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I love complex, virtuosic, fast, etc. jazz guitar playing, but I'm interested to see which well known jazz guitarists you play recordings of at home or to friends (i.e. non-musicians) that get the most positive response? To kick it off I'm throwing in Grant Green and Kenny Burrell.
What say you all?
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03-22-2014 06:00 AM
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Pat Metheny
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I remember once I had some relatives round (no jazz fans) and for background music, I played the Wes Montgomery Trio (the one with Melvin Rhyne on organ), and they all liked it.
Then I put on the Jim Hall Trio live, and they didn't like it at all.
I guess that Wes was more bluesy/funky, which they could relate to more.
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Freddie Green
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"Jazz shouldn't have any mandates. Jazz is not supposed to be something that sounds like jazz. For me the word jazz means 'I dare you'. The effort to break out of something is worth more than getting an 'A' in syncopation. This music, it's dealing with the unexpected. No one knows how to deal with the unexpected. How do you rehearse the unknown?"
--Wayne Shorter
So, yeah, to answer your question, Randall said it best.
The number of civilians dwindles and peters out, ever so effortlessly.
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Even though he can be as complicated, even more complicated, than anybody, Joe Pass on any of a number of his solo recordings has never scared off anyone at a cocktail party I've hosted—or maybe it's the cocktails that keep 'em around?
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George Benson.
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sorry, nav...removed my (silly, obscure?) graphic...
Originally Posted by NSJ
...in my experience, jazz goes over pretty well played live, to a "general" audience
...most of whom would never listen to jazz on purpose...something to do with the reputation garnered by our more "out there" brethren...a good mention is soon forgotten, a bad one sticks around...and so on...
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The first record I would play for the jazz-curious would be Kind of Blue, even though it has no guitar on it. It is such a tremendously accessible recording while having sublime jazz content.
I second the mention of Joe Pass. I would be careful with his more bebop stuff and would play people his later stuff, which tends to be quite musical and accessible. Of course, the Joe and Ella duo records are great for non-jazz lovers to hear- good jazz content but not ear-busting because both of them know how to present a song.
Kenny Burrell, another good choice. His bluesy tendencies and impeccable sound make him highly listenable. I just heard (for the first time) "A Generation Ago Today" last weekend and was very impressed- that would be specifically a fine album to play for civilians.
Herb Ellis, especially the Soft Winds material and Oscar Peterson Trio
George Benson is often quite user friendly and a good ambassador of the music to a wider audience.
Carefully chosen Jim Hall, e.g., his stuff with Paul Desmond (Ed Bickert with Desmond, too).
Nylon string can be very accessible. I would play some of my Nate Najar CDs for jazz newbies. Nate knows how to play connectable music without sacrificing the jazz. Along those lines, I would also play Romero Lubambo for jazz guitar newbies- his knowledge is deep but he plays with such warm spirit. Gene Bertonicini, especially his solo CDs, too.
I wouldn't play much Pat Metheny for most people new to jazz guitar, perhaps some of the early PMG stuff (but then I don't like much of the PMG material after Offramp, so that may prejudice me). Metheny is often just way too abstract for a lot of people to hear what's going on.
I would stay away from playing Tal Farlow, Pat Martino, most of Jim Hall, etc., for non jazz fans until I'd gotten them a little broken in to the whole jazz guitar thing. Once people get some jazz in their ears, they can hear some of this other stuff better.
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Maybe not considered jazz by some...
Robben Ford and Larry Carlton
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I've had great success with John Pizzarelli. Had many friends and family visiting during th holidays and they seemed to like him the best out of what I had playing.
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The only jazz guitarists that people actually know when I talk about who I like, in my experience, are Wes Montgomery and George Benson. Almost everyone knows who these two guys are even if they aren't familiar with the music, but I meet almost no one that knows who Pat Metheny is, big of a "star" as he is in the jazz world. Most people think Metheny is weird or muzak, especially the group stuff, when I play it for them.
Joe Pass is just instantly accessible, for some reason. Especially the solo guitar stuff or the duets with Ella. Everyone flips. People don't really like anyone else instantly, as far as I can tell.
When I talk to non-musicians about jazz, they all know Louis, Parker, Miles and Coltrane. Some folks have heard of Monk, but don't really know much about him. Same with Mingus. I think those are the biggest touch points.
