View Full Version : Any Jazz piano fans?
I'm a total novice in this area knowledge wise and just wondered if anyone has any recommendations of where to start?
Something mellow and similar to the background music in the below video, which I really like. Any pointers at all will do then I can start mooching around Spotify, but I don't know where to start at all :scratch:
EEfW9q63f7c
(and if anyone recognises the music fantastic :))
Thanks
Jac Hawk
20-04-2011, 22:32
Dave Brubeck is about my favorite at the moment, start with something like Time out, also give Herbie Hancock a listen, to be honnest neither are straight up piano, Dave brubeck although a pianist, is better known as part of his quartet, very enjoyable though.
Dave Brubeck is about my favorite at the moment, start with something like Time out, also give Herbie Hancock a listen, to be honnest neither are straight up piano, Dave brubeck although a pianist, is better known as part of his quartet, very enjoyable though.
I'm on it thanks Mike :)
My all-time favourites include Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck. Also check out Esbjorn Svensson Trio (also known as E.S.T.) and Pat Metheny Group (Lyle Mays on piano ) for stuff that has good crossover appeal.
quadsugdenman
20-04-2011, 22:48
Tim
I would personally recommend listening to Bill Evans as a start, especially 'Live at the Village Vanguard', 'Waltz for Debbie', and 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans'. This is as good a place to start as any.
Try Keith Jarrett - 'Belonging', 'Arbor Zena' and some of his live work on ECM records. A personal favourite 'Under Milk Wood' with Stan Tracey's beautiful piano on 'Starless & Bible Black' with Bobby Wellins on tenor sax - Luvverly!!!;)
Garry
magiccarpetride
20-04-2011, 22:57
I'm a total novice in this area knowledge wise and just wondered if anyone has any recommendations of where to start?
Something mellow and similar to the background music in the below video, which I really like. Any pointers at all will do then I can start mooching around Spotify, but I don't know where to start at all :scratch:
Thanks
Try Michel Petrucciani "Promenade with the Duke"
Check out the Koln Concerts by Keith Jarrett
WOStantonCS100
21-04-2011, 04:44
Tim
I would personally recommend listening to Bill Evans as a start, especially 'Live at the Village Vanguard', 'Waltz for Debbie', and 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans'. This is as good a place to start as any.
Try Keith Jarrett - 'Belonging', 'Arbor Zena' and some of his live work on ECM records. A personal favourite 'Under Milk Wood' with Stan Tracey's beautiful piano on 'Starless & Bible Black' with Bobby Wellins on tenor sax - Luvverly!!!;)
Garry
+1
In particular, according to the music in the video, Bill Evans would be a great place to start and I don't have any better recommendations for albums (to start with) than what was just mentioned.
Beechwoods
21-04-2011, 07:53
I love Bill Evans. My personal favourite is the Consecration II live set from 1979. Superlative version of My Romance. Also check out the Rome Concert 1979 DVD. There are clips on YouTube.
Check out Brad Mehldau...I would start with his latest Live album which comes with a DVD ..sheer genious IMO..also as mentioned Keith Jarrett..
Beechwoods
21-04-2011, 11:51
Oh yes, Chick Corea as well. I love his album from a few years ago with Bela Fleck.
Check out Hiromi I love how she plays
Big shout out for the English player Michael Garrick. Cold mountain is a personal favorite for beautiful lyrical piano. Troppo, from the 70s has to be heard to be believed.
To sample Garrick and some of the other great players from british 50s 60s jazz i recommend Giles Petersons impressed vol1 cd. Had it for 6 years now and i never tire of it.
Fantastic posts guys, ever helpful as always :) Did anyone catch what the track playing on the video was? I don't have an iPhone to try with Shazam.
I will be checking out all the suggestions on Spotify, if they are there?
:cool:
Did anyone catch what the track playing on the video was? I don't have an iPhone to try with Shazam.
Tried it with Soundhound on my Android phone. It didn't recognise it. Neither did I, unfortunately.
