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Did you know, that according to a search of The Jazz Discography, Milt Hinton is the most-recorded jazz musician of all time, having appeared on 1,174 recording sessions. Also a fine photographer, Hinton documented many of the great jazz musicians via photographs he took over the course of his career. Hinton was one of the best friends of jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. He died on December 19, 2000, in Queens, New York City, at age 90. See if you can find that photography book to add to our photography library. Here are just a few of my favorite cuts by "Old Man Time". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2-CmJtkLW0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlpfoxYIcW8And last but not least "Heavy Soul" with Ike Quebec. I know I've posted this before, but now I want you to try and focus on the bass alone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1cTgZDUsScEnjoy the music. |
Frogman, what you called "Cool School", we called "West Coast". When I bought records every week, I always bought half West Coast. Since that time "All" of those original records have gone with the wind, but I've been able to replace the other records, which might be on the 5th copy by now, while the "West Coast" records were no longer available. In the case of East Coast, West Coast, don't get locked down to geographical area; while Lennie Tristano's studio was in New York, the music was strictly "West Coast". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvk0U3FTWzQHere are some examples of "West Coast": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLtNSPC7P0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfLsEH4csQ4Enjoy the music. |
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"Cold Duck"; in case you don't remember was a very popular wine at that time. It don't git no better than that, lots of good memories. I had the weirdest dream after listening to the complete CD "Deep Breakfast". I was standing in line near the ticket window of a movie theater, when a guy walked up to me and say's "You buy the tickets, and I'll buy the refreshments". Since refreshments cost more than a ticket, I said "OK". He didn't tell me he had nine kids. After he buys the refreshments, we leave the refreshment stand and go into the theater. Once we leave the stand, I discover the theater has no roof. (music from "Deep Breakfast" is playing throughout the dream) After getting seated, the movie begins with these short squat Hobbit looking dudes on the screen, I don't know what they're doing, but they're moving to the music of "Celestial Soda Pop". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPojjUgZy7IMaybe this music exudes it's own snake dust? Enjoy the music. |
Rok, while we always compare new vocalists to past greats, I prefer not to focus on those differences, and just appreciate what present vocalists have to offer. Karrin Allyson is a vocalists who sings the classics the way they're supposed to be sung; she always projects the essence of the tune. While that sounds simple and easy, it's not. First, the artist must know what that "essence" is in order to project it. One of the greatest of the greats was asked to sing a song without knowing the "essence" behind it. Things didn't go right, and she, being an honest person, admitted it. When you hear Bobby Timmons, the pianist who wrote "Moanin", play it, the essence of that tune smacks you upside the head. Karyn Allyson prejects that essence as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5UYkENgDU"Everything Must Change" touches upon one of the sad facts of life; I don't think I want to know what that "Super fox" I met over 40 years ago, looks like today. Karrin Allyson projects the essence of "Everything Must Change". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-q6TiiyTZIEnjoy the music. |
My best friends brother played piano, they had a baby grand, and he went to Juilliard. The next door neighbor would come over and listen to him play and practice. After watching for a few minutes, the neighbor could play anything he played. While he grew up to teach music and never record, the neighbor became an entertainer who could jam, he could set the house on fire; I watched him do it many a night. I don't have a clue as to what it takes to be a "jazz musician". While I had a friend who was a professional "jazz musician" live with me for an entire summer, who never practiced, (since I didn't have an organ or piano, he couldn't even if he wanted to). We never talked music (if Einstein was your friend, I doubt you would be discussing his "Theory of Relativity", especially if you didn't know squat about it) The mesmerized look on my face every time I watched him play, certainly told him what I thought about his music; there was certainly no need to discuss that. We talked about his life as a professional jazz musician, he never got tired of talking about it, and I never got tired of listening to him talk about it. Although I have every record he ever made, the music he played that summer was far advanced from those records; that pains me because he died before any of that music was recorded; now it's just a memory I can't prove. These thoughts came to me after looking and listening to the "Lennie Tristano" interview; that's a very important in depth interview about being a "jazz musician". Lennie said, "You could make your fingers reproduce your deepest feelings", and he added "All you do is hear music in your head and reproduce it". [11-07-14] Some got it, and some no got it. Shiela Jordan studied with Lennie, and she's a great jazz musician, here she is; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHteISQ-bw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r8XF9YkyeMEnjoy the music. |
Rok, comparing Sheila Jordan and Trane was apples and oranges; the tune originated with the play "The Sound of Music", this is the original "My Favorite Things". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33o32C0ogVMWhile Trane's version was killer jazz, it's a long way from the original, and that's why Sheila tops Trane; her version convey's the "essence" of the tune. In the case of Oscar Brown Jr., you were referring to "Dat Dere", when your post read for "My Favorite Thing". Since he wrote the Lyrics to "Dat Dere" I would hope that he captured the essence of that tune better than anyone else. Here's Herby Hancock "Maiden Voyage", done by Herby; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmRQ0PBtXUAgain, here's "Lenny Andrede"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B2WicKm0dcI spent a lot of time cruising in the "Duece", while at the same time going on Herby Hancock's "Maiden Voyage"; Lenny Andrede takes me back to that time; what Tony Bennet said is irrelevant. Enjoy the music. |
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Frogman, even when you say "objective reality", whose objective reality are we referring to, and who is to be the final judge in regard to this reality. It's only in mathematics can we have one objective reality.
