Is there anyone today making straight-up jazz?

Question

By straight-up jazz I mean jazz a la Coltrane and Miles - though obviously they wouldn't be as good. Or even less brass-centric artists like Jimmy Smith and Grant Green.

I know about Yesterdays New Quintet/Madlib/J. Rawls, but I'm thinking more of brass.

I apologise if this is a stupid question to jazz fans, but I've only been into jazz for two years, y'know what it's like when you listen to listen to A's record, find that B played on it, listen to B's record, find that C played on both, listen to C's record, find that C had D, E and Z playing on that one...and now you're skint.

I guess it should say "Who is making..."

Answer 1

The kind of jazz you are referring to is normally called be-bop, to differentiate it from the ragtime style jazz of the 20s and 30s.

There are a few young British saxophonists who are heading up a rivival of interest in modern jazz in London, and are hugely influenced by Coltrane. In particular, you should check out these two guys:

Courtney Pine, who has been around for a while and is well known in the UK jazz scene. Recently, his stuff has become more like avant-garde free jazz, but his early albums are basically homages to Coltrane's style.

Soweto Kinch, who is a young alto-saxophonist and also raps when he's not blowing. Maybe not to everyone's taste...but very different, innovative, and cool, and I'm sure Coltrane would have approved of him!

Answer 2

Yes anyone that plays without a plan and plays with nothing but feeling is playing jazz, like impromtu music