slit your wrists muzak... not really.

June 23, 2006 4:24 AM

Jazz Noir

I found this, but while I like Jon Zorn and Bohren & Der Club Of Gore alot of it is to deconstructed for me. I want something that flows a bit more and not so glitchy, something moody, brooding even. Something that you listen to late at night with the lights down low and slowly get drunk to. Like something from a sam spade movie.

I don't know if it's that I'm getting older or commerical muzak even the avant-guard today seems to bore me. I recently bought the soundtrack to the Taxi Driver and The Bob Sneider & Joe Locke Film Noir Project which is more akin to what I'm looking for.

I guess what got me on this kick was hearing this interview about Saxophone's History as 'The Devil's Horn'. Finally, at the risk of taking up to much text space, anything international or soundtrackish is ok, or even some modern muzak that I might have missed. My wish is that it be something that just wow's you.

posted by Unregistered User to media & arts (12 comments total)

Addendum:
Also, something without vocals or at least minimum vocals. Something that you can think and drink to while listening, although niffty samples are ok. Sorry if this sounds complicated, however this is the number one reason I signed up was to ask this type of q.
posted by Unregistered User at 4:34 AM on June 23, 2006

Elmer Bernstein's The Man with the Golden Arm is a pretty good one in that style.
posted by Wolof at 4:45 AM on June 23, 2006

You want Miles Davis - Generique from Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud.

Listen to track 17.
posted by Pastabagel at 6:59 AM on June 23, 2006

Charles Mingus played bass, composed, and a few of his pieces are pretty dark and moody. I don't know any names... it goes dum... dah dah duuuummm.... you know.

I'll second Miles Davis on Ascenseur.

The Ron Carter Sextet are a more modern group, but some of their pieces sound to me like what you're after. Again, I don't know any names. Sorry...
posted by twirlypen at 8:01 AM on June 23, 2006

Miles Davis' Kind of Blue fits your description, IMO. Also, a lot of stuff by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers would be dark and moody. Some of it is racous and playful, of course -- so you may have to listen to a lot of it before you figure out what you like.

But to me, that's not really a bad thing.
posted by rossination at 9:52 AM on June 23, 2006

You may find a lot of music by Bill Evans appealing. Bill was the pianist on the Miles Davis Kind of Blue album referenced above, but he was a noted trio and quartet leader on his own, and also worked with John Coltrane and other notable sax players. His good friend Scott LeFaro played bass with him for a couple of years, but Scott was killed in a car accident, and Bill was pretty broken up by that, personally and artistically. A lot of the post LeFaro work by Bill Evans is what you might think of as "noir" but it sounds to me like a quiet man, who has just lost a lot...
posted by paulsc at 10:42 AM on June 23, 2006

something moody, brooding even. Something that you listen to late at night with the lights down low and slowly get drunk to

Trinity Session from Cowboy Junkies.

May not qualify as strictly jazz (and sorry I'm sure I've posted this album in a few other askme's too), but it does have a jazz feel to it, and perfectly captures the quote above.
posted by marsha56 at 10:56 AM on June 23, 2006

Holy mary mother of G_d!, and I'm not even Catholic nor Opus Dei. I just acquired the most glorious mind shiftin muzak I have heard in a decade. Have u kats heard The Cinematic Orchestra Remix by any chance?

And merci on all the wonderful suggestions I'll up the anti and suggest the above backatcha.. you will not be repentant.
Good and sin some more my sons/daughters, with this devil muzak.
posted by Unregistered User at 11:34 AM on June 23, 2006

You could do worse than Henry Mancini for noir mood music - he scored most of the movies that you're probably thinking of. His music is available in collections. However, it was intended as background music, so it's not as "cerebral" as Miles, or the Jazz Messengers, or some of the other selections above.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:35 PM on June 23, 2006

"Cure for Pain" by Morphine has a great late-night feel with a killer 2-string bass/baritone sax combo. Overall it may rock out a bit more than you want but there are some great atmospheric pieces (like the opener "Dawna") that would be right down this particular alley.

You may also like "Recollections" and "Lonely Fire" from Miles Davis' Bitches' Brew sessions, both should be available from Itunes. They are both intense, emotional, and dark slow-developing songs that stretch out over about 20 minutes each.
posted by mattholomew at 2:48 PM on June 23, 2006

Check out the Duke Ellington soundtrack to Anatomy of a Murder. AOM wasn't exactly a noir, but it certainly paid attention to the elements.
posted by OmieWise at 6:41 PM on June 23, 2006

"Changing Places" by Tord Gustavsen Trio

Also, parts of the The Fabulous Baker Boys soundtrack.
posted by softlord at 2:08 PM on June 24, 2006