Now first of all: What is Jazz? Well I don't know. Next question: Is new jazz good? I don't really think so. My favorite jazz is from about '45 to '62. Someone told me I'm a "jazz purist". There are some good modern artists but I think there's a whole lot of "chaff" and not very much "wheat", if you know what I mean.
OK my picks:
Miles Davis is the man, but I always wish that he had played sax instead of trumpet because i don't like trumpets
He had ideas, style and charisma. He always had a great band.Charlie Mingus: My favorite, a Great bassist/composer (piano too), he has some of the most imaginative horn arrangements around. he also claims to have been attempting a fusion of jazz and classical music which he called "Jazzical". this term understandably never caught on.
Django Rheinhart and Stephane Grappelli: Old school stuff, check out the soulful jazz violin and the man with two fingers that's still a better guitarist than anyone since. Dang!
Jimmy Smith: the man who IS the jazz organ. If you've never heard him, hear him, if you've never seen him keep an eye out - he's old, he still rocks.
Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker: if you want to know what they mean when they say Bebop.
Cal Tjader: the vibes. Put this or Jimmy Smith on at a party, watch everyone grow very...comfortable. (or Albert King, but that would have to go in the Blues Gods thread
)John Coltrane: very powerful sax player - I like "giant steps" the best. He has some unlistenable "out" records.
Other great sax players:
Sonny Rollins
Stan Getz
Stan Turentine
Vince Guraldi: piano player, wrote and performed the ever memorable charlie brown music. very good. On the topic of piano players, the question of Thelonius Monk will come up. I personally don't really like him.
singers:
I like sarah vaughn, ella of course. Diane Wilson. I like the male vocalists - my favorite is Billy Eckstine, and then of course you have to mention Louis Armstrong and Mel Torme. I would put Ray Charles in the jazz category for some of his stuff and I love him. Sinatra and Tony Bennett?!?!? Give me a break! Dean Martin was a better singer than Sinatra!
