Ever buy a Jazz CD on a hunch?

[GoodSpeak]

OK.

We've all done this, I am certain.

What I want to know is when you bought a CD just "because" or you thought it might be interesting or a friend recommended it or whatever the motivation, which artists can you point to whose music kept bringing you back to buy more?

Which artists have become a favorite of yours?

Which of those artists do you now recommend to others?


Name them here.


Tim

[Jesse]

Some very happy hunches:

M. Ward: The Transfiguration Of Vincent

Primarily hunch. Read somewhere of the seeds of this song cycle coming from Ward's grief at John Fahey dying. Happy accident!

Taku Sugimoto: Various recordings.
I had read references to his work, the "eai" thread & elsewhere, but only cursory, as he was usually referenced in the context of the specific projects he was involved with. The hunch here was forming a sense of how he'd sound, his basic approach to the guitar and to the organization of his sound. Upon hearing him, it was as if I was familiar with him instantly. Not sure what antecedents might be at play, but I knew I'd dig him before hearing him. Very unusual in my experience.

[T~AndrewB~Bone]

I was in a jazz combo at Illinois' All-State Festival and the combo director was Kim Richmond. I usually don't buy a cd unless I'm certain I will get my money's worth and I decided to give his cd Refractions a try. At first it didn't do anything for me and I popped it back in recently and I'm startin to dig the free-flowiness(not an actual word) of the music more and more and it's givin me some inspiration.

[Gary Sisco]

Only if I'm familiar with at least one of the cats, so there's something to back up the "hunch" with something as concrete as a twenty.

[Dr Dave]

I bought Mike LeDonne's "Soulmates" without even looking to see who was on it. It turned out to be one of my all-time faves, and when I did bother to check the personnel it was quite a crew: Joshua Redman, Ryan Kisor, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, and Jon Gordon!

[Pete C]

often

[Brian Olewnick]

I'm sure eveyone's bought a jazz CD at lunch. So what?

[Uli]

How can you be so sure Ollie? I would not know if Pedantic Wretch for example *ever* bought a jazz cd.

[groover]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

I'm sure eveyone's bought a jazz CD at lunch. So what?

When I was in college, I used to buy jazz albums instead of lunch.

[Root Doctor]

Originally Posted by groover

When I was in college, I used to buy jazz albums instead of lunch.

When I worked near Stereo Jack's, I did the same. I've gained 40 pounds since changing jobs. Best buy on a hunch: David Murray's "Flowers for Albert" on India Navigation.

[claude]

I ordered two of Ellery's CDs without having heard his music based on the recommendations here. I certainly was not dissapointed and went on to buy pretty well all of his CDs that were available.

[Gentle Giant]

The first Metheny CD I ever bought, back in 1984, when I hadn't heard any of his music before but knew he was someone that I, a fledgling jazz fan who still preferred his music electric, ought to get to know, was As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. I was looking through his other titles, but the lure of a 20-minute track (remember, I was a proghead at the time, too) was too much to resist. I never regretted my choice.

[jazzy mary]

Sure, but it's usually an educated hunch. Usually, I like the players listed, for ex. if Freddie or Wayne or Bobby were on it. I have had some wrong hunches. I try to be careful. I have over 500 cds and I like to play all of them! SO, I don't like it when I buy a cd and hten it sucks (to my taste.)

[Coda]

I used to do this more often than now. It was always based on reading a review or a recommendation from a tread. My 'favorite' so far is Chris Lightcap's BigMouth.

In fact, after discovering Fresh Sounds web site, I would buy CDs just because it came out on this label.

[jazzy mary]

Coda, that makes sense. Same with Criss-Cross. That's what I call an educated hunch. You're familiar with the label and you know you like the kind of music and artists they record.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

All the time. As a matter-of-fact I just ordered Henry Grimes' "Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival" with David Murray and Hamid Drake. I heard through the grapevine it's pretty good.

[Pete C]

I used to comb the cutout & budget bins and used cd shops for potentially interesting items. I generally buy books by combing the shelves of used bookstores, looking for potentially interesting items I was previously unfamiliar with.

[Boris Badenov]

When I was in college and owned about 10-12 jazz records, I bought Horace Silver's Blowing the Blues Away on a hunch, or more precisely because of the very cool ink-and-brush drawing on the cover. That one sure paid off!

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Back in the '70s I bought a Ralph MacDonald (percussionist) LP just because of the cover. Didn't listen to it for months. Then me and this girl were working on a mural in our barracks game room, put the thing on and it was slamming. I think it was "Story of the Drum" or something like that.

[clinthopson]

I found my first Jessica WIlliams cd in the used bin. What a find that was!

[Darryl G. Thomas]

clint,

I bought my first Monk in a cut out bin. Remember those twofers they used to sell in the '70s? The Complete Monk on Blue Note.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Originally Posted by Darryl G. Thomas

Then me and this girl were working on a mural in our barracks game room, put the thing on and it was slamming. I think it was "Story of the Drum" or something like that.

Yeah, sure, Darryl, "working on a mural", eh? Never heard it put that way before..........

[Gary Sisco]

Pete -- I do the same in used stores and bargain bins. Full price, though, these days, is too much for a "hunch."

Word of mouth from friends whose tastes I know, that's more than a hunch, for me.

[jesus marion joseph]

I do all the time. Usually it's because one of the sidemen is a name I recognize from some other CD.

[Noj]

Nearly every jazz album I buy is something I've never heard before, just an educated guess. Often I go by what folks have to say on these chat boards--sometimes I'll even know that I will like something based on the poster who hates it!

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

I do all the time. Usually it's because one of the sidemen is a name I recognize from some other CD.

And that's where I come in.


I buy stuff on a regular basis, sight unseen [so-to-speak], simply because of the musicians on the album.


Most times I'm pleased and sometimes I'm disappointed.



But what a great adventure

[Jesse]

Why the Rowe biography is taking a decade, part 4.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

I'm sure eveyone's bought a jazz CD at lunch. So what?

Hm.

You bought an album with So What at lunch?

[Gary Sisco]

Isn't knowing the musicians on a CD something more than a hunch?

wtfdik?

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Isn't knowing the musicians on a CD something more than a hunch?

wtfdik?

I've bought some without knowing a damn thing about anyone involved, no knowledge of the label, no recommendations, no research, not even a previous reference, nothing. Pure impulse. I hardly do that anymore, but every once in a while it can be fun.