Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with music and jazz

How do I be in a band?

largecorp — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:50:19 -0800

I love music and over the past few years have taught myself to be pretty good as a ukulele player. I'd love to get involved with a band--old-time jazz, dixieland stuff--and really learn how to make music with others. But all I know is how to play by myself. I don't know how bands work in the slightest, nor how to find others who are better than me but willing to let me "play along." How do I get started getting started? Thanks!

When all the guys join in singing...only they're yelling it from the back of the band

rileyray3000 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:34:18 -0800

Okay what is the name of the kind of swing music where the band does call and response with the singer? Not the backup singers. The horn section. So I was listening the other day to a favorite jazz song, Blue Skies

It occurred to me that what I like about it is the call and response with the regular guys in the band, the horn section, the rhythm guys. It's also what I like about a couple of Cab Calloway songs. Unfortunately, trying to find MORE songs like this based on "it's where the guys with the guitars yell back at Frank" isn't the walk in the park I thought it'd be

So my question is: is this a subgenre of Swing? If so, can you recommend some other examples I might like?

Stellar Concert Performances on DVD

netbros — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:46:11 -0800

What are the live performance concert DVDs that stun you with their excellence and excitement? I recently purchased The Way Up concert DVD by the Pat Metheny Group and found it mesmerizing. The combined talent, the cohesiveness and preparation of PMG on this particular tour is astounding. Surely there is other contemporary live concert footage on DVD that is equally inspiring.

While I am a big fan of jazz, I'm an even bigger fan of music in general. Just about anything that is stellar from a tight, talented individual or group is what I'm looking for.

Please suggest your favorite live concert performances.

I want the funk! And all that jazz.

matkline — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:49:21 -0800

I'm looking for funky jazz, with plenty of synth, an upbeat pace, and R&B influences, in the style of the mid 1980s to early 90s work of Chick Corea and Jeff Lorber. I've noticed this style tends to be copied in video game and movie soundtracks from that period, so recommendations for those types of music are welcome.

Original Andrews Sisters Arrangements

stewiethegreat — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:29:59 -0800

Where can I find the original Andrews Sisters vocal trio arrangements by Vic Schoen? I'm putting together a trio for fun, and I think it's important for us to do some Andrews Sisters arrangements. Unfortunately, the original arrangements are very hard to come by.

What I've found so far are transcriptions of their stuff for trio and full big band, which cost about $65 each. That's unfortunately out of my price range.

Have you seen such arrangements lurking around the web somewhere?

Thanks!

Jazz standards for kids to sing

argybarg — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:26:57 -0800

What jazz standards could kids sing and enjoy? I'll start teaching music at an elementary school soon. Very few collections of music for kids to sing include anything from the jazz tradition. But I want kids to swing!

Here's what 4th and 5th graders can't handle:

-- Anything profoundly tricky, with lots of key shifts. So there goes "Lush Life."
-- Looooove. The kids are absolutely allergic to love songs, especially anything tender and heartfelt with kissing in it. So there goes "My One and Only Love," along with 90% of the jazz repertoire. Something indirect like "All of Me" might do.
-- Innuendo. I would, for instance, love "Flat-Foot Floogie With the Floy-Floy" if it didn't mean "the flat-footed slut with V.D."

So far I have "Java Jive," "Paper Moon" and "Summertime." Anything else?

Unpretentious jazz in New York City?

laze — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:50:37 -0800

What are some of the best and (most importantly) unpretentious jazz clubs in New York City? I'm headed to New York soon and would like to check out some live jazz some night while I'm there. But, I want a place I can go to in jeans and a t-shirt (or equivalent).

For reference, I loved the old Small's (haven't been to the new Small's).

A cover charge isn't a problem as long as it's not too much. Should be in Manhattan, preferably midtown, though I'd travel a bit for the right location.

In terms of styles of jazz, anything from bop to the freest of free. Just none of that silly "contemporary jazz." Recognizable names are not important.

She wants to make great music

mooreeasyvibe — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:21:30 -0800

What sheet music should my friend buy? She plays clarinet, grade 8. She's completely lost, looking for something jazz or classical.