There is no stranger reality than the one in which we live every day. I prefer the total unreality of the 60's when we didn't have to face reality. Unfortunately time is a reality that's totally inescapable, and it's finally caught up to many people including yours truly; but I'll still savor these final moments by enjoying good music, speaking of which, I think it's time to go into the 80's.
Enjoy the music.
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When there is controversy on this thread, I consider it my duty to express my honest emotions and thoughts in regard to the matter. I'll try to go back to the beginning and take on case by case.
Rok, no one said Wynton could not play; he could be considered the best trumpeteer on the planet, as long as it's someone else's music and not his own.
I could live without Ben Paterson, Miguel Zenon on the other hand was very impressive.
Salvant and Marsalis don't even belong in the same sentence; while Salvant uses old material, her treatment of it makes the old material new beyond belief.
In conclusion, it's not "new jazz", or "new musicians"; after considering Alex's post on the Dimitris Kalantzis Quartet, from Greece... it's new jazz and musicians from the good old U. S. of A.; they're too "stereotypical".
If someone practiced, worked hard and got a degree in music, that would qualify them to earn a good living and play excellently, but not to necessarily be a "jazz musician".
Enjoy the music.
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Rok, I listened to Geri Allen and I thought the music was quite pleasant; it was kind of like "Cream of Wheat" or "Oatmeal", both are pretty good if you put enough butter and sugar on them.
Enjoy the music.
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Frogman, whether we agree or disagree, it will not affect your being second in command.
From the time we began to hear, our minds began the process in regard to what kind of music we would like. If you lived in the rural south, there's a good possibility you would like C & W. Take your pick of the musical possibilities you would prefer if you lived in a northern city; but my point is, we don't decide independently in regard to our musical preferences, they are programmed.
Right now my radio is tuned to 88.7, that's a jazz station, I can hear it quite clearly. If my radio was tuned to a classical station, regardless how clear the signal came in, I would not be able to hear it as well because my mind isn't programmed to receive classical music as well as it is jazz. We can only hear the music our mind is tuned to receive; consequently arguments in regard to different genres of music are pointless when it comes to which is the best.
Enjoy the music.
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Things are getting more complicated by the minute. I recently bought a CD, "Kalenia" by Oran Etkin, he's a new musician whose music falls under the classification of jazz. I like this CD, but some may not consider it to be jazz, including Wynton Marsalis. I do not like current music that definitely fits the description of jazz. That's because it's too stereotypical and sounds counterfeit, like a rip off of old music. Since I'm not sure of what I'm debating, I'm going to temporarily recluse myself from this debate. In the meantime I'll submit music I like; "Barboletta" by Santana. He goes under the "Rock" genre, but I don't like rock. "Has anyone seen Alice"? The last time I saw her she was chasing that White Rabbit down a hole. This is one of those days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIs4BppmMOs&list=PLniulnHY2D_ucgAooXFkfWDdEnWK9UEotEnjoy the music. |
Rok, I think the Bobby Timmons Trio's are the best for focusing exclusively on his music. The most amazing thing about his music, was it's instant ability to communicate even without words; take "Moanin" for example; somehow I heard the words before "Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross" sang it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldXi8bs6PSwWhatever the art, the bottom line is "communication". Bobby Timmons music was uncomplicated and it communicated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTsU_xoNyMY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEnbXVqQ1goBobby was not economically successful for a number of reasons that are too depressing to go into, and one of them was drug addiction. Heroin was very expensive, and it turned a man into a slave. While some jazz musicians had such heavy psychological baggage that it's possible they would have used drugs whether they were musicians or not (Bird and Lady Day) others, such as Bobby Timmons had no such baggage, neither did Tina Brooks; I'm referring to the sociological background. I suspect the availability of drugs in New York and the influence of other musician addicts precipitated their use of drugs. One time and a person is hooked, there's no turning back, and then there's the living death before actual death. In regard to music, they couldn't play "Jingle Bells" when they got high; it always amounted to a "no show". Fortunately, that problem is not prevalent with today's musicians. Enjoy the music. |
Frogman, The Sidewinder is a 1964 album by the jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, recorded at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. It was released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4157 and BST 84157.
