All that Jazz!

Savyasaachi schrieb:

Hello all, After my first real initiation to Jazz at Jochen's(thanks for those 3 wonderful hours) place i decieded to try my ears at it more closely. And man was it a wake up call or what! I realised how good jazz can get.. Along with Jazz came a realisation that there are some really good singers and beilliant musicians. Take for example Hayley Westerna. She has got such a natural voice that simply takes your breath away. I discovered i liked only a specific type of Jazz..Thanks for that Miles Davis Jazz thing Jeeves. I guess the second album you played the other day at Abhi's place was the one i liked best. On similar lines, i like Alan Broadbent, John Coltrane(i personaly feel that he is more pleasan to listen to than Miles ) Elaine Elias is another artist i seem to like. Monty Alexander, Brian Bromberg and Mike Melvoin sounds pretty darn good too. Please feel free to suggest some more artists on similar lines. Thanks, Sachi

So another one bites the dust. Welcome to the Jazz club Sachi

Savyasaachi schrieb:

Hello all, Please feel free to suggest some more artists on similar lines. Thanks, Sachi

Sir, if I am not mistaken you seem to be a DIY enthuiastiast. So if you design & build electronics, what do you 'test' it with ? Software, I mean. Are you a classical music buff ? What genre of music do you like ?
What are your reference CD's ? Why I ask this question ? I do not understand head or tail of electronics or circuit lay outs or x-overs etc. But, when guys like you make & build gear, how do you test it ? Parameters for evaluation ?

Even if you are a rock or pop music fan, that is cool, but just share some of the names of the albums that you use for your testing etc.

I am mentioning some of the music that I use for my personal reference below :-

' M.A. Recordings - Begona Olavide / Mudejar MA042A
· Water Lily Acoustics - Tabula Rasa WLA-CS-44-CD
· ECM Records – Making Music / Zakir Hussain ECM – 1349
· Moment Records – Ustad Sultan Khan MRCD – 1006
· Reference Recordings – TUTTI ! RR-906CD
· Telarc – A tribute to Oscar Peterson CD – 83401
· Chesky Records – The Raven / Rebecca Pidgeon JD 115
· Mercury – Essential / Yello 512 390 – 2
' Mary Black - Looking Back - Graprewine
' Sheffield Labs - Drum Test Disc - FIM Records
' Kari Brehms
' Chris Rea - Road to Hell
' Dire Straits - Dire Straits
' G. Mahler - # 2 - Teldec Records - Zubin Mehta
' Dvorak - Symphony # 9 - New World - C Kriber - DG
' Burmester Test Disc # 3
' Manger Test Disc

This list can go on and on.........

But the above mentioned are some of the discs that I use to test / evaluate any system that I listen to. In some ones house, in my listening room or at some audio show etc.

Thanks

BHAGWAN

Add to that: Diana Krall! Some say her voice is too artificial... sachrine sweet... but I kinda like her. Even the quality of her recordings... the double bass on her Love Scenes album... is so organic. So real!

That said, her latest recording "From this moment on" is very very bright! Harsh is an understatement! It's sibilance on steroids!!

I heard this album on a Denon CDP/Chord amp/KEF reference combo... it was really bad! Even on my humble home system... Diana let me down real bad this time! And it's a genuine EU pressed CD!

Sharukh,

"From this moment on" did not sound bright or harsh to me. I've heard it on a few systems now, including the quad full range electrostats.

Maybe something in the setup.

Manek.

Shahrukh schrieb:

Add to that: Diana Krall! Some say her voice is too artificial... sachrine sweet... but I kinda like her. Even the quality of her recordings... the double bass on her Love Scenes album... is so organic. So real!

Diana Krall has done many standards, which is also done by Ella. Listen to both the versions one after another on the same setup....you will get to know more about the other's point of view...

Hi !

I would also like to receive some suggestions on Jazz albums. I am also begining to grow up (as Prithvi would say, though I love classical music - now whether that is older or younger than Prithvi's "Reference" age ).

So guys help me. My aging mind needs some Jazzing up.

Talking of ella...one should hear sarah vaughan as well. I happen to chance upon a nice compilation called "sarah vaughan sings standards". Phenominal !

I seem to swing between ella and sarah....cant decide who I like better but they both are awesome singers....I have the highest regards for both.

Manek.

Sachi,
Charlie Hayden, bass
Pat Metheney, guitar
Keith Jarret,piano
Jean-Luc Ponti, violin
Duke Ellington, piano/composer
Count Basie, composer
some good ways to continue the exploration.
By the way Ella has a beautiful 3 CD album called Ella sings the Ellington songbook, and Sarah Vaughan has a superb album with Count Basie.

