not pop punk but JAZZ!

[Shotzi...]

Is this dude any good?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Carlton

Yes.

[last]

Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie

[slam]

Some more contemporary stuff: Nicholas Payton, Terance Blanchard.

[Harry Hijinks]

I have a real hard time
With contemporary jazz

[JeffreySchroeck]

Eric Dolphy's first few albums are a good starting place if you're looking to check out jazz stuff. His music is a great balance between the structured bebop of the 40s and 50s, and the free stuff that came in the 60s. Also, Ornette Coleman's "Shape Of Jazz To Come" and "Change Of the Century" are in the same mold. It's not the apparent free-for-all that "Free Jazz" is-it has noticeable structure and basically standard rhythms, but the melodies are alot more free.

And Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" of course.

[jessearnaud]

ahmad jamal, live at the pershing. got it for a buck in the city and it remains one of my favorite records, real chill but still impressive stuff.

[Seumas]

two newish(for jazz) artists ive been stoked on recently

esperanza spaulding

(click to show/hide)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IqcmhkfJRE&feature=related

and BADBADNOTGOOD actually sort of combines jazz elements and some hip hop beats.

(click to show/hide)

http://badbadnotgood.bandcamp.com/

[Doorbell]

Check out Madlib - Shades Of Blue. It's a mixture of blue note records jazz and hip-hop.

[ScruffCardinale]

how with all the coltrane albums that have been listed has Giant Steps not been mentioned?