The most identifiable jazz composer

[clifford_thornton]

I was gonna do that earlier and just didn't have the cajones!

[Rosco]

Four pages and no one has mentioned Albert Ayler.

I'd considered Anthony Braxton...

[AllenLowe]

to me Bud Powell is still the great and unrecognized composer - one half of a measure and you know who wrote the tune -

[Kari S]

- Wayne Shorter

- Woody Shaw

- McCoy Tyner

- Joe Zawinul

- Chick Corea.

[Don Brown]

Tadd Dameron

[Savoy]

I'd go with Monk, Ellington/Strayhorn, then (and I'm surprised no one has mentioned him) John Lewis.

[WD45]

Joe Maneri?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Buddy Johnson

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

And Teddy Edwards, I think. But I don't think I've heard any Teddy Edwards songs played by anyone else, so I'm not sure how recognisable they'd be. But they all have a very down to earth feel about them and a good groove, as well as sounding as if they were meant to have words - Teddy wrote his own words to many, which were also very down to earth.

MG

[Rosco]

(and I'm surprised no one has mentioned him) John Lewis.

Good call

[CJ Shearn]

Monk, Mingus, Wayne, and Pat Metheny. You know a Metheny melody right off, the phrasing, and the kind of chords.... he has a distinct harmonic sense in his tunes. Now, one could argue that you can't tell whether Lyle Mays or Pat wrote the melody lines of some of their greatest tunes, but Pat is more concerned with singable melody, and Lyle's melodies to me have more of a sense of a "process" to them, if you know what I mean.

[blue-note-ojc]

To me, Monk is probably the easiest and most consistent. Benny Golson and Horace Silver I might have a shot at recognizing, but not nearly as consistently as Monk.

[johnagrandy]

Wait a second ... I know who it is ! It's George Benson !

[fasstrack]

For me, it's Gil Evans. No one uses instruments like he does.

Except Herbie on "Speak Like a Child" and "The Prisoner".

And speaking of Herbie...

...how about Wayne for this thread?? The tunes he wrote for Miles sure are incredibly distinctive, as as nearly all of his other tunes (at least in the 60's - I'm less familiar with his tunes after about 1970). Same with Herbie, for that matter.

I believe those charts were done not by Herbie but Thad Jones. Herbie's tunes, though. Correct me if I'm wrong. Don't think I am, though.

[BruceH]

I'd have to say Monk too. Nice to find that so many people are like me, in that they find it easy to recognize a composition as being by Monk, not so easy to put a name to it. Except for a few like "In Walked Bud," "Well, You Needn't," and a few others, I usually can't say which Monk tune I'm hearing without some help. ...But I know it's Monk!!!!!!!!

[Hardbopjazz]

I need to add Randy Weston to this list of identifiable jazz composers.

[BeBop]

Monk, Mingus, Ornette, Golson would be my first-tier. Among those I usually recognize, Benny Carter. As a collective effort (as opposed to a single composer, I find the head arrangements for the Basie band (classic era) to be distinctive.

Anyone want to include Bird? I think I would.

[Hardbopjazz]

Of course Bird would be on that list.

[BeBop]

Anyone want to include Bird? I think I would.

[thedwork]

thad jones big band compositions are very distinctive/identifiable. and i know many here would scoff, but allan holdsworth is definitely one of the most immediately identifiable composers (and players) in the history of modern music. it's instantaneous. he's one of the most unique musicians i can think of...

Edited March 10, 2012 by thedwork

[Rooster_Ties]

For me, it's Gil Evans. No one uses instruments like he does.

Except Herbie on "Speak Like a Child" and "The Prisoner".

And speaking of Herbie...

...how about Wayne for this thread?? The tunes he wrote for Miles sure are incredibly distinctive, as as nearly all of his other tunes (at least in the 60's - I'm less familiar with his tunes after about 1970). Same with Herbie, for that matter.

I believe those charts were done not by Herbie but Thad Jones. Herbie's tunes, though. Correct me if I'm wrong. Don't think I am, though.

Not sure I've ever heard that (that Thad did the charts), but I have no idea, either way.

Anybody know?

[Neal Pomea]

Going backward (but not recent at all), these are identifiable -- Herbie Nichols, Monk, Ellington, Oliver, Morton

Edited March 10, 2012 by Neal Pomea

[BillF]

The most identifiable composer has to be Monk, I agree.

Personally, I can always tell a composition (and arrangement) by Shorty Rogers.

[A Lark Ascending]

Monk for me too (though I also have the problem deciding which one!) and Ellington too.

I also find Kenny Wheeler very distinctive.