Which of these Contemporary Groups Have You Most Enjoyed In Recent Years?

[ppjazz]

An initial attempt at conducting a "poll" on this site that will hopefully create some interest.

[Coypu]

Gordian Knot
Aghora

thoose are my choices. I like Gordian Knot because it mixes Classical, Ambient, Fusion & Metal in a very down to earth way eventhough the guys have extreme skill.

Aghora is nice for the bassplay alone, the music is pretty masterfull anyway but Sean Malone really nailed it on this one.

[clifton]

Metheny's electric music is quite adventurous, given his allegience to Ornette Coleman and his use of Cuong Vu as a sideman. The sweet melodies he writes are often a deceptive patina for complex interplay and soaring fusion. My tastes in electric jazz are less on the smooth side and more on the fusion side; Miles, Herbie, Tim Hagans, Bela Fleck, etc. Ornette's electric music is knotty and inspired. I like Yellojackets, too.

[powderfinger]

My favourites aren't listed in the poll above. I enjoyed most the development of the Dave Holland Quartet over the last years. The last four records on ECM are all brilliant and on a continously high and intense level.
The second one I'd like to mention here is Bill Frisell. In the last five years this musician has performed very unique material on his CDs. I don't know any other jazz-guitarist who explores and combines elements of country and jazz in such a surprising way like Frisell does. Can't wait for his next release in early 2oo3.

[lazy bird]

The Dave Holland Quintet is great indeed! I saw Chris Potter, their saxophonist, perform a week ago with his own band. He's a fine player, but i more a appreciate him as a sideman of Dave Holland. My other favorite contemporary bands are John Zorn & Masada and the french trio Aldo Romano, Henri Texier and Louis Sclavis. Their albums 'Suite Africaine' and ' Carnet de routes' are supurb!

Masada

http://www.omnology.com/zorn02.html


Romano, Texier & Sclavis

http://www.rattaymusic.de/releases/Label%20Bleu/Romano.Scla.Tex.Suite%20Afr.html

[ryanoceros]

Isotope 217

Masada

I urge those of you who are only watching New York (like the rest of the world) to check out the following Boston bands/musicians (live is always best but recordings will suffice) :

Bob Nieske 3 (or 4 or 5 or with the lydian string quartet)

Harvey Diamond [studied with Tristano]

Dead Cat Bounce [post mingus stuff... fantastic, esp. live] "lucky by association" (deadcatbounce.org)

Nando Michelin Brazilian Project