The title track, "The Sidewinder", was one of the defining recordings of the soul jazz genre, becoming a jazz standard. An edited version was released as a single.
The album became a huge seller, and highly influential - many subsequent Morgan albums, and other Blue Note discs, would duplicate (or approximate) this album's format, by following a long, funky opening blues with a handful of conventional hard bop tunes. Record producer Michael Cuscuna recalls the unexpected success: "the company issued only 4,000 copies upon release. Needless to say, they ran out of stock in three or four days. And 'The Sidewinder' became a runaway smash making the pop 100 charts." By January 1965, the album had reached No. 25 on the Billboard chart. The title track was used as the music in a Chrysler television advertisement and as a theme for television shows.
Enjoy the music
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Frogman, I checked those names and cuts on 'you tube'; of course I had Herbie's album, I was into fusion at the time. I'll bet Rok had it as well, "Fusion" was a good idea at the time. I found some bright yellow, bell bottomed, double knit slacks with three inch cuffs, in the back of my closet a long time ago; since the waist was way too small, they could not have been mine, but the wife said she had no gentleman friends over who left their slacks, so maybe they were mine; if so, they must have been "a good idea at the time".
Enjoy the music.
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Now we can go into the eighties: Pat Metheney, George Adams, Stanley Jordan, Bobby McFerrin, David Sanborn, John Scofield, plus the Marsalis Brothers are some of the names that came into prominence during that decade.
I said Wynton Marsalis was the best trumpet player ever when I first heard him. That was when he was a sideman, and before he came out with his first album. I sold all his albums I acquired because they lacked "originality", the key ingredient for something new. While that certainly didn't detract from his trumpet playing skills, those albums indicated his individual music making skills were lacking.
Me and nobody else ever said Wynton couldn't play the trumpet, he just can't compose music; those are two entirely different skills, as long as the music isn't his, it's just fine.
You can give us examples of that decade, or share whatever you choose to share with us.
Enjoy the music.
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In my last post, the question was posed, "Would you like to lead us through the 70's"? I'm still waiting for a definitive answer.
Your first sentence seems to say "Yes". Now I will respond to your post as our new leader in this 70's decade.
The "bell bottomed trousers" was a statement of fact related to the 70's without a musical connection of any kind, the same as the statement about "fusion", which is what the music Herby was playing at that time is referred to; it was your interpretation that took both statements into a different direction.
Are we going to get into the music, or what?
Enjoy the music.
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Frogman, according to some, "Fusion" is not jazz. Since I'm not in the defining business, I'll leave that to you, and anyone else who's posting on this thread; but, the 70's most certainly was the decade of "Fusion". When almost all of the "high profile" artists in jazz were engaged in some form of fusion, even Horace Silver, just not the same kind as Herbie, how can you call it any other way?
Enjoy the music.
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I think fusion is where jazz lost it's definition. Before the 70's, when someone said "jazz", you knew what they were talking about, but after then, it could mean almost anything. Presently, the music that fits the jazz definition sounds like an imitation of the jazz of the 50's and 60's; something I'm not especially turned on by. Pat Metheney caught my ear after the 70's; his music was new, fresh, and kind of abstract, I liked it. Whether or not it was jazz, I couldn't care less; others can argue that point. "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" was probably the first album I bought, this is quite abstract; in spots it's flat and dull, like the Missouri plains but for the most part it's interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwfVarzG1js"Offramp" was another album that caught my attention. "Are You Going With Me" and "Au lait" were two of my favorite cuts on this album. I don't know what you would call the dreamy and abstract "Au Lait", but I like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh8bpl5KCPg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b0CHysDsjwEnjoy the music. |
During the 80's I just collected good sounding music, that was classified as jazz although it didn't fit the classical definition of jazz; meaning to sound similar to the jazz of the 50's and 60's, but it was original.
