If you give us a better idea of what you’re looking for, we can make specific suggestions in terms of contemporary Jazz artists.
Spotify (free, with ads) is an excellent resource for exploring unknown artists.
Disappearing Jazz?
After years of collecting all types of music except jazz and big band I'm now playing catchup. Looking at the recordings of Ruby Braff (trumpet), Dick Hyman (piano) Roland Hanna (piano). Art Tatum (piano), Claude Bolling even the great vocalist Sarah Vaughan I find the majority of their catalog is only available used on vinyl. There are many other names I could have included in this list - I'm gradually getting to them (Thelonious Sphere Monk, etc ).
Beyond the lack of availability what alarms me as a new collector of this genre is that there doesn't appear to be musicians to take the place of these giants. Not to say there are no more Big Bands or jazz pianists BUT how many new artists have the hundreds of recordings these musicians created?
Is jazz disappearing? Will streaming services eventually include recordings only available on LP?
Feel free to offer any suggestions for other artists to collect in the traditional jazz / big band category. I also have collected Miles, Coltrane and Bill Evans though just starting to dive into Ellington.
Hoping to find this music soon.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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- 61 posts total
@fuzztone Why collect? At this point it is a matter of equipment - my best reproduction is on Vinyl or CD. Streaming is still in my future budget. Very possible but I am reluctant to introduce another variable which doesn't have the same level of investment as I have made otherwise. @stuartk - At the moment I'm busy collecting horn (Ruby Braff) and piano (Roland Hanna, Art Tatum and Dick Hyman) as well as some big band - Billy Strayhorn (love the Dutch Jazz Orchestra recordings). I'm not opposed to collecting more vinyl (just picked up Dick Hyman playing variations of Thad Jones - A Child Is Born which is only available on vinyl) - however I already have a basement full of vinyl which I am trying to clean so I'm not trying to make that mountain any higher. I do love the sound quality of vinyl. Again - what is troubling for me is that so many of the recordings I find interesting for the artists I've mentioned are only on vinyl. I am encouraged to read of the recent reissues but still wonder if these are available via streaming. Anyone have an answer on that? Here's another artist I collect - Marian McPartland. I was a big fan for her radio shows right up until it stopped due to her passing. Fortunately Concord reissued some of the early albums - but what of the others? Will this music just fade into history unless it is found in a collector's basement like mine?
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I prefer CD and LP too...but i do have a couple of nice streamers, and they do save you money , as you can know better what you want to buy...also great now for you with all the Best of Year lists and new releases coming out for holidays...you can simply explore on phone, computer or...I just picked up a Sonos Connect for $50 and it sounds ok for exploring (though running through an external DAC)...not getting into which is best argument, just that streaming doesn’t work for all of us as main listening format... |
- 61 posts total