Mellow Jazz & Blues Music: Recommendations Wanted

  • Music
  • Thread starter Smurf
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Music
In summary, the conversation was about recommendations for mellow music, specifically jazz and blues. The conversation included suggestions for ambient electronic music, Italian baroque, Chuck Mangione, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the Cinematic Orchestra, Leo Kottke, Stereolab, Vince Guaraldi, Aaron Copland, George Benson, Kenny G, Tangerine Dream, Windham Hill label artists, Vivaldi, and Yanni. Some members also shared their preferences for slower, more soothing music for studying.
  • #36
Chi Meson said:
How about John Tesh?
No, don't like Tesh.

Yanni's music is just pleasant to listen to. The pieces are simple, yes they tend to be repititious, but not annoyingly so.
 
Last edited:
Science news on Phys.org
  • #37
Evo said:
No, don't like Tesh.

Yanni's music is just pleasant to listen to. The pieces are simple, yes they tend to be repititious, but not annoyingly so.

Just to be sure, I was only teasing. :wink:
Full disclosure: I am a music snob. I used to be insufferable, but I've gotten better and hardly ever defame popular musicians anymore.

But Tesh! I will NOT hold back at displaying my animosity toward a totally puffed-up wad of hair gel.
 
  • #38
Chi Meson said:
Just to be sure, I was only teasing. :wink:
Full disclosure: I am a music snob. I used to be insufferable, but I've gotten better and hardly ever defame popular musicians anymore.
My good friend is a very accomplished former concert pianist and composer and is "very" into music. He had nothing good to say about Yanni. :biggrin: He went into WAY too much detail about everything that is wrong with Yanni's music and piano playing. Hey, if it can sedate a feral cat inside my car, it's good stuff. :-p

But Tesh! I will NOT hold back at displaying my animosity toward a totally puffed-up wad of hair gel.
I'm in total agreement. :approve:
 
  • #39
Evo said:
My good friend is a very accomplished former concert pianist and composer and is "very" into music. He had nothing good to say about Yanni. :biggrin: He went into WAY too much detail about everything that is wrong with Yanni's music and piano playing. Hey, if it can sedate a feral cat inside my car, it's good stuff. :-p
Well then you've heard it all already; that saves me some time. (I'm looking for a "tongue-biting smiley")
 
  • #40
Evo said:
Yanni's music is just pleasant to listen to. The pieces are simple, yes they tend to be repititious, but not annoyingly so.
I could handle 2 or 3 repititions, which many artists do, but more than that and it sounds like a record where the needle gets stuck in the same track. The technical part of cerebral cortex sometimes gets too involved. :biggrin:

But don't get me wrong, I happen to like Yanni. :smile:

On the other hand, I like Led Zeppelin, Robin Trower, The Who, Cream, The Doors, Spririt and a host of other classical rockers. :biggrin: And they all have mellow pieces.

Lately, I have been enjoying Joe Satriani, and I hope to see him in concert at some point. The tune "Searching" from his album 'Is There Love in Space' is really great. And then there is my theme song "Raspberry Jam Delta-V", which is definitely not for a feral cat. :biggrin:

As for more mellow rock, Traffic and Blind Faith would be great choices.
 
  • #41
Chi Meson said:
Well then you've heard it all already; that saves me some time. (I'm looking for a "tongue-biting smiley")
Oh come on, I know you're dying to say it. :biggrin:
 
  • #42
Arrrrrrrrrgh...mph...mph...mph...
 
  • #43
Chi Meson said:
Arrrrrrrrrgh...mph...mph...mph...
That bad huh? :smile:
 
  • #44
Some generally easy listening music - New York Chill - www.cd1019.com[/URL] (101.9 FM) in NY City.

Archived Playlist - [URL]http://www.cd1019.com/station/playlist.aspx[/URL]

Also see - [URL]http://www.cd1019.com/Airstaff/cbotti.aspx[/URL] and his playlists.

Also Jazz After Hours - [url]http://www.jazzafterhours.org/[/url]

And there is Enya (Eithne Ní Bhraonáin ) and Loreena McKennitt.

Last night about 0330 (driving home from airport), I heard an interesting tune "Skyscraper" by Kinobe. It is apparently of a 'various artists' CD or perhaps one of his that is not readily available in the US.

Also, check out - [url]http://lovegypsies.com/music.html[/url]. I heard an artist, Waldino, just after Kinobe.

and - [PLAIN]http://www.smoothlounge.com/lounge/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #45
Listen to Nick Drake, if you don't already. Nothing is more gentle.
 
