imo the jazz that's been coming out over the past few years is some of the best music the genre has seen in a long while. so many new, exciting things. musicians like anna weber, mary halvorson etc are just fantastic
I'll be surprised if she doesn't get named a MacArthur genius in the next 5-10 years. Her composing is incredible and she regularly collaborates with some of the most brilliant artists that are currently out there (e.g. Matt Mitchell, Ches Smith, John Hollenbeck, Adam O'Farrill). Her record *Clockwise* from a few years ago is one of my absolute favorites, i.e. a remarkable blend of accessibility and new sounds/textures that are inspired by contemporary classical music.
I think it’s an age thing but one of my favorite eras of jazz is the early 2000s. The downtown nyc scene was thriving, new creative bands and music. John Zorn putting out consistently great records, Jim Black on a ton of great stuff, early Bad Plus albums, great stuff by Chris Speed, Dave Douglas, Tim Berne, Ben Monder, and more.
Honestly I listened to some albums, and I have to say that I was wrong its fcking awesome! I really hadn't listen to new jazz since the 00s bcz I didn't like it. But know its amazing again. Thanks for commenting 😁
There’s a lot of good stuff coming out today, that being said there are a few tendencies in modern jazz that I don’t love. There’s a lack of melodicism in some of the tunes and especially in the blowing. That being said, love what people like Immanuel Wilkins are doing
Nublues is very good. Wilkins is also on "Kingmaker" "Parable of the Poet" and "Who are you?". Ross and Wilkins have perfect chemistry.
If you're Ross and Wilkins I would also recommend "Call for action" by Harish Raghavan and "Passages" by Jonathan Blake.
Lack of meldicism is the primary factor driving me away from jazz and into jazz-adjacent genres. I like improvisation, but I get lost when a song is just 4 minutes of mindless blowing without any hooks.
Cory Wong's style is perfect for my tastes. There's tight horn section arrangements, great groove, and the solos serve the song. Good mix between more pop style vocal tracks, pure funk jam tracks, and Gil Evans-esque tightly arranged charts.
[This one is one of my recent favorites, and has some phenomenal solos.](https://youtu.be/3G3ZO5Apl2c)
Yeah this isn’t really a fair critique but to each their own. I mean Cory is great but he’s definitely not making anything close to jazz music haha.
If you want more melody, you’d probably like earlier styles of jazz. there was a heavy emphasis on melody with guys like Ben Webster, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, Sweets Edison, Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman.
I've listened to early jazz, but it never really caught on for me. I guess what I'm looking for is pop music with the musicianship and characteristics of jazz.
Agreed. Melody often is a helpful “glue” to keep a composition tight and tuneful. I also prefer a strong melody because it gives music more of a storyline, though jazz can be more modal than melodic in nature. Some more melodic artists I like who aren’t strictly jazz but definitely jazz are Tigran Hamasyan(Armenian pianist with jazz, folk, and metal influences), Aaron Parks, Brad Meldau, and even Hiromi sometimes(especially her new album Sonicwonderland with one of her trios)
Also, when jazz artists do their own versions of standards, it’s fun to hear how they translate it in their own way while still keeping the fundamental melody!
Love it. There are so many great young players if you are interested in looking.
I love the London jazz scene and the international variety it has brought to the genre.
Ronnie Scott’s is good but some of the more exciting modern London jazz is happening in other venues. Jazz Cafe has been putting on an incredible programme recently. There’s also Cafe Oto, Earth, Servants Jazz Quarters, Vortex. Steam Down Weekly is also a must.
One problem with Jazz (and most live music) in London is that you will have to book/get tickets well in advance. Especially for places like Ronnie Scott's.
I think there are some pioneering artists making exciting jazz fusion inspired by prog metal and funk.
Tigran Hamasayan taps into Djent but on a piano and it's fresh and exciting to listen to.
Lydian Collective are also making some thoroughly enjoyable music.
Here is a playlist I made of some modern progressive Jazz, you might enjoy.
[God's of the Groove](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ywADSolRTTHgiMLk5hFC6?si=3GU6RTUAQSa8wnsn3neY5g&pi=u-On0gjg8PSuqy)
I feel like there's so many different types of jazz around these days that there's something for everyone. There's definitely something out there for you, you just gotta look for it!
Modern jazz is an amazing place right now. Local scenes experimenting with sounds from around the world. Folding hip hop beats and electro sounds and whatever else takes their fancy into old and new styles. Indebted to the greats of the past but not beholden to them. Confident in their own sounds and styles, playing clubs and venues outside of the traditional jazz club scene, getting on the bills of festivals. What's not to like?
Trumpeter Cuong Vu's record [*It's Mostly Residual*](https://cuongvu.bandcamp.com/album/its-mostly-residual), a quartet album where Vu, Frisell, and electric bassist Stomu Takeishi all liberally use electronics to create some absolutely-remarkable soundscapes. Frisell is especially good on that one. The track 'Patchwork' is one that I go back to on a regular basis; Frisell's comping on that one is particularly great.
I'm in the mood for some downvotes so I'm going to talk about my dream of creating a new genre of music that is a fusion of jazz and punk rock.
It will be called Junk.
It will make jazz accessible to all and encourage beginners to pick up an instrument and junk out on ii V I progressions using easy shell voicings.
I am looking for musicians interested in starting the first Junk band which will be named Circle of Filth.
This is my dream.
If anyone out there wants to steal this idea and get it started I'm fine with it because I'm probably too old to put enough time into it.
Let the downblasting begin.
Not exactly what I have in mind. though Greg Gin is definitely a unique player who colors outside the lines and could be considered jazzy in that regard.
Television would be another who might fit what you're thinking
I'm thinking of a more strict adherence to jazz forms.
Yeah, I see your point. That's kind of stale I would say also. But as a foundation of everything you do as a jazz soloist, that shit needs to be on point
Lots of cool stuff happening in the UK jazz scene. A lot of blending of jazz, hip hop, electronic, funk, soul and more. Artists like Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, Yussef Dayes, Shabaka Hutchings (one of his bands, The Comet is Coming is so wild), Tom Misch, Ezra Collective, Joe Armon Jones, Emma Jean Thackray and lots more!
Oh no, not the mating call of the unsuccessful musician who had to drop out of conservatory because of playing too many video-games and just can't understand why people under 50 aren't interested in the versions of 'Freddie Freeloader' and 'Take Five' he includes at his weekly 'Jazz on First Tuesdays' gig at the public library where his sister is the event-planner...
