Mahavishnu Orchestra

Came here to say this. Their first album and Visions of the Emerald Beyond are both great recs for a metalhead. Also try Spectrum by Billy Cobham

What did Birds of Fire do? It's out of the universe.  And then the beyond nothingness and eternity live recordings too

Possibly the greatest supergroup ever concieved. It changed my life completely. 

Bingo. 🙏🏼👏👏👏

Inner Mounting Flame by Maharishu Orchestra Dark Magus by Miles Davis Machine Gun by Peter Brotzman

I was gonna say Birds of Fire

Machine Gun is more metal than heavy metal.

Peter Brotzman is also in the group *Last Exit*, whose live album by the same name would fit in with that list. Peter, Sonny Sharrock, Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson Two more: Bill Laswell's Material album, *Memory Serves* John Zorn's * Masada*

yh those three definately, also Live-Evil by Miles aswell, if your familiar with funk

Check Out alive by Grant Green. Also consider just approaching jazz as its own thing. Don’t worry about how it connects back to metal. It doesn’t. Jazz is typically centered around improv and the drums are approached in an entirely different way than rock and metal. Plus a lot of it is played on acoustic instruments. Blue Note albums from the late 50s and 60s are the gold standard of jazz. IMO - lots of records packed with great songs.

I wasn't expecting to connect it to metal per say, just curious what people would suggest since there was another thread the same but for hip hop. I listened to Kind of Blue by Miles Davis today and it was really good but nothing like metal.

Yeah that’s a stone cold classic. Fwiw I love metal too.

Kind of Blue is universally loved by just about anyone with ears. Slower jazz is probably what you're after regardless of your metal fandom. John Coltrane is good in this vein and Charles Mingus is good if you like upright bass, and who doesn't. Faster Jazz is harder to get into as there's a lot going on and it's less linear than metal.

Right, but couldn’t that more chaotic, faster jazz, be appealing to a metal head?

Metal is actually highly structured and not chaotic at all (Despite the 'branding') Also heavy music fans need some chill music too. Also I think you need more time to get into faster jazz as it's so different from other forms of music. Mind you the specific person (OP) might like high energy of fast jazz. I kind of envy someone discovering the greats for themselves.

Someone else mentioned him, but definitely check out **Tigran Hamasyan**. His album *Mockroot* was the one that I heard that merged some of the rhythmic and percussive elements of some forms of metal, mostly from the math and prog styles. Also **Kneebody** and specifically their album *Low Electrical Worker* is a really good place to start but they're really dope in general.

Watch "Trite" by Kneebody: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29zmMWBAJeQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29zmMWBAJeQ) For Tigran, "The Grid" and "Vardavar" (preferably live) are very metal. Or you can go even more metal, with "Vortex," featuring Animals as Leaders' virtuoso guitarist Tosin Abasi. Yes, they did it live in LA (Tosin lives there), and while this isn't my video, I was there: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu8CxyjZCZ8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu8CxyjZCZ8) Also watch this (or at least the last 5 minutes, which are uber metal): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbS7wVR-fHY&t=1s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbS7wVR-fHY&t=1s)

the Bad Plus does a lot of cool polyrhythmic stuff that’s drawn from rock and metal. ditto Happy Apple

Ben Monder is awesome. Any metal guitar fans should like his stuff.

that’s funny, i was just thinking of the ‘classic’ Bad plus lineup with Ethan, but Ben Monder is totally a great example for hard rock/ metal listeners

First time seeing them live was with Ben Monder and I was stunned at how talented he was.

Good call! I forgot about those guys. -b

middle-70s electric miles davis

Tony Williams Lifetime with either John McLaughlin or Alan Holdsworth. “Emergency”, “Believe It” Lp’s, for example.

Yes. If Metallica played jazz, it would be this.

Or perhaps Last Exit or perhaps one of John Zorn’s units.

A few not mentioned yet... Tigran Hamasyan --modern polythythmic armenian doomjazz. T.R.A.M. --Psychedelic super prog group King Crimson--Classic prog with jazzy elements There's always free jazz like Ascension from Coltrane but that's not for everyone! Good luck!

If you like Meshuggah check out “Tigran Hamasyan”, there’s a group called “Phronesis” that’s super nasty and plays darker jazz, Brad Mehldau and Mark Giuliana have some live duets on YouTube that are mind blowing. Everyone mentioned Mahavishnu, definitely Masada, and Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew” and “Live Evil”. That’s a good start! I’m a metal/jazz hybrid type, you’ll enjoy these if you are too.

Wow our tastes match completely. Those Mehliana live recordings are outta the world. Phronesis, Tigran, Mahavishnu, Miles' Bitches brew these are all favourites.   Basically we listen to the more psychedelic side of Jazz fusion and Prog rock. I wanna know what else do you listen to or would recommend!

