Mercy, I could sit here all day and come up with various artists, but here are a few off the top of my head…
Umm Kulthum – If you’re from the Middle East, the idea that Umm Kulthum is “a well-kept secret” is absurd… even decades after her death, she’s insanely popular over there, on a level that rivals Elvis or The Beatles.
But in the West, she’s criminally unknown and quality recordings are hard to come by. Much of what’s available here are compilations of 3-4 minute songs in scratchy mono… these are good, but the really great stuff are live recordings of her famous weekly radio broadcasts.
The songs on these performances are usually 30-60 minutes long, and give her ample opportunity to showcase her jaw-dropping talents. She really does have it all: a gorgeous voice, unbelievable phrasing with a command of little microtonal inflections that a fretless or slide guitar player could spend a lifetime studying, and an emotive quality that crosses any language barrier. However difficult it may be to come across these recordings, trust me that it’s worth it.
Marc Ducret – Lot of people know about Marc Ribot (deservedly so) but I see fewer people talk about Ducret. This is a terrible oversight, IMO… he is that rare player that combines undeniable virtuosity with an approach and sound that’s entirely his own. I’ve seen him live several times in various Tim Berne groups and was floored on each occasion.
Otomo Yoshihide’s NJQ – He’s probably more famous in the Japanese noise scene, but he also has a really great jazz group as well. A really visceral group of players that I’d recommend to any fans of adventurous jazz.
Jody Stecher – A really terrifying musician. A virtuoso mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and banjo player. He’s a master of Appalachian AND Hindustani and probably one of the few players who’s played with David Grisman and Ali Akbar Khan. He’s also a terrific teacher with several instructional videos. His duets with his wife Kate Brislin are a great place to start.
Lots of other examples I can’t do full justice to…
Paul Bley’s solo on “All The Things You Are” (from “Sonny Meets Hawk”) – one of the “best secrets” in jazz
Robert Pete Williams
Hans Reichel
Lightnin’ Hopkins “Herald Recordings”
Herbie Nichols
David Tronzo… the best slide player that nobody knows
Cedell Davis
Skip Spence’s “Oar”
The Everyman Band (with a young David Torn)
And so on and so on..
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Best-kept secrets