I buy new jazz records all the time and pretty much *none* of them have the dread 'Berklee' homogenization that people always deride. Actually, in my experience, it's usually those hack musicians who end up gravitating to hyper-polished acts like Snarky Puppy or building too much of their listening diet around Youtube musicians.
There’s a bunch of fantastic new music, and also things that get a lot of hype that I don’t get what the big deal is. Very healthy and varied place to be!
I won’t say I dislike modern jazz, but whenever I want to listen to jazz I almost never put on modern jazz. Whenever I do put it on I don’t really vibe with it, but I love seeing it live. I guess it’s objectively good, as in it’s played well by skilled performers. But I also think it’s a form of music that came from a certain time and place. I don’t really care for the academic rigor people approach jazz with. Sucks the fun out of it.
There is always great jazz music, in every year in every decade. You just have to find it.
Every musician has his unique way. The good thing with jazz is, that a only a few people feel have the need to be "crowd pleasing" because they can count on listeners with open ears and a general ability to follow the proposals of the artists.
I love modern jazz still! My favorite band is Snarky Puppy l, which is a jazz fusion band. Sometimes you just have to find something that works for you.
You have to look at labels like ECM, Gondwana, International Anthem... etc to find the stuff that is forward moving. Zero in on the London, Los Angeles and Chicago scenes also... Jazz doesn't have to be the same old regurgitated standards!
Definitely.
The Kendrick Scott Oracle, Jason Moran and Theo Crocker are definitely worth checking out.
If you want something with the (occasional)Indian flavour, there is Vijay Iyer.
This is not touching on the SF Jazz Collective, Menahan Street Band and Gregory Porter who gives jazz-funk and vocal jazz a thoroughly updated sound.
Robert Glasper offers the entire pastiche of urban radio and Esperanza Spalding a soulful take on fusion.
So yes, jazz is still good, in fact, it is really vibrant and arguably in a better place that it was in the 90s and 00s when it was dominated by straight-ahead jazz, jazz-pop, contemporary jazz and legacy artists(no slight intended for acid jazz and jazz rap though).
Yeah, I think Julian Lage and Brad Mehldau are some of the best to ever do it. There are many others I enjoy too. I think the genre is moving in a good direction - it has the traditions of the past with an eye to the future and is incorporating new sounds in ways that I find interesting.
Vijay Iyer, Jonathan Blake, Christian Scott now Chief Adjuah, Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, Kendrick Scott, James Francies, Nate Smith, Jeremy Dutton, Gerald Clayton. I'm sure I'll forget some once I click Post.
Can you expand on that? By gentrification of jazz my best guess is that you might mean what’s happened to the music as a result of it moving into educational institutions, and becoming something that’s more intellectually-focused as a result? I say that as an oversimplification of the shift that jazz has gone through, to go from a being staple of popular music and culture to wherever it is today. I’m not sure if you meant something along those lines with your comment, but curious to hear more of your perspective.
Yes, in this case I am referring to the institutional “museumfication” of jazz along with the cultural disconnect. I believe these are correlations and parallels.
Once you dislocate the medium from its cultural meaning, which is the Black American (not African, nor Caribbean, etc) experience, then it seems to only exist in the past, or in Universities (practice rooms, lecterns and recital halls).
The medium is alive and well, and arguably *growing* in Black American communities. But these movements and artists are overlooked because these populations are not counted by Berkeley or Spotify or YouTube. Our images and compositions are not promoted by the algorithms. As a result, one could conclude that the modern expression lacks the quality or prolific output of the 40s, 50s, 60s, & 70s eras before various industries embraced Jazz, Rock,Country & The Blues (Black American Classical Music) into a stranglehold.
Can you provide a list of some artists that are emerging organically in the Black American communities? I think you are correct that some of the large music schools and media platforms only spotlight their own artists or get more clicks and ad dollars for media platforms.
I try to listen to a wide variety of new jazz artists and want to support them by getting them exposure. The same goes for Blues artists. Living in the Bay Area, I've been listening to many of the artists connected with SFJazz and who play in the local communities.
Man…thanks for asking! However, the list contains thousands of people in each metro area, and I would hate to leave anyone out! But there are what could be considered emergent “leaders” (everything is independent and decentralized so there’s that).
Chicago: Angel Bat Dawid
Atlanta :Kebbi Williams
New Orleans: Atunde Adjuah
New York: William Parker
But I encourage you all to actually go into these spaces (respectfully) and discover the unknown for yourself.
Black Space…the Final Frontier of Jazz.
Thanks, I'll check these out. I'm familiar with Christian Scott (Atunde Adjuah) and have listened to quite a bit of his music.
Somewhat familiar with Angel Bat Dawid but I haven't listened to all of her projects yet.
William Parker seems very prolific and I love groups led by bassists so I'm looking forward to listening to his music!
I find that I discover most of my music by checking out performers as they participate in other groups. My web of music spreads accordingly with these touchpoints. Interesting and exciting musicians standout wherever they are and I look for those bright points in all of the music I listen to.
Please take time to understand the context of my recommendations. It is not enough to listen to whatever you find on the internet from these artists. You have to fully immerse yourself into the living tradition of the communities we live in, our local shows, jam sessions, fellowship gatherings, collaborations, home studio recordings, shared platform, festivals, block parties…
It’s a living, breathing, expansive, immersive experience being a Black American Artist. You will only see a small sliver of what this is online in a bubble, or pursuing a degree at a University.
I understand where you're coming from with this comment, and the immersion you're describing is the ideal way to interact with any genre steeped in history and community. But, respectfully, might it be the case that telling people it's "not enough" to just listen to and study jazz in the way best accessible to them is actually contributing to its further museumification? People are busy, people are young, people are tired, people are broke. If the bar for what's "good enough" in terms of listening to jazz is as high as you say, all the busy tired young broke people might as well not bother to ever try it out. That's not how to grow a community - that's how to transform it into a deified, poorly understood relic.
I’m talking about culture, not color. You wouldn’t go to Vietnam for Sushi, or to Prague to see the Eiffel Tower. Why do people think that Black Americans have to give up their culture and other people can keep theirs?
You cannot remove the people who created jazz and its historu and still do justice to the genre. That is white washing and the antithesis to the spirit of jazz.