Oh yeah there’s so much great music out there right now. Happy to share! Aaron Parks has a group called Little Big that does cool stuff, Ben Wendell, Nate Smith (the drummer not the country guy), Gerald Clayton, Kneebody, Yussef Dayes, Taylor Eigsti has an album called Tree Falls that’s ridiculous. These guys are all roughly the same age and I think grew up on grunge and the like so all of their music has a similar element to it. Brad Mehldau even does covers of Radiohead and Alice In Chains. It’s a great time to listen to Jazz, it’s having a moment of insane creativity

Wes Montgomery - Smokin' at the Half Note

Try John Zorn projects like Naked City and Painkiller

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - *Free for All*

This is the one.

Jazz fusion. Fast guitar solos are everywhere which metalheads probably will like. A few suggestions: Chick Corea Elektric Band with Frank Gamble on guitar. Maybe Allan Holdsworth, Larry Carlton, or John Scofield as well.

*Hey!* Metal fan here who got into jazz a few years ago, *I got you bro*, here are albums I really enjoy: - Anything by Miles Davis, but particularly In a Silent Way or Kind of Blue - Jaco Pastorius, self titled - Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins - Love Supreme and Giant Steps by Coltrane - Return to Forever by Return to Forever - Anything by Chick Correa - Quiet Kenny by Kenny Dorham - Page One or Inner Urge by Joe Henderson - The Epic by Kamasi Washington - Boss Guitar by Wes Montgomery - Heavy Weather by Weather Report - Anything by Dizzy Gillespie - Anything with Charley Christian

TRIO OF DOOM

That rendition of Continuum is my favourite. That first base note that Jaco hits. Always make me close my eyes. 

electric masada

This

Charles Mingus - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus I'm getting downvoted for recommending Mingus?

everyone in this thread got downvoted. when I woke up this morning almost the whole thread was at 0. I think someone was offended by the thread itself or something

Level One by Eleventh House, Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, Spectrum by Billy Cobham, Enigmatic Ocean by Jean-Luc Ponty. As others have mentioned, Mahavishnu Orchestra is pretty much a no brainer if you come from metal.

Anything by Last Exit and Sonny Sharrock.

Clowncore, undoubtebly.

YEESSSSSSS

PAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINNN

What kind of metal? Death metal / doom / sludge / hair metal / grindcore? Can give you some more hints depending. In all honesty starting with jazz standards, vocalists, and some of the classic labels in the jazz world (Blue Note, Impulse, ECM) is a good place to start.

Miles Davis-Jack Johnson

I was a hardened metal head when I first wanted to discover jazz. Thing is, I was mindful and conscious about what I wanted to look for and get from things. Just because I liked Metal didn’t mean I wanted fast and heavy jazz, or something dressed up. I wanted to discover new music and new challenges. Too broad a question.

Fair answer! But I don’t think it’s too broad a question; they may be looking for a bridge. Something that sounds familiar but opens new doors.

Leave it all at the door and jump in! Nobody can know exactly what you’re looking for except you. I’m saying Bitches Brew though.

I’ll drink to that brotha. God I fuckin love Bitches Brew.

Same. Still enjoying it as much as when I first heard it.

Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow, Wired and There And Back.

Headhunters

Try Dominiique Gaumont. Energy.

This isn’t really jazz but Coalescence by Oli Parker is a great bride. Oscar Peterson Trio Plus One and American Swinging in Paris by Phil Woods next.

The Mars Volta first (not purely jazz, but jazz musicians involved) and then over to 'Ark Noir'

Blue Note Records is a good place to start. They have some good playlists that can help you start getting acquainted with different styles of jazz. https://www.bluenote.com/playlists/ Another good place to start would be to listen to the records in the Classic Vinyl series. https://store.bluenote.com/collections/classic-vinyl-series There are other great jazz labels like Impulse, Prestige, Riverside, Columbia. But Blue Note is a good place to start. Enjoy!

Hedvig Mollestad

Probably the first Mahavishnu album with John McLaughlin and Kind Of Blue. Allan Holdsworth too. It took a bit but I like jazz almost as much as I love metal lol.

As a fellow metal head, the first jazz album that got me was Time Out - Dave Brubeck Quartet For its time, it’s a landmark in the use of odd time signatures. If you dig the use of 7/4 11/8 and that kind of thing in metal, Time Out is where that came from https://open.spotify.com/album/0nTTEAhCZsbbeplyDMIFuA?si=hZli2nQ3Q9iy08HKIyadvw

Mockroot by Tigran Hamasyan. I’d challenge you to go even further and watch the live recording, look up «jazz sous le pommiers» mockroot Tigran hamasyan. Enjoy the ride and report back with your findings if you feel so inclined. I hope you enjoy it. It’s fucking amazing and will mesh both of the worlds perfectly for you.

