Getting into Jazz, Part 4

Digging Deeper into Contemporary Jazz

There is some great Jazz being made today.  In my second post, we looked at some of the more accessible jazz music being made today, but some of my favorite contemporary Jazz is more challenging in nature.  All the albums included here are primarily instrumental; we will cover vocal albums at a later time.

1. E.S.T (Esbjörn Svensson Trio), Seven Days of Falling (2003) or Viaticum (2005).  E.S.T. has quickly become my favorite contemporary Jazz outfit, though tragically the band leader passed way in a diving accident. The comparision may be a little over simplified, but I think of them as the Radiohead of Jazz.

2. Dave Douglas, Strange Liberation (2004), Soul on Soul (2000), or Moonshine (2008).  Dave Douglas' music is more free or avant garde in nature, but he has not abandoned melody.  His music is truly an enjoyable listen.  Strange Liberation, titled after a phrase used by Martin Luther King, ranks right up there with Seven Days of Falling as my favorite contemporary jazz albums.

3.  The Bad Plus, These are the Vistas (2003) or Give (2004).  The Bad Plus has been criticizied for relying too much on pop melodies in their music.  Some have even called them gimmicky.  But there's a time honored tradition in jazz drawing inspiration from pop music, and the Bad Plus are an extremely talented group.

4.  RH Factor, Hard Groove (2003) or Distractions (2006). This is Roy Hargove's funk group, and both of these are great jazz-funk albums.  I personally prefer Distractions, but they are both excellent albums.

5.  James Carter, Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge (2005) or Out of Nowhere (2004). James Carter is an extremely talented woodwind player, particularly on the sax, and these two albums showcase his talent.

6.  Wynton Marsalis, Live at the House of Tribes (2005).  This is Wynton Marsalis at his finest, in concert. 

7. Brian VanArsdale Orchestra, Flood (2005).  This is Brian VanArsdale's musical interpretation of the Flood story.  It's an orchestral arrangement, but also solidly a Jazz composition, and it is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.

8. Various Artists, Miles from India (2008).  A group of artists who have played with Miles Davis have teamed up with Indian musicians to develop this album, which combines eastern instruments and musical styles with the music of Miles Davis.   At times, it feels like one instrument is simply replaced with a sitar, but at other times, it seems a complete rearrangement has taken place.  It is a delightful effort.

9. Ornette Coleman, Sound Grammar (2006).  One reviewer described Coleman's greatest strength as "melodic generosity." Some would call that a euphemism for melodic abandonment.  However, for an introduction to contemporary free jazz, I believe Coleman and Ware (below) are doing the best job.

10. David S. Ware, Threads (2003) or Corridors and Parallels (2001).  Of the two, Threads is more accessible, though Corridors and Parallels is more inventive.  Both can be challenging listening, but the latter is set apart by Matthew Shipp's intriguing work on synthesizer.

Other notable albums I can't seem to delete off my list:
1. Wayne Shorter, Footprints Live (2001) or Alegria (2003).
2. Terence Blanchard, Flow (2005).