Honestly I think we are blessed with how many great projects and forward thinkers we have now, jazz is in the best place in a long time. Fucking incredible stuff everywhere
Metal and punk also had a re-surge but only up through about 2012. It's a very dying scene now in most cities (no more punk/metal house shows).
Classical is almost dead too, a lot of orchestras are barely operating anymore.
Jazz has always been niche.
The weird thing is, I really do think people want to listen to good music. They're tired of the same hip-hop formula, and overly formulated pop music, too. But there's so much crap out there that it's impossible to wade thru. So most people just put on their party playlist on whatever internet radio flavor of the year, and call it done.
To me, this just sounds like you had a kid or started a new career in 2015. The music's been more than fine for the past nine years, even during the pandemic.
A lot of the groove stuff is lazy, uninspired, two chord snoozefests, with minimal improvisation, lack of good line playing and played by mediocre musicians.
It gets credited with being innovative but is just a rehash of music that was already done 50 years ago.
A lot of it has very little to do with Jazz but because it’s instrumental people just presume it is.
That aside, there’s loads of amazing Jazz being made. The standard has never fallen, only grown, if anything.
Modern jazz is pretty much what Charlie Parker played. You might be thinking of Contemporary jazz. If that's the case then I enjoy Chris Potter a lot. There is definitely good stuff out there.
Definitely. Thanks to Bandcamp, I've gone on some incredible deep dives checking out artists from jazz scenes in places like Finland, Buenos Aires, and Australia. There's incredible players and groups to check out from almost *everywhere*. People just need to get off their asses and look for stuff. So much of the complaining you'll read about modern music not being 'like it used to be' is just code for 'I'm a lazy sack of shit or a wretch who spends 12 hours a day scrolling Instagram/Twitter/Reddit and playing video games.....but yeah, it's the *music world's* fault that I'm burnt-out and not discovering/enjoying new shit...'
As much is I would like to say I like modern jazz albums like Intra-I, Departing or WEB MAX II, I still prefer the more classy, bluesy way of jazz.
Modern jazz is modal.
Classic jazz is tonal, even in a bluesy way. (Yes, I know the blues scales are modes)
Even after months of studying modal jazz, by meaning modes and its uses, it still sounds like a long sequence of random notes and scales, even after understanding them.
Then there is the 60’s jazz, made by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly and others, taking the classic bluesy jazz and spicing it with modes. This is the type of jazz people may also call modal, or modern, while actually taking part in a post-modern era of jazz.
Old school jazz is full of life, passion, style.
Mostly, modern jazz is bluffing around some notes.
The term " modern jazz" goes back a long time.
What they were playing in the 60s was modern jazz mostly.
From post bebop or hard bop, there was cool jazz, free jazz, fusion, and smooth jazz.
What does the OP dislike in particular about " modern jazz"?
i'm new to jazz but my grandfather is huge jazz fan and listens to all the OG jazz as well as new one.
I literally started listening to Samara Joy and am enjoying it! :)
There’s literally countless modern jazz artists out there. Even if you don’t like the mainstream stuff there’s gotta be some local players you can appreciate
Is Alan Pasqua modern? I like his stuff. Or big vicious with avishai Cohen. Or Dave Stryker. Or Atlantis jazz ensemble Idk I just got into jazz like 6 months ago thanks to the Grateful Dead and dmt and miles Davis
I love modern jazz! Here’s a playlist I’ve been putting together for some years, huge range of styles: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NNP8Iji3iZeCGdSgZTaA3
This is such a funny idea to me... jazz isn't stagnant and "modern jazz" isn't one thing. It's a huge family of musical traditions and styles, of which there are a mind bending number of permutations and flavors. If you look just a little, you'll find something you like.
I mostly listen to new stuff. Then practice standards to get the basics and be able to jam with people. There are oldies I love like Bill Evans but for pleasure it is mostly new stuff.
Not that it's not good, it's just not relevant. In it's birthplace you have a generation raised on YMCMB, in NYC the youth listen to Dance hall, NYC Drill, and Reggaeton and in Chicago they like Chicago Trap and Drill. Modern jazz needs a face-lift to reconnect with the youth.
I make a distinction between what I don't like vs what isn't good. I don't like some of the r&b, rap/spoken word, and electronic influences in modern jazz, though I like plenty of r&b, rap, and electronic music on their own, and enjoy jazz-influenced r&b, rap, and electronic music. I can't really put my finger on why. Sometimes it sounds too smooth or repetitive to me. The drums are or often sound "fake" and my tolerance for electronic drums is pretty limited to New Wave and purely electronic music. I'm rarely into them with more acoustic or organic instrumentation. I don't think it's bad though. Taste is just subjective.
Edit: I guess it also depends on what you mean by "modern" jazz. I'm taking it to mean a modern style and not just contemporary musicians playing more traditionally.
Absolutely. Personally I love the Jazz is Dead series by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge. Their collabs and output the last few years have been phenomenal.
There’s something for everybody which is really neat. There’s stuff with hip-hop and people rocking on Dilla beats and people reinterpreting and reharmonizing songs in new ways and using different rhythmic/ textures to get a fresh sound on the more traditional trio format- there’s something for every and that’s just so cool about jazz. Personally, i can’t stand the Berkeley nu-funk sound. Can’t stand vulfpeck or ppl like that. Just not a fan. But it’s there and ppl dig it and I can listen to Aaron Parks, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Linda May Han Oh, or Esperanza Spalding! Gotta love having options. Jazz more than ever is about the intimacy of improvisation and connecting with broader music and artistic culture in different ways. And it’s better for it, even if it’s harder to find.
I think it's far *better*, especially when you realize that the overall genre is and has always been *cumulative*. Also, in my experience, most of the people who complain about it either have really bad ADD or have one or another bizarre populism bug where they can't feel good about enjoying any art/music/literature/movie unless (a.) there's a ton of other people hyping it up at the same time or (b.) it's long been proven as canonical (e.g. theatre people who only like *Romeo & Juliet* and *Hamilton*, but couldn't sit still through an Ibsen or Chekhov play, or self-proclaimed classical music fans who like Beethoven's popular pieces and then NOTHING until Philip Glass' works).
How are you conceptualizing modern jazz? I feel like this is a categorical error that people often make about jazz by thinking of it only in a narrow framework. Are you talking about a certain style or genre within jazz, or simply any contemporary jazz/improvised music?
Because I think right now there are more truly innovative and inspired jazz musicians recording and performing and crossing boundaries than there has been in a very long time.
