Old school Jazz productions.

[Loren Littlejohn]

I'm listening to some Miles Davis for the Jazz Ensomble class that I am taking this semester (3 credits to play bass for free for the win) and I noticed that the drum set is pretty much panned all on the right and the piano is panned all the way left with the upright in the middle. Is this just old school production style or are Jazz recordings still recorded like the band is on a stage or in a room? Various solo instruments are panned in different places. The sax is left while the horn (Mr. Davis) is all the way to the right.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

It's not just old jazz, the kind of production you described can be heard on lots of old albums. Try Beatles, for example

 

[ExecutiveRob]

Doesn't happen alot in modern Jazz recordings, soloists are usually central, but if you listen to any of the old be-bop (charlie parker, dizzy gilespie and some coltrane) stuff it's especially noticable there. On the Giant Steps record by Coltrane, nothing's panned centrally.

I always thought that it was due to the fact that potentially anyone can be a soloist, even if they're just comping, so everyone needs they're own space...

...but that's just me.

 

[Torniojaws]

Also, in jazz drums are considered one single instrument, unlike in pop/rock/metal where it's more about keeping the beat.

 

[G-Wrath]

Also, in jazz drums are considered one single instrument, unlike in pop/rock/metal where it's more about keeping the beat.

I would consider Metal drumming to be more than just keeping the beat.

 

[Remy_5150]

I would consider Metal drumming to be more than just keeping the beat.

yes, obviously thats true, but what he's saying is that Jazz is much more free-form than metal. Anyone can solo, things can change each time you perform a song, and the drums were just considered one instrument in the mix. Today, metal drums are basically looked at as a foundation for the rest of the instruments. In jazz, they were all looked at the same.