Blues, Jazz and Musical Tastes

[Meadow337]

Actually (and sorry for resurrecting this thread just to be picky) those are two different songs. The Kingston Trio et al "500 Miles" and the Proclaimers "500 Miles" share only the title and some acoustic guitars. My favourite version of the "classic" "500 Miles" (which apparently goes back to the US civil war) was always The Hooters:

Accuracy is important so no need to apologise

To continue the thread itself, I'm one of those weird people who actually like my jazz free and wild - I've spent much of the last week blasting Coltrane's "Ascension" and Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" while reading. It's been said that jazz is the only uniquely American art form, and as such, it must be allowed to sprawl, brawl, get loud and obnoxious at times, but always have a big heart somewhere underneath. I'll see if I can find some good examples to post...

the 'free and wild' is kind of where I get turned off jazz I'm afraid - it just sounds horribly discordant to me.

 

[A Listener]

The blues are a big part of the foundational material of jazz. When jazz gets too far from the blues, and forgets how to swing, it becomes unlistenable for me. Not unlike the statement by, I believe, Beethoven, that when symphonic music gets too far from the dance, it becomes decadent. Here are clips of jazz masters playing blues.

"Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor", an old time blues performed by Bill Bissonnette’s jazz band with Carol Leigh on the cooly erotic vocal.

　
Count Basie and Oscar Peterson, improvising a walking blues. Very nice.

George Lewis and the rhythm section of his "Ragtime Jazz Band", playing his own "Burgundy Street Blues".

Woody Herman and his Orchestra, playing their theme song, "Blue Flame".