After that, the latest music out called "jazz" took on a similarity that was too much for me to take; it forsook all originality in order to be "jazz". It wasn't till quite recently, meaning since I started this thread that I began going back in time. Unlike Frogman and Acman, I absolutely do not like current music that sounds like 50's and 60's jazz; it sounds like someone trying to imitate the music of that era.
Now, thanks to "you tube", I can go back in time and still get music that I've never heard before; that's because the giants of that era recorded so much more music besides what was most popular at that time. Although soon I will have all of the music recorded by the giants of that era, I won't run out because jazz is popular all around the globe; consequently it will be Burmese jazz, or Japanese jazz, but it'll still be new.
Frogman, and some others seem to think or feel that musicians who go to the best schools, and progress to the point where they have developed the highest skill level on their chosen instrument, can exceed the jazz made by the giants of the 50's and 60's; but I don't believe they can.
While that seems illogical, music is not a science with a mathematical preciseness, it's a lot more subjective than objective; for example, I say no one communicated abstract emotions through their music better than "Bobby Timmons", and this is what jazz is about; "communicating abstract emotions". Of course it's about a lot more than that, but that's at the top. Frogman says there is such a thing as "objective reality" involved in jazz, and I disagree, but if he and others that think like him could give an example of "objective reality" in regard to jazz, I could be persuaded to change.
Enjoy the music.
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Rok, I know you're out there! I want you and other aficionados to know that I'm "studiously" adding to my collection, and economy of purchases is of the utmost importance.
Before, when I tried to stay current, it turned out to be a big waste; current musicians seem to capable of only one very good cut per album; this meant the rest of the album was a waste.
Acquiring almost everything by any one musician also proved to be uneconomical; that's because even the greatest had some flops; however, I've discovered one musician this might not apply to, Lee Morgan is his name.
Not until I began adding his albums did I discover that maybe it is possible for a musician not to have a bad album; I'm not talking about anything he was a sideman on, but the albums he put out and led.
In the past there was no way of sampling every cut on an album before you bought it, but now, thanks to "you tube", it's possible to sample other cuts beside the one that made you decide to purchase this particular album.
While in Lee Morgan's case, this only goes for the genre "Hard Bop", that still covers a lot of territory, and adds a lot of music without waste. This aficionado is on his way to Nirvana; that's Heaven to the uninitiated.
Enjoy the music.
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Rok, Jeremy Denk, and other contemporary pianists, have never heard of "parallel thinking" or "coincidence"; two pieces of music can sound similar in spots and have absolutely no relationship.
Just like people, music has a birth and people who caused it to be born; this means it also has a history. "African Americans" brought jazz into existence; I hope we can agree on that. While presently people from all over the globe contribute to that existence, it's birth and history can not be denied.
In regard to music in general, the same can be said for it; meaning that it has parents who represent that particular genre of music. There are songs that you can not hear unless you have sang them; I said that in reference to the "blues", no I'm not referring to the "Delta Blues" which is quite specific, but the Blues in general. I made that statement so you can relate to where I'm coming from; the same applies all around the globe; unless you are from where the music is from, you can't hear it to the depth and degree of someone who is.
Jazz is a highly "subjective" and abstract art form that was closely related to gospel and blues during it's early years. Presently, after so many contributions, it's lost definition (according to me). Presently, the music I like, I choose not to define if it's current, meaning in the last decade or so; it just falls under two classes; like and don't like.
Since music is related to the people who brought it into existence, I find it quite difficult to believe there can be any relationship between jazz and classical; other than they're both genres of music; after all, classical was born in Europe, and we know where jazz was born. When you go back to birth and existence, there can not possibly be two more unrelated genres of music; consequently, there can be no such thing as "proto-jazz" in reference to classical music.
Enjoy the music.
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To all Aficionados, I consider Frogman a highly educated and intelligent person, who has made great contributions to this thread; however, quite recently I seem to be speaking French and he only understands English, or vice versa.
If he is dissatisfied that I didn't follow through on exploring the 80's and continuing on into the present, I already told him that he could follow through, and I would support him. Let me give you my background on this in real time.
