The bass has a unique and crucial role in the world of jazz. It’s not just about providing the foundation for the rhythm section; the bass must be a beating pulse for the sound, adding melody and crafting narratives whilst redefining the boundaries of the instrument.
In this list, we pay tribute to 10 of the best jazz bassists ever to pluck the four strings.
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Miles Davis was a transformative figure in the world of jazz, pushing boundaries and frequently reinventing the genre throughout his career. From his early bebop recordings in the 1940s to his groundbreaking explorations of modal jazz, fusion, and electronic music in the following decades, Davis constantly challenged conventions and created innovative and influential music.
His talent as a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, combined with his restless spirit of experimentation, solidified his status as one of the most important and iconic figures in the history of jazz.
Here we tackle the most unenviable of tasks: the 10 best Miles Davis albums.
Read MoreJohn Coltrane, a towering figure in the realm of jazz, left an indelible mark on the music world with his revolutionary approach and boundless creativity. From his early days as a sideman with luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis to his prolific career as a bandleader, Coltrane pushed the boundaries of jazz and redefined its possibilities.
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Herbie Hancock is a jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has had a long and illustrious career spanning over six decades. He has released numerous albums as a leader, has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and was even part of Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet (1964–68).
In this post, we will be taking a look at the 10 best Herbie Hancock albums of all time, as a leader. From his early work on Blue Note to his pioneering contributions to jazz fusion and electronic music, these are the albums that showcase the full range of Hancock’s incredible talent and versatility and represent the best of what Herbie Hancock has to offer: incredible jazz music.
Europa is an amazing big-band jazz project led by Olivier Benoit during his years conducting the Orchestre National de Jazz. It resulted in four must-have albums that we will explore in this article: Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Oslo.
The Orchestre National De Jazz (or ONJ) [Discogs] is a French jazz orchestra created in 1986 via the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, with the intention to bring to life and renew the repertoire of great jazz orchestras. The orchestra is directed by an appointed conductor and is renewed every 2-5 years. This is a state-subsidized formation and has the means to produce, distribute, and present its creations worldwide.
Read MoreThis list provides an overview of all Keith Jarrett’s solo piano recordings, as well as all his solo piano concerts, and how much material ECM is still sitting on and will hopefully release someday.
Read MoreKeith Jarrett was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in the ‘90s. In 1997, he had to stop touring, recording, and even playing the piano. 1998 marked the point at which Keith managed to heal, recover, and come back to playing.
Nearly 20 years later, at the beginning of 2018, Keith suffered two major strokes that were serious enough that he is still partly paralyzed and unable to play the piano with two hands. “I don’t know what my future is supposed to be,” he told the New York Times in October 2020. “I don’t feel, right now, like I’m a pianist.”
2017 marked his last solo piano live performance.
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