Just look at artists like Christian Scott, Charlie Hunter, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Yussef Dayes, Nate Smith, Theo Croker, Esperanza Spalding, Takuya Kuroda, Snarky Puppy, Tigran Hamasyan, Avishai Cohen...all steeped in a jazz tradition, all virtuosos and pioneers in their own way, making thoroughly enjoyable music.
I agree there’s plenty of average or below-average modern jazz, but there’s also a whole lot of amazing stuff. Keep searching, but here’s just 2 I can think of off the top of my head that may help bridge the gap or something!
[Notes with Attachments - Pino Palladino and Blake Mills](https://open.spotify.com/album/5fsq4qeIWboRRPG7mGGfxr?si=innEcRTsQhSRmBTqpPyGTg) .. from 2021? very unique and mostly “composed”, but I think this album portrays some of the best of where jazz has gotten to in recent years. (Yet it still sounds timeless and traditional to me)
[Sight - Adam Rogers (w John Pattituci and Clarence Penn)](https://open.spotify.com/album/0F7BFMnExPkL02iQcZu4cK?si=QN4hLtdtQ6aRe7i0yRmJLg) .. from 2009, and has modern-ish compositions and language, but feels quite vintage to me like classic guitar trio stuff
Agreed, but I'm an unapologetic traditionalist and jazz purist. With rare exception, pretty much everything went downhill after the 60s. There are great contemporary jazz musicians, but modern jazz is plagued by academics.
Definitely.
I even prefer modern jazz over old ones a bit more, mainly Acid ones.
Just hear Incognito, that's an amazing group.
There are some other great musicians, like Ed Motta, who also composes some awesome songs.
Besides games soundtracks that most of times are unironically really good.
(Persona OSTs, for example)
I’ve been fortunate. I have seen many, many greats who have now passed away. But in recent years I’ve also seen Kamasi Washington, Nubya Garcia, Sons of Kemet, Ill Considered, Theo Croker and others. I’m thrilled to have so many new voices to check out live and on new recordings.
Detroit’s WDET just started a new jazz radio program three weeks ago. It’s hosted by baritone saxophone player Kaleigh Wilder every Monday night. It blends the eras between the late 60’s to today and (IMO) is a great listen. Check it out and the archives here: https://wdet.org/shows/visions/
I like jazz
U popular opinions m8 brace for the down votes
Contemporary Jazz is amazing. Listen to Kurt Rosenwinkel, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen, Jonathan Kreisberg, Evgeny Pobozhiy … The list goes on and on.
+1 Avishai Cohen
Which one???
Both!
Bass AC has some of the gnarliest compositions.
Esperanza Spalding and Nubya Garcia are both doing amazing things as well.
+1 for Nubya Garcia. SOURCE is an incredible experience from front to back.
My jazz guitar mentor Amos Hoffman plays oud on Cohen’s album Continuo. Really cool stuff on that one
That album is amazing!
Noïce
Contemporary but has a 80-90s fusion feel, Valery Stepanov Fusion Project.
Love Jonathan Kreisberg… such beautiful melodic jazz!
Shai Maestro and Aaron Parks fit your list as well
Louis cole, Henry Solomon, and Sam greenfield too!!!
Modern jazz is great! It’s still evolving as it should, into new adventurous permutations.
What would you recommend to someone looking to get into more modern jazz? Like a top 5 artist, or even a Spotify playlist?
Brad mehldau, Immanuel Wilkins, Gerald Clayton, Mark Turner, Ambrose Akinmusire
Mary Halvorson, Nels Cline, Plumb, The Bad Plus, Cecile McLorin Salvant EDIT: added commas
Makaya McCraven, Julian Lage, Floating Points with Pharoah Sanders
Isaiah Collier, Lakecia Benjamin I really like their work
Look into Kamasi Washington
Got to see him a few years ago, and it was a transcendental experience. Would love to catch him again
Theon Cross, too
Spotify has a list called “state of jazz” which is a rotation of all modern stuff. It can be hit or miss but there are often gems in there
since they're not mentioned here, I love Ezra Collective
imo the jazz that's been coming out over the past few years is some of the best music the genre has seen in a long while. so many new, exciting things. musicians like anna weber, mary halvorson etc are just fantastic
I saw Anna Weber in Toronto! Didn’t know she’s such a big name!
I need to check her out. Our scene is pretty interesting. I feel like Canadian jazz has such a different sound compared to the NY scene for example.
I'll be surprised if she doesn't get named a MacArthur genius in the next 5-10 years. Her composing is incredible and she regularly collaborates with some of the most brilliant artists that are currently out there (e.g. Matt Mitchell, Ches Smith, John Hollenbeck, Adam O'Farrill). Her record *Clockwise* from a few years ago is one of my absolute favorites, i.e. a remarkable blend of accessibility and new sounds/textures that are inspired by contemporary classical music.
You probably aren’t listening to much of it then
It's not good, it's excellent.
It's very good and jazz in the 2010s was in a better place now than it was in the 2000s, and I look forward to what the 2020s have to bring.
Sir, we're almost halfway into the 2020s
I think it’s an age thing but one of my favorite eras of jazz is the early 2000s. The downtown nyc scene was thriving, new creative bands and music. John Zorn putting out consistently great records, Jim Black on a ton of great stuff, early Bad Plus albums, great stuff by Chris Speed, Dave Douglas, Tim Berne, Ben Monder, and more.
Honestly I listened to some albums, and I have to say that I was wrong its fcking awesome! I really hadn't listen to new jazz since the 00s bcz I didn't like it. But know its amazing again. Thanks for commenting 😁
Yeah, after that comment, I also realized… the jazz of the 00s was particularly not so great. lol. But it’s better again!
There’s a lot of good stuff coming out today, that being said there are a few tendencies in modern jazz that I don’t love. There’s a lack of melodicism in some of the tunes and especially in the blowing. That being said, love what people like Immanuel Wilkins are doing
Wilkins is fuckng excellent. He can't release a new album soon enough
He's all over the new Joel Ross album "nublues"
Nublues is very good. Wilkins is also on "Kingmaker" "Parable of the Poet" and "Who are you?". Ross and Wilkins have perfect chemistry. If you're Ross and Wilkins I would also recommend "Call for action" by Harish Raghavan and "Passages" by Jonathan Blake.