Similar songs of Malcolm McLaren's "Club De Narcisse"

yoitsfrancis — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:31:27 -0800

Hi, I would like to know song's that are similar to Club De Narcisse (some websites display the song name as Club Le Narcisse). This is from Malcolm McLaren's album Paris. By similar I don't mean songs by Malcolm McLaren. By similar I mean songs that have the same musical structure, beat, flow, rhythm and genome attributes. I have no access in Pandora's music service so I need specific answers. Song titles and artist's name will do. Similar songs with distinct drum beats and have dark theme behind it are appreciated. Although I appreciate songs from Pandora, I appreciate more if you can come up with your own answer using your intuition and brilliance. Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

Vintage jazz radio streams/podcasts?

1001 questions — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:36:57 -0800

What are some decent vintage jazz radio streams/podcasts *with on-air programmers/DJs*? Two of my favorite radio shows on KBCS ("20th Century Jazz The First Half" with Joannie Nelson and "Vintage Jazz" with Al Barnes) are being discontinued due to management idiocy.

So I'm on the lookout for other shows to fill the huge void that will exist next month. I know "vintage jazz" is broad, but I'm not looking for some very specific music, I'm open to a host of things.

And I don't want to simply hit shuffle on an iPod or listen to streams with random (but good!) music. I want to hear DJs, good ones that talk about what they're playing, ones that have insightful things to say and/or are just a joy to listen to.

What are some books or educational DVD's for learning rock, blues and jazz piano and Hammond B-3 soloing and licks

doppler68 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:28:52 -0800

What are some good books or educational DVD's, besides Jamie Abersol, for learning rock, blues and jazz piano and Hammond B-3 soloing and licks. I am a very competent keyboardist. I can play by ear, chord chart and written music. I am a good band musician. I can comp and sound great. But I can't solo for the life of me. I have a good digital piano and Micro B mark II. I don't really have any good licks. Where can I go to learn this stuff?

Just a square, I guess.

gallusgallus — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:22:07 -0800

Music types: help me identify exactly what it is that I dislike about these particular types of jazz! Recently, a friend has been trying to get me into jazz. When exploring, though, I run into a weird hurdle: I really like jazz made up through the thirties, but somewhere in the late 40s/50s/60s, it acquires a specific harmonic quality that I absolutely can't stand. I tend to listen to music mostly for the harmonies and chord progressions, and this particular element literally raises hairs on the back of my neck.

It's not just that later jazz is more free-form and deconstructed; we're talking a particular type of chord or harmony that, in most cases, I can pick out within less than a measure. And it's not just the sheer quantity of dissonance, because (while not the biggest fan), I can listen to Stravinsky or Schoenberg forever without it bothering me in the same way.

Sadly, to say, "I don't do jazz after about 1940" sounds kind of ig'nant, like maybe I'm just an uptight fuddy-duddy who can't handle the Cool. I’d like to be able to identify the specific harmonic quality that bothers me (e.g. "I just don't like augmented fourths," or whatever) but I haven't been able to find any theory-oriented histories of jazz that specifically break down its development into nitty-gritty musical elements. So can anybody help me figure out what chord/interval/harmony/progression I'm talking about?

Some specifics:

I associate this with wind/brass ensembles, but I'm not sure why.
It turns up A LOT in Miles Davis's work. As far as I can see, I hate just about everything the poor guy's ever done.
Definitely present in E.S.P.
Also in Giant Steps, where the opening chords after the solo pretty much typify what I'm talking about.
And it's even in some pop, like The girl from Ipanema. You know the generic light-jazz that plays in elevators in the movies? Totally.
But it's not (obviously) present in Take Five , even though that's later jazz
Also not in Sing, Sing, Sing , even though that's plenty dissonant.

If it'd help, I'm happy to try additional test-cases. What is this harmony? Any ideas, AskMeFi?

String her up: non-classical violin music

sciencegeek — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:14:31 -0800

I have a friend who is a violinist. She's only played and listened to classical violin music. Please recommend artists and recordings of non-classical violin. Stephane Grappelli, and Joe Venuti are great but I don't know which recordings are good examples of their work. I'd like her to get a taste for what is out there including jazz, bluegrass, cajun, kelzmer, and any other genre/artist showcasing good violin/fiddle playing.

Worthy companions to Ellington and Coltrane's masterpiece

grrarrgh00 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:18:49 -0800

If I love Duke Ellington and John Coltrane's "In a Sentimental Mood," what other jazz songs should I seek? What I love most about IASM:

- The languid pace.
- The interplay between the melancholy, mysterious piano and the passionate tenor sax.
- The consistent, repeating theme.

