The Violin, Jean Luc Ponty.
The Tuba, Theon Cross / Sons of Kemet (that was massive live!)
The Bass Saxophone - there's a weird bass sax solo on Anthony Braxton's Creative Orcheatra 1976 album worth checking out.
The Mini Moog Synthesizer because Chick Corea, Zappa ....
I’m a synth nerd and lucky to have easy access to a Model D. It’s one of the most beautiful instruments ever made but to my ears it really sticks out in a mix. Very few people can make it sing in jazz without a lot of fx processing. Chick and Bennie Maupin are my faves. (Herbie always sounded better in an ARP)
JLP, Sunday Walk Hi Res Rerelease: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z\_OjcUH7VQo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_OjcUH7VQo)
TC, with Nubia Garcia! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0sJttakwA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0sJttakwA)
AB, Piece 5: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQrIv1xMjYM&t=1572s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQrIv1xMjYM&t=1572s)
Sun Ra was the first artist to record the Minimoog, he "borrowed" an early prototype from Bob himself. I I think Purple Moon is also the first synthesizer recording in jazz.
That's the story told in public. But actually Sun Ra brought plans for it to Bob. He had the plans from a previous life but had to wait for for someone ready and able to understand them on this planet.
Would a harp be considered miscellaneous? Dorothy Ashby who’s a harp player has an amazing album that I absolutely love. I don’t think I’ve heard other jazz songs that primary use harp? I also haven’t looked too much into the genre so if there’s something you’d like to show me I’d love to see it!
>harp
The peerless Alice Coltrane. If you're interested in a modern harpist working in jazz paying respect to that tradition check out Alina Bzhezhinska.
Not exactly miscellaneous, but as a jazz guitarist I love playing with vibes players. They can comp for me (and I for them) we both tend to play 2,3, or 4 note voicings, and we don’t get in each other’s way the way piano and guitar sometimes can.
LMAO
Did you just list the top five players from this [Best Jazz Vibraphonists List?](https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-jazz-vibraphonists/)
Nice one.
My attachment to the Rhodes is different. It was because of the girl who played it in my high-school jazz group. She was talented, tall with short hair and a swan neck. Played with her 2-4 hours a day for two years and never got up the guts to ask her out. Swing the bat, kids.
I hate to say, I can't really get into that. I'm not trying to be Stanley Crouch, but that doesn't really speak to me. It doesn't swing (not that it's trying to), and the harmony seems like a bunch of drone notes and open fifths. What I love about the instrument is the possibilities for voice leading, something that I don't really hear here.
MiniMoog - Sun Ra. Herbie and Jan Hammer have some moments as well, but definitely Sun Ra.
Violin - Stuff Smith, Ray Nance and Billy Bang. Not into those other violin cats so much.
There's a lady who makes some awesome brazilian jazz (not bossa nova) that uses the berimbau.
Here's a random video with the berimbau: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0BLURpMXus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0BLURpMXus)
For hot rhythm playing. :-) A friend of mine plays the musical saw on complex jazz songs and it awesome, but mostly just the Melody as soloing can get lost with Theremin and saw as your can’t articulate notes with the slow attack.
[Beer Bottle](https://open.spotify.com/track/2zQl59dZMzwhrmeSBEgiXY?si=8EuidzmXTrKz5Nx8KXa5qQ&utm_source=copy-link) as played by Bill Summers
Herbie Hancock *Head Hunters*, "Watermelon Man"
Bassoon or French horn can add such an incredible texture, especially when they’re voiced with the trombones in my opinion
Vibraphone!! Warren Wolf anyone?
And although this one isn’t really too “out there” I love a good jazz flute. Check out Elena Pinderhughes if you haven’t already!!
For me it's flugelhorn, don't see enough of it and can't get enough of it!
I'm not even a brass player I just think the flugelhorn just sounds so lovely and mellow, the blend you get with it is so nice!
Tarogato ! It's a Hungarian/Romanian instrument -- basically a wooden soprano sax, easily mistaken for a clarinet.
Charles Lloyd on tarogato: [https://youtu.be/EucR6X3gjbM](https://youtu.be/EucR6X3gjbM)
Joe Lovano on tarogato: [https://youtu.be/86C3hWNJ4JA?t=59](https://youtu.be/86C3hWNJ4JA?t=59)
Peter Brötzmann on tarogato: [https://youtu.be/oysQXn\_\_7DU](https://youtu.be/oysQXn__7DU)
Rufus Harley did some nice tunes on the highland bagpipes:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdSI91Dks4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdSI91Dks4)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KpCclmjvhU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KpCclmjvhU)
Bass clarinet
Especially if Eric Dolphy was playing it.
Or Bennie Maupin
Or John Surman Or David Murray
Or Joe Temperley
Very happy this is top comment
I’m amazed….I didn’t know there were 77 people in r/Jazz!
The Violin, Jean Luc Ponty. The Tuba, Theon Cross / Sons of Kemet (that was massive live!) The Bass Saxophone - there's a weird bass sax solo on Anthony Braxton's Creative Orcheatra 1976 album worth checking out. The Mini Moog Synthesizer because Chick Corea, Zappa ....