That was when I began buying records based on magazine reviews and wound up with many records on the ECM label that haven't been played for years. Recently, when I heard a tune on the radio, and bought the album, that was the only cut worth anything. There is no way I'm going to follow through on music I could very well live without; however, if he chooses to follow through I'll support him and give my "honest" opinion on artists and music.
Since we've already been through that "old" versus "new" music, and I made the discovery personally that I could live without most new music, and that seems to be the consensus on this thread, maybe a new thread that would attract younger readers might be the answer to his dilemma. Whatever the answer I'm willing to help him find it so that he can have peace of mind.
Enjoy the music.
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"New Age", now there's a genre we have not touched on at all. I stumbled on this when I began buying music without knowing or caring what the genre was; that's after I got fed up with all the "fusion". Andreas Vollenweider caught my attention in a big way; he looked so "Cherubic", behind that big harp, and he even sounded it. After catching him live, I was really hooked on his music. He was at a big opera house that was seated to capacity, which was an indication I wasn't the only person hooked on Andreas's music. We had a mezzanine seat that put us right in the middle; it was like being in the middle of a gigantic speaker. I had two pair of binoculars so I could see the whole group or focus on any one musician; the percussionist for example had more chimes, gongs, and ancient drums than I could name. Andreas even had two harps and a koto (that's a Japanese harp that lays flat). Every musician in the band had more than one instrument. Here are the musicians: Andreas Vollenweider: Harp Christoph Stiefel: Keyboards, Synthesizers Pedro Haldemann: Bells Walter Keiser: Drums Jon Otis: Percussion Max Laesser: Strings (Arranged the Silver Symphony Orchestra and Choir) Matthias Ziegler: Woodwinds Here is "Dancing With The Lion" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEtu9ZJtE0M&list=RDFEtu9ZJtE0M#t=115"Down To The Moon" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me6aASTOglEEnjoy the music. |
Rok, while perusing a "Mosaic" catalog, I discovered something worth considering, "Charles Mingus - The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964 -65"; this is considered an epic masterpiece. While you may have it in bits and pieces, I don't think I have it. This includes Town Hall, Amsterdam, Monterey 64, Monterey 65, and Minneapolis; 7 CD's $119.
In Mingus's Jazz Workshop the exploration never stopped. Rehearsals could go for days. His music looked back to all the history of jazz. The music ranges from his interpretations of Ellington, to tributes to his musicians, ("Praying With Eric).
The musicians: Jaki Byard, Piano; Johnny Coles, trumpet; Lonnie Hillyer, trumpet; Eric Dolphy, alto, plus bass clarinet and flute; Charles McPherson, alto; and last but not least "Dannie Richmond", drums. A man of style and precision, immaculately dressed, he perfected the art of folding and packing his flawless wardrobe inside a small suitcase. He died in 1988 in a hotel in New York en route to join the Mingus Dynasty band in Europe. He was 56 years old, the same age at which Mingus died.
You probably know more about these particular concerts than I do; do you buy the complete edition for $119, or get bits and pieces for less, that is the question? It depends on whether or not you got $119 as loose change. One thing is for certain, no one got more out of musicians than Mingus, even the one's you weren't too particular about sounded good.
Enjoy the music.
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Although Frogman is no longer with us, I feel compelled to find some new high quality jazz. This came to me with high recommendations and I bought it; "Kalenia" by Oran Etkin. Atman said my reason for not preferring new jazz is a generational thing, I'm sure there is some truth in that. Today, I've nominated this CD for a complete review. Although all the cuts were "listenable", I could have lived without most of them. I'll present to you the one that gets a cigar. Bass clarinet is not an instrument I've heard very often, as a matter of fact, I found it very interesting and unusual; that alone rescued the flat spots on this CD, plus superior sonics didn't hurt. While I'm glad I purchased it because of it's uniqueness, I can't recommend it because not enough cuts get cigars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFJsM-hoN7sEnjoy the music. |
Rok, Dinah was one hot sister, and she was only 30 when she made that album. I'm super sensitive to female vocalists when they still have that "girlish" quality in their voice. When you combine this with the very best young jazz musicians, it comes through the music; it don't git no better than that. Your experience mirrors my own.
Presently I'm on a mission that's led to "analog"; that's that dreaded stuff that requires deep pockets, 3K minimum to beat CD. My cartridge recently had an accident, the clumsy thing ran into my hand.