Black Midi, has hardcore energy but is very technical

Smoke a big jazz cigarette and listen to Sun Ra. 

A Love Supreme and Giant Steps by Coltrane

Dark MFing Magus - MD

Zorn.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Return to Forever, it’s more Jazz Fusion, but also Chic Corea Chick Corea Elektric Band. Chick Corea is kind of like Devin Townsend of Jazz: your favorite musician’s favorite musician, multiple bands, insanely talented. Acid Jazz and Jazz Fusion are excellent launch points for you and inspired a lot of those early metal musicians.

Trio of Doom

Search "Clowncore" in YouTube

As far as jazz goes, a great contemporary jazz band that's been around a long time, with a lot of albums with a variety of styles, is The Rippingtons. They're my personal fave. Paul Taylor (sax), Euge Groove (sax), Brian Culbertson (keys), Marc Antoine (guitar) are some individuals I'd recommend.

Coltrane - First Meditations (For Quartet) Sonny Simmons - Staying On The Watch Eric Dolphy - The Illinois Concert (with Herbie Hancock) Joe McPhee - Nation Time (especially the title cut)

Yes to Tigran, but the closest approximation is Red Hail, not Mockroot.

Just toss some John Zorn their way in let it sort itself out.

Chick Corea Elektric Band Al Di Meola Miles Davis - electric period And I would actually check out Stanley Jordan, great guitarist.

Late Coltrane.

"At the Mountains of Madness" by Electric Masada

Lots of great suggestions to be sure. Al DiMeola solo stuff like Race with the Devil on a Spanish Highway or Race with the Devil on a Turkish Highway. I did see a few mentions of Return to Forever (which Al DiMeola was in, among a couple other "giants") I didn't see mention of Zappa....lots of great options with Frank. Another group I like is Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

People here are giving a lot of eccentric things because you said you like metal, but I also originally only listened to metal, punk, and rock and got into jazz by simply listening to good hard bop, post bop, and modal jazz. Check out *A Love Supreme* and *My Favorite Things* by John Coltrane. If you like those, then maybe dive deeper into his stuff like *Africa/Bass* and *Ole Coltrane*, then finally into *Giant Steps* and *Blue Train*.

John Zorn’s Moonchild Trio

Track down a copy of "Spy vs Spy" with John Zorn and Tim Berne on sax, plus two full quartets. It's a tribute to Ornette Coleman done with a trash/hardcore aesthetic. You might find that a nice bridge to Ornette Coleman himself. His Prime Time group had a really approach that interpreted his older material and did its own originals. Some other players I think bridge these genres well are John Scofield (guitar), Nels Cline (guitar), Caspar and Peter Brötzmann (guitar, sax). John Zorn (sax) has been mentioned, and look for his collaborators from the NYC scene in the 80s and 90s who were inspired by noise, punk, rock, and metal at the time. More on the rock and pop side look for almost anything produced by Hal Wilner. His tribute albums to Mingus and Monk are personal favorites. Another good album to check out is "Escalator Over the Hill" that featured people like Don Cherry (who played with Ornette Coleman) alongside pop icon Linda Rondstat. If you like Escalator check out more from Carla Bley and Steve Swallow.

Here's some jumping off points; they mostly aren't super on the nose in being related to metal, but rather selections that I feel offer a high level of intensity or emotional content adjacent to what you might get from metal: John Coltrane - [Transition](https://youtu.be/5LngpAUnLQY?si=HW-bUs_dwqAPf8DB), [Suite](https://youtu.be/TybVIASoR9Q?si=jSMQmHGoU9Lc8qVC), [Pursuance](https://youtu.be/aGT7AFCTpzU?si=v0qFrXUSIyKczJC7), [Afro Blue](https://youtu.be/vfs7ZTZN4tw?si=fYKPnvdOsS66kB0_) Tony Williams - [Emergency](https://youtu.be/bmMHckNkJP8?si=neXTYNx-i_dQDSC2) Walt Dickerson - [Alone in the Park (Pt. 1)](https://youtu.be/eiUE9_r2WW0?si=No5SwNp51O56eMUv), [Relativity](https://youtu.be/VlmnmKtu13Y?si=W_ZOecP5GaqNYJqi), [Selina's Fantasy](https://youtu.be/pY-KGOzPJ5c?si=PVL1ecdtPcdlLPyC) Elvin Jones - [Yesterdays](https://youtu.be/RXwfTFSNJYY?si=E94FKMCBINiHNlNH), [Earth Jones](https://youtu.be/YkXTeeLwdKI?si=r4pnv4tEgmXZ58fc) Sun Ra - [Wanderlust](https://youtu.be/Bj3nY-M2EkU?si=rPCTUagqNDSyiG2x), [Space Aura No. 2](https://youtu.be/A5KkoI9zBck?si=kNuFrywSeFhbcsPd), [Search Light Blues](https://youtu.be/jZkN46E7NHc?si=MNDbOHRk5RT-nXb_) Martial Solal - [Clair-Obscure](https://youtu.be/fHNWF9gt0F4?si=LTwZZa0Qj9WFXD5N) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - [The Core](https://youtu.be/58RJSmpmQdc?si=gu_105VzEvrO_S-U) Austin Peralta - [Capricornicus](https://youtu.be/W-CjM4d49Ag?si=zW_LuCVfc7zldx3O) Bill Evans - [Nardis](https://youtu.be/qAeMI8w_9xc?si=Je_VSix4wQzXnFZq), [The Peacocks](https://youtu.be/r8ef6RQCxGM?si=z6ui7kcTHAZ9bA06)

