Jazz the musical idiom with so many colors, styles, and ideas. Unlike classical music the history of jazz dates back to development of the blues in the late 19th century. The musical medium runs through Hot, Dixieland, Big Band, Bebop, Cool, Modal, Vocal stylings (Scat, Vocalese, and Group Jazz,) Free, Quiet Storm, Funk, Fusion, and Jazz Rock. I’m sure I’m missing some styles. The Jazz genre tends to be the genre where you get lumped into if you do something experimental, creative, or maybe even modesty project like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers released recently. The Grammy Awards recently added an award category called the Alternative Jazz Album (AJA) award for the recordings that don’t quite line up with the traditional categories.

Let’s examine this new category. The description of the New AJA award is as follows: A newer category for genre-bending, experimental jazz that mixes with R&B, hip-hop, electronic, or other styles. What we have here is fusion on steroids. I wish this category existed when Herbie Hancock released Future Shock and Sound System back in the 1980’s Herbie Hancock has always been ahead of the game in his creative process. One could surmise that Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Chick Corea, and Thelonious Monk would have won this award if it existed during their lifetimes.

I’m not knocking the two winners in this category: Meshell Ndegeocello and Nate Smith. Ndegeocello and Smith are both accomplished musicians bouncing around pop, rock, funk, film, and fusion music. Both have a well earned pedigree in music. I just find the inclusion of this award in the past two years basically doesn’t make up for the dozens of albums that could have won the Grammy years ago.

The Alternative Jazz Album category in my opinion was made in honor of Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Chick Corea. All three men worked with each other. Hancock and Davis played together on the “Second Great Quintet” between 1964-68. This quintet released these Albums: E.S.P., Miles Smiles, Nefertiti, Sorcerer, Miles Smiles, and Filles de Kilimanjaro. These albums move Davis closer to jazz fusion or jazz rock. Chick Corea joined Hancock and Davis on In a Silent Way, and when Hancock left Corea stayed on with Davis through Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson with Hancock providing some extra keyboard work. What follows when each man goes their own way is a master class in jazz fusion, experimental jazz, and for Davis Jazz rock.

These three men are the sound of alternative jazz in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. For Hancock and Corea this extends into the 90’s and 00’s. They released a lot of great recordings all three of them. Some of them earned some nominations and wins, but how many were rebuffed for being “experimental?” The same could be said about Ornette Coleman’s work (Sound Grammar.) How many artists could have received honors for their work if this category would have been added years ago. Well, at least that category is in place now.

So Jazz recordings. I’m sure some of you in the blogosphere have some favorite recordings. Here are a some of mine.

Atomic Swing-Count Basie, Live at Newport-Duke Ellington, Turkish Bath-Don Ellis, Kind of Blue, The Complete Jack Johnson Recordings – Miles Davis, Cuban Fire- Stan Kenton, A New Standard, Future Shock – Herbie Hancock, My Spanish Heart, Chick Corea Akoustic Band – Chick Corea, Life in a Bubble, XXL – Gordon Goodwin, Live in Paris – Diana Krall, Blues for Schuur – Diane Schuur, Ella and Basie, Ella at Duke’s Place – Ella Fitzgerald, An evening with George Shearing and Mel Torme – Mel Torme, Vocalese – Manhattan Transfer, Big Train, Standard Time – Wynton Marsalis, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus – Charles Mingus, and Live in San Francisco – Maynard Ferguson

I tend to enjoy large jazz ensembles with a particular sound. Good trumpet playing and solid rhythm sections get my attention every time. Yes, there are some greats missing from this list. Oscar Peterson, Jaco Pastorious, Dizzy Gillespie, etc…. These recordings are on my most played list. A few are pretty experimental. I’ve included my favorite jazz vocalists. I know there are more out there. I just love listening to Fitzgerald, Krall, Schuur, and Torme.

As far as early jazz is concerned, I’m just not big into it. I’ve played more dixieland and early jazz than any other style, but I have never really latched on to the groove or its sound. Part of the turn off is the poor recording quality of the era. I have listened to the Complete Hot Fives and Sevens by Louis Armstrong, and quite a bit of Bix Beiderbecke’s music. There is some fabulous playing but the lo-fi audio just sours my ears. It is a music far better live than on recording. I’m thankful there are artists like Josh Duffee who keep the flame lit for this style of music, its history, playing techniques, and great artists from that era. It still needs to be heard and cherished for its place in jazz music history.

I do not consider myself an expert in jazz. I’ve played, arranged, and composed some jazz works, but I am no where near experienced enough or good enough to be part of this exclusive club. I’m just a listener and an appreciator of the art form in all of its myriad of styles and colors. I just wish the Grammy awards had the Alternative category 40 years ago to really honor some of the great jazz experiments. Thanks for reading, happy listening…

…so it goes…