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In the past I've had great luck with George Van Eps, George Barnes and Bucky Pizzarell.
In the not jazz category, the Hampton String Quartet's recordings of rock and pop songs have never failed to engage and delight. It's always fun to be talking with someone and watch their expression as they slowly realize that the Baroque piece playing in the background is Born to be Wild or Roll Over, Beethoven.
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In my experience, people are just not interested in music that doesn't have someone singing a song. Same experience trying to seek gigs for a jazz group. Manager: "No singer? Forgetaboutit."
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Thanks for the posts so far - keep them coming. I'll add Django to the list.
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It may be specialized form of jazz but Antonio Carlos Jobim is very acccessible for the new comer, probably because it's so melodic. He's worth a mention.
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My husband HATES jazz (don't ask, opposites attract, we live in a really big house). Sometimes just for shits&giggles, when i'm driving, I'll put a cd in the player and see how long before I hear a snide remark. It's usually a very short time. I once popped in Pat Martino's "Remember" (NOT my favorite disc, great playing, horrible tone) and after a deafening silence ('cept for Martino) to my amazement I hear "this sounds pretty cool, who's this"!!! WTF? I never thought I'd get a kilometer up the road. People are freaking weird.
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Um, Charlie Christian?
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Interesting experiences all around!
I had good experiences with my guests liking contemporary gypsy jazz (Birelli Lagrene, Rosenberg Trio, Stephane Wrembel, Joscho Stephan - preferably in settings without violin). George Benson and Wes Montgomery worked in doses. Latin Jazz with guitar or modern Flamenco also works pretty well.
Joe Pass on the other hand ... The virtuoso records sound so bad ... It's a great way to throw people out :-) (...nothing agains Joe Pass's genious, but these recordings have such terrible tone that all the great playing is lost - apparently not only on me). Metheny or Scofield also did not work too well either. I like 'em both, but they do not seem to work that well for people not used to listen to Jazz.
Don't want to make general statements or rate these world class musicians ... Just share some experiences.
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Django Reinhardt
+1 George Benson
+1 Larry Carlton
BTW Which 'normal' people are we talking about?
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Hey cmajor9, my use of the term in the thread title is somewhat tongue in cheek - basically people who are non-musicians and/or uneducated jazz listeners. Originally Posted by cmajor9
I guess where I'm coming from on this, is that I'm not at all interested in some kind of watered down, non-offensive type of jazz that the general public might possibly be attracted to, but rather who are the truly great players that are able to cross the divide which exists between the cognoscenti and the 'everyday person in the street' (there's those single quotation marks again).
Then ask why do such artists have that ability? Not because I'm trying to arrive at some formula for playing popular jazz, but instead see if there's any wisdom in the natural reaction of a non-jazzer that I and others may tend to overlook because we're too preoccupied with other stuff. I'm thinking a lot of it might be simple yet profound ideas, such as holding great time and really really listening and interacting with your bandmates. Maybe these guys place a higher priority than most on stuff like that which gives them an edge. Perhaps, maybe, thinking out loud etc.
Why do you guys think players like Wes and Django have a greater mass appeal?
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From my experience lot of non-jazz listeners really liked Jim Hall Concierto album.
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Hello 3625, my first post, hope it is a goody for you.
For something post 1959, try Rotem Sivan Trio's Enchanted Sun released at the end of 2013 (and I think a new CD is imminent). Always gets a complimentary comment or question with my friends. Even the wife really likes it.
You ask why do they have that ability.
In my opinion there is a deep respect for each musician, each instrument and each song on this CD. You can almost hear them listening to each other and digging what each other is playing. The tones and songs are beautifully presented and the improvisation is unique to the songs not a blow session that could be copied to any other song.
This Just In by Gilad Hekselman is another recent release that I think is consumable by a non jazzer.
Both CD's for mine go an extra step in the composition of the songs and the playing that results. There is an artistic element, like the great Kind of Blue, from the first note you hear you can sense that there is magic to follow.
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Cheers gggomez, I know Gilad Hekselman but haven't heard Rotem Sivan - I'll check that out. I see you're an Aussie - a few of us here Originally Posted by gggomez
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My wife never listened to jazz until she met me. She likes the more melodic Metheny stuff and she loves Kenny Burrell.
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