Jazz / Funk band recording

[minus-sounds.com]

In a couple of week I will have a jazz / funk band over here for recording. I haven't done jazz before but lots of rock, pop, classical, early and ethnic. They have asked for a "L.A. tight sound". Any recordings that I have to listen to? Thanks.

The live room is big, about 120m2 and 5m high.

What I am indenting to use is as follows:

Steinway B : B&O BM5 stereo ribbon
(or 2x M149)
into Mill Media HV-3D
Yamaha Clavinova and Kurzweil 2660 synth: DI 737sp

Electric Guitar: M160
(or cream MD421)
into Origin (trafo in)

6 string Electric Bass: MD416 dynamic,
(ML52 ribbon or MD421 or (or D112 ))
into 737sp

Yamaha Concert Vibraphone: 2x M160
(or 2x KM184 or 2x TLM103 or 2x M149 ORTF or M160 / M130 MS)
into Mill Media HV-3D

Sax: MD441
(or cream MD421)
into Origin

Congas (Latin Percussion Tito Puente series): 2x KM184 (if not used on the vibraphone)
(or M160 or AT4050 ORTF or M160 / M130 or AT4050 MS)
into Mill Media HV-3D

Yamaha Custom recording drums: Glen Johns technique: 2x M260.80
and for BassDrum: Octava 319
(or ML52 (further back) or D112)
all into Amek DMCL

Room: 2x M149 or 4050 in omni, spaced, up high (3,5m)
into Mil Media HV-3D


Mics available (the studio's and personal)
tube:
2x M149
2x NTK
SP T-3

LDC:
2x TLM103
2x NT1000
Bluebird
Baby Bottle
319
4x C3000
2x AT4050 (ok this is mid size)
E865S

SDC:
2x KM184
2x 603S
2x E664
NT4 stereo
6x ECM8000
Line Audio CM2
2x C562BL boundary

ribbon:
B&O BM5 stereo
M500
5x M160
2x M130
2x M260.80
2x ML52
2x T.Bone RB100

Dynamic:
2x MD4 (Labor W)
2x MD416
4x MD421 (3 cream and 1 black with bass roll offs)
2x MD441
2x E602
4x E604
2x E608
E609
E835
2x D112
2x TD21 Telefunken
3x Blue Balls
3x SM57
SM58

Pre amps:
Mil Media HV-3D, 16 channels (8 with DC option)
2x Mil Media Origin
2x Avalon VT-737SP
2x Amek DMCL, 4 channels
Peavey VMP-2, 2 channels
SP-828, 8 channels
2x EH 12AY7

Any comment or input is appreciated.

[minus-sounds.com]

anyone ?
Any recordings that I have to listen to?
Thanks.

[u b k]

'la tight sound' to me sounds like kenny g and every smooth jazz song ever recorded, or maybe the dave weckl breed of noodlefest.

if i'm right, it's a paint-by-number production esthetic either way; spend 15 minutes and listen to any 3 songs on your local smooth jazz fm station and you'll hear what i'm talking about. it's bright, snappy, polished, verby, and scooped. think neutral pre's, standard mic choices, and ssl or itb mix.

if i'm wrong, then completely ignore me!


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[Chaellus]

i always thought that the La Jazz sound was kind of what steely dan does but in this case i could be wrong...wouldnt hurt to check it out anyways...try the album Aja and the song deacon blues.....ive only worked on jazz once pretty much the work is done for you in jazz as dynamics mean everything....unlike rock and pop were things are compressed and overcompressed here in jazz its imperative that things arent compressed to much in the sense of effect but to get rid ofdistorting peaks...if the person should play to loud but that should be it... maybe somebody with more experaince can shed some light on this..

[mike_mccue]

I would guess that the term L.A. jazz implies a compressed sound compared to any type of jazz that was traditionally performed live and then "captured" for recording/playback use. The L.A. jazz sound was produced specifically for playback on entertainment systems rather than live club performances. It was made to sound good on "hi fi" systems.

I think of Kenny G as "post" LA jazz but it certainly refers to that mid seventies sound that I am thinking your clients are describing.


I could easily be wrong about this... but that's my reaction to the term L.A. jazz.

best regards,
mike

[minus-sounds.com]

Thanks for the comments so far.

Ok, from the horse's mouth. The coordinator, who is a bass player also, likes the Weather Report "Heavy Weather" (1977) especially for the Pastorious sound, obviously. But he doesn't want a so dated sound. His vision is closer to Mike Stern's "Voices" (2001).

Time to head to the record shop.

[Joe Belmaati]

You may also want to check out recordings on the GRP label. Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour etc etc. One of my favourite smooth jazz albums is "One Of A Kind" by Dave Grusin. Whether it is a tight LA sound I don't know.

[mike_mccue]

"the Weather Report "Heavy Weather""

Yeah that's what I was thinking about, music for the brain... rather than the soul.

For a while the better music school graduates were off making academic *jazz* music that sounded great on your stereo but couldn't get your blood pumping.

There's a reason punk, rap and 80's metal became popular.

There's a reason old guard jazz made a comeback by the late eighties.

[misterlong]

Check out anything produced by Gary Katz for an oldschool ish sound (AJA steely dan, Mannequin Marc jordan)
Meters is as fat as all f**k

For a really polished newschool sound try The Rebirth. Absolutely inch perfect playing and production. Particularly the track 'This Journey'. Really epitomises the LA jazz funk sound at the moment
TheRebirthLive

Hope this helps

Long