The Flesh recordings

Madhouse (more instrumental Funk than Jazz)

Eric Leeds solo album

Miles Davis (Prince covers)

Does your friend like classic jazz, fusion, smooth jazz or all of it?

xpertluva said:

Don't forget

She Spoke 2 Me (full length version)

When The Lights Go Down

Letter 4 Miles

I'm a pretty serious Jazz listener (everything from Duke Ellington to Peter Brötzmann) and I really don’t rate Prince’s deliberate forays into “jazz” very highly. I enjoy Madhouse because it’s funk oriented and uniquely Prince. The Flesh stuff is okay, but I find the later projects like NEWS to be vapid and unlistenable. If your friend is anything like me then they’re more likely to appreciate his experimental funk/fusion cuts like 2 Nigs, Shortberry Strawcake and so on, or the many amazing live jams that are floating around.

The Loring Park Sessions '77 are great if he likes jazz fusion.

fen said:

I'm a pretty serious Jazz listener (everything from Duke Ellington to Peter Brötzmann) and I really don’t rate Prince’s deliberate forays into “jazz” very highly. I enjoy Madhouse because it’s funk oriented and uniquely Prince. The Flesh stuff is okay, but I find the later projects like NEWS to be vapid and unlistenable. If your friend is anything like me then they’re more likely to appreciate his experimental funk/fusion cuts like 2 Nigs, Shortberry Strawcake and so on, or the many amazing live jams that are floating around.

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That´s what I was going to write. I have friends who play jazz, and I noticed they werent impressed with Prince´s jazzy stuff, because they are used to John Scofield, Oscar Peterson, etc. One of them even prefers his pop hits.

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But I would suggest stuff that have some cool horn arrangements and live band organic production, like ´Billy Jack Bitch´, ´Big City´, ´She spoke 2 me´ (the full version from The Vault).

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And you could show some jazzy covers too, like Joshua Redman´s take on ´How come U dont call me anymore´, or Miles Davis covering ´Penetration´, Marcin Wasilevski Trio´s ´Diamonds and Pearls´, Viktoria Tolstoy´s "Strollin" (all available on Spotify, I believe) or Tony De Sare´s "Kiss".

[Edited 8/1/21 17:17pm]

Cool Article...

https://www.allaboutjazz....?width=768

Also check YT for a very cool Jazz cover of "Calhoun Square" by some contemp Jazz All Stars.

afaic, show him the breadth of his jazz side, but skip absolute low points. So, no Flesh sessions, no Madhouse after 8 and take a really wide berth around any Eric Leeds projects.

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Do take Rainbow Children, NEWS, Loring Park Sessions, The Vault (Old Friends For Sale), songs like Venus De Milo and Alexa De Paris, the extended version of Mountains (just start playing after the regular song ends) and for good measure sprinkle in some Black is the new Black tracks.

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Having said that, Prince was never really "Jazz". He did do some fusion, unfortunately, but also some jazzy funk.

I think you've got to go for the live stuff.

Some of the Montreux shows are on YT in great quality.

I'm sure they'll enjoy his version of Stratus.

1p1p1i3 said:

I think you've got to go for the live stuff.

Some of the Montreux shows are on YT in great quality.

I'm sure they'll enjoy his version of Stratus.

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YES!

Well well well, look what's on Spotify via Dr Funkenberry!

It's Prince doing Stratus (live)

https://open.spotify.com/...LNISAklCoq

[Edited 8/3/21 13:39pm]

1p1p1i3 said:

I think you've got to go for the live stuff.

Some of the Montreux shows are on YT in great quality.

I'm sure they'll enjoy his version of Stratus.

Stratus was the first thing I ever saw Prince play live. His first night of the 21 Nights in London. First ever Prince Show for me (an aftershow). The band had started playing some songs without him and no one was sure if he would turn up. He did. I had always loved Stratus. I was blown away.