Joe Jackson, for example...

[sgcim]

Are there any other musicians like him that have seriously studied music (Royal Academy of Music), and have written interesting rock tunes that can be adapted into a jazz context? JJ put out a record called "Duke" where he did all Ellington tunes, yet didn't use any horns.He even played in a P, B and D trio at a Playboy club where he played standards and sight read arrangements for 'cabaret' singers like some of us have to do.
Other than his US hits and his Symphony, I wasn't familiar with his other work.- is any of it jazz adaptable?

Another example was Bob Bruno, who was in a 60s rock/.psych group, yet gigged with Jack Wilkins and even appeared on a Noah Howard LP.
I've went through Becker and Fagen, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Nick Drake, and a few others with capability of writing non-triadic songs that are jazz adjacent.

[wintermoon]

Cool topic, I remember when he came on the scene, really caught my ear. I never thought about adapting them to jazz though I'm always on the lookout for pop tunes to reinterpret.Is she really going out w him, Sunday papers, Different for girls, Look sharp, Breaking us in two, Stepping out, I'm the man,
Friday....

[wolflen]

A very unique sound..his approach to song writing kept me interested in his work.

Reading his Wiki page reveals his career being very active though not reflected on main stream US media.

He has worked with many artists in Europe.

He has a new album and is doing a tour to promote it.

Glad he is still working.

[sgcim]

Cool topic, I remember when he came on the scene, really caught my ear. I never thought about adapting them to jazz though I'm always on the lookout for pop tunes to reinterpret.Is she really going out w him, Sunday papers, Different for girls, Look sharp, Breaking us in two, Stepping out, I'm the man,
Friday....

I\m just finishing a BB chart for "Steppin" .All I need is an ending. It's hard to think of something that doesn't sound corny, but I think the ostinato bass line will work. I can't ask the bass player to play it on upright. He got out an electric, but he couldn't hack the octaves JJ used a synth for the record.
Bass trombone and Bari sax can double the bass. Thanks for the suggestions.

[docsteve]

Would you be willing to share the chart once it’s finished?

BTW I have seen Graham Maby play these octaves on electric bass, so it’s doable. Question is whether it sounds good in your band.

To get back to the OP: Annie Lennox was at the Royal College at the same time as JJ, although apparently they never met. “Why” and “There must be an angel” should qualify.

Here is a reading of “Why” by the great John Boutté. It is also a lesson in audience communication and a balance act that shows what music can be about.

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[Doctor Jeff]

Joe Jackson is playing in Omaha this summer, and hopefully I will be able to see him.

Never saw him BITD, though he was one of my faves in the New Wave/singer-songwriter category, alongside Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, etc.

I had all his albums through Stepping Out, but then kind of lost touch with him. A particular favorite which I had on cassette was Big World.

Stepping Out has to be considered as one of the iconic albums of the '80s, and holds up even today as fresh and original. He is a stellar songwriter with a great melodic sense.

[sgcim]

Would you be willing to share the chart once it’s finished?

BTW I have seen Graham Maby play these octaves on electric bass, so it’s doable. Question is whether it sounds good in your band.

To get back to the OP: Annie Lennox was at the Royal College at the same time as JJ, although apparently they never met. “Why” and “There must be an angel” should qualify.

Here is a reading of “Why” by the great John Boutté. It is also a lesson in audience communication and a balance act that shows what music can be about.

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I'd like to share the chart, but I don't know if we're going to record it in a studio, or if I'm going to use the MuseScore route. Right now things are in disarray with one of the two bands I play in, and we don't know what's going on.. Monday, the other big band is going to play my chart on "True" by Spandaux Ballet. That should be interesting. This second band just keeps getting worse and worse, so I'm not going to tape that one.

There are plenty of cover attempts on You Tube of guys trying to play the bass part to Steppin' Out, but the only one better than Maby's verion is this guy's:

It's a matter of endurance.
Annie lennox is a great suggestion. Her music to the film "1984" (Julia) was great. I don't know if she or Dave Sewart wrote it. She also had another great song where she vocalizes syllables jin the chorus. It's very powerful pop music.

[wintermoon]

If forgot about some other cool ones, this sounds like it would work great for a big band and a good blowing tune

[John A.]

Are there any other musicians like him that have seriously studied music (Royal Academy of Music), and have written interesting rock tunes that can be adapted into a jazz context? JJ put out a record called "Duke" where he did all Ellington tunes, yet didn't use any horns.He even played in a P, B and D trio at a Playboy club where he played standards and sight read arrangements for 'cabaret' singers like some of us have to do.
Other than his US hits and his Symphony, I wasn't familiar with his other work.- is any of it jazz adaptable?

Another example was Bob Bruno, who was in a 60s rock/.psych group, yet gigged with Jack Wilkins and even appeared on a Noah Howard LP.
I've went through Becker and Fagen, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Nick Drake, and a few others with capability of writing non-triadic songs that are jazz adjacent.

I think several of the tunes on JJ's Body and Soul album would work (Cha Cha loco is one of my all time favorite tunes; never tried it with a jazz group, but maybe some day).

There have been many rock/pop musicians with formal classical training (e.g., Jack Bruce, Garth Hudson, Andy Summers, Phil Lesh), but I'm having trouble thinking ones who's songs have been adapted to jazz contexts. If you take out the pedigree, though, and just consider songwriters who use relatively sophisticated harmony that works well in jazz, there are lots. Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Leon Russell, Billy Joel come to mind, and of course the Beatles and the Beach boys. Lots of 60/70s r&b and Philly soul tunes have been adapted by organ-trio folks (especially Charles Earland and Mike LeDonne).

[sgcim]

If forgot about some other cool ones, this sounds like it would work great for a big band and a good blowing tune

He's got a great band and uses some great sidemen. I've heard of that excellent guitarist, Vinnie Zummo, before. His solo reminded me of "Do It Again"
minus the electric sitar, by Denny Dias. .
I'm reading "A Cure For Gravity", JJ's autobio. He had a miserable childhood, but he makes it sound hilarious. I'm learning a lot from his unusual perspective as an eclectic musician, starting out on the violin, then going to the piano and getting involved in playing chamber music and Beethoven and Mozart piano sonatas then forming a jazz trio, then trying to join a rock band, etc...
I can't add anything to
"You Can't Get What You Want", JJ has already done the arranging! I finished Steppin' out, though.
That song by Annie Lennox I was trying to think of was "No More I- Love -You's" . Great tune!