Can you recommend Jazz for some one that doesn't like Jazz?


Let me explain, I have tried to like jazz for over 30 years. I rarely find something I like. To me it sounds too disjointed, like everyone is trying to out do the others and they are all playing a different song. I know there has to be some good instrumental smooth jazz artists I am missing. If you have any suggestions of whom to try let me know. Some that are on my Jazz playlist is Pat Metheny-"It's for you"   Bill Frisell _"Heard it through the grapevine"  Holly Cole, George Benson... for an example of things I do like.

 

I'd love to have a 100 song Jazz playlist. So what'ch got for me?

Thanks

fthompson251

@ezwind

Not really, if you know the melody. It’s not like I’m making it up myself, which is how I define scatting -- improvisation in the moment, when a singer utilizes their voice like a horn to create new melodic lines.

Yes -- I’m aware of what you state about the Dead. It could be said that Garcia’s awareness and utilization of chord tones in his soloing was more akin to how a Jazz player would solo, as opposed to the more typical (For Rock) approach of overlaying a scale or two over a progression. (The Son’s Terry Haggerty was another). I’m a huge fan of Weir’s playing and know about his admiration for Tyner.

The thing is, for me, the Dead don’t sound much like Jazz. Much of their music is very major-sounding, as opposed to dominant-sounding. They may have been as influenced by Jazz as the Allman Brothers, but to my ear, the sound of Jazz is much more evident in the music of the Allmans -- not only harmonically, but rhythmically. The Allmans swung! Nevertheless, the Dead’s improvisatory approach definitely helped open me up to Jazz.

However, when I think about it, it was actually Stevie Wonder who probably had greatest influence in this regard -- particularly "Innervisions". That really opened my ears, not only in terms of listening, but it made me want to expand my chordal knowledge and understanding on the guitar. I began trying to transpose his piano chords to guitar, which in turn made me realize many of the guitar chords in the Innervisions "songbook" I’d bought were inaccurate. But I digress.

@garrettc

Wes Montgomery's guitar playing is jazz, but he's very lyrical

 

Your insertion of  "but" makes it sound as though lyricism is a rare exception in Jazz. Not to my ear!  

Diana Krall's music is excellent.  Wes Montgomery's guitar playing is jazz, but he's very lyrical, Cal Collins is lyrical and excellent, Joe Pass, Wendell Jones Trio, Frank Vincent.  For Brazilian, Susana Baca or anyone who does Antonio Carlos Jobim's music. If you like smooth jazz try some Peter White, Larry Carlton, Earl Klugh, Kenny G.  There are so many jazz artists who are lyrical as well as jazz oriented.

@stuartk

Yes, the Dead’s jazz influences don’t show up as consistently as with the ABB, probably because their music encompasses a lot more different musical styles and genres. But you can certainly hear it in songs like Eyes of the World, Bird Song, Crazy Fingers, and some versions of Dark Star. And the band would swing a lot more when Kreutzmann was the sole drummer for a few years in the early 70s.

Garcia played a lot more in the jazz vein with his own bands, especially with Merl Saunders and Howard Wales. He did some great versions of My Favorite Things with Merl. And of course, you also have Jazz Is Dead, which showed how many Dead songs could be adapted and played more 'jazzily' if that's a word.

@stuartk  I didn't mean it that lyricism is an exception in jazz.  It's just my preference, so I passed some recommendations on.  The "but" Wes Montgomery, probably should remove the "but".  I generally write off the top of my head, not a lot of editing. Sorry about that.  

I have friends who feel similar, never liked jazz. I have an extensive amount of jazz LPs and CDs in my collection and have enjoyed almost every new discovery, new and old. I have tried throughout the years to introduce my friends to jazz artists and recordings that might change their minds, even the most mainstream, never could. We all once went to a performance at the Jazz Standard in NYC a few years ago. At the end I turned to them and said " That was thrilling". They both said, "I hated it!". Different strokes.