Tusker Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 I was having a conversation with a friend, and this question came up ... Which, in your view are the most influential jazz compositions of the 20th century ...? I am not thinking of show and pop tunes that became jazz standards ... but of pieces written by jazz musicians for jazz (however you would define that). Thanks, Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 How about some of the things Coltrane did. His stuff influenced folks to play a " song flute" like this. [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Hmm, I've never considered this before, but then I'm not a 'musicologist.' This could be a LONG list, which I may come back to later. But some initial songs that come to mind: "'Round Midnight" - definitive Monk original "All Blues" - Miles' simple majory blues melody and bass groove. (This could be any Miles tune from his earlier period that started a more sophisticated jazz era.) "Take Five" - because it popularized jazz for a wider audience "Night In Tunesia" - Dizzy's tune became like the National Anthem of bop "Satin Doll" - only as one of the many enduring Duke pieces "Oleo" - I don't know when the first new melody on "I've Got Rhythm" or "rhythm changes" happened, but Sonny Rollins's tune helped lead the way for that chord progression to be almost endlessly explored. "Cantaloupe Island" - only as Herbie's precursor to fusion, such as the later "Chameleon." Earlier tunes signaled fusion before this, like Herbie's "Watermelon Man" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder." I just list them because of the term "influential." "Birdland" - Zawinul's influential fusion hit, like his earlier popular "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." "In The Mood" - popularized big band jazz, as did many other songs like Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball", etc. "Spain" - Chick's written many influential songs, going back to his early stuff like "Windows" ... and of course, many, many more. I listed these for their influence, not necessarily as all favorite pieces of mine. I didn't include conceptual pieces like Coltrane's "Giant Steps" or Ornette's tunes like "Lonely Woman" and "The Blessing" which became foundations for different 'schools' of jazz musician development. I also wouldn't include Errol Garner's "Misty", although popular, it wasn't compostionally influential in style. Also not included, non-jazz "jazz standards" like "On Green Dolphin St." or "Girl From Ipanema" - the introduction of the bossa to America and the jazz world. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Im the furthest from an expert in this area, but Ill throw a couple of tunes against the wall for consideration/fodder: Ornithology by Charlie Parker - lick used in countless jazz improv Tune Up by Miles Davis classic ii-V-I exposition "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meisenhower Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 The entire Kind of Blue album from Miles can be considered among the most influential in the entire jazz idiom. I especially like "So What" and "Blue in Green". "Round Midnight" by Monk. 'nuff said. "West End Blues" King Oliver - Huge influence on the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. "King Porter Stomp" - Jelly Roll Morton "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" - Charles Mingus "Congeniality" - Ornette Coleman "Maiden Voyage" - Herbie Hancock "Bitches Brew" (the song) - Miles Davis "Moment's Notice" - John Coltrane There are many more, but time just doesn't permit inclusion at the moment. Yamaha C7 Grand, My Hammonds: '57 B3, '54 C2, '42 BC, '40 D, '05 XK3 Pro System, Kawai MP9000, Fender Rhodes Mk I 73, Yamaha CP33, Motif ES6, Nord Electro 2, Minimoog Voyager & Model D, Korg MS10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niacin Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Giant Steps (Coltrane). So What (Miles). Some of Monk's tunes. Because whole book chapters, probably whole theses, have been written about them. If you get a set of chord changes or a voicing named after a tune I think it qualifies as influential. Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMcD Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 I'd put "Chameleon" on here. Tenor Madness, as well. A milestone in the world of dueling, and a melody that's been quoted countless times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 anything by Horace Silver "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moj Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi. All kids from 1965 till today know this tune. Pretty influential, as far as the general public is concern, even though it might be too "pop" for jazzers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted August 9, 2009 Author Share Posted August 9, 2009 Wow. Thanks guys. I am a little awestruck by your love for this great music. SK, that's a seminal list. I would include Giant Steps (for example) because of it's influence within jazz. Please keep it coming. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidolem Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 I would like to include something by Bill Evans. A great composer. "Waltz for Debby" "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench; a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. ............ There's also a negative side" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Louis Armstrong "Struttin' With Some Barbeque", though I could have pick an one of dozen numbers from the Hot Fives/Sevens era. Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing" @ Carnegie Hall 1938 Duke Ellington w/Mahalia Jackson "Come Sunday" Billie Holliday "Strange Fruit" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayvon Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Likes this thread. If it didn't derail the thread too much it'd be interesting to see which tunes are most influential to each particular persons jazz piano playing as well. Off the top of my head for me it'd be things like Begin the Beguine/Yesterdays by God himself, Giant Steps/West Park Central, West Coast Blues by Wes Montgomery, Maiden Voyage/Dolphin Dance, I Love Music by Ahmad Jamal. And I'll throw in Epistrophy/Pannonica by Monk to finish. All those tunes have had a large part to play in shaping my style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Wow. Thanks guys. I am a little awestruck by your love for this great music. SK, that's a seminal list. I would include Giant Steps (for example) because of it's influence within jazz. Please keep it coming. Jerry Yeah, later I thought I should have included "Giant Steps" too. I was trying to narrow it to jazz songs that impacted beyond jazz circles, shaping broader musical direction. So it wouldn't be so long, I tried not to fall into personal favorites, or listing influential albums like "Bitches Brew." So instead, I might think of "In A Silent Way." For influential jazz compositions (but not a 'jazz tune'), I guess Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" should be included. Interesting idea for a thread, Tusker. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 All great replies. I'll throw in my love for Duke Ellington compositions...Prelude to a Kiss, Come Sunday, Sophisticated Lady, I got it Bad, In a Sentimental Mode (maybe my favorite Duke tune) Can't leave out Billy Strayhorn.....A Train, Lush Life, Ishfahan, Upper Medical Manhattan Medical Group ( last tune he wrote while in the hospital), Chelsea Bridge. Didn't see the Benny Golson songbook mentioned.... Whisper Not, Along came Betty, Stablemates, I remember Clifford, the infamous Killer Joe. Bird stuff-the aforementioned Ornithology, Confirmation, Yardbird Suite (1st real jazz tune I ever learned), Donna Lee, etc, etc, Can't leave out maybe the King of modern jazz compositions, Wayne Shorter- Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, Footprints, Speak No Evil, Nefertiti, El Gaucho, Black Nile, ESP, etc, etc. Joe Henderson's Inner Urge & Recorda Me can't be left out either. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I love that stuff too. Certain composers were influential by the bulk of their work. Hard to pick one single tune by Ellington/Strayhorn/Monk, etc. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpel Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I would like to include something by Bill Evans. A great composer. "Waltz for Debbie" Certainly one of my favorite jazz "songs" of them all, but I believe it is spelled "Debby." You know who's becoming a fine jazz "song"writer as well? John Scofield, that's who. Check out something like the ballad "Easy for You." I actually wrote lyrics for that one, I was so moved by its song-iness. John doesn't know about our collaboration yet... Check out the Sweet Clementines CD at bandcamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonksDream Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 What? No Fats Waller love? "Ain't Misbehavin'" has to be on this list. "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Sweet Lorraine" or any number of tunes by the Nat King Cole Trio. Very big influence on Tatum and Oscar. "Tea For Two" by Art Tatum set the bar for jazz piano virtuosity. The albums "Bright Size Life" and "As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls" by Pat Metheny The album "Aja" by Steely Dan" Instrumentation is meaningless - a song either stands on its own merit, or it requires bells and whistles to cover its lack of adequacy, much less quality. - kanker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonksDream Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Off the top of my head for me it'd be things like Begin the Beguine/Yesterdays by God himself, It's a mark of his influence that no one has had to ask who Kayvon is referring to! Instrumentation is meaningless - a song either stands on its own merit, or it requires bells and whistles to cover its lack of adequacy, much less quality. - kanker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nordude Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 The Kind Of Blue album (So What came to mind first, then Flamenco Sketches), Giant Steps, but some of Miles' 2nd quintet as well, I guess... Footprints, Nefertiti, E.S.P. ... Weather Report/Joe Zawinul did some ground breaking work in the fusion and world music realm: stuff like Nubian Sundance, Mysterious Traveller, Freezing Fire, Black Market, Havona, Fast City... maybe even earlier, on their first albums, which are somewhat less accessible to my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidolem Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 A musician from Belgium, Toots Thielemans, plays chromatic harmonica. He wrote Bluesette, a nice jazz waltz that pianist Kenny Werner re-harmonized. I interviewed Toots years ago. Interview is posted on my web site http://www.melodicas.com/jazz_keyboard_interviews.htm "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench; a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. ............ There's also a negative side" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Cool interview with Toots! Small world... a drummer on my CD played a lot with Toots on BET jazz shows, etc. And he mentioned drummer Clarence Penn, who used to do gigs with me before he moved to NY. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Most influential jazz composition(s) for fretless bass players: "Teen Town" and Jaco's take on "Donna Lee". The albums "Bright Size Life" and "As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls" by Pat Metheny +1 on "Bright Size Life" but might say "San Lorenzo" or "Phase Dance" on "the white album" (not to be confused with "The White Album" ) influenced more musicians than, say, "AFWSFWF". I know those greatly influenced me. Didn't see the Benny Golson songbook mentioned.... I remember Clifford One of my favorite renditions of "I Remember Clifford" from Roy Hargrove. Luscious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Bobby Timmons composed a pair of jazz standards in "Moanin'" and "Dat Dere". Tadd Dameron composed "If You Could See Me Now", "Good Bait", "Hot House" and "Lady Bird". Great thread idea. PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 For influential jazz compositions (but not a 'jazz tune'), I guess Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" should be included. Yup, for many reasons. A lot of the Great American songbook, "I got Rhythm" and "Jeepers Creepers", "The Peanut Vendor" were influential to the average Joe. For the modern era, "Birdland", "Watermelon Man". I'm sure that TV themes like "Barney Miller" and "Sanford and Son" influenced many a young man in "Stage Band". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachimay Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Can't forget Jobim... Desafinado Corcovado Girl from... One Note Samba www.dandechellis.com "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." A. Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 "A Love Supreme" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADino Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Almost impossible to list.. 4 & More..Miles....Herbies killen on it.. I smiles when I lisens to Miles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADino Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Anyone hip to Tete Montilou ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasb Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I have a slightly tangent question (Dave broached it above a bit)- I and I'm sure many others consider Wayne Shorter to be one of the most influential Jazz composers ever but what compositions would you all choose in this discussion? Hmm.... A lot of people mentioned Giant Steps and that came to me first when I saw the topic too. Giant Steps/Countdown changes have influenced so many people it's kind of neat- in this decade I've played with Saxophonists in their 70's, 60's, 50's, 40's, 30's, and 20's and they all have something in common- lol that progression effed them up so much that they are still playing and writing it into their own music! I love it. Naima is not a bad one either to add to the topic- I'm sure not the first out there with the pedal happening but surely an influential example. What about for the organ crowd? The Sermon or Back At The Chicken Shack perhaps? Steve- I'm definitely jealous (ok well, for many reasons but just this time)- I am a Clarence Penn fan, would love to play with him sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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