Hope you can get to see some live shows. I read somwhere that if you wander around at some of the bluegrass/jazz festivals, some of the best sound is when the bands are practicing or jamming without any amplification. In fact once when I attended a show in the late 70's at the Rajneesh ashram in Pune a German band called the Fat Cats were playing when the power failed. I can still remember the sound when that happened, really beautiful, clean and clear.

Shahrukh schrieb:

Add to that: Diana Krall! Some say her voice is too artificial... sachrine sweet... but I kinda like her. Even the quality of her recordings... the double bass on her Love Scenes album... is so organic. So real! That said, her latest recording "From this moment on" is very very bright! Harsh is an understatement! It's sibilance on steroids!! I heard this album on a Denon CDP/Chord amp/KEF reference combo... it was really bad! Even on my humble home system... Diana let me down real bad this time! And it's a genuine EU pressed CD!

Shahrukh,
Are you sure that's a bad thing? I noticed that Diana (live in Paris) sounded better when brightened up on a Grado, rather than on neutral monitors. As Manek says, better to audition on a very neutral setup before coming to a conclusion. I have found music that sounds harsh on a Sony minicompo to sound even on monitors.

I would also like to receive some suggestions on Jazz albums. I am also begining to grow up

Sanjay,
What say we go over to Viren's this sat/sun & listen to some jazz?
He has quite a collection, & we can discuss while listening.
Regards,
Kamal

Kamal schrieb:

I would also like to receive some suggestions on Jazz albums. I am also begining to grow up Sanjay, What say we go over to Viren's this sat/sun & listen to some jazz? He has quite a collection, & we can discuss while listening. Regards, Kamal

Hi Kamal !

How about my place this Sunday? And lets just listen to some music (and not equipment). I have bought some new good music recently and some of them ar really good recordings e.g. Keith Jarret playing Bach on ECM recording, Songs from Labyrinth - Sting (by Elizabethan composer John Dowland), etc. Viren could bring along some Jazz.

Let me know and I will coordinate with everyone. 11:00 to 1:00 would be the most suitable time.

I'm on, Sanjay.
I'll get some Cds too.
It would be nice if other Delhi forum members could also make it and we could all enjoy just the music.
Regards,
Kamal

SDhawan schrieb:

Songs from Labyrinth - Sting (by Elizabethan composer John Dowland)

Now that is a pretty good album... the unusual quality and style by sting makes it pretty nice

Another v.nice Album that I heard on Vinyl at Virens is
*Shaka Zulu* by LadySmith BlackMambazo.This is the South African traditonal music group introduced to the world by Paul Simon-remember the *Homeless* track in Graceland?
Breathtaking musical virtuosity, would put many of the stars to shame.
A bit like our Rajasthani Langas & Manganiars-hear them sometime-MusicToday/Neenaad Music.
Am trying to get hold of ShakaZulu, after hearing it I realise that my life & collection would be incomplete w/o it - its that good!
Kamal

Kamal schrieb:

*Shaka Zulu* by LadySmith BlackMambazo.This is the South African traditonal music group introduced to the world by Paul Simon-remember the *Homeless* track in Graceland?

I remember the track and the part where they do a kind of a solo with some pretty unique souunds..

thanks a lot for the info on that ill try to check on it as well !

SDhawan schrieb:

Kamal schrieb: I would also like to receive some suggestions on Jazz albums. I am also begining to grow up Sanjay, What say we go over to Viren's this sat/sun & listen to some jazz? He has quite a collection, & we can discuss while listening. Regards, Kamal Hi Kamal ! How about my place this Sunday? And lets just listen to some music (and not equipment). I have bought some new good music recently and some of them ar really good recordings e.g. Keith Jarret playing Bach on ECM recording, Songs from Labyrinth - Sting (by Elizabethan composer John Dowland), etc. Viren could bring along some Jazz. Let me know and I will coordinate with everyone. 11:00 to 1:00 would be the most suitable time.

I wish I were in Delhi Enjoy your jazz folks! In case, anyone pops into Chennai, do contact me. Lots of Western Classical is on tap

bhagwan69 schrieb:

