Is Modern Jazz an Oxymoron?

Feef, if you like oud, you might like "Rabih Abou Khalil"; I have 5 of his CD's


                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2biLSMIGTs8


              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKz3_33NJHU


              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8jTnAq8iS0


              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgklgAAlzEE


              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwJsUcfgT2E

This is the first time I ever heard Muriel Grossman, and naturally I am comparing her to "Trane".

I saw "Trane" at a nightclub that didn't even have a stage for the performers. A space in the middle of the floor was allocated for them to play in. We, my girlfriend, another couple, and a professional drummer (it seems every professional musician in town was there) had a table next to the space where the musicians were playing, (that's so much more intimate than an auditorium)

When I closed my eyes and listened to Trane, he was right in my ear. His sound is printed on my mind like no other; he was playing the soprano sax at this performance, and Muriel also plays the soprano sax.

The point I want to make is that my intimate connection with Trane enables me to make a comparison like few others. The differences (sound and presentation) between the two are concurrent with their physical appearances. If you listen intently, you will hear where I'm coming from; her sound while similar to Trane, has a beautiful femininity, his sound has a strong masculinity.

I believe Muriel will stand the test of time and create great works over many years.


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nxpGUNs6Mo

BRAHJA-In The Mess looks like one of the LSD trips I went on, when I was doing such things. I think that's what It's meant to duplicate. I find it positively mesmerizing, but somehow it's not the same without the video.

Feef, Muriel is very interesting; while obviously influenced by Trane, she still has her own message. I will add her to my collection. Thanks for submitting Muriel.

Trentmemphis, I think we all listen to other artists in addition to what you called "The Golden Era", but I know I always return to "The Golden Era".


Enjoy the music.

I would say that "modern jazz" began with "Bebop"; that was the most revolutionary departure from the jazz that had come before. While "Bebop" didn't last that long, the musicians who were instrumental in creating "Bebop" are still "in vogue" today.

Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie led the way in Bebop, which evolved into modern jazz as we know it today. I am of the opinion that you should let your ears do the talking, just as in a buffet, you would let your taste buds do the talking.

If you ventured over to my thread, "Jazz For Aficionados", which has gone on for years, you would discover the best jazz that's been created since the beginning of "modern jazz" Extremely astute aficionados have left their indelible marks on this thread. The albums they've recommended have enabled me to expand my collection to the point that I no longer actively spend time in an attempt to expand it. If I did, I wouldn't have time to listen to all the killers I have accumulated as a result of purchasing their recommendations.

I can not think of a more pleasurable way to spend a day than listening to the best music on the best equipment. (especially since I am of that age, that precludes more strenuous activities which I considered quite desirable in my youth)

You simply thumb through the pages of "Jazz For Aficionados" and let your ears do the talking, the same as you would in a buffet where you let your taste buds do the talking; you simply sample this, that, and the other thing to determine what you like best. When someone tells you how fantastic an artist is, you have to find a way to hear that artist, in order to determine for yourself, whether or not that artist is so fantastic according to your tastes.

On "Jazz For Aficionados", you only have to click on the link that has been provided and hear the artist that someone else thinks is so fantastic; maybe you'll agree, maybe you wont.


Enjoy the music.

Whoopycat, while I'm in the other camp, I've ordered the British Afro Jazz.


                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz9iPxElk0k


                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzZUJ8oxgxw

Here's music that I have on my playlist and in the car; it never gets old, maybe that's because it's the "undisputed" high priest of modern jazz; Charles "Yardbird" Parker, his "Bird With Strings" never gets old.


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP7E0K4IMqo


         

Since I'm short timing, and don't have forever, I'll go along with my friend Rok; he's been discovering so much new "old" jazz, that we wont have to re-discover what's called "new-jazz". Thank you very much, but we don't need none.

Free jazz should be free, they should just give it away to anybody who wants it.

Don Cherry, one of my favorite musicians, went there for a minute or two, and that record I have with his "free jazz" could serve well as a frisbee cause it ain't worth two cents as a record.

While each generation brings something new, at times it just doesn't connect with the older generation, and maybe that's just the way it is, has been, and maybe that's just the way it's supposed to be; I have accepted it.

Thank you Easy Payments.

I concur with Rok on modern jazz.

I saw Miles at a concert when I was going to a company school in Chicago for the entire Summer of 68 (that was  incredible, Chicago was the place to be) and I hooked up with three other guys who were going to the same school. They were from Bed Stuy New York, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh; what a foursome we made: Bed Stuy in his "Dashiki" and sandals, Pittsburgh in a 3 piece suit, me and Cleveland just wore shirt and slacks. This was a diverse group, but I never had so much fun in my life.

The school was in Des Plaines, which is a suburb of Chicago, so we had to rent a car, and when we toured Chicago, everyone was expected to take his turn at the wheel. That's when we discovered Bed Stuy couldn't drive. We could not believe a grown man couldn't drive; put that in Ripley's "Believe it or not".

Bed Stuy couldn't drive but he had other talents, he was a connoisseur of bongs and hash pipes, the first place he wanted to go was the "head shop". I liked the fragrances of all the different incense, so many of them were burning at one time. (those were the best of times for Chicago, we had fun all over Chicago, except for the West Side, the South side was cool at that time, and of course the rich North Side was just that, for the rich)

Someone discovered there was a concert with Miles, Nina Simone, and Herby Mann all on the same ticket; you know we couldn't miss that. I forgot who bought the tickets, but we had seats that were up higher than some planes I had flown on; I knew the prices on those tickets were too reasonable.

Miles was first out; I was wondering when did Miles start playing with guys wearing buckskin vests with long fringes. (like I said, we were really high up and I couldn't tell that it was Miles himself wearing the buckskin vest with long fringes)

Fortunately for us, one of those monster Chicago Storms came up and a lot of people who had good seats on the ground floor didn't show. We looked at the empty seats for a little while and came down out of the sky. You could see what the artists looked like without binoculars.

Miles came on strong with his new music, and I looked at Bed Stuy (guys from New York always know everything about jazz) "That's Miles new music", he responded.

I still think it's got a few kinks in it, I think he should take it back to the drawing board and work the kinks out. Bed Stuy was too into the music to hear me.

Herby Mann looked good and sounded good; he had on a tan suit, and highly polished light brown boots; the same as on one of his album covers.

Out of the three, Nina Simone stole the show, she was a fantastic performer. The Summer of 68 was the best of times, as well as the worst of times for Chicago.