Recommended music - other than classical and pop


I am not sure there is a thread on what Sonos is truly about - the music, so this might be an interesting thread. I have left out classical because that deserves a thread of its own and modern pop because it all sounds the same to me.
I have Phil Keaggy strumming Solitude from his Acoustic Sketches album right now in the bedroom on a play 1 pair and sounding very good indeed.
Recently heard and equally good music and mastering:
1. Michel Petrucciani and NHOP
2. Beyond the Missouri Sky - Metheny and Haden
3. Chiaroscuro - Fresu and Towner
4. Jan Johannsen - Jazz pa Svenska
5. The Astounding Eyes of Rita - Anouar Brahem
6. Last Dance/Jasmine - Jarrett and Haden
7. Saturday Morning - Ahmad Jamal
8. Melos - Paolo Fresu
All but the last are ITunes 256kbps purchases, the last a lossless CD rip.
Very little lost in translation for the lossy thing and Sonos convenience.
Any recommendations on similar music that uses the silence between the notes effectively?

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GREAT find! Love it! Can never go wrong with sax, especially when it is playing the Sinatra standards...
Can never go wrong with sax, especially when it is playing the Sinatra standards...
Indeed. Another recent find is Ron Carter/Dear Miles - tribute to Miles album from 2007. No sax on this one, just Carter with piano and percussion, but very good. The Sub adds lots of depth to the bass lines.
If you like Collin Walcott, may I suggest the group "Oregon". Walcott was a founding member, playing tabla and sitar until his untimely death in 1984. There are many Oregon albums on Deezer or equivalent, and they are consistently good.

Trilok Gurtu replaced Walcott in Oregon. He is a sensational percussionist, and has some solo albums too. I would recommend "Crazy Saints". He also played on a live album as part of the John McLaughlin Trio, with Kai Eckhardt, called "Live at the Royal Festival Hall" (not on subscription services).

Oregon came from "The Paul Winter Consort". Their album "Icarus" is worth a try (unfortunately also not on subscription services).

Cheers, Peter.
Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Side by Side. Great album.

I have a lot of jazz, blues, roots music but I'm really loving Google Play and SONOS. I can search all the albums people suggest here and have a listen. If I like I save into a play list or favourites.

Great thread.
If you like Collin Walcott, may I suggest the group "Oregon".
Nice one, thanks. I am listening to their Winter Light and it is very good.
Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Side by Side. Great album.

Those two are just as good on Back to Back - be sure to listen to that one as well.

Another new find is Rez Abbasi - Guitar jazz trio with just a hint of South Asia. I found Continuous Beat to be the best yet.
For solo guitar - a good new find: One/Jonathan Kreisberg.
And an older just discovered gem: Characters/John Abercrombie.
An unusual trio of sax, guitar and bassist well worth a listen - Wolfgang Muthspiel: Drumfree.
No drums, the guitar and bass fill in for them.
Thanks, Drumfree is very enjoyable. I've not heard Wolfgang Muthspiel with this combination of instruments before, and I think it works very well.

I've seen him play in a trio of guitarists, with Slava Grigoryan (Australian classical guitarist) and Ralph Towner (guitarist from Oregon). The Muthspiel solos using a loop station were excellent, although I still prefer Towner's raw emotion.

Cheers, Peter.
I'd like to share my latest discovery - a US-based collective called "Snarky Puppy". Perhaps described as modern big-band jazz/rock/fusion, they may not be for everyone. However, their latest album "We Like It Here" is, in my opinion, very listenable. Very tight, very energetic, very talented, interesting compositions, and some of the best solos I've heard. It also sounds great with the Sonos SUB - the band leader is a bass player.

I particularly recommend the last track "Lingus". The keyboard solo by Cory Henry is simply outstanding. The album is available on subscription services, but also on youtube. Well worth watching that solo.

Cheers, Peter.
It also sounds great with the Sonos SUB - the band leader is a bass player.