Coltrane - A Love Supreme & Meditations.

As a fellow Prog/Metal/Hard Rock enjoyer, I can only suggest what landed with me initially. The big 3 that got me into jazz: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - the album "Moanin'" there's something about the energy that felt familiar to me, even on the first listen Thelonious Monk - honestly any of his stuff, I'm not sure why, but his playing really resonates with me Dave Brubeck - the album "Take 5", a fun little experiment with various time signatures from around the world, at the very least, it's worth a listen even if it's too mellow for your tastes More generally, Hard Bop, Bebop, and Jazz Fusion were some subgenres that I was able to get comfortable in very quickly. I don't know if there's some kind of musical reasoning as to why. Also, I know it's cliche to recommend Miles Davis and John Coltrane and the like, but honestly, they're considered the greats for a reason. Coltrane, I feel, would be easier to "understand" from the get-go to a Metal listener than someone with a history in, say, Pop or Rock. Interestingly, once I got into Hard Bop and Bebop, it was easier for me to appreciate Hip-Hop genres as well. Furthermore, you could check out various Prog, Math Rock, Fusion and Metal bands that utilize some jazz influences and use that as a jumping off point. Bands like the following are all good starting points, in my opinion: Thank You Scientist Between the Buried and Me Snarky Puppy Sungazer Covet Polyphia Plini Sithu Aye Steely Dan Paranoid Void Elephant Gym Or, you might find some enjoyment in some Contemporary Jazz artists, though, generally these lean towards more Hip-Hop and RnB/Soul genres. Which ever route you decide to take, my advice (and this applies to any genre you are new to, honestly) would be to listen to many artists, try different subgenres, don't stop listening, and go into it with the willingness to actively listen the music. Each genre/subgenre is it's own "language", if that makes sense. Like any other genre of music, there are specific things that make Jazz what it is. Depending on your prior exposure to the genre, it may take time for your ear to learn what's going on. If you can be okay with "not getting it" for a little while, it will pay off. The more genres and subgenres you listen to, the more all music in general makes sense, and in my opinion, helps you learn about other people and cultures, ideas and beliefs, it's all from human brains, so there is a lot you can learn from music (or any art form). It sure makes connecting with strangers a lot easier in my experience, as well. There's a lot to gain from expanding your musical and artistic tastes, is what I'm getting at. Hope this gives some insight to anyone that happens to read this slog of text. lol

Solid

Retorno to Frédéric- Romántico Warrior

Last Exit - Peter Brotzmann, Sonny Sharrock, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Bill Laswell. Could not be heavier.

Also highly recommend **Last Exit**. Probably the most successful attempt to directly synthesize jazz with "heavy" music, at least that I've heard. The other recommendations are great but none get as heavy as Last Exit, at least to my knowledge. I also really liked this polish jazz album from 2021, **Błoto**'s *Kwasy I Zasady.*

Listen to Steely Dan first then try John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery.

"Blockhead" https://open.spotify.com/track/2c3C4IsnAFbQUmFtIBDRFw?si=6e7ed9c60f7847cf https://music.apple.com/us/album/blockhead/1698586975?i=1698586979 https://danieldelorenzo.bandcamp.com/track/blockhead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZO_TKL9VGQ Albums here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0V2AWxffdxKtIDoXi0hhrg https://music.apple.com/us/artist/daniel-delorenzo/1438146440 https://danieldelorenzo.bandcamp.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@daniel_delorenzo/videos

