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When Jazz Met Electronics

Seeker_UK

Seeker_UK

Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
I've been meaning to start this thread for a while but have dithered because I know I'll find it tricky to explain. It all makes sense in my head, please bear with me.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of electronic music and it was one of my routes into jazz. One of the first jazz musicians I heard who piqued my interest was Herbie Hancock; blame "Rockit" and then, much later, John Surman playing solo on BBC2's Late Show:


The mix of synths and sax meant an expensive time buying all of his ECM output, looking to find more like that. Also that led to the Azimuth albums.

What I like is the use of synthesizer / electronics in jazz in their own right. Not the use of electronics or synthesizers as a different timbre to play extended chords or solos with, but as complementary / contrasting sound source or rhythmic bed to play against. As well as John Surman, other examples of the sort of use I'm talking about:



Or the use of David Durrah's Moog interludes in this:


Are there any artists / releases you can think of like those?
 
There was a lot of synthesizers and electronic keyboards used in jazz of the 1970s, so look there. Plus it has become popular again in more recent times. Off the top of my head, try the electric Miles of the period and some of the John Zorn Electric Masada stuff.
 

This Freddie Hubbard is right out there on its own somewhere. The synth/tape content pretty much in Stockhausen/Cage territory. I can’t find a link to the whole album, so this is track one side one. The whole thing is a concept album and whilst obviously hippie/of its time it is so odd it is wonderful IMO. An original US copy came in with a collection years ago and obviously never went anywhere.

PS Seconded on that period of Herbie Hancock, Mwandishi is possibly my favourite along with Crossings and Sextant. I’d chuck Miles Davis Get Up With It in here too as the side-long ‘He Loved Him Madly’ is just pure Krautrock. More effected organ I think, but it sounds very Klaus Schulze!
 
For a very fine, more Hip Hop inspired blend, record from a couple of years ago:


Diatom Ribbons | Kris Davis (bandcamp.com)

At the more ambient end of things, these might be of interest:


Elusive Balance | OZMOTIC | Touch (bandcamp.com)

I think you've posted about Jon Hassall before - if not this is a good place to start

Last Night the Moon Came Dropping its Clothes in the Street by Jon Hassell: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl

And, in case you've not heard it, VillaLobos's remix of ECM recordings into almost unrecognisable shapes.

Re: ECM: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Ishmael Ensemble are well worth a look too:



They do the jazz meets electronica thing and often take it off into a Bristol trip-hop direction (they are from Bristol).
 
Tony L said:

This Freddie Hubbard is right out there on its own somewhere. The synth/tape content pretty much in Stockhausen/Cage territory. I can’t find a link to the whole album, so this is track one side one. The whole thing is a concept album and whilst obviously hippie/of its time it is so odd it is wonderful IMO. An original US copy came in with a collection years ago and obviously never went anywhere.

PS Seconded on that period of Herbie Hancock, Mwandishi is possibly my favourite along with Crossings and Sextant. I’d chuck Miles Davis Get Up With It in here too as the side-long ‘He Loved Him Madly’ is just pure Krautrock. More effected organ I think, but it sounds very Klaus Schulze!
Click to expand...

All of the Mwandishi band members' solo albums are essential, IMHO, but I've never heard that Hubbard LP before. Thanks.
 
This one is another one that's covering the sort of approach I'm describing, even if the sounds are a bit more 80s.
 
kjb said:
For a very fine, more Hip Hop inspired blend, record from a couple of years ago:


Diatom Ribbons | Kris Davis (bandcamp.com)

At the more ambient end of things, these might be of interest:


Elusive Balance | OZMOTIC | Touch (bandcamp.com)

I think you've posted about Jon Hassall before - if not this is a good place to start

Last Night the Moon Came Dropping its Clothes in the Street by Jon Hassell: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl

And, in case you've not heard it, VillaLobos's remix of ECM recordings into almost unrecognisable shapes.

Re: ECM: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl
Click to expand...

Thanks. I wasn't sure about that Kris Davis when it started but it turned into something good.

Jon Hassell - I've always considered him world / ambient than jazz but is an appealing mix nevertheless.

I will check out that ECM though.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Seeker_UK said:
I've been meaning to start this thread for a while but have dithered because I know I'll find it tricky to explain. It all makes sense in my head, please bear with me.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of electronic music and it was one of my routes into jazz. One of the first jazz musicians I heard who piqued my interest was Herbie Hancock; blame "Rockit" and then, much later, John Surman playing solo on BBC2's Late Show:

<snip>

Are there any artists / releases you can think of like those?
Click to expand...
Can't suggest any similar artists but mention of Azimuth reminds me of this fantastic track, which I stumbled on while listening to an ECM playlist on Spotify:


Amazing vocal performance from Norma Winstone (how many octaves does she cover?) and the whole thing reeks of joss-sticks and feminist consciousness raising groups (this is a good thing).
 
droodzilla said:
Can't suggest any similar artists but mention of Azimuth reminds me of this fantastic track, which I stumbled on while listening to an ECM playlist on Spotify:


Amazing vocal performance from Norma Winstone (how many octaves does she cover?) and the whole thing reeks of joss-sticks and feminist consciousness raising groups (this is a good thing).
Click to expand...

That's on the first album, which is *exactly* the sort of thing I'm talking about. Let the AKS sequencer run and play around it. :cool:

The track before it, "Azimuth" is the same sort of thing.
 
The Bob James Trio album, "Explosions" is another that springs to mind, although it is more about juxtaposing Musique Concrete with jazz. But it works for me.

 
There's a few bits on Gondwana Records - Portico Quartet and Sunda Arc (a Mammal Hands electronica side project) in particular.
I'd also check out Eivind Aarset and Jan Bang.
 
It gets way more complex with modern stuff to know where to put it, e.g. I’d happily class Squarepusher as jazz.
 
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