Advice me on some good Jazz music

Azrael · #1 02-01-2005, 05:04 PM

Hey everyone. I'm having a musical test for guitar soon on the subject of Jazz.
Could you recommend me some good bands?
I need to prepare 3 songs of which one has to be a standard jazz tune. I need to play that one with a single string melody. No chords or stuff....so if you could also recommend me a great songs that would be cool.

Thanks in advance,

Azrael

Azrael · #2 02-01-2005, 05:05 PM

Sorry but something went wrong and the thread is listed twice.........excusez moi......

Kontalonis · #3 02-02-2005, 02:16 PM

Definitely check out Stanley Jordan.....he is jaw dropping. Pat Martino is also awesome. Return to forever is a great jazz band featuring Chick Corea. If you have digital cable you should check out Studio Jams on BET Jazz (130 on time warner cable) at 10:00 eastern standard time.

The Euphor · #4 02-02-2005, 02:19 PM

Scrapple from the apple.

Nice melody, allows you to play smooth, rapid, or whatever you want, with or without backing music.

**jim777** · #5 02-02-2005, 03:28 PM

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Do you mean that for a class you're taking you need to play three jazz tunes on the guitar, and that one of them needs to be a jazz standard done as a single note melody? That's nuts! Who tells a student "Go learn three jazz songs to play for the class"?! Jazz ain't easy!
If that's what you're faced with, and you don't have transcription chops together, I think you're very limited in what you can do, really. I'd go to a tab site, like Olga, and find some transcriptions I was capable of playing, and just go with them. For the standard, I'd choose something familiar, like 'Stardust', 'My Funny Valentine', or 'I've Got Rhythm (Who Could Ask for Anything More?)'. If you're planning to play jazz, or guitar at all really for the next ten years, you should learn to read music if you can't already. Most music is far easier to just read off than to figure out by ear. And of course, if I've gotten this all backwards then feel free to ignore it

jim

Kontalonis · #6 02-02-2005, 05:08 PM

oh ok sorry i skipped what this thread was about. I would recommend "Cold Duck Time" or "Oleo". Maybe even "Red Baron"

Azrael · #7 02-02-2005, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim777

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Do you mean that for a class you're taking you need to play three jazz tunes on the guitar, and that one of them needs to be a jazz standard done as a single note melody? That's nuts! Who tells a student "Go learn three jazz songs to play for the class"?! Jazz ain't easy!
If that's what you're faced with, and you don't have transcription chops together, I think you're very limited in what you can do, really. I'd go to a tab site, like Olga, and find some transcriptions I was capable of playing, and just go with them. For the standard, I'd choose something familiar, like 'Stardust', 'My Funny Valentine', or 'I've Got Rhythm (Who Could Ask for Anything More?)'. If you're planning to play jazz, or guitar at all really for the next ten years, you should learn to read music if you can't already. Most music is far easier to just read off than to figure out by ear. And of course, if I've gotten this all backwards then feel free to ignore it

jim

Nahnahnah...

It's a test...I need to learn 3 songs so they can get an idea how I play. I also need to improvise , do a theory exam etc....
If they like my playing I'll pass the test and will have 4 years of college at the Amsterdam Conservatorium.
Rythm is by the way one of my stronger points. I can play music by ear quite fast.

Going to learn how to read sheet music within 3 months fluently if that's possible. I can already read them....just don't know where they are on the guitar. I don't need to learn to read them superfast though. I think I'll get that in 4 years

I'm more of a "feel" player. I just listen to the music , think of something in my head and just play that. I really want to be the best I can be for myself and make people happy with my music later in life. That would be my ultimate goal and I'm willing to study very hard for that.

Azrael · #8 02-02-2005, 05:47 PM

Going to play "Cry for you" by Andy Timmons as song number one by the way. That would be a nice song to show my rythm and bending skills. Now I have to find a good standard jazz song and a nice blues song. Thanks all!
The songs don't need to be all jazz songs. Just one has to be standard jazz. The rest I can pick myself as long as they are not silly pop songs ofcourse. It's not really the songs I pick. It's the way I play them that's gonna matter for them.

Kontalonis · #9 02-02-2005, 06:08 PM

Red Baron sounds perfect. Im me on Kontalonis2 for the Billy Cobham version.

Azrael · #10 02-03-2005, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kontalonis

Red Baron sounds perfect. Im me on Kontalonis2 for the Billy Cobham version.

Alright. I'll check them out.

Drew · #11 02-03-2005, 05:46 PM

Grab Davis's "Kind of Blue." Listen to it a lot. Repeat.

Same goes for Kenny Burrel's "Midnight Blue," come to think of it, especially if you dig rhythm guitar. If you have ANY familiarity with blues and some of the basic harmonic concepts of jazz you should be able to force your way through "Chittlins Con Carne" off that disc and make it work - see SRV's version.

Um... "Song for my Father" is another very good jazz tune to try if you don't have much experience playing changes - you can play pentatonic licks over most of it and get away with it if you completely free up, but if you start treating the chord changes as their own distinct harmonic entities, there's a lot else you can do over it, too.

Oh, and call it a childhood spent listening to Ray Charles, but the changes to "Georgia" have always been one of my favorite chord progressions. Hoagey Carmichael was a f'in' harmonic genius.

-D

simonargento · #12 02-03-2005, 05:46 PM

John scofield amazing compositions and winds arrangements check the last cd "On route" & "Hand Jive", everithing from Miles Too

Azrael · #13 02-03-2005, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

Alright. I'll check them out.

Just did. Red Baron sounds cool. Quite simple and basic. Still checking out some more tips from here though.

Thanks alot already guys! Really helping me out!

@Drew and Simon.......thanks!

I think I'm gonna play "Song for my father" by Horace Silver as song number two. Really like that song and would be easy to improvise on. Now I got to figure out how to get a backingtrack for it or make one myself. Only one more song to go.

edit: A good midi backing file would be fine to since I can play MIDI on my digital-piano/keyboard and that would sound fine. (if it's a good midi file ofcourse)

pawel · #14 02-03-2005, 06:15 PM

Hmm, not sure about the tune, but more good jazz stuff to check out would be:

John Coltrane ("Blue Train" and "Love Supreme" are higly recommended listening), McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Han****, Mike Stern

For more fusionesque try Weather Report, Tony Williams Lifetime, Allan Holdsworth, or Tribal Tech

Some good newer guitarists to check out are Charlie Hunter or Kurt Rosenwinkel

Azrael · #15 02-03-2005, 06:28 PM

Tribal Tech that you mentioned is awesome pawel. But a bit above my head though.....too difficult and technical for me. Nice to listen to though. I'm gonna put all those bands you folks are telling me about in a textfile and check them out soon. Thanks....