Savyasaachi schrieb: Hello all, Please feel free to suggest some more artists on similar lines. Thanks, Sachi Sir, if I am not mistaken you seem to be a DIY enthuiastiast. So if you design & build electronics, what do you 'test' it with ? Software, I mean. Are you a classical music buff ? What genre of music do you like ? What are your reference CD's ? Why I ask this question ? I do not understand head or tail of electronics or circuit lay outs or x-overs etc. But, when guys like you make & build gear, how do you test it ? Parameters for evaluation ? Even if you are a rock or pop music fan, that is cool, but just share some of the names of the albums that you use for your testing etc. I am mentioning some of the music that I use for my personal reference below :- ' M.A. Recordings - Begona Olavide / Mudejar MA042A · Water Lily Acoustics - Tabula Rasa WLA-CS-44-CD · ECM Records – Making Music / Zakir Hussain ECM – 1349 · Moment Records – Ustad Sultan Khan MRCD – 1006 · Reference Recordings – TUTTI ! RR-906CD · Telarc – A tribute to Oscar Peterson CD – 83401 · Chesky Records – The Raven / Rebecca Pidgeon JD 115 · Mercury – Essential / Yello 512 390 – 2 ' Mary Black - Looking Back - Graprewine ' Sheffield Labs - Drum Test Disc - FIM Records ' Kari Brehms ' Chris Rea - Road to Hell ' Dire Straits - Dire Straits ' G. Mahler - # 2 - Teldec Records - Zubin Mehta ' Dvorak - Symphony # 9 - New World - C Kriber - DG ' Burmester Test Disc # 3 ' Manger Test Disc This list can go on and on......... But the above mentioned are some of the discs that I use to test / evaluate any system that I listen to. In some ones house, in my listening room or at some audio show etc. Thanks BHAGWAN

I don't claim to be an expert or even a professional on anyting..at best am an amateur and i am still deveoping my music taste. I personally don't have an aversion to any one kind of music or genre. I like anything that sounds good to me. It may be one simple instrument in a crappy song which could make me want to listen to the entire song just so i can listen to how that instrument is being played, how that particular piece of music is played.

My reference music woud include the following songs, in no particular order.

1>Brothers in Arms- Dire Straits(Male Vocals, Guitar)
2> Private Investigations(Bass, treble)
3>Pink Floyd- Coming back to Life(treble, Bass and soundstage)
4>Pink Floyd- High Hopes(Imaging and soundstage, treble, Guitar)
5>Richard Clayderman(forgot the album name)(Piano)
6>Sarah Brightman- Time to say goodbye(Female Vocals)
7>Eagles- Hotel california(Imaging and soundstage)
8>The Wonders-All my only dreams(Male group Vocals)
9>Neil Diamond-Sweet Caroline, Shilo, Girl You'll be a woman soon(Simply because it is my favourite music and the thing am most familiar with)
10>Bruce Springsteen- Nothing man, Secret garden(Male vocals, throaty charecteristics)
11>Don Williams- Love me over again, Good ole boys like me(country music, laidback type of country)
12>Peter Tchaikovsky- Pray(Symphony)
13>Whitesnake- Judgement Day, Still of the Night(Bass and treble harmony, Rock music benchmark)
14>Pantera-Cowboys from Hell(Metal)
15>Blue Oyster Cult- Astronomy(Guitar)
16>Thunder-Gimme some lovin'(big sound, loudness test)
17>AC/DC - Thunderstruck(I just like this song a lot)
18>Dave Mathews Band-Crash into me(Male vocals, guitar)
19>Mark Knofler-Shangri-La(Guitar, Male vocals)
20>Jann Arden- INsensitive(Female Vocals)
20>De Usuahia a la Quiaca- Gustavo Santaolalla

And now of course i have a lot more to add to this. Mainly from Jazz.
Someting like, Stan Getz, Art Pepper, John Coltrane and of course at least a coupleof songs by Alan Broadbent and Monty Alexander.

Slowly stepping into the classical genre too now.
Developing a likig towards Chopin(not all his numbers though) and mainly Celtic kind of music.

Sachi

p.s basiclaly i have a certain image of the music in my mind as to how it should sound or how i would like it to sound. All in all it should basically draw me in..else its missing something.

I like anything that sounds good to me

Way to go Savya !
Keep an open mind & keep listening.
Who knows what gems you'll come acdoss?
Kamal

Kamal schrieb:

I like anything that sounds good to me Way to go Savya ! Keep an open mind & keep listening. Who knows what gems you'll come acdoss? Kamal

exactly kamal,
Gustavo Santonalla was one such discovery...opened me to a whole new genre taht i am really coming to love...
South American music...beautiful is the only word to describe it..
Check it out on Pandora.com to get a real feel for it..

Sachi
Looks like you are really absorbing everything around you in Portland!
Way to go!

Savyasachi wrote:

After my first real initiation to Jazz at Jochen's(thanks for those 3 wonderful hours) place i decieded to try my ears at it more closely.

so Sachi, finally you are growing up...

Yaar doc and Kamal...you guys are really living it up in Dilli...one more reason to rue leaving the city

I too am just discovering Jazz...found that I really like the jazz vocal and a little bit of avant garde...Liked -

Billie Holiday
Louis Armstrong
Sarah Vaughan
Thelonious Monk

still lots more to discover...so please let the recommendations flow...