Artists you know well but have never really liked

[gmonahan]

For those who have listed artists, is there any one song or group of songs by each artist which is an exception to your overall impression of their discography? McLean's "Poor Eric" or Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" or Lou Donaldson "One Cylinder" are personal favorites of mine, and even if I find other tunes boring/grating/etc. there's always those peak tracks. I'm sure that's true for every artist here...isn't it?

Oh, I think so. I like Brubeck's "The Duke" and Coltrane's "Giant Steps." I like the first as a tune (and Desmond's solo, of course), and the second because it's just amazing.

gregmo

[Joe]

For those who have listed artists, is there any one song or group of songs by each artist which is an exception to your overall impression of their discography? McLean's "Poor Eric" or Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" or Lou Donaldson "One Cylinder" are personal favorites of mine, and even if I find other tunes boring/grating/etc. there's always those peak tracks. I'm sure that's true for every artist here...isn't it?

Overall, Chick Corea doesn't float many boats for me, but his solo on "Y Todavia La Quiero" from Joe Henderson's RELAXIN' AT CAMARILLO is one I have yet to tire of hearing.

[WorldB3]

For those who have listed artists, is there any one song or group of songs by each artist which is an exception to your overall impression of their discography? McLean's "Poor Eric" or Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" or Lou Donaldson "One Cylinder" are personal favorites of mine, and even if I find other tunes boring/grating/etc. there's always those peak tracks. I'm sure that's true for every artist here...isn't it?

Overall, Chick Corea doesn't float many boats for me, but his solo on "Y Todavia La Quiero" from Joe Henderson's RELAXIN' AT CAMARILLO is one I have yet to tire of hearing.

I dig Chick but I could totally see that. Y Todavia La Quiero is just one of those exceptional tracks and Chick seems to be playing outside of himself.

To be clear on Mingus his playing and compositions are great its just that his music brings up strong emotions in me that I don't like, maybe I'll start listening to him in the gym where getting fired up would be helpful instead of driving or before trying to go to sleep.

Edited June 15, 2010 by WorldB3

[Guest Bill Barton]

Interesting thread...

Similar questions generally receive a list of several artists with whom I've been familiar with for years but have never really "warmed" to: Stan Kenton (95% of the time), Art Tatum (a good 60% of the time), Maynard Ferguson (usually, though the big band with Slide Hampton and Jaki Byard WAS killer) and Dave Brubeck topping the list.

[BeBop]

I was wondering if Kenton would come up. It took me a long, long, LONG time to appreciate...about 10 percent of his work. I s'pose I'm still working on the remaining 90 percent, without a lot of enthusiasm. My old roommate used to play Fire, Fury, Fun pretty often. I can't say it "grew on me", but in the right mood, it's capture my attention in a good way.

[BillF]

Charlie Parker. I meant there's a whole lot more to jazz than inventing, defining and mastering new musical forms of expression. There's also making a lot of money. And, face it, Bird sucked at that. (Mooching, on the other hand, is debatable.)

Gotta defend Bird, come what may. For me, the most sublime artist in any art form whom I've encountered in my long lifetime.

Just to be clear, I was kidding. I should have added an emoticon, but I usually pick the wrong one.

So relieved to hear that! Nowadays, you never know!

http://www.jazz.com/jazz-blog/2008/7/15/is-bird-dead

http://www.jazz.com/jazz-blog/2008/7/24/bird-dead-two

[clifford_thornton]

Almost always, if I'm not all that into somebody and they are objectively "good," I'll come around to them eventually. Brubeck, Getz, Tyner... all are players I now enjoy quite a bit. I used to be more "into" Rollins, now not so much, though the pendulum will probably swing back at some point.

[BeBop]

I'm with you on McCoy Tyner. It took me a while to hear "past" his distinctive chording, which, to me, gave much of what he played a "sameness" that, frankly, didn't appeal. I suppose even today, I've got a doseage limit on Tyner.

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, I actually think he got more distinctive in the post-Trane years, especially in the 1970s. There were certainly players trying to do what he did and not doing it quite as well (e.g., Lonnie Liston Smith), and for me, hearing him nail that approach to chord voicings and rhythm - however you want to put it - is something really special. Granted, more recent recordings haven't really gassed me that much, but the BN and Milestone years are full of some top-notch material.

[BillF]

I'm with you on McCoy Tyner. It took me a while to hear "past" his distinctive chording, which, to me, gave much of what he played a "sameness" that, frankly, didn't appeal. I suppose even today, I've got a doseage limit on Tyner.

IMHO there's a world of difference between the young Tyner in the sixties (Coltrane Quartet and first dates in his own name) and his later work. Where did the fire go? Perhaps he was overexposed as a leader; Harold Mabern working as sideman seems to have retained that fire to this day.

[ep1str0phy]

Although I enjoy both Coltrane and post-Coltrane phases of Tyner, I find the former to be muscular and precise while the latter to be almost icily virtuosic, maybe a little blustery. He has always had a sort of distant, diamond-hard quality (especially compared to Trane's vocalistic passion), but it's almost too tough post-Blue Note--amazing to hear, but difficult to "warm" to, if that makes sense.

