click to preview tracks at amazon.co.uk

OK, so here’s the first album review on the site, and I have to admit that while it’s not Instrumental Jazz Music, it’s well worth a listen by any jazz fan.

This album features the now 80-years-old Tony Bennett, singing the best of the American Songbook, accompanied by some of the best singers (and most surprising) in the world, including Diana Krall, Celine dion, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Bono, Michael Buble and the great Barbara Streisand.

Don’t miss the track listing (below), as there are some incredible pairings there.

This album is a very smooth, mellow treat, and I’m overjoyed that I found it. It features many of my favourite songs, and also introduced me to one or two as well.

Click to buy/preview Duets: An American Classic

Track Listing:

If you would like to hear some samples of this essential album, then click here to go to the amazon store where you can read more reviews and listen to samples.

Technorati Tags: Jazz Album Review, Jazz Music REview, Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett Duet

Title: Syeeda’s Song Flute
Artist: John Coltrane
Album: Giant Steps
Cmpser: John Coltrane
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1959

Click to buy Giant Steps now.

A feeling of ‘something big is about to happen’ clings to the beginning of this track.

The sound is great – the awesome sax sounds very dry and short, with no reverb or echo from the room. With the sax placed towards the left-hand-side of the speakers, the piano in the middle, and the bass and percussion towards the right, you get a real feeling of being in the studio with these guys as they’re recording it – like you’re standing in the room.

The feeling of fun, travel, and possibilities takes over the recording, bringing to mind journeys across europe by train and by car – Don’t ask me why, that’s just the image I got!

return the feeling of something impending, and the track is finished. bravo.
John Coltrane at his best.

10/10

You can buy the album at Amazon here:
Giant Steps

Technorati Tags: Instrumental Jazz, Instrumental Jazz Music, Jazz Music, Jazz Music REview, John Coltrane, John Coltrane Jazz, Sax-Led, Sax-led Jazz, Saxophone, Saxophone-led Jazz Music

upbeat and cheery, ‘I mean you’ features around a very (almost honky-tonk sounding) bright piano, with a raspy barotone sax playing in sync. The two sounds then part ways and the piano takes over the conversation, accompanied by the bass and drums, with the percussionist keeping pace on the cymbal.
Having said his piece, piano bows out and sax steps in to say his piece with an easy-going, cool tune.
The sounds meet up again and finish the piece as they started,not in unison to begin with; this time playing complimentary melodies, and then relaxing gently back into unison.

Great upbeat sounds, 10/10

It’s Thelonious Monk – what more do I need to say??

Technorati Tags: Instrumental Jazz, Instrumental Jazz Music, Jazz Music, Jazz Music REview, Sax-led Jazz, Saxophone, Saxophone-led Jazz Music, Thelonious Monk

Buy the Album or download the mp3s here:
Kind of Blue

Piano, Brushes and Horn. Miles Davis at his best. ‘Blue in Green’, taken from the 1959 album ‘Kind of Blue’ is a winner. listening to it you’re intantly whipped away to a dark smoky club, nobody there but you, listening to these masters of their craft.
through the smoke the muted trumpet peeps through, riding the wave of the piano, while the double bass beats like a distant heartbeat.
Then a saxophone pipes up, makes his point and leaves.
Awesome. Loved it. This is what Instrumental Jazz Music is all about!
10/10

Buy the Album or download the mp3s here:
Kind of Blue

Technorati Tags: Instrumental Jazz Music, Jazz, Jazz Music Explained, Jazz Music REview, Miles Davis, Trumpet-led Jazz Music

Title: I’ll Be Seeing You
Artist: Brad Mehldau
Album: The Art of the Trio, Vol. 4 – Back at the Vanguard [Live]
Cmpser: Fain / Kahal
Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Year: 1999

Smooth and laid back, this is the simplest Instrumental Jazz Music at its best, cool and structured, with a couple of improv breaks for a little spice.

This track takes the classic, simple, piano, drums and double-bass formula and hits a home run.

Very nice to listen to, this one gets a 9/10 – the only reason it doesn’t get 10 is because it really could do with a guest horn on it at some point.

Get the album or download the mp3s from amazon here:
The Art of the Trio Vol.4: Back at the Vanguard

Technorati Tags: Brad Mehldau, Instrumental Jazz, Instrumental Jazz Music, Jazz Music REview, Jazz Trio Music, Piano Jazz Music, Piano-led Jazz Music

Alongside its coutnerpart Vocal Jazz (usually Instrumental Jazz accompanied by a singer), Instrumental Jazz is revered for bringing an emotional intensity to the listener, whether those emotions be anger, sadness or betrayal, or happiness, carefree flights of fancy or love.

While the varied sub-genres of Jazz can be as different as chalk and cheese, they all hold a similar quality; and that’s the love of the musicians for the music they are making – a love often missing in mass-produced music such as modern chart pop and dance music.

Instruments Used in Instrumental Jazz Music

To really ‘get’ instrumental jazz music, it really helps to know and identify what musical instruments are used in its creation.

Here are some of the most commonly used instruments in Jazz:

• Piano
• Guitar
• Drums
• Double Bass
• Woodwinds
• Saxophones
• Trombones
• Trumpet
• Flutes
• Clarinet

These are only a few of the most recognisable instruments that define instrumental jazz music; one of the favorites is the saxophone.

Saxophone and Instrumental Jazz Music

The saxophone is probably one of the most recognizable instruments in any band, jazz group, concert band or folk music. The saxophone is usually made out of brass and of various keys and pads to control the notes; it uses a single reed (reed is a thin piece of wood attached to the mouthpiece which vibrates when you blow on it) to create it’s sound.

The most common styles of sax that make up the saxophone section in instrumental jazz music are:

• Alto saxes
• Tenor saxes
• Baritone saxes

The less common ones are:

• Bass saxes
• Soprano saxes

Instrumental jazz music played with the saxophone in the band creates a sensual atmosphere, which is both relaxing and stimulating. While the Saxophone is often associated with romance, Jazz and Big Band music very often uses the diferent types of saxophone in unison and harmony to create a very warm, soft, flowing sound like a river – one which the rest of the song glides smoothly along.

Where can I hear Instrumental Jazz Music?

Whether Vocal or  Instrumental, you will find Jazz being played at all sorts of different venues and occasions.

Due to its relaxing nature, Instrumental Jazz is often played in Supermarkets, shopping centres and elevators, which is often negatively termed ‘Muzak’. Aside from this often negative image, Jazz is a perfect accompaniment to a romantic meal in a restaurant or at home, and is often found played at weddings and other functions, too.

Jazz is regularly used in movies where the filmmakers want to achieve an atmosphere of ‘cool’, which is a very postitive representation. Usually in these circumstances Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin or any of the classic crooners are used (and rightfully so, as these guys are the undisputed kings of cool).

Instrumental Jazz Music is often used in the movies as incidental music, ocurring in the background.

With jazz music you can dance, sit back and relax or just enjoy it as a background mood-setting device; its soothing notes will take you into the relaxing, dreamy world of jazz bringing you inner comfort and tranquility.

Instrumental Jazz music can be found everywhere, and for good reason – its mood-setting ability can be used to transform the feeling and atmosphere of a room or situation in mere moments.

You can listen to Instrumental Jazz on the Internet through various free Instrumental Jazz Music Internet Radio stations, such as accuradio.com‘s Jazz channel

Technorati Tags: Instrumental Jazz, Instrumental Jazz Music, Jazz, Jazz Music Explained, Jazz Music Radio, Jazz Music REview, Listening to Jazz, Saxophone