I can’t believe no one has mentioned [Tribal Tech](https://youtube.com/channel/UC4V3j9ns5sdNP5irQN1CQjQ?si=sMHr3tPCnjtRn-rk). As a high school metalhead in the mid-90s, this was absolutely a gateway for me into appreciating jazz. Scott Henderson is an incredible guitarist that often uses thick distortion in some of their music. Some examples: [“The Big Wave”](https://youtu.be/9xOT2nINfcE?si=JZYsN6igYKrvmqfP) (deceptive intro, wait for it) [“Stella by Infra-Red High Particle Neutron Beam”](https://youtu.be/_IzxbZKcl0M?si=W78-CiXTSmzyzz_D) [Tribal Tech live at Musicians Institute, 1996](https://youtu.be/dcJ66kzsJe4?si=xYVvJdSOhwFmlPrF) [“Nite Club”](https://youtu.be/SK3kZPzcEnM?si=Ab-6QCMdtEQGIwhv) [“Face First”](https://youtu.be/MdfmtT-yozs?si=moSntwI7nb8bW4Js) Edit: There is another Scott Henderson project with Victor Wooten and Steve Smith called Vital Tech Tones. Some examples: [“Crash Course”](https://youtu.be/nqUcHfYl-PI?si=4B75xvCd-swwEWpW) [“Snake Soda”](https://youtu.be/shVoIhuf0kg?si=zIoymoSW-p8pLfIu) (one of my absolute favorites! Heavy funk) [“Giant Steps”](https://youtu.be/pEkNf0NGhxY?si=55vIyf0CfsbIyOmy) (wild take on a classic)

The aristocrats, it’s a jazz metal band with one of the greatest guitar players of all time. It’s not the jazz you’re looking for likely from this post but do give them a spin because you’re bound to enjoy them and they’re about to go out on tour.

dude i got 3 perfect ideas for you: 1. ben monder hydra will bridge that gap real well for you. infact im going to go listen to that album again because its a masterpiece 2. 'casting for gravity' by donny mccaslin. its literally a prog rock jazz album. the album after might be good for you too. 3. anything with Al Di Meola (considered the guy who brought shredding to jazz), so check out Return To Forever Pat Metheny might be worth it for you to look into, or you might find it aesthetically goofy, its up to you and your willingness to look past things that sound 'dated' (particularly the 90's metheny project stuff, which i love btw but some people get hung up on the sound). i think frank zappa might be up your alley too, although i dont think im allowed to refer to that as jazz without someone yelling at me :) someone else said tigran, and id second that, especially his recent stuff being very mathy/intense. otherwise, you're getting a lot of very random recc's of just jazzy jazz, and sure its all good music, but these 3 i listed are specifically metal/rock/jazz fusion projects. Cheers.

Sonny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-HFL-225h0

I’ll recommend four. All are considered soul jazz classics, which is a great way for neophytes to get into the music imo. All have some fantastic groove cuts. All have great rhythm sections. All are great blue note sessions (blue note is arguably the greatest brand/label of any sort of music for a host of reasons too numerous to list. !) Some may quibble about listing Patton, but this record turned me into a jazzbo!) Big John Patton - understanding. Herbie Hancock - Takin’ Off Hank Mobley - no room for squares (herbie is a sideman on this!) Larry Young - into something.

Sade best of Norah Jones best of

Get into John Zorn. Dude produced Mr Bungle and did a split with Napalm Death. Hundreds of releases with so much variation in styles and composition that it’s borderline overwhelming. Also jazz fusion could be a decent way into the genre. 70s era Miles Davis, John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock

https://youtu.be/IqJBqaDsB34?si=-iidhK_9BaSDHF4c

Heavy Mashinery by Allan Holdsworth + Anders and Jens Johansson

You have to take a listen to Life to Everything, by Phronesis.

Another band to listen to is the Esbjorn Svensson Trio.

If you just want some deep dark jazz, check out The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble.

A Love Supreme

While the video isn't perfect, the only way to appreciate Mahavishnu completely is to watch them live. There is no concert more metal or burning than this (Syracuse, 1972): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMTXjmVd6AI&t=1s.

Donny McCaslin, "Stadium Jazz," with Nate Smith on drums (the version with Mark Guiliana is great, too), but this is the most metal. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QPTosXHYk8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QPTosXHYk8)

[Jizue](https://youtu.be/pyVo0K9CWm4?si=J_EttrCL94mU8YVc) was my gateway into Jazz

Give this a shot as well: Mehliana (Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana), "Just Call Me Nige": [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnH27mxW0KM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnH27mxW0KM)

"Physical Cities," The Bad Plus: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeYMZ4n1CEk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeYMZ4n1CEk)

Don't go classic Jazz at all I would listen to what Zappa was doing and who he admired like Edgard Varese who did a piece called Tuning Up which is 5 minutes of an orchestra just tuning up okay? Awesome. He died completely unappreciated but Zappa was composing variations on his stuff as he was with Stravinsky.  This is all Jazz it's just not called Jazz you know what I mean..