I'd like to create an entire playlist of songs like it. Any recommendations?

Is There An Osaka Sound?

Xurando — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:31:13 -0800

I'd like an introduction to Japanese jazz/piano ambient. Where should I start? Who's great? Who should I avoid?

Jazz albums where the guitarist fills the usual role of the pianist

Jaltcoh — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:15:03 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for jazz albums with a lineup similar to the one on Sonny Rollins's classic album The Bridge, which has tenor sax + guitar + bass + drums and that's it. (YouTube example.) I love how Jim Hall's guitar takes on the usual role of the piano since it's the only instrument in the ensemble that can play whole chords. My 3 must-have criteria:

(1) The lineup must include guitar, bass, and drums.

(2) There must be at least one other instrument that typically plays just one note at a time (for instance, any brass/wind instrument -- sax, trumpet, clarinet, etc.).

(3) Guitar must be the only instrument that typically plays multiple notes at a time. No piano, keyboard, vibes, etc.

Other points:

- The guitar playing should be prominent and interesting at least some of the time. (Again, Jim Hall's brilliant playing in The Bridge is a good example.) So if there's a rhythm guitar strumming away in the background but never really taking the spotlight, that wouldn't count.

- Any time period, any sub-genre of jazz. No need to apologize if it's super-famous or super-obscure.

- In case this is useful: my tastes tend to favor jazz that's jagged, dissonant, unsentimental, outside-the-box, but not to the point of free jazz -- good examples are Mingus, Monk, Brad Mehldau, and the above YouTube clip. But please suggest any music you like that fits the 3 criteria.

(Bonus points if you can recommend albums that are on emusic, since that's where I buy most of my music. But of course, it's no problem if they're not.)

Ba ba ba ba ba dum

andromache — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:47:11 -0800

Q: What do Butch Cassidy and Bonsai Kitty have in common? A: A terrific, zany soundtrack. What kind of music is this? In the comments area for the FPP that originally directed me to the cat-in-the-bottle with the great soundtrack, The Whelk linked to this little gem, which I love (via). I can't seem to find more songs like this, mostly because I have no idea who makes/made it, or what the genre is called.

Sounds like it could be from the late 50s or early 60s. The instrumentation is less important to me than the vocal ba ba ba da da dums, though xylophone seems characteristic of this style. It sounds kind of like scat singing, but clearly it isn't improvised since it's done in harmony with a chorus.

The only other example of this kind of song I can think of is from Butch and Sundance (music starts at 0:36). The soundtrack is for sale at amazon, of course, but there are no track previews, I don't know the name of the song, and, I think it's the only one of its kind on the album.

What is this weirdness? Who are some famous performers or composers that recorded this stuff? Any websites or albums in particular that you can recommend?

Thanks very much.

Fast Paced Jazz or Jazztronica for my Driving Playlist

FireStyle — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:31:38 -0800

I'm having trouble finding music of a particular genre... kind of like "action jazz music." or maybe cinematic jazz music? I'm creating a playist called Night Racing.... the kind of tunes you can drive fast two at 1am when you have the road all to yourself. The soundtrack to the anime "Metropolis" comes to mind, but any kind of fast tempoed, groove heavy, jazz chart, electronica remix, soundtrack or something a long those lines would be perfect. The only song in my playlist right now of that type is the Zero dB remix of Peace Orchstra's "Henry." and Branford MArsalis "Elysium (the first 4 min of it anyways!) Any help is greatly appreciated!!

happy holidays!

By the by, I checked out similar posts, and picked up a bunch of new albums from it cause they sounded great, but I'm looking for something more on the live side that the DJ side

jazz time signature

boeing82 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:48:33 -0800

What time signature is this? An easy question for many people out there, I'm sure: what is the time signature in this song? And could you recommend other popular songs with a similar rhythm/time signature? Thanks MeFi!

Chronological Classics

silsurf — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:15:09 -0800

Chronological Classics Jazz Series I recently became interested in finding some/any of the semi-defunct Chronological Classics Jazz series.

The Chronological Series is an amazing collection of over 1400 discs that were complied by in France. Systematically assembling every esoteric jazz classic imaginable; cleaning them up for transfer to CD; and publishing them with excellent liner notes in a series of rainbow-coloured discs. The original series was by subscription with five issues being released each month.

