Metal Reviews

I have to admit, I'm becoming a big fan of jazz/swing type music now (let the flaming begin!). And I was wondering, are there any particular jazz/swing bands OUT TODAY (I don't mean just the classics like Glen Miller and Miles Davis) that you all feel are worth listening to?

No-one's going flame you over liking jazz, haha, unless it's Varg himself.

Emokid will know this because I don't: are Masada still around or is Zorn doing other stuff now?

Also the Alex Skolnick Trio are very good at what they do, which is cover metal songs as jazz.. good laid back stuff.

Masada and the whole Zorn work are worth checking but I'm not so sure it's really fitting Seinfeld's description... do you really want SWING mr Fake Jerry ? :roll:

and Skolnick, no offense, is one of the worst crap I ever heard with the jazz label on it... merely elevator music with a certain guitar quality but an unexistant creativity... I'll pass then...

finally, I can't really advice you on Swinging Jazz since it has never been and will never be my "cup of tea" :roll:

As long as no one tries to wax poetic about how uber-technical jazz is I won't flame.

God I can't believe how technical jazz is!

Man... Glenn Miller is absolutely, categorically not cool!

Miles is though... and it's great that you're into jazz. More people should be.

It is a big leap from those people to Zorn, but personally there are a lot of people in the middle ground that I prefer to him anyway. If you want something thats really powerful, cutting edge, but still accessible then you could try Gilad Atzmon. His album "Exile" features load songs mainly based around Middle Eastern melodies, but with a significant jazz influence in the soloing, so the record is quite unique. There are a LOT of very intense emotions on there.

But if you are feeling really adventurous and want to try some zorn stuff then my suggestion (mainly because I'm listening to it at this very moment) is Spy vs Spy. It's a load of Ornette Coleman tunes played by two saxes and two drummers, and it's like an unbearable cacophony with just enough snatches of melody to make it tolerable.

Also, if you haven't done so already: you NEED to check out Ephel Duath... (preferably the painters palette).

thanks mate ! I'll make sure to check those out...

actually my absolute passion in jazz is John Coltrane... anything by or with him is always a feast to my ears... 'Trane is my Dope !

so now, my turn, check out anything by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, preferably some live recording, this huge Pakistanese man has the most haunted and beautoful voice I've ever heard... and, okay, it's not jazz but since it's very "tranceful" & improvised stuff... :roll:

Aaahh Coltrane! Arguably the greatest musician of the 20th century? I'm doing a jazz degree and I've gotta play two of his pieces (Dear lord and moment's notice) for my big final performance. It is quite daunting trying to fill those shoes!

Which parts of his work are you're favourites? I occasionally enjoy his REALLY off the wall mid 60's stuff, but every time I hear "Blue train" I get quite emotional. :cry:

And thanks, I'll go look for that artist you mentioned.

Wow... is this still metal reviews?!

my love for Trane depends of the mood I'm in... when I'm in love there's nothing like his "ballads" album or his collaboration with Johnny Hartman...

for Dance & Excitement, I'd go with Giant Steps or My Favourite Things.. well, his post be-bop, let's speed it up a bit era... :roll:

more contemplative moments are dedicated to A Love Supreme or his harsher, free jazz stuff like Interstellar Regions... crazy stuff !!!

finally, if you haven't got it already, try to find the Village Vanguard Boxset ( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 97-8466206 ) not only is it a beautiful object but the music man... the music !!! :twisted: :shock: :roll: 8) :o

PS : I LOVE METAL REVIEWS FORUMS !!!

A friend of mine is really into Jazz so occasionally I go to jazz clubs with him. I don't own any jazz CDs nor do I go out of my way to listen to it but it's pretty cool, especially the technical aspects.

Thanks. I love Dave Brubeck's cover of Take 5. Zorn is pretty cool too. I've also discovered a few modern swing bands like Indigo Swing, which are pretty darn good too (at least for swing music produced in the 1990s).

I would love to see you play rio! It seems you kick some major ass. So now that we know you play Jazz and love Metal, how about doing a Cynic like band??? Please!

what about a BMband with no guitars ? :roll:

hehe... thanks for your interest guys!

I'd LOVE to do a metal band... either in the proggy cynic-type way, or in a raw kind of BM without guitars way. It would just be great to bring what i try and do into a metal context, whatever the specific subgenre.

The problem is, finding other people who share that same interest. There's a few people about who are kind of into both, but aren't into metal nearly enough to be at all familiar with some of the more extreme end of the genre.

The closest I've come to such a fusion was once performing a strange version of Opeth's "Benighted" with a jazz group, which turned out pretty well, if not especially similar to the original. There was another time I just got up at a gig and jammed with this really raw punk band from around my home town. That was one of the coolest things I've ever done... I woke up the next morning and found my mouthpiece was covered in blood because I'd played it so hard... man that was cool.

I think it would be very interesting to listen to a metal band with a saxophone in a lead role but it must be indeed pretty hard to find ppl to make it work :roll:

so, whatever you do, do it with enthisiasm & faith... and keep us informed !

Indeed I am still ambitious about this, but it mat have to be a very long term thing....

Nowadays Jazz-Scene with its styles and genres is even more difficult to explore than Metal.
Regarding New-Swing it is definitely Scott Hamiltion who should be consulted first:
http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/jazz/7/scottclips.html



Listening to "Lush Life" makes me wanna die. So sad :-(