all the gun and drug stuff."

  • gravelheadwrapgravelheadwrap corn 948 Posts



    same label, more soul jazzy though.
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    soil n pimp sessions
    sleepwalker
    big horns bee

    japan doing it real big...
  • gravelheadwrapgravelheadwrap corn 948 Posts
    Jaga Jazzist is pretty cool "What We Must" was one of my favorites this year.

  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    Im trying not to hate on particuliar bands, but the nudging and winking doesnt seem to be working. Bands like STS9, JacobFredJAzzOdessy, Karl Denson, MOE, any of the crappy LesClaypool-Phish related jazz side-projects, any band formed after 1979 with the word "funk" in it's title, any band to ever come out of Boulder, CO. These are the types of bands we'd like to stay away from.
  • gravelheadwrapgravelheadwrap corn 948 Posts
    Im trying not to hate on particuliar bands, but the nudging and winking doesnt seem to be working. Bands like STS9, JacobFredJAzzOdessy, Karl Denson, MOE, any of the crappy LesClaypool-Phish related jazz side-projects, any band formed after 1979 with the word "funk" in it's title, any band to ever come out of Boulder, CO. These are the types of bands we'd like to stay away from.

    i couldnt agree anymore
  • GambleGamble 844 Posts
    Avishae Cohen Trio is doing Big Thangs (tm).

    Ask the homey Lazer. They give a ridiculous live show. Sam Barsh, the pianist, does the running man whilst playing the keys like a total madman, one hand on a rhodes, one on a piano. He destroys his Nord Lead thing too.

  • kidinquisitivekidinquisitive 1,627 Posts
    So Im starting a new radio gig in a few weeks and the Program Director wants us to start playing more "new" jazz stuff (NOT NuJazz). He threw around names like The Bad Plus, Kneebody, Medeski Martin and Wood and E.S.T. Does anyone else out there have any ideas for newer Jazz Groups that might fit into this format without veering off into the hippie-jazz-funk spectrum that we are trying to avoid? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

    The Chicago Underground Duo/Trio has a bunch of albums out in recent years. Isotope 217's first couple albums have some great stuff on them too. Jeff Parker has stuff out under his own name as well (all these are Tortoise-affiliated but actually play jazz).
  • randomaccessmikerandomaccessmike 97 Posts
    If you are into free stuff, you should check out Ken Vandermark and related projects (Spaceways Inc.). I also came across this interesting group called The Beat Circus, which takes the music of the big top and puts a jazz/ improvisational spin on it. Gutbucket (album: Dry Humping the American Dream) is pretty raw jazz. Of course I respect what Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is doing, so I might fall under the hippie title. Plus I haven't heard anyone freak the clavinet like John Medeski (if you've got examples, please to be sonned).
  • randomaccessmikerandomaccessmike 97 Posts
    On the MMW tip. Check ropeadope.com for MMW does ESPN, where they cut a funky version of the Sports Center theme, which will be used on the air in coming weeks.
  • Tuff_GongTuff_Gong 627 Posts
    If you want to check out something contemporary and good I suggest checking out pretty much anything Ken Vandermark is involved in. That includes most notably the Vandermark 5 but also Spaceways Inc. Vandermark 5 put out a 12-disc set called "Alchemia" documenting a 5-night stand at a Polish club and it's got some really good stuff on it. Aside from that I have the album "Airports For Light" and really dug a lot of that. On the Spaceways Inc. tip I got the album "Thirteen Cosmic Standards By Sun Ra & Funkadelic" which, just like it sounds, is jazz takes on Sun Ra and Funkadelic tunes and I think it's quite good.

    Another contemporary jazz name I've heard a bit of and have liked is Brad Mehldau. I checked out a couple tracks from his latest album "Day Is Done" and liked them quite a bit. The title track is a cover of a Nick Drake song.
  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts





    - spidey
  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    Another contemporary jazz name I've heard a bit of and have liked is Brad Mehldau. I checked out a couple tracks from his latest album "Day Is Done" and liked them quite a bit. The title track is a cover of a Nick Drake song.

    Brad mehldau is a Jon Brion contemporary. His album "LARGO" has some pretty horrible covers, but I dig the "Wave/Mother Nature's Son" with JB on production.

    - spidey
  • gruntgravelgruntgravel 559 Posts


    thoth trio
  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts



    check this one out...one of the best '00s jazz albums IMO.
  • gravelheadwrapgravelheadwrap corn 948 Posts





    - spidey

    All the Skalpel seems real real cool. This shit wasn't too bad:

  • DK_EssenceDK_Essence 189 Posts


    All the Skalpel seems real real cool. This shit wasn't too bad:


    big cosign. but nothing special bout that as they are polish




    wont file jagga jazzist under "new jazz", but i liked some of the tracks and some i absolutly dont like. the whole "what we must" album seems to be kinda shizophrenic work anyway.
  • bropsbrops 182 Posts
    Norway!! Norway!! Norway!!










  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts


    the whole "what we must" album seems to be kinda shizophrenic work anyway.
    big cosign.
    i liked the other albums, but the new one was not my cup of tea.
  • bropsbrops 182 Posts
    Jaga Jazzist is more fun live. Good energy. Nice people.
  • gravelheadwrapgravelheadwrap corn 948 Posts
    Norway!! Norway!! Norway!!











    I appreciate this, Ive got cousins in Norway.
  • dstill808dstill808 704 Posts



    Medeski Martain and Wood is actually the backing band on that record.
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