Tried it with Soundhound on my Android phone. It didn't recognise it. Neither did I, unfortunately.
I thought someone would ;) Thanks for trying anyway, might be a little challenge for me :scratch:
The Grand Wazoo
21-04-2011, 20:09
All of the above (esp. Monk), also Errol Garner - 'Concert By the Sea' & take a look at Oscar Peterson too
Some very good music here and some 'more' CD's on the way :doh: (I really think I need to work out a manageable budget!)
Anyway, whilst going through Spotify I found this;
Roberto Fonseca - Akokan
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515jUjf%2BmuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Roberto Fonseca is a Cuban jazz pianist from Havana, wonderful stuff and just what I like and as it also has a Latin twist to the music, all the better (for me that is).
I suspect it may not be for the purists, but I love it and worth giving it a try if you don't know him? There are other albums on Spotify too, I think they are very good.
http://open.spotify.com/album/1UMxCBc3CgqrweLJwXa69t
:)
Just trying this on Spotify:
Trichotomy - The Gentle War (2011)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uDH0yhpqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://open.spotify.com/album/0VeuvpJBmklXnyQk0a2LBm
Australian trio (Sean Foran plays piano; Pat Marchinalla plays bass and John Parker the drums) - really enjoying it - very varied.
Thing Fish
15-05-2011, 14:04
If you don't mind a bit of singing a favorite of mine is 'Diana Krall' Not really as in your clip but good none the less.
Neil cowley trio have a new album out. Previous work has been very good.
I think its on the Naim label so expect plenty of PRAT :lol:
Neil cowley trio have a new album out. Previous work has been very good.
I think its on the Naim label so expect plenty of PRAT :lol:
I think the one I posted is on Naim too. First time I've found something I actually like! (I have another Neil Cowley Trio album, pretty sure Tim likes them too.)
I think the one I posted is on Naim too. First time I've found something I actually like! (I have another Neil Cowley Trio album, pretty sure Tim likes them too.)
Yes I do, devilishly good in fact :eyebrows:
Have pretty much all of Diana Krall's work Dave :)
Will try out Trichotomy later on Alex, spinning Guillemots - Red right now, not sure about this one :scratch: bought it on a whim yesterday, it might be going on eBay!
Not sure it really qualifies as what your after, Tim - but just been enjoying Penguin Café - A Matter of Life... on Spotify - their "new" one from the beginning of the year. There's something I really love about piano and cello together, which features on a few tracks.
http://open.spotify.com/album/6LoqlWjsdZlTGHJVhY0UX9
Slippershod
15-05-2011, 21:39
not sure if he's mentioned above, but Tord Gustavsen does very mellow jazz piano stuff with his trio (but lyrical and with emotional depth).
there's an ecm double cd called 'serenity' by bobo stenson, which, while a little more hair-shirt than the OP's original example, is very beautiful.
btw, if you do check out bill evans, don't miss the first duet album he did with tony bennett - it's superb.
Just wanted to pop back in and say thanks for all the recommendations. I'm absolutely loving the Tord Gustavsen Trio, which I know Werner really enjoys, so I have bought all their albums today - The Ground is sublimely beautiful, almost sounding as if it could have been recorded for my system, it has such a wonderful rich almost organic sound, truly glorious and through headphones it takes me out of this world.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YLON3o8ZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
So thanks again to all, I'm slowly working my way through all the suggestions :)
Werner Berghofer
07-08-2011, 17:56
Tim,
I'm absolutely loving the Tord Gustavsen Trio
glad to read this. Music and production quality of the Tord Gustavsen Trio are outstanding; their work is being published by the well-known ECM Records label (one could easily love ECM’s whole catalogue).
Let me add the names Paul Bley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bley), Patricia Barber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Barber), Anat Fort (Trio) (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/anat-fort-p429743), Irving Fields (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Fields), Horace Silver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Silver) and Bugge Wesseltoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugge_Wesseltoft) to the excellent recommendations you already received.
Kind regards,
Werner.
