Enjoying some Underground by Chris Potter this morning but yesterday I was loving Bird & Diz by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie.

Everyone loves Miles Davis and Charles Mingus so I'm hoping for something a little more off the beaten path.

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Posted by MountainTiger

The foot of Mt. Belzoni

Member since Dec 2008

14663 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 11:14 am to CAD703X

Try some Brand X: LINK
You won't believe who the drummer is.

Some others:
Weather Report
Return to Forever
Lettuce
Tal Wilkenfeld (1st album)
Snarky Puppy
The 4 Korners
Allan Holdsworth
Jean-Luc Ponty
Mahavishnu Orchestra

These are not traditional jazz but you said you were looking for something off the beaten path.

This post was edited on 5/20/21 at 1:07 pm

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Posted by CAD703X

Liberty Island

Member since Jul 2008

78086 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 11:20 am to MountainTiger

quote:
Try some Brand X: LINK
You won't believe who the drummer is.

not anymore after clicking that link

quote:
Jean-Luc Ponty

my introduction to him was the video to 'individual choice' in the 1980s. was blown away at the time and instantly became a huge fan.

i'm grabbing the rest of your list

This post was edited on 5/20/21 at 11:21 am

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Posted by MountainTiger

The foot of Mt. Belzoni

Member since Dec 2008

14663 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 11:48 am to CAD703X

quote:
i'm grabbing the rest of your list

Very cool. Check out some of the "spin offs" too. For example, Jerry Goodman played with Ponty and also Mahavishnu. He did an album with Jan Hammer entitled Like Children. He also did one with Otiel Burbridge (bassist for Allman Bros.), Howard Levy (keyboard and harmonica for The Flecktones) and Steve Smith (drummer). That album is called The Stranger's Hand.

Speaking of the Flecktones, check them out too. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones.
More:
Dixie Dregs
Victor Wooten
Charlie Hunter
Billie Cobham
Al DiMeola*
Chick Corea (RIP)
Stanley Clarke
Stephane Grappelli (mentor of Ponty)
Jaco Pastorius

*Al DiMeola did a couple of great live albums with Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin and one with Ponty and Clarke called The Rite of Strings.

This post was edited on 5/20/21 at 11:50 am

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Posted by novowels

Baton Rouge

Member since Jan 2008

2400 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 11:51 am to CAD703X

Just got into Jimmy Smith. Popularized the Hammond organ in jazz. Upbeat, fun stuff. The Sermon is a good album to start with.

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Posted by MountainTiger

The foot of Mt. Belzoni

Member since Dec 2008

14663 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 11:56 am to novowels

quote:
Just got into Jimmy Smith. Popularized the Hammond organ in jazz. Upbeat, fun stuff. The Sermon is a good album to start with.

I love organ music.

You might also get into Joe Krown and the trio of Joe Krown, Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Russell Batiste, Jr. Try some Cory Henry too.

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Posted by Demshoes

Up in here

Member since Aug 2015

10199 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 1:48 pm to CAD703X

Love anything from Ornette Coleman

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Posted by DaleGribble

Bend, OR

Member since Sep 2014

6821 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 1:48 pm to CAD703X

Getz/Gilberto

Really anything with Stan Getz or Johnny Smith playing on it.

Anything composed by Tom Jobim.

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Posted by DaleGribble

Bend, OR

Member since Sep 2014

6821 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 1:50 pm to CAD703X

Toots Thielman and Elis Regina.

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Posted by pheroy

Raleigh, NC

Member since Oct 2006

704 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 2:36 pm to DaleGribble

I could go on... lol... but here are a few suggestions in a few categories.

Fusion - MountainTiger gave a great intro there. A few additions:
Miles Davis - Agharta
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life
Tony Williams Lifetime - Emergency!

Soul/boogaloo/funky jazz (kind of bleeds into fusion too):
Donald Byrd - Black Byrd
Lou Donaldson - Scorpion - Live at the Cadillac Club
Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off (Esp. Watermelon Man)
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Grant Green - His Majesty King Funk, Funk In France: From Paris to Antibes
Lonnie Smith - Live At Club Mozambique

Mainstream with a little twist:
Arthur Blythe - Lenox Avenue Breakdown
Either/Orchestra - The Half-Life of Desire
Don Ellis - Live In 3 2/3 / 4 Time
John Handy - The 2nd John Handy Album
Billy Harper - On Tour In the Far East Vol. 1
Pete Laroca - Basra
Don Pullen & The African Brazilian Connection - Kele Mou Bana, Live... Again

Latin - I'm not nearly as versed on Latin jazz as I'd like to be but:
Chano Pozo
Tito Puente
Cal Tjader

If you like the more rambunctions side of Mingus... pushing the envelope a bit (but not completely avant garde/free jazz):
Thomas Chapin - LIVE! On Tour, Haywire
William Parker - O'Neal's Porch
Davis S. Ware - Flight of I (most of his stuff is much further "out")

Current rising stars:
James Brandon Lewis - LINK
Veronica Swift - wonderful young vocalist
Kamasi Washington - The Epic

This post was edited on 5/20/21 at 2:38 pm

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Posted by FightinTigersDammit

Louisiana North

Member since Mar 2006

34674 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 2:45 pm to DaleGribble

quote:
Getz/Gilberto

Hell yes. Love his tone and her voice.

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Posted by pheroy

Raleigh, NC

Member since Oct 2006

704 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 5:15 pm to Demshoes

quote:
Love anything from Ornette Coleman

Ornette takes a little "ear tuning" for most people. He's actually very melodic but his harmonic and rhythmic sensibilities are off kilter for a lot of people. I had to immerse myself into his Atlantic records before my brain tuned in to his sound, then it (mostly) started making sense to me. I remember reading about his early work and he said something along the lines of realizing that he could make mistakes in what he was playing, that there were notes and things that didn't work, which told him he was actually onto something.

He also told a story about getting beat up in Baton Rouge for having long hair at the time and playing his off kilter music at a juke joint where people were expecting R&B dance music.

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Posted by goodshotred2

Columbia, SC

Member since Aug 2013

320 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 5:51 pm to CAD703X

Wayne Shorter - anything from the sixties, but Speak No Evil is a personal favorite.

Jaco Pastorius - self titled debut

Tony Williams Lifetime - Emergency and Believe It

Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay

Miles Davis - too many to mention. Bitches Brew is pretty out there if that's what you are looking for. Sketches of Spain Is a personal favorite.

John Coltrane - Blue Train, Giant Steps, and A Love Supreme

Return to Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy

Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy

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Posted by TigerBR1111

Baton Rouge

Member since Sep 2014

6576 posts

Posted on 5/20/21 at 5:53 pm to CAD703X

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Linda Rondstadt and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra- What’s New

This post was edited on 5/20/21 at 8:59 pm

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Posted by prplhze2000