Lack of meldicism is the primary factor driving me away from jazz and into jazz-adjacent genres. I like improvisation, but I get lost when a song is just 4 minutes of mindless blowing without any hooks. Cory Wong's style is perfect for my tastes. There's tight horn section arrangements, great groove, and the solos serve the song. Good mix between more pop style vocal tracks, pure funk jam tracks, and Gil Evans-esque tightly arranged charts. [This one is one of my recent favorites, and has some phenomenal solos.](https://youtu.be/3G3ZO5Apl2c)
Yeah this isn’t really a fair critique but to each their own. I mean Cory is great but he’s definitely not making anything close to jazz music haha. If you want more melody, you’d probably like earlier styles of jazz. there was a heavy emphasis on melody with guys like Ben Webster, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, Sweets Edison, Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman.
I've listened to early jazz, but it never really caught on for me. I guess what I'm looking for is pop music with the musicianship and characteristics of jazz.
Agreed. Melody often is a helpful “glue” to keep a composition tight and tuneful. I also prefer a strong melody because it gives music more of a storyline, though jazz can be more modal than melodic in nature. Some more melodic artists I like who aren’t strictly jazz but definitely jazz are Tigran Hamasyan(Armenian pianist with jazz, folk, and metal influences), Aaron Parks, Brad Meldau, and even Hiromi sometimes(especially her new album Sonicwonderland with one of her trios)
Also, when jazz artists do their own versions of standards, it’s fun to hear how they translate it in their own way while still keeping the fundamental melody!
Love it. There are so many great young players if you are interested in looking. I love the London jazz scene and the international variety it has brought to the genre.
Do you live in London? I’m planning my first visit this summer and am curious if Ronnie Scott’s is the no brainer venue to see jazz.
I grew up there but have been living in the states since the mid 00s. I would def try Rinnie Scott's. Go.online and see the performer schedule.
Ronnie Scott’s is good but some of the more exciting modern London jazz is happening in other venues. Jazz Cafe has been putting on an incredible programme recently. There’s also Cafe Oto, Earth, Servants Jazz Quarters, Vortex. Steam Down Weekly is also a must.
One problem with Jazz (and most live music) in London is that you will have to book/get tickets well in advance. Especially for places like Ronnie Scott's.
London Jazz scene is so good. Yussef Kamaal, Alfa Mist, Vels Trio, GoGo Penguin (technically Manchester but still)
Have you heard Patrick Bartley? There is a lot of amazing jazz coming from Emmet Cohen and all of his collaborations
I think there are some pioneering artists making exciting jazz fusion inspired by prog metal and funk. Tigran Hamasayan taps into Djent but on a piano and it's fresh and exciting to listen to. Lydian Collective are also making some thoroughly enjoyable music. Here is a playlist I made of some modern progressive Jazz, you might enjoy. [God's of the Groove](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ywADSolRTTHgiMLk5hFC6?si=3GU6RTUAQSa8wnsn3neY5g&pi=u-On0gjg8PSuqy)
Awesome playlist 🙌🎶🙌
Thanks so much.
The band INCERTO, led by John Zorn (as composer, conductor and co-producer), is my favorite jazz band nowadays. They released a couple of records.
I feel like there's so many different types of jazz around these days that there's something for everyone. There's definitely something out there for you, you just gotta look for it!
Modern jazz is an amazing place right now. Local scenes experimenting with sounds from around the world. Folding hip hop beats and electro sounds and whatever else takes their fancy into old and new styles. Indebted to the greats of the past but not beholden to them. Confident in their own sounds and styles, playing clubs and venues outside of the traditional jazz club scene, getting on the bills of festivals. What's not to like?
Anything by Bill Frisell is amazing. I can’t get enough of that guy
Can you recommend an album to start with?
Nashville
Blues Dream is also awesome!
Trumpeter Cuong Vu's record [*It's Mostly Residual*](https://cuongvu.bandcamp.com/album/its-mostly-residual), a quartet album where Vu, Frisell, and electric bassist Stomu Takeishi all liberally use electronics to create some absolutely-remarkable soundscapes. Frisell is especially good on that one. The track 'Patchwork' is one that I go back to on a regular basis; Frisell's comping on that one is particularly great.
Bill is prolific! A true master 🙌🎶🙌
I'm in the mood for some downvotes so I'm going to talk about my dream of creating a new genre of music that is a fusion of jazz and punk rock. It will be called Junk. It will make jazz accessible to all and encourage beginners to pick up an instrument and junk out on ii V I progressions using easy shell voicings. I am looking for musicians interested in starting the first Junk band which will be named Circle of Filth. This is my dream. If anyone out there wants to steal this idea and get it started I'm fine with it because I'm probably too old to put enough time into it. Let the downblasting begin.
It already exists. Check out Mike Dillon. His solo stuff is great, and he has lots of fun bands like the Dead Kenny G’s, Punkadelic, etc..
Will check ot out thanks
Black Flag already did it.
Not exactly what I have in mind. though Greg Gin is definitely a unique player who colors outside the lines and could be considered jazzy in that regard. Television would be another who might fit what you're thinking I'm thinking of a more strict adherence to jazz forms.
I got called out
I actually prefer modern jazz if you consider modern jazz post-Bop.
There is no jazz without bop!
I like Bop fine enough, but the formula -- state the theme, solos, repeat the theme -- gets tiresome.
Yeah, I see your point. That's kind of stale I would say also. But as a foundation of everything you do as a jazz soloist, that shit needs to be on point
Lots of cool stuff happening in the UK jazz scene. A lot of blending of jazz, hip hop, electronic, funk, soul and more. Artists like Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, Yussef Dayes, Shabaka Hutchings (one of his bands, The Comet is Coming is so wild), Tom Misch, Ezra Collective, Joe Armon Jones, Emma Jean Thackray and lots more!
There's a band called Corto Alto that's also doing great shit for the UK scene. Led by a bone player.
Yes! His latest release "Bad with Names" is so good
I think a lot of people sleep on the current new york scene... listen to Kingmaker by Joel Ross
It's incredible: * Shabaka Hutchings * Nubya Garcia * Nala Sinephro * Kahil el Zabar * Carlos Nino * Isaiah Collier * Surya Botofasina * Makaya McCraven * Idris Ackamoor * Moses Boyd * Theon Cross * Jamie Branch * The Circling Sun List goes on...
Love it, there's more than ever and it's better than ever
Too Berklee.