I paid $35 for records that weren't on CD, and shortly after that they came out on CD. Hopefully what's available only on records will be available on CD in a short while. I have yet to find CD's to recommend.
Enjoy the music.
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Rok, I could do without the singing as well, but that CD also contains "It Tain't Necessarily So", that might be one of the better CD's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdMoKXKAuoI want Mary Lou's music with today's sonics. When Bheki Mseleku play's Mary Lou's music, that's fine, but when he switches back to the South African thing, I could live without it. I think what we might be looking for, are today's artists who are inspired by Mary Lou's music; that would give us the best of both worlds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbRg8iMemy4This is one nice cut, a must have. Enjoy the music. |
First and foremost, I want everyone to know that I am only expressing one person's thoughts opinions, and emotions, and I make no claim to speak for anyone else. This is my "subjective" opinion in regard to "Dave Douglas, Soul on Soul", which is a celebration of "Mary Lou Williams" music. This opinion in no way is a reflection of how good a jazz musician Mr. Douglas is, but how well this works in regard to Mary Lou Williams music.
Since I had a problem with the words "objective" and "subjective" with two past contributors, I'll spell it out again. People who lay claim to some kind of "objective" reality in regard to jazz, are saying you are not only supposed to hear what they hear, but the music is supposed to have the same affect on you as it did on them. I make no such claim; again, this is only one person's opinion, mine.
I listened to this music and could not hear how it related to Mary Lou Williams. While I have no objections to the fact that it was rated as a top jazz album, I could not hear the relationship to Mary Lou Williams.
Words are spoken and written, music is played and written, Mary Lou's music displayed subtle emotions, that could only have been displayed by her; it wasn't so much what she played, as it was the way she played it. Let me compare two musicians, her and Horace Silver, for example; since he wrote "Nica's Dream" and a number of other tunes, one could play his music, and call it a "celebration of Horace Silver", but in the case of Mary Lou, one would have to display her unique touch; in other words, one would have to duplicate "Mary Lou Williams" because it was "the way she played", as opposed to "what she played", and the only person who could play what she played, the way she played it, was "Mary Lou Williams"; consequently, this music fell flat in that regard.
Enjoy the music.
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I listened and I listened, then I listened some more; I never got tired of listening, and she never got tired of coming up with new ideas. We're talking primarily bass and piano, with 3 vocals out of 17 tracks; one where Mary Lou sings "My Mama Pinned a Rose On Me", she got a big kick out of that one.
Every tune affected me in different ways; after I found out "Dirge Blues" was written for President Kennedy, I began to hear it differently; it's a blues with the sad cadence of that flag draped coffin that was carried on a horse-drawn caisson to the U.S. Capitol to lie in State. That was a sad day that poor people will never forget.
The way she can go from blues to boogie, and back to blues, or blues and boogie at the same time, is absolutely amazing. While all great pianists stand out, every note of her's seem's to ring with "Here I am, Mary Lou Williams, the little girl whose Mama pinned a rose on her"; I mean she reminds me of no one I've ever heard before, or will hear after her.
I have no idea why I didn't discover her before now, or that I knew so little about her music, but I just forgave myself, because now I have her.
Enjoy the music.
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Rok, I told you when I saw Trane and company live, he had totally lost McCoy Tyner and Alvin Jones; when they didn't know where he was, their only option was to stick with each other. Although it sounded like they were playing two different songs, that was McCoy and Alvin's only option. That was in the winter of 63 or 64.
Since they were together on most of the set, and it was only near the end of the set where Trane went to the "outer limits", that must have been in 63 when "My Favorite Things" was hot.
Enjoy the music.
