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Progressive songs as 'jazz standards'
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Dick Heath View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 17 2022 at 13:34
Pop, folk and mainstream rock tunes have been rich pickings for jazz interpretation for some time. However, a question: how many progressive rock tunes have undergone such a change? (And I don't mean jazz fusion bands doing this).

I ask this having just got jazz piano maestro, Brad Mehldau new album, ''Jacob's Ladder''. Strongly recommended to the adventurous. There you'll find covers of Yes's 'Star Ship Trooper' and Rush's 'Tom Sawyer', and I'm greatly enjoying what he has done to these tunes: I would suggest literally progressing these further. Brad Mehldau has attacked Nick Drake's songbook previously. Then The Bad Plus released an album in 2007, ''Prog'', which included a deconstruction/rebuild of 'Tom Sawyer'. A few of their other albums contained a handful of similar rearrangements.

Any other recommendations of relatively straight jazz musicians, while avoiding the obvious, such as Jeff Beck's excellent stuff?

In passing check out The Tracker's (Gary Husband and Alf Terje Hana, with several guest bass players) forthcoming album ''Vaudeville 8:45'',  (digital downloads at Bandcamp right now, CD on sell from 15th April). Musically sitting between instrumental prog rock and jazz fusion.
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Easy Money View Drop Down
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Don Ellis released covers of "Roundabout" and "Conquistador". Another jazz musician released a cover of "Roundabout" the other day, but I forget who.
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I dont know if it counts, but the Crimson Jazz Trio did crimson songs in a relatively straight jazz manner 
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Points: 10680 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Easy Money Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2022 at 14:22
In a somewhat related area, Downbeat magazine recently did an analysis of Ian McDonald's flute solo on "I Talk to the Wind". I don't think I have seen a pop or rock musician in that analysis section before.
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Sax Ruins does a great jazz-metal version of "Tarkus".

Edited by Easy Money - March 17 2022 at 14:23
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Originally posted by Dick Heath Dick Heath wrote:

Pop, folk and mainstream rock tunes have been rich pickings for jazz interpretation for some time. However, a question: how many progressive rock tunes have undergone such a change? (And I don't mean jazz fusion bands doing this).

I ask this having just got jazz piano maestro, Brad Mehldau new album, ''Jacob's Ladder''. Strongly recommended to the adventurous. There you'll find covers of Yes's 'Star Ship Trooper' and Rush's 'Tom Sawyer', and I'm greatly enjoying what he has done to these tunes: I would suggest literally progressing these further. Brad Mehldau has attacked Nick Drake's songbook previously. Then The Bad Plus released an album in 2007, ''Prog'', which included a deconstruction/rebuild of 'Tom Sawyer'. A few of their other albums contained a handful of similar rearrangements.

Any other recommendations of relatively straight jazz musicians, while avoiding the obvious, such as Jeff Beck's excellent stuff?

In passing check out The Tracker's (Gary Husband and Alf Terje Hana, with several guest bass players) forthcoming album ''Vaudeville 8:45'',  (digital downloads at Bandcamp right now, CD on sell from 15th April). Musically sitting between instrumental prog rock and jazz fusion.
Ok this has me really interested in searching for this stuff......Thanks for posting!! Clap
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Originally posted by Dick Heath Dick Heath wrote:

Pop, folk and mainstream rock tunes have been rich pickings for jazz interpretation for some time. However, a question: how many progressive rock tunes have undergone such a change? (And I don't mean jazz fusion bands doing this).
Great question! I can't think of any straight jazz musicians doing this. You should post this question on the sister site, jazzarchives forum. 
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Found this..





Edited by Grumpyprogfan - March 17 2022 at 15:27
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JD View Drop Down
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Got these...







