posted on May, 6 2008 @ 01:06 AM
Jazz is unique among other music forms in that rarely are there set "groups" or "bands." It's mostly freelance players who roamed from act to
act. Here are some names that are less mainstream but more applicable and diverse.
Older Straightahead Jazz:
Miles Davis, "Kind of Blue"; "ESP"; "Cookin'"; "Milestones"
John Coltrane, "Blue Train"; "Giant Steps"
Other luminaries such as Ornette Coleman, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillsespie, etc.
Modern Straightahed:
Kenny Garret, "Beyond the Wall"
Pat Metheny, "Trio: 99>00"
John Scofield, "Works for Me" (simply killer lineup of today's best players)
Dave Holland Quartet, "Extensions"
Herbie Hancock, "River: The Joni Letters"
Modern Progressive:
Brad Mehldau, "Largo" and "Art of the Trio Vols. 1 - 5"
Kneebody, "Low Electrical Worker" and "Kneebody"
The Bad Plus, "Prog" and "These Are the Vistas"
EST (Esbjorn Svennson Trio), "Seven Days of Falling"
Anything by Medeski, Martin and Wood
Depart Trio, "Reloaded"
Fusion:
Weather Report, "Heavy Weather"
Jaco Pastorius, "Live in NY Vol. 2: Liberty City"
Wayne Krantz, "Greenwich Mean"
Miles Davis, "On the Corner: 1971-1976"
Those are just some of my favorites. EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR: The Bad Plus, Wayne Krantz, Kneebody, Dave Holland, Brad Mehldau. These guys are my
top acts right now.