jazz from 2000 - 2020

[Toy Revolver]

i'm going to choose 5 albums from each year

it's not a top 5 of each year

it's just 5 solid records - all of which i recommend

each write up will likely include what musicians and albums i think influenced the one being discussed - what i like about it - basic information about the musicians - and where the album lands in the history of jazz and why i think it's important in terms of legacy and influence or perhaps not so important

also i might discuss what i think about what critics have said about the record and link to information i think is worth reading

[SGR]

Sounds interesting. I'm not very well versed on post 2000s jazz, so I'll definitely keep an eye out for this. 

[Toy Revolver]

Sounds interesting. I'm not very well versed on post 2000s jazz, so I'll definitely keep an eye out for this. 

i'm not going to fuck with stuff that isn't on bandcamp or spotify which is one reason it's not a top 5

i'm staying strictly jazz so it's mostly going to be torchbearers but people who operate in the established tradition with power and grace - it's not about pioneering the genre because after coltrane there wasn't anywhere left to go - the full trajectory of the genre had been realized - however, a lot of people still play jazz really fucking well and a cultural shift occurred after the nineties that gave breathing room and respect to traditionalists

plus, even now, the most talented musicians outside of the electronic realm (which includes hip hop) usually play jazz so let's dig into who they are - that's what this is going to be about

[Lexi Darling]

Very excited to follow this! Jazz is honestly a bit of a blind spot for me, I'm big into big band and swing but I'm clueless on bebop and most stuff after that. So I'm not well versed in stuff after the 50s, let alone all those decades since, haha. Looking forward to this project!

[Toy Revolver]

i made an extensive jazz listening guide with not only the albums i recommend but the order in which to listen to them over at loser town

i ought to move it over here

it's just wasted with over there

[Toy Revolver]

2000 - 1



Marilyn Crispell / Stefano Maltese – Red

Crispell is a top 20 all time jazz pianist and the third best female jazz pianist behind Alice Coltrane and Mary Lou Williams. She's from Philadelphia and Baltimore and is presently in her mid seventies. She's still active and has concerts scheduled for this summer. She grew up on and studied classical music and didn't take an interest in jazz until she finally heard John Coltrane in the  mid 1970's, nearly a decade after his death. Her classical roots can certainly be heard on this recording as well as on most (if not all) of her work with the legendary free jazz master, Anthony Braxton, with whom she's featured on 15 official releases. Stefano Maltese is an italian reedist who plays in a similar austere style as Braxton.

Crispell's work on this record leans heavily into avant garde contemporary classical piano music that reached full maturity in the 1940's. However, it's definitely jazz. It's true blue pure free jazz and her style of improvisation is more fluid and less angular than its classical roots. Unlike many records popular with jazz hipsters it's not aggressively in your face. It's lyrical however it's also uncompromising in its unresolving dissonance. This is serious music for serious jazz fans.

The two person team leaves plenty of room for exploration as well as exposure. Maltese has big shoes to fill but he wouldn't be there if he wasn't up to it. He remains astutely aware of Crispell's direction and the two complement each other beautifully. The unconvoluted setting of just the duo is a great way to listen to two great jazz musicians communicate.

[Toy Revolver]

2000 - 2



Pat Metheny

Trio 99→00
(Warner Bros. Records)
Metheny won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for "(Go) Get It"

Pat Metheny: electric, acoustic guitars; Larry Grenadier: double bass; Bill Stewart: drums
Released in February 2000

Metheny might be the best pure jazz guitarist of all time. By pure, I mean a record like this that can simply be labeled jazz without a further descriptor like free or fusion. It's true that I don't love him as much a Sonny Sharrock and he doesn't flash the same wizardry as John McLaughlin, but pound for pound, in the no frills jazz arena, Metheny is very hard to beat. He's presently in his late sixties and touring this summer.

If you're more inclined to free jazz or avant garde music im general a great starting point is the album Song X led by Ornette Coleman and also includes all stars Charlie Haden (a big personal fave) on bass and the great Jack DeJohnette on drums. But if you want to hear straightforward jazz guitar with perfect tone and execution and flawless dexterity with a brilliant ear for tonal improvisation this is it.

This is a fine review of this record:

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/trio-99-00-pat-metheny-warner-bros-review-by-c-andrew-hovan

Before I go overboard on the jazz purity of this record, I should mention that three tracks are particularly mellow and successfully lean slightly into new age almost as if being interpreted by Chet Atkins. There was a lot of that back then and it was healthy like ambient jazz is today. There's no question that if it's out there Metheny can do it.

I recommend this as the ultimate starting point for listening to jazz guitar even in front of Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. However, if you're only going to listen to one it should be Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (1958)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Burrell_%26_John_Coltrane

[Marie Monday]

great stuff, I haven't started listening to these but I look forward to it. Despite your moping I've actually used your MB listening guide a lot, it has been a really valuable resource. I don't remember if I ever thanked you for that but if not, better late than never

[Toy Revolver]

great stuff, I haven't started listening to these but I look forward to it. Despite your moping I've actually used your MB listening guide a lot, it has been a really valuable resource. I don't remember if I ever thanked you for that but if not, better late than never

preciate it

[Lexi Darling]

The Metheny record sounds like it might be up my alley, I'll check it out for sure. Since you mentioned Jack DeJohnette, have you ever heard his new age stuff? I dig it, very warm and relaxing like a nice bath.

[Toy Revolver]

The Metheny record sounds like it might be up my alley, I'll check it out for sure. Since you mentioned Jack DeJohnette, have you ever heard his new age stuff? I dig it, very warm and relaxing like a nice bath.

i haven't tbh

i wasn't aware that he recorded anything that deep in that direction

that's cool

it's not on spotify which might be why i missed it - it seems like a record that would catch my eye when i scan his discography -

i've gotten pretty prissy about not bothering with music that artists keep hidden away

the thing about it is there's always something just as good that i haven't heard that is on spotify so why bother

i just shrugged and said goodbye to neil young and joni mitchell

i love both of them but oh well

although i'm not such a hard ass about it that i won't check out your youtube link

i'm curious, i'm sure it's good, and you made it easy

thanks 😊

[Lexi Darling]

Respect, I discovered that album because I follow the channel that uploaded it, which is a goldmine of obscure new age and space music cassette rips. Most of them I'd think aren't on streaming services either but I actually just use Youtube for most of my music playing needs anyway.

I don't even think a lot of the time the case is the artists keeping it hidden but it just being too obscure or out of print (of course DeJohnette is famous enough that that wouldn't apply but just saying).

I tried Spotify for a bit but ultimately it was easier for me to use Youtube. YT is bad on mobile but since I'm at home most of the time I found the desktop interface works better with my daily flow than Spotify.

[Toy Revolver]

i don't own a desktop or laptop because i think they're ugly (no offense)

[Lexi Darling]

i don't own a desktop or laptop because i think they're ugly (no offense)

I still like using my laptop because the interface is second nature to me as someone who has been using PCs since the Windows 3.1 era. All my files are organized and optimized for PC, and I don't like phone calls interrupting my music. But it's all down to preference, your reasoning is totally valid too!

[Toy Revolver]

I still like using my laptop because the interface is second nature to me as someone who has been using PCs since the Windows 3.1 era. All my files are organized and optimized for PC, and I don't like phone calls interrupting my music. But it's all down to preference, your reasoning is totally valid too!

i keep my phone on pure do not disturb mode - no notifications or anything no matter who calls or texts unless i check,  24-7

phone calls scare the fuck out of me