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Today, I eyed a file of open reel tape, and decided to give the "Technics" open reel deck a whirl. Since CD's and open reel tapes are derived from the same collection, (mine) you would think they would be quite similar, but they aren't. You see the tapes were made before CD's and consist almost exclusively of records. After going through the open reel ritual of cleaning heads and pinch rollers, I threaded a tape; "Extensions" by Ahmad Jamal. This album was released in 65, when his trio consisted of Jamil Nassar on bass, and Vernel Fournier on drums. I was told he went inside the piano, and plucked the strings on this one; I forgot who told me, but I can't seem to find anything to back that up. (A disadvantage of having a reel as opposed to an album cover) When you hear how advanced this music is, you won't believe it was released in 65. Here is "This Terrible Planet" from that album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQiW0Ur89EI couldn't find "Extensions" from that album, the one on "you tube" is not the same; I guess you'll have to buy the album; here are the goods on that particular LP; http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/ahmad_jamal/extensions/Here's another old record; Yusef Lateef blows more horns than you can count, check em all out on "Sister Mamie". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ycYPKijiMoEnjoy the music. |
OK folks, I'm doing something different this time, instead of listening before hand, and recommending, I'm going to use "Stereophile's" recommendations; and we can listen together. Ai Murakami Quartet; "Conception" is our first CD, with her as the leader. (don't ask me) They gave this 4 out of 5 stars on both sonics and performance, so it's got to be hot. Let's go for "Sweet Loraine" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAldOWTGjHoNow we're going to listen and review all these together. Next is Nate Radley; "Morphoses". Didn't find "Morphoses" on "you tube", this is the best I could do, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wue_zFaMTuQLast, but not least is, Wadada Leo Smith; "The Great Lakes Suites", this one gets 5 out of 5 stars on performance and over 4 on sonics; you know it's got to be smokin. I saw a few familiar names, although that doesn't mean a whole lot to me. The bottom line is, it's been said that I'm not ready for "new music", maybe that's so; the question is, "are you ready for new jazz? We'll listen to these and see who is ready for what? BTW just got this out of the mailbox, these recommendations are fresh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEvR_xyTnDUEnjoy the music. |
Rok, I never realized those jazz musicians we admire, could not have made a living without Europe and Japan. I knew about them going over there to escape racism here, but after that was no longer a major problem, I didn't realize they could not make a living without Europe and Japan even today. Have you ever sampled what passes for music on this forum? Even after stretching my mentality to it's limits and then some, I wonder how can they really like that stuff.
When I was getting into the high end, and such places as "High end emporiums" existed, I spent so much time in these places that my wife thought I was seeing another women. I was at this one particular establishment so often, that one of the customers thought I worked there. He had selected all top of the line ARC electronics plus speakers to match, and asked me to help carry it out; since I had to pay my rent some kind of way, I obliged without calling on the establishment. I was most curious as to what kind of music he was listening to on all this top of the line equipment. Since he had a CD with him I asked if he would play it.
After we loaded the trunk of his big Mercedes, I got all comfortable in the small auditioning theater, preparing myself for this exquisite music. Although I didn't know what to expect, I knew it was going to be grand. When he put on a CD of some kind of English Marches, I could have kicked myself for helping him load the trunk; you could play that stuff on a graphenola, and not miss anything. So much for matching the best equipment with the music.
Enjoy the music.
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"The least fatiguing "; Why does she affect me in that same fashion? It's because she plays the music and not the notes, she plays the music in between the notes. An example of that is on "Mack The Knife"; I've heard this song a zillion times, but never have I heard it sound so "musical" as when Mary Lou Williams played it; it was musical with a jazz foundation.
Mary lou was a natural born musician; her mother would not let a music teacher get close to her daughter, said it would ruin her natural ability; she learned how to play by playing. As a child she played "chitlin struts" (never been to one) and rent parties. Every time she strikes a key, the sound rings out "Mary Lou Williams", her individuality is just that unique.
Rok, I bet right now, you're having a hard time stopping to do anything else but listening to the CD's you recently acquired by Mary Lou; that's what I meant by going to "Mary Lou Ville", now you don't want to leave.
Enjoy the music.