Edited by JD - March 17 2022 at 15:45
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Phil Collins Big Band did "Los Endos" when he could still drum.
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This isn't played with actual instruments but I made a jazz rearrangement of a non-jazz Soft Machine song some years ago:



Edited by Mirakaze - March 17 2022 at 16:05
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dwill123 View Drop Down
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This one has been around for almost 50 years.  It may be close to what you're looking for.
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Dick Heath View Drop Down
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Thanks for the reminders, got my memory going, in particular: Ed Palermo's Big Band. The German bands: the NDR and WDR Big Bands,  have invited guest 'rock' musicians for sessions. For one of the German bands, Colin Towns did their rearrangements for a time. Towns was keyboard player in Ian Gillan's earlier heavy jazz rock band.
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chopper View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Dick Heath Dick Heath wrote:

I ask this having just got jazz piano maestro, Brad Mehldau new album, ''Jacob's Ladder''. Strongly recommended to the adventurous. There you'll find covers of Yes's 'Star Ship Trooper' and Rush's 'Tom Sawyer', and I'm greatly enjoying what he has done to these tunes: I would suggest literally progressing these further. 

Interesting stuff. I note Chris Thile plays on Tom Sawyer, he's noted for being quite adventurous. Check out his band The Punch Brothers if you want to hear Radiohead played by a bluegrass band.
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I forgot that some people consider Radiohead a prog rock band. Brad Mehldau does some great improvisations on Radiohead songs.
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Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by Dick Heath Dick Heath wrote:

I ask this having just got jazz piano maestro, Brad Mehldau new album, ''Jacob's Ladder''. Strongly recommended to the adventurous. There you'll find covers of Yes's 'Star Ship Trooper' and Rush's 'Tom Sawyer', and I'm greatly enjoying what he has done to these tunes: I would suggest literally progressing these further. 

Interesting stuff. I note Chris Thile plays on Tom Sawyer, he's noted for being quite adventurous. Check out his band The Punch Brothers if you want to hear Radiohead played by a bluegrass band.
Nothing deters my wane appreciation of jazz more than to find out two "jazz" pianists took on covers of those two mighty Rush radio whores, Tom Sawyer and Limelight. What next, The Spirit of Radio?

Edited by Rednight - March 18 2022 at 11:24
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JD View Drop Down
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Points: 18446 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 18 2022 at 11:49
I always liked these ones.







Edited by JD - March 18 2022 at 11:53
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Originally posted by Man With Hat Man With Hat wrote:

I dont know if it counts, but the Crimson Jazz Trio did crimson songs in a relatively straight jazz manner 
And they were very well done.........2 of my favorite jazz lp's.
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Listened to Medihau's album today. I enjoyed it.
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Originally posted by Easy Money Easy Money wrote:

I forgot that some people consider Radiohead a prog rock band. Brad Mehldau does some great improvisations on Radiohead songs.
I consider Radiohead to be the progressive rock band of the last 25 years but I don't think of them as "Prog". No other band I can think of has challenged themselves and expanded the idea of rock music within the mainstream like them. But much like The Beatles, I think the reason Radiohead often gets covered and some of their songs are becoming standards, is the solid songwriting though.

Anyway, I love Brad Mehldau - both his own material and his wonderful reinterpretations of songs from the modern rock/pop canon. Strange how normal it was back in the golden era of jazz for everyone Miles, Coltrane, Hancock etc... to improvise over a Disney-tune, a John Barry-theme, Bacharach/David songs, a Donovan hit, CSN, Mamas & the Papas... considering how rare it is these days.

Led Zeppelin's The Crunge was never a favorite of mine, but somehow works better as a groovy jazz tune than a rock song


Either / Orchestra with a very nice sorta big band cover of King Crimsons Red (I just wish the drummer had a jazzier approach)


An old favorite.


Ai Kuwabara Trio Project skips the catchy heavy rockin' intro part that rock bands focuses on and concentrate on the jazzy bits of 21st Century Schizoid Man - which you can find on Spotify (but not on youtube). Exhilarating fun!

 

 


Edited by Saperlipopette! - March 24 2022 at 08:38
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