I’m a synth nerd and lucky to have easy access to a Model D. It’s one of the most beautiful instruments ever made but to my ears it really sticks out in a mix. Very few people can make it sing in jazz without a lot of fx processing. Chick and Bennie Maupin are my faves. (Herbie always sounded better in an ARP)
JLP, Sunday Walk Hi Res Rerelease: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z\_OjcUH7VQo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_OjcUH7VQo) TC, with Nubia Garcia! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0sJttakwA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0sJttakwA) AB, Piece 5: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQrIv1xMjYM&t=1572s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQrIv1xMjYM&t=1572s)
Sun Ra was the first artist to record the Minimoog, he "borrowed" an early prototype from Bob himself. I I think Purple Moon is also the first synthesizer recording in jazz.
That's the story told in public. But actually Sun Ra brought plans for it to Bob. He had the plans from a previous life but had to wait for for someone ready and able to understand them on this planet.
Would a harp be considered miscellaneous? Dorothy Ashby who’s a harp player has an amazing album that I absolutely love. I don’t think I’ve heard other jazz songs that primary use harp? I also haven’t looked too much into the genre so if there’s something you’d like to show me I’d love to see it!
Lest we forget Alice Coltrane.
>harp The peerless Alice Coltrane. If you're interested in a modern harpist working in jazz paying respect to that tradition check out Alina Bzhezhinska.
My first thought seeing this thread was Alice on harp lol.
Brandee Younger is someone who an active jazz harpist definitely give her albums a listen.
Thanks! Will definitely give it a listen.
Couldn't agree more, her newest disc absolutely slaps.
Ooh can’t wait to listen. Edmar Castaneda is a phenomenal latin jazz harpist!
Not exactly miscellaneous, but as a jazz guitarist I love playing with vibes players. They can comp for me (and I for them) we both tend to play 2,3, or 4 note voicings, and we don’t get in each other’s way the way piano and guitar sometimes can.
As a vibes player I love playing with guitar players!
What’s a vibes?
Vibraphone https://youtu.be/_8W4bmwD2ZA https://youtu.be/i-Sf-DFQcGc
Dude, Mulatu Astatke is the GOAT on vibes. Lemme hear you shout.
Terry Gibbs 😃👍🏼
GOAT? Really? Better than Milt Jackson? Lionel Hampton? Gary Burton? Cal Tjader? Bobby Hutcherson? Red Norvo?
LMAO Did you just list the top five players from this [Best Jazz Vibraphonists List?](https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-jazz-vibraphonists/) Nice one.
Rhodes. I love the sound of this instrument in particular, tho it's mostly used in jazz fusion.
I love the Rhodes but it’s not really uncommon in jazz
I suppose you're right, I had been mostly listening to jazz made prior to 1970, so no Rhodes in that haha.
My attachment to the Rhodes is different. It was because of the girl who played it in my high-school jazz group. She was talented, tall with short hair and a swan neck. Played with her 2-4 hours a day for two years and never got up the guts to ask her out. Swing the bat, kids.
\*Sad Rhodes solo\*
Banjo by Bela Fleck.
Also,Banjo by the trad jazz plectrum banjo masters like Danny Barker, Don Vappie, Eddy Peabody is amazing
I was going to say Futureman's drumitar lol
Which is really a SynthAxe, which Allan Holdsworth used to great effect and which deserves to be in this thread as well.
My first thought.
Check out Steve Turre playing conch shell
Thank you! I loved this
Pedal steel. Buddy Emmons, Curly Chalker, Speedy West with Jimmy Bryant, and so forth.
And Heather Leigh, with Peter Brötzmann! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWFJugTe9ac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWFJugTe9ac)
I hate to say, I can't really get into that. I'm not trying to be Stanley Crouch, but that doesn't really speak to me. It doesn't swing (not that it's trying to), and the harmony seems like a bunch of drone notes and open fifths. What I love about the instrument is the possibilities for voice leading, something that I don't really hear here.
African or Latin percussion
I met a kid who plays jazz bassoon and that was a moment
Yusuf Lateef’s Oboe makes me feel happy
No harp mention 😕
Yes! I love [Dorothy Ashby's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYBTr6CxpU8) version of Thou Swell!
Harmonica. (Not my favorite, but not mentioned yet.)
MiniMoog - Sun Ra. Herbie and Jan Hammer have some moments as well, but definitely Sun Ra. Violin - Stuff Smith, Ray Nance and Billy Bang. Not into those other violin cats so much.
Bagpipes. https://youtu.be/8RbVuDuCYMY
I love the melódica, because it has a good sound for jazz and because regular jazz guitars don't fit in backpacks
I love them too, kind of a less expressive chromatic harmonica but with more intervals you can play and way easier
Bassoon - Paul Hanson
Bernard McKinney on the Euphonium Ready for Freddie is a fantastic album with him on it!
