Which jazz musician do you listen to the most frequently?

[Patch]

Hi,

I've been lurking but thought I'd post a topic.

Most likely, you've been listening to jazz for a long time and love a lot of the well-known-- and probably not so well-known-- artists and recordings. But which artist's work do you come back to most often?

I find myself listening to the Art Tatum solo and group recordings, one track or another, nearly everyday. A wide range of standards, terrific playing, and music that bridges swing and bebop. There are lot of great pianists but Tatum's virtuosity has heart. I get a guaranteed smile from it.

[Leeway]

Hi Tranewreck, welcome.

My listening tends to go in phases. Right now and for the last few years, the musicians I go back to most often are Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker Ken Vandermark, John Butcher,, John and Alice Coltrane, Anthony Braxton, Steve Lacy.

[Hardbopjazz]

Welcome to the board.

I am always coming back to Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Heath and Monk. I guess you can't go wrong with these three. It's great that two of them are still with us and playing as good as ever.

[colinmce]

Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, Benny Goodman, Cecil Taylor, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Andrew Hill, Jimmy Giuffre, Lester Young, Albert Ayler, Herbie Hancock, Jackie McLean

Hard to narrow it down better than that!

Edited December 29, 2011 by colinmce

[Rooster_Ties]

For the last 10 years, and roughly in order of preference (though the differences are slight)...

Woody Shaw, Billy Harper, Charles Tolliver, Andrew Hill (primarly BN-era Hill), Joe Henderson (especially the Milestone years!), Miles (especially post-1965 and 70's-era Miles), BN-era Larry Young, and John Patton.

[jlhoots]

Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, Benny Goodman, Cecil Taylor, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Andrew Hill, Jimmy Giuffre, Lester Young, Albert Ayler, Herbie Hancock, Jackie McLean

Hard to narrow it down better than that!

Nice list.

I'll just go with those.

[jazzbo]

I'd say I keep coming back to Miles, Coltrane, Lester Young, Monk, Mingus, Duke. . . and many more.

Edited December 29, 2011 by jazzbo

[Pete C]

For the last 10 years, and roughly in order of preference (though the differences are slight)...

Woody Shaw, Billy Harper, Charles Tolliver, Andrew Hill (primarly BN-era Hill), Joe Henderson (especially the Milestone years!), Miles (especially post-1965 and 70's-era Miles), BN-era Larry Young, and John Patton.

With Larry Young's Unity you get 3 of the above-named artists! As well as one of the great '60s Blue Notes.

Tranewreck, it took me close to 40 years of jazz listening before I could warm up to Tatum's pyrotechnics, now I love him, so I've been listening to a lot in the past year playing catch-up.

Probably my top jazz artist would be Mingus. My first jazz concert was the Mingus show that resulted in Mingus & Friends at Philharmonic Hall, when I was 16.

A couple of my favorites not yet mentioned: Mal Waldron, Paul Bley. If any jazz pianist could be called the antithesis of Tatum, Waldron would be a candidate.

[BeBop]

I could guess, but I'd be wrong. I'm guessing that it's someone like Hank Jones or Milt Hinton, both of whom appeared on a very high number of recordings a sidemen.

[kh1958]

Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane.

[Neal Pomea]

Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Jabbo Smith, Bennie Moten, early Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt. For post-jazz, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Bill Evans.

[Pete C]

I could guess, but I'd be wrong. I'm guessing that it's someone like Hank Jones or Milt Hinton, both of whom appeared on a very high number of recordings a sidemen.

[Bright Moments]

RRK, Brubeck, Getz, Baker, Brown, Jamal, Ellington (and that is just this week!!)

oh and the MJQ!!

[Д.Д.]

The only jazz musician I've been listening to with any frequency for the last year or so is Sonny Rollins.

[BeBop]

I could guess, but I'd be wrong. I'm guessing that it's someone like Hank Jones or Milt Hinton, both of whom appeared on a very high number of recordings a sidemen.

Hey, I've got (and I enjoy) that album!

[BFrank]

For the last 10 years, and roughly in order of preference (though the differences are slight)...

Woody Shaw, Billy Harper, Charles Tolliver, Andrew Hill (primarly BN-era Hill), Joe Henderson (especially the Milestone years!), Miles (especially post-1965 and 70's-era Miles), BN-era Larry Young, and John Patton.

