When they almost went 'Jazz.'

Much like my previous thread. When they almost went Heavy Rock.
But this time about non-jazz groups who at sometime recorded and released a song that was heavily influenced by jazz.
A track where the listener on first listen would've thought something like, 'wow, i wasn't expected them to do something like this!'

I know next to nothing about jazz but i know there are different varieties, i think?

No jazz/rock fusion artists.

Are there many examples.

I THINK this is jazz, maybe Trad-Jazz? All the 'wind instruments' were played by Brian May using guitars.

 

When Paul Weller formed The Style Council.

 

In case anyone listened to 'Good Company' and thought those wind instruments sounded great, May on this video explain the track.

 

Richard Thompson-Al Bowlly's In Heaven

 

The Beatles - Honey Pie

 

“Let’s Go Away For Awhile”
The Beach Boys

In a kinda Lounge-y Jazz-y way...
By session players.

 

A little bossa nova Brazilian-style jazz from The Beach Boys. A singular but successful effort in the genre:

 

TEARS FOR FEARS - Seeds of Love album

 

James Taylor's version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" has a small jazz combo vibe, especially the mix without the sax solo at the end (but that mix qualifies, too).

 

Dozens of improvs by Grateful Dead from '72-'74. Here's a great example. Starting at 1:09:00 of this viddy, deep in a Playing in the Band improv, they get way out there in jazz/fusion territory - but they're not a fusion band, so this counts, right?):

 

Other than the acts we know played with jazz a lot like Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, Steely Dan, Traffic, I'll go with Love:

From Da Capo (1967)
Jazz touches on "Stephanie Knows Who" - the great sax solo with the drums shuffling. There are little touches throughout the album but nothing really distinct.

From Four Sail (1969)
Both "I'm with You" and "Nothing" are jazz rock.

 

You overlook "Revelation", with its attempted improvisation and sax/drum solo spots?

 

Jazzy early Bruce. Piano player David Sancious left to form his own jazz band shortly after they recorded this one:

 

My favorite teenage "rock band"...Lenny Breau alcolyte Randy Bachman left, but, they couldn't exorcize the swing out of it entirely...from (oddly enough) an album called, Rockin'...


And here's Burt solo...dig the middle part...
Burton Cummings - Sing Shiny Stockings 78

 

Out of curiosity, what about "Honey Pie" sounds like jazz to you?

 

If a reading musician were handed a chart of McCartney/Wings' My Love with only the changes and no title, it would easily be viewed as a fairly typical jazz ballad:

Slow Ballad

| BbMaj7 / / / | / / / / | Amin7 / / / | D7/F# / / / |
| Gmin 7 / / / | Amin7 / BbMaj7 / | Bmin7(b5) / / / | / / / / |
| FMaj7 / / / | Gmin7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / | Fmaj7 / / / :||


| Gmin7 / C7 / | FMaj7 / Faug / | Gmin7 / C7 / | FMaj7 / Faug / |
| Gmin7 / C7 / | FMaj7 / Faug / | Gmin7 / C7 / | FMaj7 / / / | to the top

It doesn't sound like a jazz ballad because it's played as a rock ballad. But right and truly, it's written just like a jazz ballad.

I can't answer for the poster, but jazz isn't just about sound. It's also about harmony and feel. There's a distinct dixieland harmony to the changes and an early swing feel that rightly puts it in the jazz realm even if it doesn't really sound like "jazz". (And the subject matter; a 1920's flapper would bear out this relationship.)

 

I always thought (and sorry for mentioning that band again) that The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" has a jazz-rocky/latin vibe to it with these great guitar solos and bass-runs.
There are quite a few Talk Talk-tunes on their last two albums that seem to relate to Miles Davis' In a silent Way/B*****s Brew-era, I think.

 

Moondance—pretty much straight up jazz:

 

Black Sabbath - "Breakout"

 

Hey Joe Jackson! You just defined New Wave for a fresh American audience! Whaddya gonna do next...um...no, NOT goin' to Disneyland...
you blast out an album of your '40s swing roots as through the kaleidescope of Britain bobby-soxers! Clearly having the time of his life here...

 

I like how Spirit would change up a song into a jazz number, e.g., Fresh Garbage at 1:14.

 

Frank and The Mothers Of Invention, King Kong:

 

The Rascals - Peaceful World

 

Radiohead's playing on a lot of Kid A (and Amnesiac) is pretty jazz influenced, especially songs like "The National Anthem". Maybe not dixieland jazz or traditional jazz but jazz nonetheless.