Some more piano jazz recommendations:
Horace Parlan
Paul Bley (especially "Open, To Love")
Phineas Newborn
Mulgrew Miller
Jan Johansson
Joe Albany
Dick Twardzik
McCoy Tyner
Gosh, you guys really are determined to empty my bank account.... :lolsign:
Thanks Jostein.
Werner Berghofer
08-08-2011, 09:39
Tim,
not exactly jazz piano, but great contemporary, meditative piano music beyond all genres:
http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/vorleben_400.jpg
Dustin O’Halloran: Vorleben
http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/piano_solos_400.jpg
Dustin O’Halloran: Piano solos
Looks like I have some busy evenings ahead of me - thanks again Werner.
jimdgoulding
08-08-2011, 12:56
Big shout out for the English player Michael Garrick. Cold mountain is a personal favorite for beautiful lyrical piano. Troppo, from the 70s has to be heard to be believed.
To sample Garrick and some of the other great players from british 50s 60s jazz i recommend Giles Petersons impressed vol1 cd. Had it for 6 years now and i never tire of it.
I recently acquired Garrick's Promises in a sextet including Joe Harriott on alto sax and Joe's own, Free Form. Promises has a unique personality courtesy of Garrick's sensibilities. Glad I got it. And, I second E.S.T's recordings on ECM. Tord Gustavsen's trio outings, too.
Werner Berghofer
08-08-2011, 15:06
I second E.S.T's recordings on ECM
the Esbjörn Svensson Trio is recorded in outstanding quality which is comparable to the ECM standards, but the records are produced and published by the ACT record label (http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?manufacturers_id=7). Music catalogue and record cover design style of ACT are very similar to ECM, something which also can be said about enja records (http://www.enjarecords.com/).
Werner.
I recently acquired Garrick's Promises in a sextet including Joe Harriott on alto sax and Joe's own, Free Form. Promises has a unique personality courtesy of Garrick's sensibilities. Glad I got it. And, I second E.S.T's recordings on ECM. Tord Gustavsen's trio outings, too.
It was seeing Garrick's band live in the early 70s that got me more into jazz. I second the recommendation for Cold Mountain. Home Stretch Blues from about the same time is worth looking into as is October Woman featuring Joe Harriot from the 60s. The latter two are more than piano trio of course but there is some fine paino playing on both.
Tim,
As you are diggin Tord Gustavson's piano, try these:
Tim,
As you are diggin Tord Gustavson's piano, try these:
Thanks Paul, I will check those out, don't know them.
And also this (that I was listening this afternoon, by pure coincidence) :
http://cdn2.greatsong.net/album/extra/tord-gustavsen-trio-changing-places-101335286.jpg
And also this (that I was listening this afternoon, by pure coincidence) :
http://cdn2.greatsong.net/album/extra/tord-gustavsen-trio-changing-places-101335286.jpg
Thanks Dimitri, I have that together with The Ground, excellent albums - I see you were spinning Patricia Barber earlier :eyebrows: great album
Tim,
As you are diggin Tord Gustavson's piano, try these:
+1.
jimdgoulding
23-08-2011, 03:34
Let me introduce you to pianist McCoy Tyner (I think someone else mentioned him). And why not the John Coltrane Quartet at the same time? Coltrane's Live at Birdland on the Impulse label. Listen to drummer Elvin Jones break his neck for you on the opening track, Afro Blue. Turn it up! This isn't mood music. It's a tour de force. And McCoy's playing is pure passion. He was 24 years old at the time. You'll find that hard to believe if you listen.
Let me introduce you to pianist McCoy Tyner (I think someone else mentioned him). And why not the John Coltrane Quartet at the same time? Coltrane's Live at Birdland on the Impulse label. Listen to drummer Elvin Jones break his neck for you on the opening track, Afro Blue. Turn it up! This isn't mood music. It's a tour de force. And McCoy's playing is pure passion. He was 24 years old at the time. You'll find that hard to believe if you listen.