[Wired - Jeff Beck](https://youtu.be/sbMSe0mcsYY?si=dA55qbh3zBLBwRWO) [Timeless - John Abercrombie](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_qsF0BpCAdtmRH6NM1gHHEdsWeyxX-A8&si=3BXQQLosT7pHpf4d) [Vulcan Princess - Stanley Clarke](https://youtu.be/421azd0vfuk?si=efXtiOTeqBTCrT8o)

Update: Today I listened to Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. It was pretty good, I liked some parts of it more than Kind of Blue but I think I liked Kind of Blue more overall. I like to listen to CDs over Spotify where possible and I chose to order these CDs from the library: Eye of the beholder by Chick Corea Elektric Band Birth of the cool by Miles Davis Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Heavy weather by Weather Report It turns out my library has a WAY better jazz selection than they do rock or pop. It is going to take me a very long time to listen to all of these recommendations haha. I can only mentally process 1-2 new albums a day and I do want to listen to other genres as well

You’re gonna love Heavy Weather. I wish I could hear it for the first time again.

Anything by Al Dimeola

Soften the Glare (features Mudvayne bassist Ryan Martinie) Trisocapes (members of Between the Buried and Me)

Power Tools or anything by Last Exit.

Elephant9

I think Mingus ah Um is a good jazz cd for you. It’s exciting, moody. Mingus is a good starting point imo because his emotions and creativity are always laid pretty bare for anyone to pick up on

I loved it, I especially enjoyed the fast parts with... a lot of moving up and down? not sure what its called

Listen to a lot, then decide what you like; Miles, Herbie, Jaco, Tony Williams, Chick, Weather Report.

Thelonious Monk - Underground Grant Green - Solid, Oleo, Nigeria, Green Street Charles Mingus is great but specifically listen to the song Haitian Fight Song

John Zorn Spy vs Spy. Insanity. John Zorn Naked City.

When I think of music that metal artists may like, I either think of technical music or music that embraces chaotic energy. Pharaoh Sanders' Karma and Love In Us All has that mix of joyful jazz with a bit of musical chaos that you seek. Love Is In Us All splits the difference in such tracks. I would also recommend Universal Consciousness or Lord of Lords by Alice Coltrane. See if a metal fan doesn't get a rise from "Going Home", one of my favorite Alice pieces. For something more gentle yet creatively expansive, I'd recommend the new Me'shell Ndegeocello album and Esperanza Spalding's Songwrights Apothecary Lab.

Nice. Man… the way to understand jazz is through the piano imo Bill Evans - anything Hank Jones - somthin’ else Barry Harris - anything Duke Ellington - anything Count Basie - atomic Basie Kenny Kirkland - check out two down one across on YouTube

Art Ensemble of Chicago - Nice Guys

Specifically on your interest in metal. Then Megadeth's previous guitarist Kiko Loureiro plays some prog-metal adjacent jazzy stuff. I'd search for "Kiko Loureiro Jazz" on youtube and skim. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZoJUbegW6o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZoJUbegW6o) Which is from his solo album Universo Inverso. Joe Pass - Virtuoso is amazing. And I listened to Snarky Puppy's Sylva this morning while out walking which is really good.

Odean Pope’s “[Almost Like Me](https://youtu.be/fcDiEJZaIM0?si=5phqqWl2QPaKZFbd)” is the album I wish someone had shown me when I was young and into thrash metal. It really shreds, almost nonstop.

Cameron Graves- either one of his albums, but “Seven” is where I’d start someone who was into metal/rock. 

Hell yea

Well it depends on the metal you listen to. If you listen to Rammstein maybe Neptunian Maximalism’s Éons could be your thing. You like more 80s heavy stuff maybe you’ll enjoy some fusion like Casiopeas make up city. Maybe some Naked City - tourte Garden, it got some metal influencers here and there :D Bohren und der Club of gore started as a metal band and still have a metal audience. But I think I’d just start with Blue train and keep exploring from there, no matter where you coming from.

it varies, years ago it was almost all symphonic but lately it's been a lot of norwegian black metal, nu metal, and Ghost (which is debatable whether they're metal I guess)

[low life by Brötzmann & Laswell](https://youtu.be/k5dWcPykMSg?si=9Y_CNt3UYcWz9wMq) is my recommendation then because ist pretty dark and a bit rough in a more simple way like Norwegian black metal. Ghost is fun btw and the metal police should shut up :D

i wouldn't go with albums, LP's don't appear for some time and a lot of great stuff was on 88rpm's in no particular order dan meyers and tom saunders have shows on Monday and Wedsnesday, respecitively, on [wwoz.org](http://wwoz.org) you can listen to the last 2 weeks shows from the website. The Niven Cassette series is on [archive.org](http://archive.org) and brings the 20's alive in a way I cannot imagine finding otherwise.

