makuranososhi wrote:
You could look at Harry Connick, Jr..
The first tape I ever bought with my own money were Harry Connick, Jr. Eleven
Jazz is deeply personal. The best thing is to immerse yourself in and see what you like. It helps to learn a bit about the history then you will understand the progressions better.
My favourite sort Jazz is cool, bossa nova/tropicalimismo, afro-beat/afro-pop, fusion, minimal, deconstructed, and some nu jazz. You’ll end up blurring the lines of what is and isn't jazz on this side of things, many noise, electro-acoustic, concrete artist started off from a jazz background. I also love some of the other style like bee-bop/hard-bop, boogie, rag, dixie, and so on.
Anyway here are some of my favourite artists:
Chet Baker
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfl-wvSmpb0[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfl-wvSmpb0
Oscar Peterson
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQjwPI6H0k[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQjwPI6H0k
Sékou "Bembeya" Diabaté (a.k.a "Diamond Fingers”)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaH5ZI6U3Ao[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaH5ZI6U3Ao
Milton Nascimento
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo5UlFDTZ6g[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo5UlFDTZ6g
Caetano Veloso
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvhqKWJ1kp0[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvhqKWJ1kp0
Herbie Mann
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRsOCKENeJU[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRsOCKENeJU
Jaco Pastorius
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25DXcFg1TFo[/youtube]
Anyway their work is quite varied so best check them out.
My least favourate is big band and 50s crooner music, the latter being the most commercially successful jazz these days, which I find somewhat depressing. I saw Jamie Cullum at the 606 club just before he got his first break. Needless to say I'm not impressed with what he has done with his career. He can actually be quite good on an intimate level.