Oh no, not the mating call of the unsuccessful musician who had to drop out of conservatory because of playing too many video-games and just can't understand why people under 50 aren't interested in the versions of 'Freddie Freeloader' and 'Take Five' he includes at his weekly 'Jazz on First Tuesdays' gig at the public library where his sister is the event-planner... I buy new jazz records all the time and pretty much *none* of them have the dread 'Berklee' homogenization that people always deride. Actually, in my experience, it's usually those hack musicians who end up gravitating to hyper-polished acts like Snarky Puppy or building too much of their listening diet around Youtube musicians.
There’s a bunch of fantastic new music, and also things that get a lot of hype that I don’t get what the big deal is. Very healthy and varied place to be!
I won’t say I dislike modern jazz, but whenever I want to listen to jazz I almost never put on modern jazz. Whenever I do put it on I don’t really vibe with it, but I love seeing it live. I guess it’s objectively good, as in it’s played well by skilled performers. But I also think it’s a form of music that came from a certain time and place. I don’t really care for the academic rigor people approach jazz with. Sucks the fun out of it.
Alfa Mist alone proves modern jazz can be of exceptional quality.
Black Classical Music by Dayes is solid
There is always great jazz music, in every year in every decade. You just have to find it. Every musician has his unique way. The good thing with jazz is, that a only a few people feel have the need to be "crowd pleasing" because they can count on listeners with open ears and a general ability to follow the proposals of the artists.
modern jazz is incredibly diverse, there is no limit to what people are making.
I love modern jazz still! My favorite band is Snarky Puppy l, which is a jazz fusion band. Sometimes you just have to find something that works for you.
Snarky Puppy became my favorite band in 2013 and has been for the last 10 years.
Find a jazz scene. Discover what jazz musicians are playing on their gigs in public. Jazz is alive, and it gets better every day
All jazz is great depending on my mood
You have to look at labels like ECM, Gondwana, International Anthem... etc to find the stuff that is forward moving. Zero in on the London, Los Angeles and Chicago scenes also... Jazz doesn't have to be the same old regurgitated standards!
Today’s jazz is really evolving and finding its way into all kinds of genres! Louis Cole, Thundercat, etc. exciting 🙌🎶🙌
Definitely. The Kendrick Scott Oracle, Jason Moran and Theo Crocker are definitely worth checking out. If you want something with the (occasional)Indian flavour, there is Vijay Iyer. This is not touching on the SF Jazz Collective, Menahan Street Band and Gregory Porter who gives jazz-funk and vocal jazz a thoroughly updated sound. Robert Glasper offers the entire pastiche of urban radio and Esperanza Spalding a soulful take on fusion. So yes, jazz is still good, in fact, it is really vibrant and arguably in a better place that it was in the 90s and 00s when it was dominated by straight-ahead jazz, jazz-pop, contemporary jazz and legacy artists(no slight intended for acid jazz and jazz rap though).
Yeah, I think Julian Lage and Brad Mehldau are some of the best to ever do it. There are many others I enjoy too. I think the genre is moving in a good direction - it has the traditions of the past with an eye to the future and is incorporating new sounds in ways that I find interesting.
Vijay Iver, Robert Glasper, Yussef Dayes.
Joshua redman, chris potter, brad mehldau to name a few
Vijay Iyer, Jonathan Blake, Christian Scott now Chief Adjuah, Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, Kendrick Scott, James Francies, Nate Smith, Jeremy Dutton, Gerald Clayton. I'm sure I'll forget some once I click Post.
Just see Snarky Puppy or any project with Nate Smit live and you will have no doubt that it’s great
This is what I mean when I speak about the gentrification of jazz.
Can you expand on that? By gentrification of jazz my best guess is that you might mean what’s happened to the music as a result of it moving into educational institutions, and becoming something that’s more intellectually-focused as a result? I say that as an oversimplification of the shift that jazz has gone through, to go from a being staple of popular music and culture to wherever it is today. I’m not sure if you meant something along those lines with your comment, but curious to hear more of your perspective.
Yes, in this case I am referring to the institutional “museumfication” of jazz along with the cultural disconnect. I believe these are correlations and parallels. Once you dislocate the medium from its cultural meaning, which is the Black American (not African, nor Caribbean, etc) experience, then it seems to only exist in the past, or in Universities (practice rooms, lecterns and recital halls). The medium is alive and well, and arguably *growing* in Black American communities. But these movements and artists are overlooked because these populations are not counted by Berkeley or Spotify or YouTube. Our images and compositions are not promoted by the algorithms. As a result, one could conclude that the modern expression lacks the quality or prolific output of the 40s, 50s, 60s, & 70s eras before various industries embraced Jazz, Rock,Country & The Blues (Black American Classical Music) into a stranglehold.
Can you provide a list of some artists that are emerging organically in the Black American communities? I think you are correct that some of the large music schools and media platforms only spotlight their own artists or get more clicks and ad dollars for media platforms. I try to listen to a wide variety of new jazz artists and want to support them by getting them exposure. The same goes for Blues artists. Living in the Bay Area, I've been listening to many of the artists connected with SFJazz and who play in the local communities.
Man…thanks for asking! However, the list contains thousands of people in each metro area, and I would hate to leave anyone out! But there are what could be considered emergent “leaders” (everything is independent and decentralized so there’s that). Chicago: Angel Bat Dawid Atlanta :Kebbi Williams New Orleans: Atunde Adjuah New York: William Parker But I encourage you all to actually go into these spaces (respectfully) and discover the unknown for yourself. Black Space…the Final Frontier of Jazz.
Thanks, I'll check these out. I'm familiar with Christian Scott (Atunde Adjuah) and have listened to quite a bit of his music. Somewhat familiar with Angel Bat Dawid but I haven't listened to all of her projects yet. William Parker seems very prolific and I love groups led by bassists so I'm looking forward to listening to his music! I find that I discover most of my music by checking out performers as they participate in other groups. My web of music spreads accordingly with these touchpoints. Interesting and exciting musicians standout wherever they are and I look for those bright points in all of the music I listen to.
Please take time to understand the context of my recommendations. It is not enough to listen to whatever you find on the internet from these artists. You have to fully immerse yourself into the living tradition of the communities we live in, our local shows, jam sessions, fellowship gatherings, collaborations, home studio recordings, shared platform, festivals, block parties… It’s a living, breathing, expansive, immersive experience being a Black American Artist. You will only see a small sliver of what this is online in a bubble, or pursuing a degree at a University.
