What do you like most? Jazz or Classic?

I really don’t like the way violin lends itself to the type of jazz I enjoy the most, which is swing, bop, hard bop, soul jazz, and free jazz. None of the classic jazz ensembles of the 50s and 60s every really incorporated violin into their sessions to any large degree. I’m not even sure there is a BlueNote album prominently featuring a violin but I could be wrong. Maybe Nigel Kennedy tried this? Even an album like Mingus’ ambitious orchestration "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" didn’t feature a violin to my knowledge. I just don’t think of jazz and violin unless it’s the early stuff like Grapelli with Django or more fusion stuff like Ponty. Nothing falls into the sub-genres of jazz genre I like but that’s just me.

I hesitate to post this, as it may make me appear to be self-aggrandizing, but I've been drinking bourbon all day, so what the hell. I did a gig (at The Continental Club in L.A.) in the late 90’s with violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris (the Don of Specialty Records’ Don & Dewey, and a member of Frank Zappa’s band in the 70’s and 80’s), and he was a real trip. Stoned out-of-his mind, he nonetheless played superbly. Took him quite a while to get his electric violin plugged in to his Fender Dual Showman amp, however ;-) . Rest in peace, brother.

Adley, in your question is the suggestion that, not only do you like the violin, you like both Classical and Jazz.  Good for you!  There is a tremendous amount of wonderful music in both genres.  As has been pointed out the violin typically features far more prominently in Classical music than in Jazz, but there are and have been some very good Jazz players on the instrument.  A great “rule” to follow as a good (always growing) music listener is to remember that it is not the type of instrument that matters; it’s what you do with it.  The instrument is just the means to an end.  Who would have thought the harmonica would make a credible bebop instrument?  Toots Thielemans anyone?  Or the accordion?  Art Van Damme or Leo Sash?  Welcome to Audiogon and we look forward to your posts!

three_easy_payments:

****I’m not even sure there is a BlueNote album prominently featuring a violin but I could be wrong.****

Some (me) might argue how much of this record is actually “Jazz”, but...

https://www.discogs.com/Noel-Pointer-Phantazia/release/1574387

@frogman 

That's definitely jazz but not the type that ever really resonated with me.  While I totally admire the work and musicianship of Grusin, Ritenour, Gadd etc it was always a bit too slick for me.  Maybe I should have said pre-Liberty Bluenote ;-)

**** it was always a bit too slick for me. ****

And precisely why I expressed uncertainty about whether it qualifies.  It strays a little too far away from some core musical values that define “Jazz” for me,  Not that the label utimately matters much.