This list works for ME!

Good one, Rooster.

Edited December 30, 2011 by BFrank

[.:.impossible]

Lately I haven't been focusing on any one musician. Sonny Rollins is someone I listen to on a weekly basis. This past year or so, Warne Marsh is someone I have also been listening to on a weekly basis. I listen to a lot of friends' musics these days as well, most of whom live and play in Richmond, VA.

[lipi]

Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Jabbo Smith, Bennie Moten, early Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt.

That's the stuff!

For me it's Armstrong, Ella, Bechet, early Ellington, and Basie.

[imeanyou]

I don't think a week has gone by in the last 23 years when I haven't listened to something by Monk or Miles. I don't have a preference for any chronological period for either artist, they just never get old or stale. Coltrane, Mingus, Henderson, Shorter, Bill Evans ( though I'm falling out of love with him a little there is no possibility of a divorce), Rollins (a litlle less frequently of late), Paul Bley, Charles Lloyd, Jackie Mac, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill (his East/West stuff as well as the BN output), Hutcherson, Elvin Jones, Kenny Wheeler, Ornette Coleman, and absolutely anything by Martial Solal. I dip into my Horace Silver and Art Blakey collection quite frequently. I have just about 90% of the Blue Note catalogue available in cd format (one of the great advantages of having spent 13 years in Tokyo). I became a big fan of Eric Alexander a couple of years ago although that fever has abated somewhat. This last 12 months I've been eating up Barney Wilen's stuff. Greg Osby and Jason Moran get a fair bit of play too. Sometimes I can spend a week listening to Bird or Duke and wonder why I need listen to anyone else.

Edit: Finally got my hands on Alex Von Schlippenbach's 'Monk's Casino', so it's going to be a fun New Year.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Imeanyou

[Gheorghe]

Bird, Bud, Diz, Miles, Monk, Rollins, Mingus, Trane, Ornette

to a lesser amount stuff before bop started, and some of the earlier jazz rock/fusion stuff. I must admit, my musical interest stopped around 1980, I don´t really know what happened after that time. Enjoyed the first Miles stuff after his comeback, around 1981-83 when there was still enough "jazz" in it.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Gheorghe

[Guy Berger]

Interesting thread!

[Patch]

Thanks for the board welcome. A wide range of straight, trad, bop, and free (no smoothies!). I'm not familiar with John Butcher or Barney Wilen. I suspect they're two musicians separated by a common instrument

Wilen does play, alongside Miles, on an old French soundtrack recording I have (had?-- can't find it), Ascenseur pour l'echafaud. Haven't listened to that in a while because-- if I recall, it was kind of 'snippety', small ambiguous bits of music for the film. Maybe I'm wrong and need to check it out again.

[Patch]

Tranewreck, it took me close to 40 years of jazz listening before I could warm up to Tatum's pyrotechnics, now I love him, so I've been listening to a lot in the past year playing catch-up.

Probably my top jazz artist would be Mingus. My first jazz concert was the Mingus show that resulted in Mingus & Friends at Philharmonic Hall, when I was 16.

A couple of my favorites not yet mentioned: Mal Waldron, Paul Bley. If any jazz pianist could be called the antithesis of Tatum, Waldron would be a candidate.

I'm a big Mingus fan too-- thrilling that you saw him play. I lived in Tucson, near Nogales, for years and Mingus-- I believe-- grew up in Nogales. But he's never been memorialized there.

[Pete B]

DUKE ELLINGTON!

[Leeway]

Thanks for the board welcome. A wide range of straight, trad, bop, and free (no smoothies!). I'm not familiar with John Butcher or Barney Wilen. I suspect they're two musicians separated by a common instrument

Wilen does play, alongside Miles, on an old French soundtrack recording I have (had?-- can't find it), Ascenseur pour l'echafaud. Haven't listened to that in a while because-- if I recall, it was kind of 'snippety', small ambiguous bits of music for the film. Maybe I'm wrong and need to check it out again.

For Butcher, for a start, try "Fixations" "Optic" and "News from the Shed" on Emanem (can order directly from them), or some of the titles on Clean Feed. This is really just scratching the surface. Butcher, I think, is one of the most creative minds in music today.

Oh, btw, somehow or other I forgot to list Cecil Taylor in my initial post. So consider it listed