Jazz Bands

What are some of your favorite jazz bands? I've just been listening to, and watching Stanley Jordan for the past little while now, and realized how good jazz guitarists are. Their technique is phenominal and most can solo using no bends which is not the easiest thing to do. Anyways, what are some of your favorite jazz/ jazz fusion bands? I'm kinda new to jazz, and my jazz tastes aren't really pure jazz stuff but oh well...

Return to Forever
Brecker Brothers
Jaco Pastorius
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (a few good tunes)
Bela Fleck and the flecktones
Larry Carlton (his jazzy stuff)
Al DiMeola (solo stuff)
Dave Brubeck

My favourite jazz artists are:
Steely Dan, if they count as pure jazz
Mahavishnu Orchestra
John Coltrane
Dizzy Gillespie
Miles Davis
Duke Ellington
The numerous collaborations between the above four
George Benson
The brilliant John McLaughlin/Paco de Lucia/Al Di Meola acoustic guitar trio
Joe Zawinul
Soulive
Allan Holdsworth

My tastes in jazz aren't all that broad - I basically like the classics and the experimental stuff. I don't like the huge glut of stuff in between that's convention-bound, theory-reliant and based on wanky and repetitive soloing.

steely dan is more fusion than anything, but they're the only jazz band I really listen to.

speaking of which, ben... I'll be seeing them in June. :cool:

Originally Posted by: rockonn91

speaking of which, ben... I'll be seeing them in June. :cool:

Brilliant! That ought to be one hell of a show... are they on a world tour, perchance? :D

Originally Posted by: rockonn91speaking of which, ben... I'll be seeing them in June. :cool:

Awesome. I bet it was fairly simple to get tickets for that too. :D

Originally Posted by: jiujitsu_jesusBrilliant! That ought to be one hell of a show... are they on a world tour, perchance? :D

acutally, I believe so.
http://www.steelydan.com/tour07pr.html
...you may just get lucky!

As soon as those tickets go on sale, I'm getting one!

Mr Shaffer, you have just provided with me with all the jazz-pop-soul-rockin' entertainment I need for the year! Thankee kindly!

anytime my friend, anytime. :D

Originally Posted by: WeslabaWhat are some of your favorite jazz bands?[/quote]
Duke Ellington's orchestras! Most of the "bands" (really large ensembles) he put together were usually awesome. Also the "bands" of all stars put together by Norman Grantz for the Art Tatum Group Masterpiece CDs are incredible too. My favorite is Vol. 8 with Ben Webster on sax.
Link to Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol. 8 on Amazon

Originally Posted by: WeslabaI've just been listening to, and watching Stanley Jordan for the past little while now, and realized how good jazz guitarists are.

Absolutely! I saw Mr. Jordan about 20 years ago in a very small local theatre in St. Louis (where I grew up). He was on one of his first "big" tours. Absolutely stunning technique and beautiful musicality.

If you are getting into jazz guitar greats, don't forget the best of them all, Joe Pass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Pass

The most impressive thing to me about guys like Jordan and Pass is their ability to play an entire solo arrangement: melody, chords, walking bass lines. And do it beautifully, inventively, musically.
[QUOTE=Weslaba]I'm kinda new to jazz, and my jazz tastes aren't really pure jazz stuff...

Why worry about that? You should listen to everything at least once. Then just "keep" what you like. There's a million different "ways" to play jazz. Have fun with it & find something you enjoy to add beauty to your life. :)

Ya, jazz is really what ever you want it to be. To some extent that is, but you get the idea. I've been trying to really get into jazz, but sometimes I find it's a little harder to find stuff that I like. Theres some stuff that I can't get enough of like take five by Dave Brubeck, but for some reason I can never really dial in the stuff i'm into. Thats basically why I started this thread.

Oh yeah. I have heard a little bit of Joe Pass. Great player. I'm taking a jazz/rock improv class (on drums sadly...5:1 guitarist to drummer ratio :eek: ) and we've done a little listening to his stuff to try and motivate the guitarists to step up their soloing. I think we listened to his version of autumn leaves. Good stuff.

-Charlie Hunter
-Jaco Pastorius

/lone bassist

oh man, i can't believe I forgot about charlie hunter!