Jazz and funk

(long title only because ‘Jazz’ is too short for Discourse)
I couldn’t find a dedicated jazz thread, other than a short “give me some introductory jazz albums” one from 12 years ago.

There’s a lot of young jazz artists based in London. Starting much more from a free jazz + afrobeat perspective rather than pop-song chord changes.

Sons of Kemet:

Ezra Collective:

Theon Cross (tuba, also a current member of Sons of Kemet), Nubya Garcia (sax) and Moses Boyd (drums) in various combinations:

Kokoroko Afrobeat Collective:

I’m not a Jazz person when it comes to pre-recorded music (though I always love listening to it Live). But a couple of years ago NPR’s all things considered ended a news story with this really bold sounding song, and I was just thinking, wow, I have to get home and check their wesbite and find out what the heck that is.

It turned out to be this:

OK, I don’t know anything about jazz really (that’s why I’m here lurking in this thread) but that’s awesome!

I love the idea of a jazz thread.

Thelonious Monk might be my favorite jazz composer/musician, though it’s a tough call. Here he is playing the infectiously catchy Bemsha Swing.

Also, I just discovered this great clip of Oscar Peterson showing Dick Cavett a thing or two about various jazz styles:

I have never seen anyone in any genre play the piano like Monk does. He looks like he’s swatting flies off the keys, or something. But man, is it glorious.

The sublime Cab Calloway

Also, wow, check out those Nicholas Brothers.

In another signature move, they would rise from a split without using their hands.[3] Gregory Hines declared that if their biography were ever filmed, their dance numbers would have to be computer generated because no one now could emulate them.[3] Ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov once called them the most amazing dancers he had ever seen in his life.[ citation needed ]

Growing up I mostly enjoyed jazz only cerebrally until I heard this performance by Sonny Rollins, after which my jazz-loving heart grew three times as big.

Love that! Yesterday I read about a new album from a related project that sounds cool also…

And Kamasi Washington is another excellent relative new-comer.

Oh, man… I’m no expert by any means, but I do love some good Jazz. A few examples from some of my favorite artists.

McCoy Tyner. Tickling the ivories is sublime.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones are always just so damned happy! Amazing music all around. Jazz with a great bluegrass influence. Some of the best banjo I’ve ever heard.

Victor Wooten. The bassist for the Flecktones is an amazing independent artist in his own right.

Edit: Just finished watching that Oscar Peterson clip from the Dick Cavett show. Absolutely wonderful how he can both play in all of those styles and explain so clearly what he’s doing and how it changes the sound.

One redeeming feature of the internet is the old clips of jazz artists that were all but impossible to find in the past. A lot from European TV, some pretty high quality.

I have a fondness for a couple of multi-instrumentalists. Here is Yusef Lateef with Cannonball Adderley, on oboe.

And Eric Dolphy on flute and bass clarinet with Mingus. 18 minutes, but an outlandishly awesome 18 minutes. One of the great jazz bands of all time.

New, from old dudes - Chick Corea & Steve Gadd. Gadd played nearly everything, it seems (except the ones with Purdy on drums, anyway). The iconic drum intro to 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Gadd. Aja - Gadd.

And a couple from a sax player who was never famous in the way that Coltrane, etc are, but is the guy my son’s teacher told him to listen to - Johnny Hodges.


Nat Cole playing Tea for Two

His fame as a singer apparently has obscured his extreme piano skills.

Check out the little one-finger glissandi at 2:59!

Also funny how he stands up at the end of the song while still playing the final notes.

And some more Oscar Peterson

I like the sax but sometimes I think piano/drums/bass is the ultimate jazz combo.

Life playing on the street in New Orleans

The only jazz musician of any name or note since 1975 or so that I can find time for is Brad Mehldau.

Who is amazing.

*Not that there’s no good jazz since then! It’s just something I lack the bandwidth to fully appreciate.

(don’t think I only posted the Tuba Skinny video because the kid knocks over their display table - Tuba Skinny are amazing)

Chris Potter has a new album (also check out his 2015 Imaginary Cities).

Great thread, thank you. I haven’t gotten past the very first song by Sons of Kemet which is incredible as I love both jazz and Afrobeat - I played tenor sax in high school and later in life picked up djembe.

Here is a tremendously fun afrobeat video for you. The band is from Chile.

That’s awesome, thanks!
I am digging into Sons of Kemet’s latest album on bandcamp which is just terrific!
What a good day :)

Christian McBride with an amazing solo to open Chick Corea’s Steps. Also with Kenny Garrett and Roy Haynes.