Comment Kurt Elling! Plus Oscar, Keith, Chick.... (Score 2, Interesting) 235
Kurt Elling is IMHO the finest male jazz vocalist alive today, if not the finest jazz vocalist alive today full stop. His 'vocalises' (settings of poetry to transcriptions of great instrumental improvisations) are pretty extraordinary, and his subtle phrasing and clean (mainly) vibratoless sound is a delight. 'Flirting with Twilight' is a subversive disc of standards and is a good (if somewhat atypical) introduction to his art, while 'The Messenger' contains a version of Nature Boy that has to be heard to be believed.
Some pianists you must consider:
* Oscar Peterson - wonderfully big-hearted, and a great example of a phenomenal technique used brilliantly for emotional expression. 'Exclusively for my Friends' is an essential four-disc set.
* Keith Jarrett (The Koeln Concert in particular is a powerhouse of free, unbounded improvisation)
* Chick Corea. The gonzo jazz-rock fusion of Return to Forever isn't to everyone's taste (it is to mine), but he has a wonderfully crisp style with a totally distinctive harmonic language. A fine composer too (his Piano Concerto is one of the more successful jazz-classical crossover attempts).
* Michel Pettrucciani. This man is was a genius, despite being quite badly disabled. A triumph of the human spirit. I highly recommend the two-disc set of him live at the Champs-Elysees (solo) - the highlight is an incredible continuous 30min+ 'Medley of my Favourite Songs'. Talk about stamina!
Some pianists you must consider:
* Oscar Peterson - wonderfully big-hearted, and a great example of a phenomenal technique used brilliantly for emotional expression. 'Exclusively for my Friends' is an essential four-disc set.
* Keith Jarrett (The Koeln Concert in particular is a powerhouse of free, unbounded improvisation)
* Chick Corea. The gonzo jazz-rock fusion of Return to Forever isn't to everyone's taste (it is to mine), but he has a wonderfully crisp style with a totally distinctive harmonic language. A fine composer too (his Piano Concerto is one of the more successful jazz-classical crossover attempts).
* Michel Pettrucciani. This man is was a genius, despite being quite badly disabled. A triumph of the human spirit. I highly recommend the two-disc set of him live at the Champs-Elysees (solo) - the highlight is an incredible continuous 30min+ 'Medley of my Favourite Songs'. Talk about stamina!