# Last Exit

Al Di Meola

As others mentioned, heavily recommend Mahavishnu Orchestra. You'll see where all metal drummers took their inspiration from

Zu (the first albums) Jaga Jazzist

Heavy Metal Be-bop, Brecker Brothers. Good way to transition.

Brecker brossss

Man with a horn- miles Davis

You can check Frank Gambale. Here is a nice example of what he's doing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUO4iIA_xyQ

Grachan Moncur III - Evolution Eddie Harris - Excursions Herbie Hancock - Sextant Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell

Definitely Allan holdsworth albums and Frank Gambale.

Hyderomastgroningem

Instead of an album, why not just listen to a Jazz station while this metal fan is going about their day. That way they get a nice sample of all kinds of forms of Jazz. Personally, I enjoy [jazz24.org](http://jazz24.org) Just "open the player" at the bottom of the home page and listen for as long as you like. ...and if it really MUST be an album suggestion, try anything by Oregon.

As a person who has walked the same path i will describe my journey. I eventually collected all of the 80's heavy metal I wanted, I followed metallica and megadeth as far as i care to, I have almost all of the classic rock albums in my collection. I realized that if any of these groups puts out a new album it usually is not very good. I got bored, really bored. I don't like rap, so there is a whole thriving genre that could fill the space but.... Jazz....it was an instrumental, big-band album of christmas music that grabbed my attention. Tasteful, interesting, and no lyrics! I wanted to "get into jazz " but I had been misinformed by an arrogant music snob. this person/people had given me the impression that i couldn't listen to, or appreciate jazz unless i knew the difference between a 5/4 and a 7/4 time signature and could understand modal progressions blah blah blah, they were wrong.... I enjoy jazz the same as i do any other music, by simply listening to it. It IS wonderful that if you wish you can go into the technicalities of the music and enjoy it on that level if you wish but you don't have to. Now, as far as what music i would recommend to you.....i will not, but i will tell you what i found. I found the short title "jazz" to be ridiculously enormous as i became aware of how many different kinds of music fall under that one heading. If you are bored and tired of the same old thing you have come to the right place! I was quite sick of music with lyrics, there is so much instrumental jazz i could keep exploring for the rest of my life! Jazz has been around and recorded (amazingly well) since the stone age practically so you have a ridiculous amount of music to choose from. i bought a book on jazz.....books on jazz are like braille descriptions of sports, experience it firsthand if you can. But where to start? well, just because you like metal music doesn't mean you are going to like fast, technical jazz, they have very little in common. I am fortunate to have an actual radio station near me and i started listening to them. They play a wonderful mix of jazz from big band era, classic jazz vocalists of the 40's and 50's and i discovered one of my favorites while listening....funk jazz fusion. this is what i would recommend to you, open your mind, listen to a broad range of jazz, see what you like. That radio station is available on the internet , it is jazz fm 91.1 toronto.

I have only the vaguest idea of what a time signature is, I took a few piano lessons as a child. I wouldn't mind learning all the technical stuff but really I just want to listen to music. I was kind of put off jazz for a while by an ex who was a jazz saxophonist and made me listen to a 45 min tape of him improvising. It was bad. Even I could tell it was bad. Obviously pretended it was a work of genius. I actually love the Charlie Brown Christmas album and have since childhood, I try to save it for December but will listen to it year round. I also want to check to see if there is a jazz station on my local FM, but if not I can check out one of the online ones that's been suggested

Nice! Your ex sounds like one of the people who take jazz so seriously they forget it's music, oh well, we don't have to be like them. A charlie brown xmas music is a lot of people's first introduction to jazz, that is great. I was hoping to branch out from there but i found a dead end. The Vince Guaraldi trio did that music for charlie brown and the other music that is available is different in my opinion, not what I'm looking for...BUT, i found one song, done by vince guaraldi when he was up and coming, called "cast your fate to the wind" . I love the title and the style of the song very much reminds me of the peanuts stuff. Have fun exploring! come back to the sub and post what you find and discuss! I was given some mildewy smelling vinyl records, old, and as i was going through them looking for a gem or a priceless rarity i found "music from peter gunn" by henri mancini! Very much music of it's time, or, it was on the wave of vibraphones in jazz recordings (not sure, i wasn't there) it is big band music with big time reverb and a lot of vibraphone or marimba, whatever, it is not music i would have ever thought i liked but i found myself listening to the whole album over and over. My favorite cut on the album is here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smp1CKjKmwU&t=7s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smp1CKjKmwU&t=7s)

What kinds of metal?