  • #46
Tubular Bells (Oldfield) and Lord of the Rings (Hansson)

Actually, Tubular Bells (both album and title track, 1973) by Mike Oldfield is an interesting work. It is perhaps the most repetitious piece, although the phrasing is performed with different instruments.

allmusic.com said:
Mike Oldfield's groundbreaking album Tubular Bells is arguably the finest conglomeration of off-centered instruments concerted together to form a single, unique piece. A variety of instruments are combined to create an excitable multitude of rhythms, tones, pitches, and harmonies that all fuse neatly into each other, resulting in an astounding plethora of music. Oldfield plays all the instruments himself, including such oddities as the Farfisa organ, the Lowrey organ, and the flageolet.
I agree with AM on this.
The familiar eerie opening, made famous by its use in The Exorcist, . . .
:rolleyes:

Another really interesting album is Bo Hansson's (Swedish keyboard player/composer) "Lord of the Rings", which was released in 1972. Exceptional piece of work.
 
  • #47
Loreena McKennitt is good for the mellow jazz type sounds. For that matter much of Celtic music fits the bill. It has a feeling of being ancient and mysterious that appeals to me. If you listen to Loreena McKennitt music in headphones, there is a lot of interesting subtle instrumental work happening (bodhrans of different sizes, wooden flutes, bagpipe type instruments).
 
  • #48
fourier jr said:
yeah tangerine dream's 220 volt live is one of my favourite discs
B00001NFFV.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Like Dream..but these are amazingingly cool :http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/tonto/zerotime.asp

http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/tonto/tehb.asp

I have both on vinyl, and for those about to go into Extra Sensory Places (via music of course) try these:http://www.jonanderson.com/music.html

http://www.mikeoldfield.com/flash/discography.html

I have been trying to get into Jazz..but only as far as Steve Howe and Martin Taylor..for the guitar's.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #49
Astronuc said:
Actually, Tubular Bells (both album and title track, 1973) by Mike Oldfield is an interesting work. It is perhaps the most repetitious piece, although the phrasing is performed with different instruments.

I agree with AM on this. :rolleyes:

Another really interesting album is Bo Hansson's (Swedish keyboard player/composer) "Lord of the Rings", which was released in 1972. Exceptional piece of work.

Now we are talking!..My older brother had this record in the 70's (bo)..I used to sneak a listen when he was not around,,being really careful to his most prized record.

P.S..I class myself as a Mike Oldfield fan-atic, and I have to relay that Mike's most finest conglomeration of off-centered instruments concerted together to form a single, unique piece, is actually AMAROK !

Another boast, I have two copies of the original TB albums, from the first 60,000 pressings..also a copy of the second pressing..third..and of course every single one of his albums :biggrin:
 
  • #50
One word - Shpongle!

It's a magnificent duo of Simon Posford and Raja Ram. Raja knows cultures around the world very well and is a great composer, Simon is a quality electronic music producer. When they are combined, they make mind-blowing, ass-kicking combination of Downtempo, Jazz, Electronic, Psychedelic, Tribal, Etno (Indian, Spanish, Turkish, African...) and much more than that. They use all kinds of vocals (choirs, male, female - often just ''singing'' vowels and stuff that have no meaning or saying some crazy stuff, sentences like: The walls, such they be, are crawling with geometric hallucinations; a lot of tribal callings, even a sample of Ned Flanders' diddly doodly from the Simpsons) and instruments - flutes (Raja plays it ''professionaly''), guitars (all kinds - acoustic, electric, lutes...), pianos, cellos, trumpets and a lot of synthetic sounds, drum-kits and effects (for example cutting vocals).

They have relased three albums: Are you shpongled? (1998) and Tales of the Inexpressible (2001) which are mostly concetrated on Eastern Ambient kinda style, and Nothing Lasts... But Nothing Is Lost this year (which will most likely be their last album) which is more upbeat than previous.

Informations and some clips:
http://www.shpongle.com/
http://www.shpongle.org/

This is a must hear/have... :wink:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #51
Tubular Bells! There's an album I've not listened to in a long, long while. Used to send me to sleep when I was a kid.

Here's the best rec you'll have all week:

Adam & James - The Joy of Sexy

It's finally finished! It's truly amazing. Following on from our previous two albums ('Sexy', and 'Sexier than Thou'), we've become even more professional in our songwriting, musicianship, and singing skills. It's immaculately presented though, really.

Containing such gems as "Beard Men", "Borrowsteal" and "I Don't Like Mum-days", this is a timeless classic which will never cease to have its victims entertained. Here's just a few things which have been said about our music:

"It's like a cross between Bob Dylan and Bob the Builder" - My friend Rach
"What the...? Oh my God, I think I soiled myself!" - Anon
"This is amazing! I want some more!" - icvotria of PF fame
"You guys are nobs!" - Our friend Al

It's only £5! Bargain! Anyone who's interested, please PM me, or add me to your MSN or something. If you feel weird about buying from someone you don't know, I'd be more than happy to set up a private auction on eBay for you.

Danger, Evo & Moonbear, I'm expecting you to buy one of these! I'll cry if you don't!

It's amaazing, honestly!
 

Similar threads

Replies
260
Views
13K
5
Replies
142
Views
3K
Replies
10
Views
1K
Replies
19
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
6K
Replies
322
Views
23K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Back
Top