Jazz artists for late starter.

Karelfd, your point about Joe Zawinul is very well taken. Oscar Peterson recently left this plane as well. So the same logic might also apply. But to weigh in further on the "dead or live" debate ... consider the ever shortening list of highly regarded artists who are still with us. Folks like McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Burrell, Ahmad Jamal, and Marian McPartland are well up in age. I've had the very good fortune to see/hear them in live performances. No matter how resolving one's system is, to me nothing beats "live". Does that mean jazz clubs, concert dates, and festivals die as each of these pass on? This thing called jazz is ever changing ... ever evolving. More than anything else IMHO ... that was Miles' message. The art form needs support to stay alive ... through CD and ticket sales. Many young, up and coming artists are worthy of that support. How else could they survive long enough to hone their craft to possibly some day reach "innovator" status? Just a thought ...

Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin, Eric Alexander, Candy Dulfer and ... pick up some great fusion by Charlie Hunter while you're at it. Check out some Wayne Shorter, too, in addition to Manu Katche and Kenny Werner

Dcstep>I love a good argument but i have learned that sometimes an argument cant be won and shouldn't be fought.
You continually distort what is said,refuse to answer questions and you are down right arrogant.
On 6/25 when Jazzbird mentions The Art Ensemble of Chicago,Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra along with some other outstanding artists (good job Jazzbird) you failed to address this list.
When Oem made his initial post on 6/26 you went on the attack and stated more or less that Gawdbless would not like the 3 performers mentioned therefore Oem was entirely wrong.
Oem never mentioned any performer I ask why you didnt disagree with Jazzbird.
Oem said he didnt care for jazz vocals but Billie Holiday knocks him out.You respond with If Gawdbless doesn't like Ella he wont like Billie either.Oem never stated that Gawdbless would like Billie.Then you throw in Cassandra Wilson to compare to Ms.Holiday.You are entitled to your opinion but do you actually believe it??
Oem states that most innovators are gone.You reply with 5 individuals that you say are innovators.Oem asked why do you think that they are.You never answered that question but than go on to call his assertions absurd and ridiculous.
I take up this arguement because I have been asked recently which Jazz artists do I like.My reply was all the dead ones.
That doesn't mean I dislike all that are still alive.In fact I do like many but rather list about 50 that I think were/are exceptional I made a blanket statement.
I could go on about innovation but it seems to me that the young turks from the 80's dropped the ball.Maybe it was the fault of the producers or the record companies I can't say but today its hard to find a Jazz station on radio let alone a live performance and fact is no one really cares.Maybe a few of the hanger- oners and the ones that think the know.

I'm here to try to answer Gawdbless' questions about jazz artists that he might like, not Oem's and certainly not the tangental Alnolan.

Dave

Must everything degenerate into a p***ing contest? Alnolan, with all due respect ... I care. Guess that makes me a "hanger-oner and one that think the(sp) know". I thought we were here to contribute to the A-gon community. I am certainly grateful for all the positive suggestions and recommendations gained from some very generous contributors. My system was built from the knowledge gained on this forum.

FWIW, there are couple of very nice internet accessible jazz radio stations here on the Coast (I happen to be listening to one right now) - KJAZZ in Long Beach and KCSM in the SF Bay Area. With a little searching, many others can be found on-line. Next season, a local performing arts organization is hosting "Blue Note Records Anniversary Tour" ... featuring new generation artists Nicolas Payton and Ravi Coltrane, then a date with Chick Corea, John McGlaughlin, and young turk Christian McBride. I'm subscribed to the series. Dianne Reeves is doing the final concert. I own several of her CD's, will admit that she's no Billie Holiday, but expect to see/hear an excellent performance. If experience is any indication, every show in a sizable venue will be sold out. That said, the art form lives on; and (to me at least) that's a good thing.