[BillF]

Although I enjoy both Coltrane and post-Coltrane phases of Tyner, I find the former to be muscular and precise while the latter to be almost icily virtuosic, maybe a little blustery. He has always had a sort of distant, diamond-hard quality (especially compared to Trane's vocalistic passion), but it's almost too tough post-Blue Note--amazing to hear, but difficult to "warm" to, if that makes sense.

You put it better than I did!

[clifford_thornton]

Guess I'm easy to please...

[JSngry]

Art Farmer?

[AndrewHill]

Maybe Keith Jarrett for me. I still have six albums by him but everytime I try to listen to one of them, I just really don't think I like it. So far, the only one I kinda like is Mysteries, but that could be do to Dewey's presence more than anything else. I think I like Belonging the least.

[catesta]

Charlie Parker. I meant there's a whole lot more to jazz than inventing, defining and mastering new musical forms of expression. There's also making a lot of money. And, face it, Bird sucked at that. (Mooching, on the other hand, is debatable.)

Gotta defend Bird, come what may. For me, the most sublime artist in any art form whom I've encountered in my long lifetime.

Just to be clear, I was kidding. I should have added an emoticon, but I usually pick the wrong one.

Just as I was kidding when I posted this

Lately I've been wondering what the hell I ever heard in Gene Harris. I mean, shit, the dude just plays the blues on damn near every thing, and talk about repeating yourself.

but no one felt a need to come to Gene's defense or question the sincerity of my assertion.

Hey, sometimes this place is like the bizarro world so I just figured it was another one of those days.

[K1969]

Although I enjoy both Coltrane and post-Coltrane phases of Tyner, I find the former to be muscular and precise while the latter to be almost icily virtuosic, maybe a little blustery. He has always had a sort of distant, diamond-hard quality (especially compared to Trane's vocalistic passion), but it's almost too tough post-Blue Note--amazing to hear, but difficult to "warm" to, if that makes sense.

You put it better than I did!

"Icily Virtuosic" you nailed it right there my problem with post BN Tyner. Technique over feeling. Wasn't helped by the milestone sound that, to use your metaphor, turned the ivories into "diamond" headed drill bits.

Another one for me is Eric Gale. I've never bothered to hear his own LPs cos his solos as a CTI and Kudu session man always seamed to have this samey, overly bluesy sound to them whatever the feeling of the tune.... That said I always loved his rhythm work behind the soloists.

Edited June 25, 2010 by K1969

[Swinging Swede]

Clarence Williams

[Chuck Nessa]

Clarence Williams

I am a CW fan and understand Swede's post. He was not a "great artist" but taking all his work together....Damn! I confess to having close to 20 CW cds, not counting much of the vocal works.

[mrjazzman]

This is what I call a DUMB thread. You "know them well" by either listening or buying so if you don't like them, don't listen and don't buy............

Edited June 27, 2010 by mrjazzman

[mrjazzman]

I've assiduously hoovered up dozens of titles by or featuring Jackie McLean over the years. But in fact I have never really liked him or thought much of him. Usual objections - repeats himself a lot, gimmicky sharp playing, etc. So what was I thinking when I bought all those records and why do I still listen to them. [crosses stage slowly, appearing to ponder]

I probably have other artists in this category, if I put my mind to it. Am I alone?

You've got to be kidding, Jackie McLean, one of the greatest Parker inspired blues infused alto sax players of all time, what an insult...........

[Dan Gould]

Since when is personal opinion about a musician "an insult"?

Are you insulted that David doesn't care for McLean's playing even though he's bought so much of it? Are you that desperate for validation of your own preferences?

Do us a favor and buy yourself a clue.

[Dan Gould]

And rather than being "dumb" the fact that this thread goes out 4 pages indicates David isn't alone in buying recordings by artists he's not really enamored of. You don't "get" that such a thing could happen, or, heaven forbid, someone actually not like "one of the greatest Parker inspired blues infused alto players" - big fucking deal.

[mjzee]

Joe Pass: I have about 30 JP albums, and there's a certain sameness to most of them. That lazy tempo, his mediocre attention to the beat, his non-stunning creative improvisations... probably the only one I'd keep is Live At Donte's - he really needed a band to kick him in the butt and wake him up.

Joe Henderson - that Milestone box could turn someone off music permanently. Did he have more than 2 solos that he recycled endlessly?

The Lou Donaldson Mosaic box was kinda the same album over 8 different albums. I've also never warmed to the Mobley '50's Mosaic box - IMHO, he got much more interesting in the Sixties.

Tatum: Yeah, if you're astonished by the virtuosity, he's great. But musically...yawn. Between the solo "masterpieces," the group masterpieces (some of which are very good because of the other musicians, and because it's interesting to hear Tatum in an interactive context), the V-discs, the discs at someone's party, etc, I must have 25 total.

[Don Brown]

Alto saxophonist Willie Smith. Smith was one of the finest lead alto players of the swing era but when called on to solo it was quite a different story for this listener. I found his solo work on records he made during the 78 RPM years, when most recorded music was limited to three minutes a side, quite acceptable, but once the LP was introduced producers like Norman Granz let Smith loose on jam sessions in the company of players like Benny Carter. More often than not Smith came off sounding like an air raid siren.