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Underrated jazz greats

I listen to all sorts of music, but mostly jazz. There are many musicians who, for whatever reason, don't attract the attention that their great gifts possibly deserve. I would be interested to know who others think are hidden gems in the jazz world, who have contributed substantially to the genre.

I will begin with two musicians who I believe are outstanding, and deserving of the highest recognition.

1) Lew Tabackin - an outstanding tenor player, and a phenomenal jazz flutist in my view.

2) Sir Roland Hanna - tremendous command of the keyboard, and he thought around the perimeter of pieces to make them both musically and intellectually satisfying.

Very interested in others' thoughts.
stewartr
tzh21y
1,377 posts
 
David Sylvian, I agree.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
For me, I would say that, while fairly well known, Rashaan Roland Kirk was often dismissed in his time, primarily due to his politics and circus-like self promotion. His place in the history of jazz is not clear, but I truly believe that time will sort it out.

The last time that I saw him, at the Vanguard, was after the stroke, and only a couple of short months before his death. Since he had lost the use of essentially half his body, he had his strange instruments, strich and manzello, as well as the saxs and flutes, on floor stands, so that he could just walk from one to the other and finger with one hand. I never saw anyone who wanted to play that badly before or since. I never saw anyone so intent on communicating the full palette of their emotions so desperately. I have never heard emotion distilled into sound so completely. Rashaan will have his day.
schubert
4,867 posts
 
Kirk was a great for sure.
hdm
971 posts
 
Tina Brooks
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 
Fortunately, almost all of those mentioned are well represented in my collection; including Tina Brooks. I have him on Mosaic Blue Note LP's.

I would like to add Ray Nance; he played violin, trumpet, and could sing. While he is best known for trumpet, I like his violin. On Chico Hamilton's "The Head Hunters", I know there's smoke coming off the violin strings, I can smell it coming through the speakers.
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