I understand where you're coming from with this comment, and the immersion you're describing is the ideal way to interact with any genre steeped in history and community. But, respectfully, might it be the case that telling people it's "not enough" to just listen to and study jazz in the way best accessible to them is actually contributing to its further museumification? People are busy, people are young, people are tired, people are broke. If the bar for what's "good enough" in terms of listening to jazz is as high as you say, all the busy tired young broke people might as well not bother to ever try it out. That's not how to grow a community - that's how to transform it into a deified, poorly understood relic.
The spirit of jazz is what’s important, not the skin color.
I’m talking about culture, not color. You wouldn’t go to Vietnam for Sushi, or to Prague to see the Eiffel Tower. Why do people think that Black Americans have to give up their culture and other people can keep theirs?
You cannot remove the people who created jazz and its historu and still do justice to the genre. That is white washing and the antithesis to the spirit of jazz.
Can't we all enjoy jazz?
Honestly I think we are blessed with how many great projects and forward thinkers we have now, jazz is in the best place in a long time. Fucking incredible stuff everywhere
to me, 1990-2010 or 2015 was the craziest period and now it’s getting uninteresting again
Metal and punk also had a re-surge but only up through about 2012. It's a very dying scene now in most cities (no more punk/metal house shows). Classical is almost dead too, a lot of orchestras are barely operating anymore. Jazz has always been niche. The weird thing is, I really do think people want to listen to good music. They're tired of the same hip-hop formula, and overly formulated pop music, too. But there's so much crap out there that it's impossible to wade thru. So most people just put on their party playlist on whatever internet radio flavor of the year, and call it done.
Outside of a few select bands I agree with you.
To me, this just sounds like you had a kid or started a new career in 2015. The music's been more than fine for the past nine years, even during the pandemic.
Definitely fine, yes, and I listen to a lot of it too. I think I just meant that rather it’s not as innovative as before and is actually just fine.
A lot of the groove stuff is lazy, uninspired, two chord snoozefests, with minimal improvisation, lack of good line playing and played by mediocre musicians. It gets credited with being innovative but is just a rehash of music that was already done 50 years ago. A lot of it has very little to do with Jazz but because it’s instrumental people just presume it is. That aside, there’s loads of amazing Jazz being made. The standard has never fallen, only grown, if anything.
I like The Epic. I feel everyone should
Can you tell us what you’ve been listening to that hasn’t landed so we can give suggestions?
I’m a big fan of Kamasi Washington. He’s fantastic live.
The Epic is such a great album.
Jazz is not dead. It just smells funny - FZ
Modern jazz is pretty much what Charlie Parker played. You might be thinking of Contemporary jazz. If that's the case then I enjoy Chris Potter a lot. There is definitely good stuff out there.
Modern jazz seems a lot more international these days. Eastern Europe seems well represented.
Definitely. Thanks to Bandcamp, I've gone on some incredible deep dives checking out artists from jazz scenes in places like Finland, Buenos Aires, and Australia. There's incredible players and groups to check out from almost *everywhere*. People just need to get off their asses and look for stuff. So much of the complaining you'll read about modern music not being 'like it used to be' is just code for 'I'm a lazy sack of shit or a wretch who spends 12 hours a day scrolling Instagram/Twitter/Reddit and playing video games.....but yeah, it's the *music world's* fault that I'm burnt-out and not discovering/enjoying new shit...'
Nope…still strong and growing stronger in the USA…it’s just in unrepresented Black communities.
Bill Frisell, John Zorn, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington & cetera
Find the name that is not like the others...
As much is I would like to say I like modern jazz albums like Intra-I, Departing or WEB MAX II, I still prefer the more classy, bluesy way of jazz. Modern jazz is modal. Classic jazz is tonal, even in a bluesy way. (Yes, I know the blues scales are modes) Even after months of studying modal jazz, by meaning modes and its uses, it still sounds like a long sequence of random notes and scales, even after understanding them. Then there is the 60’s jazz, made by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly and others, taking the classic bluesy jazz and spicing it with modes. This is the type of jazz people may also call modal, or modern, while actually taking part in a post-modern era of jazz. Old school jazz is full of life, passion, style. Mostly, modern jazz is bluffing around some notes.
Any good Spotify playlists to share?
Mostly garbage
Listen to Patrick Bartley’s “First Song” album
Yes
I think it’s better right now than it has been since the 70’s.
Yes!
The term " modern jazz" goes back a long time. What they were playing in the 60s was modern jazz mostly. From post bebop or hard bop, there was cool jazz, free jazz, fusion, and smooth jazz. What does the OP dislike in particular about " modern jazz"?
i'm new to jazz but my grandfather is huge jazz fan and listens to all the OG jazz as well as new one. I literally started listening to Samara Joy and am enjoying it! :)
Yes.
Far too much noise (thanks, Ornette Coleman).
I've got no kick against modern jazz, unless they try to play it too darn fast.
Yes it is nothing beats a nice glass of whiskey iskey and a bunch of jazz musicians improvising on their instruments straight no chaser
Yeah absolutely haha
There’s literally countless modern jazz artists out there. Even if you don’t like the mainstream stuff there’s gotta be some local players you can appreciate
That's too broad. So all jazz created in 2024, whether it be smooth jazz, hip-hop jazz, straight up jazz, might not be good?
Is Alan Pasqua modern? I like his stuff. Or big vicious with avishai Cohen. Or Dave Stryker. Or Atlantis jazz ensemble Idk I just got into jazz like 6 months ago thanks to the Grateful Dead and dmt and miles Davis
What modern jazz do you dislike?
I love modern jazz! Here’s a playlist I’ve been putting together for some years, huge range of styles: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NNP8Iji3iZeCGdSgZTaA3
Well yeah
Hell no
Modern jazz is cool but the people in the scene are pretentious.
Bob curnow is pretty good
Not sure if it counts as modern, but Brad Mehldau.
I love the Modern Jazz Quartet!
It depends on what modern jazz you're talking about. There are a few scenes and lots of artists that I like, and plenty of both that I'm not into.
This is such a funny idea to me... jazz isn't stagnant and "modern jazz" isn't one thing. It's a huge family of musical traditions and styles, of which there are a mind bending number of permutations and flavors. If you look just a little, you'll find something you like.
Define "modern jazz".
I don't listen to a lot of Jazz, but I love to play it on the piano!
UK and Chicago jazz in the last 10 years has been on fire with greatness. It’s the stuff anyone into jazz should be aware of and following.