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"Mike's Murder" is a movie about two very young guys who have not learned that one must have a job in order to earn a living, and they're trying to take short cuts. Charles pulls Mike in on a job transporting a large quantity of dope. That was simple enough, but Charles decided to steal a small amount thinking they wouldn't miss it. If these guys had ever watched "Miami Vice", they would have known that was a very bad idea. Not long after they stole this "small quantity" of dope, Mike's body was found in a clear plastic bag, and Charles had ran out of places to run. While "Moonlight" is hauntingly beautiful, this is the most sinister part of the movie. The moonlight is so bright you could read by it, and "They" are closing in on Charles in a deserted house; that's when he plays games with his mind and the moonlight, he knows his next breath might be his last. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjOT4NmNKrk&index=2&list=PL36827A04EF9DAF94"Zemeo" is a fast paced number that fits into the plot; Charles is rapidly trying to make deals in order to save his life, and he's told "These people have to make a statement", nothing can save you now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovwkAnrTH4AEnjoy the music. |
Learsfool, I'm glad you found the time to join us. That was a very good article, I liked the way it began with a comparison to life; "We speak and move spontaneously everyday with no real struggle". We improvise every day, (it's called living). After reading this article, I related it to my friend. Although he had been a professional musician almost all his life, he was a sideman with the greats we have talked about; not until he shook off all those shackles (playing this way, or that way) did he really come into his own. I saw the transformation, it's called faith; when a musician releases what's inside of him, that he didn't know existed, that's when the fantastic music flows. Of course this only comes after the musician has learned: tonality, harmony, song forms, time and rhythm, just to name some of the elements of music. I recently purchased some fantastic music that has a long story to go along with it. I first heard this music a long time ago, and didn't think much of it. Not until I saw the movie it was created for did the music hit me; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OKQdp6iGUk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjURPebrbrYThis music penetrates into the depths of how much one person can love another. Enjoy the music. |
"Pepper Adams Plays Mingus", this is really boss. As you would expect, you won't get anything radically different from the original Mingus, but you will get something much "deeper" into the original Mingus; I know that sounds incredible, maybe even unbelievable, but true according to my ears. Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax] – Charles McPherson (tracks: 5, 7, 8) Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Pepper Adams Bass – Bob Cranshaw (tracks: 5, 7, 8), Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 9) Composed By [All Compositions By] – Charlie Mingus* Drums – Danny Richmond* Other [Essay By] – Alston Anderson, Mike Baillie Performer – Pepper Adams Octet (tracks: 5, 7, 8), Pepper Adams Quintet (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 9) Piano – Hank Jones Reissue Producer – Jordi Pujol Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Zoot Sims (tracks: 5, 7, 8) Trombone – Bennie Powell* (tracks: 5, 7, 8) Trumpet – Thad Jones When all of these musicians who have played with and been close to Mingus, go into his mind on these composition we get something that's "deeper" than the original. As a fan from the beginning, and someone whose heard the originals a "gozillion" times, I feel qualified to say this. "Haitian Fight Song" has "Pithecanthropus Erectus" morphed into it. I'm going to put them both on display for your comparison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIu87qCZnJ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkcHSgfDdkIWhen you compare the two, you'll see where I'm coming from. Those musicians were unaware of the elements of "Pithecanthropus Erectus" they had incorporated into "Haitian Fight Song". Enjoy the music. |
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Rok, I'm going to wait on the review. When you give the "high sign", that's when I'll plunk down my dough, but not until.
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Frogman, "Ditto" on what Rok posted, you're very much appreciated here. Rok, E. S. P. is one of the albums that's mentioned in regard to modal jazz, and there are a lot of photographs of miles shown while this music is playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajQsZPf2Mb4 Although I never met Miles personally, or talked to any of the musicians he played with, I knew a lot of people who grew up with Miles, and I didn't even know this until his autobiography came out. Vernon Davis's, Miles brother, was always out on the town and I knew him a long time before I knew he was Miles brother; although I used to wonder where he got all those way out clothes ( they were the same size). I had an uncle who used to call me at 2:00AM when he was into his "Courvoisier" brandy, and talk through what was left of the night. Once he asked me if I was a Miles fan, when I responded yes, the next question was would I like to meet him. After he told me he could arrange that, I figured it was the brandy talking, and went on to something else. It was only after reading Miles autobiography that I discovered they were "buddy buddy" when Miles was growing up, and he could have called and asked when Miles had some free time in New York, and arranged a get together. As I'm looking at these photographs, I'm realizing Miles had a side to his personality that's never mentioned; he kept that side separate from the musicians he worked with and the public. All of the people I knew, who knew Miles, said he was just a regular person, no quirkiness or anything. I guess every celebrity has that side that longs not to be a celebrity, but the guy you grew up with next door. Enjoy the music. |
Rok, funny that you should mention "Madam Corrine" when I was looking at this episode on "Miami Vice" about voodoo. I liked everything about "Miami Vice", the night life, fast sport cars, and lots of fast ladies. I lived Miami Vice in real time in Atlanta in the early 70's; that town had the best night life of any city I've ever been to, you were there in the early 70's. Here's "Tale Of The Goat" from Miami Vice, along with some of the best music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AUvMqblK-Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQmba21VeW4Enjoy the music. |
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