The French Classics label issued these discs until 2004 when it's original distributor went under. The back catalog was then acquired by Abeille Musique after Nocturne took over production and new releases resumed.

The latest batch from June of 2008:

1455 HARRY JAMES 1946 1947
1456 OSCAR PETERSON 1952 1953
1457 ELLA FITZGERALD 1954 1955
1458 BEN WEBSTER 1953 1954
1459 JOE BUSHKIN 1947 1950
1460 LUCKY MILLINDER 1951 1960
1461 STAN KENTON 1952 1953
1462 RED NICHOLS 1930 1931
1463 WARDELL GRAY 1950 1955
1464 EDDIE CONDON 1954 1955

The series is considered the greatest jazz reissue program ever undertaken.

The issues are available in places like eBay and Amazon used at a premium. The new issues are only available in French at such websites as:

jazz.abeillemusique.com The current price is 6.99 euros, but the shipping is huge and the website is in French, so I am a bit intimidated to order from them.

I am posting to the brains of Ask for any additional information on these amazing issues and where to find the current and back issues. Also, just because I know I will get some great feedback from Ya'll

Fallout 3/Grim Fandango-esque Jazz recommendations?

archagon — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:13:56 -0800

I'd like to listen to some rhythmic jazzy stuff in the same genre as the Grim Fandango soundtrack and Fallout 3's Galaxy News Radio tracklist (in particular: Crazy He Calls Me, Easy Living - Billie Holiday; Civilization - Danny Kaye; Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall - Ella Fitzgerald; I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire - The Ink Spots; A Wonderful Guy - Tex Beneke). Need album suggestions!

And all that...demonic jazz?

PossumCupCake — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:49:12 -0800

Once More With Feeling. No, really, I wanna hear more. I am a Buffy nerd. I was watching the ever fabulous Once More With Feeling episode the other day with my nine year old daughter. (I don't let her watch much; the Buffy/Spike stuff is too much for her. But not for me. Yow.) Anyway, afterward she said to me she would like to hear more music that was similar to Sweet's. You know, the red demon played by Hinton Battle? Heres' a link.
I know nothing of jazz or the like so I came here for recommendations on some similarly styled music. Thanks!

Songs similar to "End of the World Party" by Medeski, Martin, and Wood?

Maia — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:35:11 -0800

I really like the jazz trio Medeski, Martin, and Wood, especially their song "End of the World Party" (http://www.seeqpod.com/search/?plid=6354e115f8) Do you know any songs or artists with a similar style? I'm getting a little tired of listening to the same songs over and over.

Is there a script or program that will automatically download the names of jazz album sidemen?

tweebiscuit — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:54:14 -0800

I have a few hundred jazz albums on MP3 in my iTunes library. I'd to add the names of the sidemen on the albums to the MP3's comment tags, but I'd rather not enter the info manually, for obvious reasons. Is there any form of script or program that exists that will do this for me -- perhaps pulling from Amazon, or some other source? (Prefix this with, "Hey, Lazyweb," if desired.) So, for example, I'd like the comment (or some other) tag for "Kind of Blue - So What" to read Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb

Okay, so "muddy water" may be a stretch.

the luke parker fiasco — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:24:46 -0800

Ultimate Thanksgiving music set: Help me find as many food-referential jazz, blues, jump-blues, swing, and generally dance-y songs as possible. A few years back, I used to frequent a dance night in Chicago where, during the week of Thanksgiving, would play a "food set"--basically, 4-ish hours of jazz and blues dancin' music that was food-related (with no repeats--the regular DJ had a staggering music collection). I would like to recreate this for my Thanksgiving gathering this year, but I'm out of the country and no longer in contact with the scene, and the website where occasional setlists was posted is down indefinitely. And while I would know dozens of such songs were I to hear them, I'm not encyclopedic in my knowledge of titles, artists, etc.

So, music gurus, jazz aficionados, dancers out there, help me track down as many such songs as possible. Anything from the totally obvious to the most nebulously connected is great. Artists including and beyond names like Nina Simone, Lou Rawls, Slim Gaillard, Jimmy Witherspoon, Etta James, Diana Krall, B.B. King ...
Here's a sampling of what I've found, and the direction I'm looking in:

Frim Fram Sauce
Potato Chips
I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer
Sherry Flip
Why Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night
Sugar in My Bowl

... and so on. (Not all the links are the greatest versions, but they give an idea.)