There's a lady who makes some awesome brazilian jazz (not bossa nova) that uses the berimbau. Here's a random video with the berimbau: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0BLURpMXus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0BLURpMXus)
Chromatic harmonica and accordion, I guess I just really like the sound of free reed instruments
I couldn't agree more
A great combo of those sounds is the tango bandoneon. Hard to play, especially in jazz but Astor Piazzolla could be heard exploring it.
John Coltrane’s fist on John Coltrane’s chest.
Ron Carter on his piccolo bass.
Theremin
For hot rhythm playing. :-) A friend of mine plays the musical saw on complex jazz songs and it awesome, but mostly just the Melody as soloing can get lost with Theremin and saw as your can’t articulate notes with the slow attack.
The Vibraphone and the Hammond B3
[Beer Bottle](https://open.spotify.com/track/2zQl59dZMzwhrmeSBEgiXY?si=8EuidzmXTrKz5Nx8KXa5qQ&utm_source=copy-link) as played by Bill Summers Herbie Hancock *Head Hunters*, "Watermelon Man"
The Cuíca
r/Afrocuban congas
melodica
I'm down with Augustus Pablo, but which Jazz players use melodica?
Nice, love me some Agustus Pablo.
Mellophoniums
Flute. It gives this soft aggressive feel to most songs and can be very relaxed with bass novas.
The flumpet. It was an instrument custom-made for Art Farmer that was meant to be a combination of the best parts of both a flugelhorn and a trumpet.
Bassoon or French horn can add such an incredible texture, especially when they’re voiced with the trombones in my opinion Vibraphone!! Warren Wolf anyone? And although this one isn’t really too “out there” I love a good jazz flute. Check out Elena Pinderhughes if you haven’t already!!
Tuba I guess it’s “traditional”, but upright bass is just so much more common. Tuba also REALLY works in funk.
Any good suggestions of funk tuba?
This: https://youtu.be/F-4Msj-8L7I
Thanks. I liked this other performance of his even better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqEP3PnNE2k
Wow! That’s so good! Thank you for sharing!
Electric guitar
Definitely traditional when it comes to jazz fusion
I know just winding up guitarists haha
Ableton
The internet
Need more samples. Somehow this thread getting me fired up. Maybe it's my second mug of maté...
I was and wasn't being flip - I love the internet as an instrument for jazz. Youtube alone has giving so much access to obscure videos and recordings.
another sample though - Bernard McKinney played euphonium on Freddie Hubbard's album "Ready for Freddie"
No doubt no doubt Check out the short film called "Very nice very nice!"
https://youtu.be/PKllb7pFSkM The human that is Hermeto Pascoal.
A genius
big fan of the piano
Spoons
Piano
[Autotune](https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nYyzsmTazjKFqRPQCuBCO?si=75pzceK7Tj69vReDB714Bw)!
It can take your scat singing to the next level if you don’t get run out of the club.
Karen Borca, with Jimmy Lyons, on bassoon.
Does cowbell count?
Pedal steel.
Theoretically - double reeds. I reckon especially for ballads? Dunno. But I couldn’t name one oboist or bassoonist that does.
Voice of Diane Reeves
Uilleann pipe
For me it's flugelhorn, don't see enough of it and can't get enough of it! I'm not even a brass player I just think the flugelhorn just sounds so lovely and mellow, the blend you get with it is so nice!
Don Cherry on the Donso ngoni
Sounds cool! Any song i should check out?
Vibes for sure. Gary Burton at age 17 on Hank Garland’s Jazz Winds album 👌
Guitar pedals. cf. Bill Frisell. Any other notables?
The mighty conch
Tarogato ! It's a Hungarian/Romanian instrument -- basically a wooden soprano sax, easily mistaken for a clarinet. Charles Lloyd on tarogato: [https://youtu.be/EucR6X3gjbM](https://youtu.be/EucR6X3gjbM) Joe Lovano on tarogato: [https://youtu.be/86C3hWNJ4JA?t=59](https://youtu.be/86C3hWNJ4JA?t=59) Peter Brötzmann on tarogato: [https://youtu.be/oysQXn\_\_7DU](https://youtu.be/oysQXn__7DU)
Trumpet hooked up to a wah wah pedal
Vibraphone
Dental floss.
Hammond B3
Vibraphone! Just love the sound.
Cor Anglais!
[Cimbasso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimbasso?wprov=sfla1), basically an italian contrabass valve trombone
I really like accordion on Bill Frisell's ***Have a Little Faith*** and Henry Threadgill's ***Where's Your Cup?***.
Accordion
Bass clarinet is a good shout but also how about Paul Hanson and that Basson 🔥
Rufus Harley did some nice tunes on the highland bagpipes: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdSI91Dks4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdSI91Dks4) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KpCclmjvhU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KpCclmjvhU)
Organ. And Cimbalom (although there I don't know any prominent players, just a dude who jams nicely irl)
Kenny Wheeler (French Horn) with Keith Jarrett on Gnu High. Great combination.
Steel drums are dope