hey guys, i was wondering if some of you could suggest some good jazz songs/artists. my fraternity is having a cocktail party in a couple of weeks and i wanted some expert opinion (manny, bama....) as to what would be some good jazz for a bunch of folks that never listen to it. the only jazz i've really listened to has been some Brubeck (i love "Take five") and a little Davis. Van Morrison's "Moondance" is a pretty kick ass jazzy song too. Stuff like that would probably be best. Of course we'll have some Sinatra and Martin playing as well. ready, set......... Go! Thanks
It sounds like you're looking for something like Wes Montgomery or Astrid Gilberto - that smooth hipster 60's jazz. Wes plays guitar - he's best when he has a big band behind him. Astrid Gilberto sings very mellow Brazilian Jazz.
Here are some that shouldnt be too hard to find. Wes Montgomery - Boss Guitar Mediski Martin Wood - Your Last Chance to Dance Trance John Scofield - Hand Jive Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters just some ideas....
I little different, but essential nonetheless... Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um Also, some early Coltrane (maybe Lush Life) or Sonny Rollins (maybe Saxaphone Colossus) would fit in nicely...
Damn... how could I leave out Monk? Go pick up anything of his from the Prestige label and you won't be disappointed... More piano? Bill Evans Trio (Interplay) , Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock... Eric Dolphy or Rahsaan Roland Kirk at a Frat Party? Hmmm... I suppose stranger things have happened... Try out some Django Reinhardt too for an influential guitarist... very different from Wes Montgomery If you like jazz organ, try out Jimmy Smith or maybe Jack McDuff... Some decent online resources-- http://www.pbs.org/jazz/ http://www.allaboutjazz.com/
This is a frat party? I missed that. You will definitely need some later Coltrane like "Interstellar Space" and "Stellar Regions" to get the party going.
Did anyone mention Miles Davis? If you want to also ease them in with some classical, catchy, and very accessible to people with modern tastes try some Louis Armstrong, or Duke Ellington.
Anything off of Scofield's Bump album. Hell, anything from Scofield! Hell, for that matter you should get some later Miles Davis when Sco was playing with him I second Herbie Handcock's Headhunters. The most recognized song would be Chameleon (or however you spell it) but I have a special place in my heart for Watermelon Man. Might wanna look into Pat Metheny as well. Oh, and to appease the masses, you could throw in some Nora Jones.
if its a cocktail party and you are trying to go for a 50's/60's era feel i would go for some sinatra, miles davis-birth of cool and kind of blue (has a very "snowy winter day in new york city" feel), bill evans (miles piano player), some 60's brazillian jazz/pop - gilberto gil, caetano veloso and/or some big band - duke ellington, cole porter GO ROCKETS!
Almost any Cannonball Adderley. My fav is the Quintet: Live in San Francisco CD. Any Charlie Parker The Quintet - Jazz at Massey Hall Dexter Gordon - GO, Our Man in Paris Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus, Tenor Madness (w/Coltrane) John Coltrane - Blue Train, Giant Steps, Ballads, Love Supreme Any Clifford Brown/Max Roach but esp. the one with Joy Spring and Daahoud Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin', Indestructible, Ugetsu, The Big Beat, Thermo, pretty much anything else. Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool, Milestones Any Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker Dave Brubeck - Time Out Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage, Speak Like a Child, Head Hunters Anything with Phil Woods and Richie Cole together And my personal fav: Dizzy Gillespie/Sonny Rollins/Sonny Stitt - Sonny Side Up There are tons more but these are my favorites.
Hey SWTSig, You still at SWT/TX ST? I work in the music library. You can come check out almost all of this stuff free of charge. If you want to come in when I'm working I'll even check it out to you for a couple of weeks instead of the normal 5 days.
