[Discussion] Jazz: History, Styles and Artists

Überdigging this Ornette Coleman chap.

that was incredible, robin. a lot of good recordings in there, by far my favorite has to be trane's my favourite things. I have made a recording of that song, done in my own style.. the problem is, I did it a) before I knew what I was doing and b) before hearing his version.

[update] Perhaps soon will be another installment (Fusion?) ... sorry for the delay

Update has been posted!

FUSION.

...aaaand.....GO!

Great stuff!!!! I just recently got into The Brecker Brothers when my college jazz band did a tribute to them. I got to play drums on Some Skunk Funk and developed new respect for Michael Brecker. Its too bad he died before he had a chance to really develop his own style as a sax player (he was already just about as good of a technician as you could be).

I'm kind of disappointed that you consider The Yellowjackets to be smooth-jazz and that they should be avoided. They are smoother then the other groups you mentioned (although John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock have produced some pretty smooth stuff) but don't group them with the likes of Kenny G and Dave Koz.

Just to throw in some more great fusion from the 70's check out Ian Carr and his band Nucleus.

Originally Posted by WaxyD

I'm kind of disappointed that you consider The Yellowjackets to be smooth-jazz and that they should be avoided. They are smoother then the other groups you mentioned (although John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock have produced some pretty smooth stuff) but don't group them with the likes of Kenny G and Dave Koz.

Okay, fine. In my defense, I've really only ever been exposed to the really cheesy stuff - and had no desire to search out more. But, in doing so - I discovered that YES, than can sometimes not suck (See the attached video). Perhaps the studio records are smooooother.

And Chick and Herbie et al have definitely put out some shitty smooth/fusion records - that's the danger of walking that 'fusion' line - it's so easy to fall into the abyss of smoothness..

YouTube Video

Yellow Jackets - Tortoise and The Hare

(Original Source)

Originally Posted by robinjessome

that's the danger of walking that 'fusion' line - it's so easy to fall into the abyss of smoothness..

That's very true. The fusion/smooth jazz line is as thin as the free jazz/nonsense noise line is. In smooth jazz's defense I think when your tunes can easily be turned into musak (Kenny G) is the downfall of the genre. There are actually quite a few Yellowjacket and Spyro Gyra tunes in the "New Real Book Of Jazz" under pop-fusion classics.

Originally Posted by robinjessome

Okay, fine. In my defense, I've really only ever been exposed to the really cheesy stuff - and had no desire to search out more. But, in doing so - I discovered that YES, than can sometimes not suck (See the attached video). Perhaps the studio records are smooooother.

And Chick and Herbie et al have definitely put out some shitty smooth/fusion records - that's the danger of walking that 'fusion' line - it's so easy to fall into the abyss of smoothness..

That is frigging awesome!

New.

LATIN JAZZ

yay my personal favorite.