McCoy Tyner is one of the true piano masters of all time. Check out his "Echoes From A Friend". He has released a lot of great solo albums since the late 60's and is still going strong.
Thermionic
23-08-2011, 10:23
Yes, the music in the video brings to mind Bill Evans during perhaps one of his more accessible periods, say his trio with Scott La Faro and Paul Motion.
Jazz has become a very broad church and (IMHO) varies between what might be described as intelligent ‘absorbed introspection and discussion’ to ‘mellowness’ to what George Melley called ‘fire in the zoo music’. I have little to add to the previous suggestions, except to humbly suggest 3 british players that you might even be able to get hear live. And let’s not forget the sterile perfection of a commercial recording has very little resemblance to live Jazz musicians playing in front of an appreciative audience in a decent venue.
Lately we have been following Dave Newton and his trio. They play mostly Jazz standards with improvised variations, which swing, are intelligent and of good humour. This is very good straight ahead stuff. Dave has a web site with CD’s, for sale a calendar of forthcoming gigs, and the ‘alternative professions’ page is great fun. Definitely worth seeking out a live gig.
Another guy that comes to mind is Gareth Williams, who is Claire Martin’s pianist. A more muscular player perhaps but able to capture something of the greats, and a brilliant accompanist. Claire is also worth checking out as well, as to my mind she is by far the best UK Jazz vocalist.
The good Doctor Eales is also worth looking for. A year or two back his trio was on tour with ‘Remembering Bill’, which was basically an evening of Bill Evans tunes - very nicely done. Geoff is a great soloist as well.
Cheers
Many good artists and albums are already mentioned and there are bunch of others as well.
If piano jazz as a genre is appealing to you I think you definately should then check out also some albums by Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans etc. true masters to compliment the modern part of the field.
There are also some jazz pianists that have made spectacular and long career and published several impressive albums without getting huge popularity. One this kind of artist is Abdullah Ibrahim (before known as Dollar Brand) - the following album is one of my all time favorites as Carlos Ward is really saxophonist and will give you goose pumps with the interplay of Ibrahim..
http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/i/ibrahi_abdu_liveatswe_101b.jpg
As you know from Scandinavia there nowadays comes huge amount of modern jazz and from Finland comes one already old group Trio Töykeät. If you like really powerful piano compositions with a kind of "movie soundtrack" twist, be sure to check this out as I think it can be found from Spotify ;)
http://cfs4.tistory.com/image/7/tistory/2008/03/20/15/48/47e208bdd7c24
jimdgoulding
28-08-2011, 13:10
I have Africa, Tears and Laughter on the Inner City label from Dollar Brand leading a quartet and it's beautiful. Cheers.
Some more classic records:
Chris McGregor - Brotherhood Of Breath
http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/m/mcgreg_chri_chrismcgr_101b.jpg
Sun Ra - St.Louis Blues
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SZ3A5ZSAL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Art Tatum & Ben Webster
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xbVBQ3toL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
and these:
Oscar Peterson meets Ben Webster
http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/w/webste_benw_benwebste_102b.jpg
Lennie Tristano - The New Tristano
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q4GDH1RWL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Cecil Taylor - Looking Ahead!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513pD1tqAgL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
electric beach
13-11-2012, 08:59
Just got my first Tord Gustavsen album, Being There, and it certainly won't be the last. Awesome! I don't think I've ever heard anything so haunting, so achingly beautiful and moving.
I didn't pick up on him from this thread at the time (:doh:) but heard on the station Jazz Loft - which I heartily recommend. Valerie's quite happy to have this playing pretty much all weekend, so more HiFi for me :)
Just got my first Tord Gustavsen album, Being There, and it certainly won't be the last. Awesome! I don't think I've ever heard anything so haunting, so achingly beautiful and moving.
I didn't pick up on him from this thread at the time (:doh:) but heard on the station Jazz Loft - which I heartily recommend. Valerie's quite happy to have this playing pretty much all weekend, so more HiFi for me :)
His latest album ''The Well'' is really good however I don't like the one before that (forget the title)..:)
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