I found their The Only Constant to be good too, thanks.
For a Sub capability check, a great album is Victor Wooten's A Show of Hands. Solo bass guitar album.
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By modern pop you mean? All the crap that involves dancing, auto tune, and limited to zero real musical talent?
Three excellent recent additions: albums by John Taylor, Peter Erskine and Palle Danielsson - As it is, Time being, and, You never know.
ECM albums, so the usual good sound quality as well.
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Ambient jazz huh?? Sounds good but it's kind of boring..
Ambient jazz huh?? Sounds good but it's kind of boring..
Our tastes differ. Don't look up my recommendations in future.
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Why not? I find in interesting. And btw this is an open forum if you don't want comments than maybe consider what you post. I'm sure if I posted that I was into Polka music that there might be a few folks that questioned my taste in music. If I didn't want to defend my love of Polka music then it would probably make sense not to mention it.
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Hi,
This thread is very useful, I found a lot of interesting music.
I came across a lot of new names and I've expanded my musical library.
I hope it will continue.
Thank you for all the suggestions.
Another new - to me - find that is worth a listen: Bela Fleck/Live Art.
And if east west fusion is to taste, two more of Bela Fleck are also excellent:
Tabula Rasa
The Melody of Rhythm

As is Malian Kora guitar music from Toumani Diabate. I think I have referred to New Ancient Strings earlier, but the recent Mande Variations is also very good.
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Today I've been listening to Four80East on Spotify.
Melodic electro jazz with a great bass groove. Worth a listen.
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@Kumar, based on your original list, off the top of my head, may I suggest:

Miles Davis; Kind of Blue
Stan Getz; Getz/Gilberto
John Coltrane; John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Keith Jarrett; Koln Concert
Oregon; Out of the Woods
Pat Metheny; Bright Size Life
Chet Baker; Best of Chet Baker Sings
David Axelrod; Song of Innocence
Kenny Burrell; Midnight Blue
Madredeus; Ainda
Brian Eno; Music for Airports
Bill Evans Trio; Waltz for Debby

Miles Davis; Kind of Blue
Stan Getz; Getz/Gilberto
John Coltrane; John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Keith Jarrett; Koln Concert
Oregon; Out of the Woods
Pat Metheny; Bright Size Life
Chet Baker; Best of Chet Baker Sings

Kenny Burrell; Midnight Blue


Bill Evans Trio; Waltz for Debby

Thanks. I have had the above for many years now, and all are excellent and recommended to anyone that likes jazz styles and hasn't heard these. I had not mentioned them because they aren't "new".
I will look up the others.
I had not mentioned them because they aren't "new".

More classics on these lines:
Miles Davis: Blue Miles
Joe Henderson: The State of the Tenor
Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus
Grant Green: Idle Moments
Herbie Hancock: A Jazz Collection
Bill Evans: Sunday Night at the Village Vanguard
Paul Desmond: Feeling Blue
Chet Baker: Paris Sessions
Art Pepper: Meets the Rhythm Section
Ben Webster: Soulville
Oscar Peterson: Night Train
Charles Mingus Live at Antibes
John Coltrane: My Favorite Things
Monk and Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie: Jazz at Massey Hall
And depending on which one is liked, there is a vast music trove of these Jazz giants to explore further. The one thing to look for is that there are versions that aren't mastered as well as others may be.
A recent not so new discovery that still sounds fresh - jazz with a groove but not so that is too smooth:
Grover Washington - A Secret Place/Come Morning/Winelight.
For a taste of Jamaican Jazz with a groove - or Jazz cum Reggae - a great album is Below the Bass line - Ernest Ranglin.
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For more 'ambient jazz' I suggest Andreas Dreier Trio: Poinciana.
Nice one, thanks - a lot more to it than just ambient. Ahmad Jamal "owns" Poinciana, but the version here is a good fresh take on it.