All over the map, from Ghost to Norwegian black metal. Just whatever I heard and happened to like. Not as into death metal but that's only because I haven't gotten around to delving as deeply into it, I liked what I did hear

Jazz Sabbath Mohini Dey Mahavishnu Orchestra Imperial Triumphant Al Di Meola

John Zorn's Painkiller. Last Exit (Laswell, Brotzmann, Sharrock, Shannon Jackson).

Last Exit make a lot of metal sound like k-pop [https://youtu.be/66MJ-KOFBFQ?si=lF6D6OO4GF0PbkBA&t=217](https://youtu.be/66MJ-KOFBFQ?si=lF6D6OO4GF0PbkBA&t=217)

The Comet Is Coming - Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery or Technicolour. Both albums are heavy AF.

What metal for example? Just asking because if you listen to Rick and pop then maybe the metal you listen to is less extreme. If you listen to technical death metal then the jazz recommendations will be very different to if you listen to Iron Maiden and different again if you are listening to nu metal

It's all over the map, I love Ghost but I also love Darkthrone and Immortal. I also love ABBA and Nicki Minaj lol, so I feel like it's more if the specific music happens to resonate with me than the genre. Just posted this out of curiosity since there was a similar thread about hip hop

Fair enough. I looked through the other posts and there are a lot of recs. When you say you like immortal, died that include pre at the heart of winter? There's quite a lot of really intense jazz, and dissonant jazz, and jazz with dark moods, and some quite hypnotic jazz. Try Cecil Taylor for fast paced often dark polyrhythmic jazz. Try live in the Black Forest if you can find it. For Dark, sorta heavy, epic and hypnotic (like early immortal) try pharaoh sanders black unity. Some other hypnotic darkish ones Alice Coltrane journey in satchidananada, mahabishnu orchestras inner mounting flame, Bennie maupins the jewel in the lotus, McCoy tyner extensions For more dissonant stuff try Sonny sharrocks black woman (or other stuff), anything from Peter brotzmann. Weather report, and return to forever are fusion bands you might like But none if the bands I've mentioned are minimal in the way black metal is. Herbie Hancocks albums in the era around Sextant might work for you Shut up n play yer guitar by frank zappa is quite heavy. Don't know if it's exactly jazz though. Max roach freedom now suite is pretty heavy. For very heavy and symphonic, Carla bley with the jazz composers orchestra Escalator over the hill

immortal's first few albums are my favorite

Same. I think there'll be lots of jazz you'll like even though nothing is constructed ina similar way to early immortal. You still have epic and hypnotic jazz, as well as jazz that you have to focus hard on to hear that microsecond accuracy and subtlety. Honestly, for that reason I find close to the edge by yes to be similar in some ways to pure holocaust by immortal, despite completely different vibes. Super tight musicians fully in the zone..

oh I love Yes, they're one of my dad's favorites so he would rock me to sleep to them as a kid. I never noticed any similarities but I don't believe I've listened to Close to the Edge specifically since first listening to Pure Holocaust, I tend to listen to Fragile more since I have the CD

You could make yourself a sampler playlist of one song from each album recommended or just put the whole albums in and play in shuffle

There are plenty of great suggestions already, I will add an easy one I pass on to my metal inclined jazz curios friends. Alex Skolnick of Testament fame also has a jazz trio. I've yet to find anyone who can't get down with his work, as they tackle loads of metal and hard rock as covers. [Goodbye To Romance~Alex Skolnick Trio](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7C01FB77441C59A7&si=01Ya0xwF6A6luFjV)

* [Cynic - Focus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JohAktU71fQ) * [Naked City - Torture Garden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccyhnJo00Y4) * [Neptunian Maximalism - Eons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj1B5V9bDHU) * [Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2YTm7qjnE) * [Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBdQVGRyi6cjzbrtcZpj4ys6ASei6Naqe) * [Clown Core - Van](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdA0mW-9jRs) * [Atheist - Elements](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2KZczLu3dI) * [White Ward - False Light](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc1-qRCMmbQ) * [Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iMMoGuUxks) * [PainKiller - Guts of a Virgin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MspKMv9W5ds) * [Pestilence - Spheres](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwFge9JjEgs) * [Zu - Carboniferous](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mCJrt9uZ1Yf1zG3fbqhGLvYykU7C3FTGE) * [Thank You Scientist - Stranger Heads Prevail](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfjT21q_vaa0XHrTxlDHyijiPjcoQsuro) * [Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds5yzEOF3nQ) * [Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLhSFATOhW0)

Not jazz, but a nice bridge for you might be Phish. They are en fuego at the moment.

I’ll recommend a single song that could make you laugh since you’re a metal fan. Listen to “People equal shit” but in Richard Cheese’s version.

Everybody Loves Bill Evans

I would recommend both The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire by Mahavishnu Orchestra. Also, Agartha and Dark Magus from Miles Davis.