Jazz for aficionados

frogman,

I gotta tell you I like you even more. There was a time in my life that if it wasn’t Frank Zappa, it didn’t sound normal. That time lasted 2-3 years from about 1971-73 or so. I had every recording, knew the lyrics, understood the humor and was blown away by how his music opened up a whole new world of classical, opera, jazz and of course, fusion.

I love this tune. As you know, Frank Zappa considered himself a composer and a wonderful, biting and was an honest and insightful commentator on the state of affairs in the world.

You rock.

I think I’m gonna listen to Inca Roads. (It might even be considered a form a jazz)

-- Bob

frogman,

You mistakenly posted the link to the "Where were you?"

I suspect you meant to post this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBFW9B6EJg

I was planning to use it for the "2nd break."

Here's a rehearsal story for you:

I was hired to play a gig for the local "country club" consisting of "standards."  No problem.

I called some guys, put a band together and we showed up.  One of the musicians was an absolute killer blues/funk guitar player that could sing his ass off.  He wanted to explore the jazz scene and he was cool, so I invited him to play.

Two brothers on bass and trumpet, (the trumpet player could sing too), my dear friend Pete on keys and I played drums.

We were on our second tune when the lady that hired me came over in a panic and said, (picture dressed up woman with lots of makeup and bling),

"What the hell are you playing?!!!!!!  I said I wanted standards!!!!!"

Me, being the guy that wants to please asked her, "what kind of standards do you want to hear?"

"WE WANT TO DANCE!  WE WANT THE FUNKY STUFF!!!"

Quick rehearsal consisting of, "Hey guys! The lady says to funk it up!"

Bang we changed up.  Old people dancing so hard I was afraid somebody would have a heart attack.

We played our last tune and were packing up.  Pete was getting a beer.  A guy comes to me and says "How much for another half an hour?"

I turn to the guitar player and ask him what it would take.

"500 bucks."

I told the guy, he peels of 5 Benjamins and we start in.  Pete shows up with beers for the band, sees us getting ready to play and I yell, "500 bucks for 30 minutes!"   He scrambles, we play.

We finished the set with "Shout"  by Otis Day and the Knights.  We killed it.

Long story short, this rehearsal lasted all of 10 seconds.

-- Bob

Steps..... "Smokin in the Pit"  just got through listening.  I only have one cd by them, "Steps Ahead."  This is just super fine!

Jack DeJohnette... When Charles Lloyd popped playing Forest Flower I was surprised.  I haven't listened to that tune in probably 30 years? or so.  I had forgotten how truly special this tune is.  Killer lineup and by golly, Keith Jarrett can really play!  And as you said, DeJohnette is simply stellar. 

Thank you for posting!

Bob

Jimmy Forrest....WOW!!!!!

My heartfelt thanks for posting this. One of my great pleasures in life is hearing new music I fall in love with and have to buy. Jimmy Forrest just made the cut.

Stan Getz....’nuff said. One of my all time favorite tenor players and for me, occupies the high station of being able to groove hard while playing a ballad.

Thank you all. Again.

Here’s a guy I ran across several years ago. Leon Parker. I like his stuff. He has an uncanny ability to reduce everything down to just what’s needed. No fluff at all. None.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52w_rh5FcqQ

-- Bob

acman3,

Rene Marie.  Whoa......  Fine stuff there.  Very fine.

Bob

acman3,

I like your style.

Bob

I haven’t been a member here for very long. Maybe 4 months. I remember finding this site and especially this forum and what a wonderful day it was. For all of this time there has been a raging discussion on this forum about what "is" jazz and what "is not" jazz.

Here are some random thoughts.

There are those that say jazz "is this," and others that say jazz "is also that." Both are correct. Get this; my daughter just returned home after spending a year in Chile teaching English. We played some of the music she brought with her and I thought it was modern Latin jazz. She told me that the band was considered a "rock band." By my definition it was jazz. The country where the band was famous called it rock.

Go figure. It was still very cool music.

Jazz is impossible to define, but when you hear it you know if it is jazz or not.

Really, is it so difficult?

I think most would agree that the roots of jazz came from the blues. And the roots of the blues came from the slaves in the United States. If you think about it, what we thought of as music changed. We had the blues, and then jazz took hold. Miles Davis’ album "All Blues" is exactly that; all blues. It’s all blues, but it’s also jazz and most anybody that listens to it would identify it as jazz.

So if it’s the blues, is it jazz?

Jazz is big.  It encompasses a lot of things. 

I’ve been listening and playing jazz for 40 years. I don’t like all of it. But even the stuff I don’t like still falls under the umbrella of jazz. I’m okay with that. I hope that jazz, and all other genres continue to evolve. It's kind of what makes new music new. And I love new music.

-- Bob.

Wow!  Too many posts for me to really keep up.  I've been working more hours than I care to work and haven't had the time to keep up on this thread, (my favorite), listen to music, and cook. 

But...... Cuban music has been addressed.  I love Cuban music.  I double and triple love it.  Thank you all for your clips, I have enjoyed them immensely. 

Here's one from the "neighborhood."  Enjoy.

-- Bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AlYpp8F5a8

orpheus10,

You said, " Nothing falls in or out of existence without a reason; the kind of jazz I call "fantastic", only exists in the past. If you can find some current jazz, that I would call fantastic I'll agree to that. "

I mostly agree with your statement.  Once in awhile though.....

I'd be grateful if you would give this a listen, if you haven't already and would like to hear your thought.

Bob

Branford Marsalis, "Love Supreme" live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8LQoV-uUW0

Thanks for your comments "O."  When I stumbled upon that Marsalis recording it completely tipped me over, in a good way.

Bob

rokid,

I love, love love Gene Harris.  I was lucky enough to see him once at Jazz Alley in Seattle.  Ray Brown on bass and I forget the drummer.

Bob