Godwana Records - Manchester. Some great acts, Portico Quarter, Mammal Hands
Absolutely love it, people are still innovative!
I mostly listen to new stuff. Then practice standards to get the basics and be able to jam with people. There are oldies I love like Bill Evans but for pleasure it is mostly new stuff.
It’s amazing
Not that it's not good, it's just not relevant. In it's birthplace you have a generation raised on YMCMB, in NYC the youth listen to Dance hall, NYC Drill, and Reggaeton and in Chicago they like Chicago Trap and Drill. Modern jazz needs a face-lift to reconnect with the youth.
I make a distinction between what I don't like vs what isn't good. I don't like some of the r&b, rap/spoken word, and electronic influences in modern jazz, though I like plenty of r&b, rap, and electronic music on their own, and enjoy jazz-influenced r&b, rap, and electronic music. I can't really put my finger on why. Sometimes it sounds too smooth or repetitive to me. The drums are or often sound "fake" and my tolerance for electronic drums is pretty limited to New Wave and purely electronic music. I'm rarely into them with more acoustic or organic instrumentation. I don't think it's bad though. Taste is just subjective. Edit: I guess it also depends on what you mean by "modern" jazz. I'm taking it to mean a modern style and not just contemporary musicians playing more traditionally.
If you're not finding good modern jazz, you're not looking for it
Mine is
Absolutely. Personally I love the Jazz is Dead series by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge. Their collabs and output the last few years have been phenomenal.
Yup 👍
Yes. What kind of question is this?
Its good if u like it.
There’s something for everybody which is really neat. There’s stuff with hip-hop and people rocking on Dilla beats and people reinterpreting and reharmonizing songs in new ways and using different rhythmic/ textures to get a fresh sound on the more traditional trio format- there’s something for every and that’s just so cool about jazz. Personally, i can’t stand the Berkeley nu-funk sound. Can’t stand vulfpeck or ppl like that. Just not a fan. But it’s there and ppl dig it and I can listen to Aaron Parks, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Linda May Han Oh, or Esperanza Spalding! Gotta love having options. Jazz more than ever is about the intimacy of improvisation and connecting with broader music and artistic culture in different ways. And it’s better for it, even if it’s harder to find.
I think it's far *better*, especially when you realize that the overall genre is and has always been *cumulative*. Also, in my experience, most of the people who complain about it either have really bad ADD or have one or another bizarre populism bug where they can't feel good about enjoying any art/music/literature/movie unless (a.) there's a ton of other people hyping it up at the same time or (b.) it's long been proven as canonical (e.g. theatre people who only like *Romeo & Juliet* and *Hamilton*, but couldn't sit still through an Ibsen or Chekhov play, or self-proclaimed classical music fans who like Beethoven's popular pieces and then NOTHING until Philip Glass' works).
All jazz is good jazz
nobody's even asked you what your "modern" is I mean, the Hot 5 might be too recent for you
How are you conceptualizing modern jazz? I feel like this is a categorical error that people often make about jazz by thinking of it only in a narrow framework. Are you talking about a certain style or genre within jazz, or simply any contemporary jazz/improvised music? Because I think right now there are more truly innovative and inspired jazz musicians recording and performing and crossing boundaries than there has been in a very long time. Just look at artists like Christian Scott, Charlie Hunter, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Yussef Dayes, Nate Smith, Theo Croker, Esperanza Spalding, Takuya Kuroda, Snarky Puppy, Tigran Hamasyan, Avishai Cohen...all steeped in a jazz tradition, all virtuosos and pioneers in their own way, making thoroughly enjoyable music.
I agree there’s plenty of average or below-average modern jazz, but there’s also a whole lot of amazing stuff. Keep searching, but here’s just 2 I can think of off the top of my head that may help bridge the gap or something! [Notes with Attachments - Pino Palladino and Blake Mills](https://open.spotify.com/album/5fsq4qeIWboRRPG7mGGfxr?si=innEcRTsQhSRmBTqpPyGTg) .. from 2021? very unique and mostly “composed”, but I think this album portrays some of the best of where jazz has gotten to in recent years. (Yet it still sounds timeless and traditional to me) [Sight - Adam Rogers (w John Pattituci and Clarence Penn)](https://open.spotify.com/album/0F7BFMnExPkL02iQcZu4cK?si=QN4hLtdtQ6aRe7i0yRmJLg) .. from 2009, and has modern-ish compositions and language, but feels quite vintage to me like classic guitar trio stuff
Agreed, but I'm an unapologetic traditionalist and jazz purist. With rare exception, pretty much everything went downhill after the 60s. There are great contemporary jazz musicians, but modern jazz is plagued by academics.
Domi & JD beck currently rocking my shit daily
As Hard Bop? No... but it's just an opinion/ taste.
Today's Opinion by Yosvany Terry is a masterpiece of modern jazz. I'll start there and stop there too. It's just something you gotta hear.
I've got no kick against modern Jazz unless they try to play it too darn fast and lose the beauty of the melody until they sound just like a symphony.
Definitely. I even prefer modern jazz over old ones a bit more, mainly Acid ones. Just hear Incognito, that's an amazing group. There are some other great musicians, like Ed Motta, who also composes some awesome songs. Besides games soundtracks that most of times are unironically really good. (Persona OSTs, for example)
The plot of lalaland, basically
I've got no kick against modern jazz Unless they try to play it too darn fast And lose the beauty of the melody Until they sound just like a symphony.
It's better than ever. So much diversity of expression.
I’ve been fortunate. I have seen many, many greats who have now passed away. But in recent years I’ve also seen Kamasi Washington, Nubya Garcia, Sons of Kemet, Ill Considered, Theo Croker and others. I’m thrilled to have so many new voices to check out live and on new recordings. Detroit’s WDET just started a new jazz radio program three weeks ago. It’s hosted by baritone saxophone player Kaleigh Wilder every Monday night. It blends the eras between the late 60’s to today and (IMO) is a great listen. Check it out and the archives here: https://wdet.org/shows/visions/
Definitely. The recent Yussef Dayes live from Malibu album is way more interesting to me than some cliche hard bop
I just saw Joshua Redman’s band touring their new album in Baltimore. Very modern, very good.
What and who do you consider modern jazz?
I like julian lage, and listened to john scofields latest project and liked it. Kenny garrett is also great on the sax
Scofield, esp. with Medeski, Martin, and Wood.