**** Although there are no written rules for jazz standards, there are unwritten rules that the vast majority of jazz artists adhere to. ****
O-10, could you please explain what some of those "unwritten rules" are? And how they relate to the "Moanin'" in question? Thanks.
**** Frogman, why don't you just write my posts for me? Why is it that no one misinterprets every word I write like you? ****
Likewise, O-10, please explain what exactly it is that I have misinterpreted? I don't believe I have, but would like to know what you meant that I am not understanding. Thanks. Btw, I take PayPal......just kidding, O-10.....can't have too much charm ☺️
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Ghosthouse, I certainly did not mean to offend with my comments about Eldar’s playing. As always, I commend you for your inquisitiveness and open-mindedness about this music and I believe that, at the core, our musical sensibilities are similar and I suspect that you have a fairly good idea of where I am coming from when it comes to judging music. I would like to offer some further thoughts as to why Eldar’s playing doesn’t do it for me; not to sway your opinions in any way, but to clarify my previous comments.
You mention Eldar’s pop culture darling status as a negative for you. One negative for me and one which goes to the feeling of lack of substance is the fade-outs at the end of some of those clips. FADEOUTS?! Really? In jazz tunes? For me, this goes hand in hand with that pop culture sensibility. Fade outs are a common technique in pop music; very rare or inexistent in jazz. Why fade out? Can he not end the tune in a musically logical way? It cheapens the performance, imo. On a deeper level, his time feel is rushed; another deal breaker for me. No matter how fast the tempo, for me, a jazz performance has to have a feeling of control and relaxation; I don’t hear that in his playing. His improvisations don’t have, for me, the requisite sense that they have shape and direction: development of a musical idea within the framework established by the tune and its harmony.
My feelings about his playing have nothing to do with any feeling that he doesn’t adhere to some sort of unwritten rule or deviation from a traditional way of playing the tune "Moanin’". In fact, part of the problem for me is that he’s not doing anything really new. There’s nothing new about his harmonic vocabulary. He does have his own unique rhythmic flavor and phrasingand and perhaps that is what resonates with you as well as the very impressive technique that I recognize also. I don’t like that unique rhythmic flavor and makes me uncomfortable with its sense of urgency. A personal call. Regards.
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Buddy Bolden is considered by many to be the first musician to play what would be considered jazz; the first jazz musician. https://youtu.be/r0viBvfQczI |
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Merry Christmas to you and everyone here, O-10. While I'm not sure that I'm prepared to say that that great clip of "Night In Tunisia" is the ultimate jazz, it sure is a great clip. I would, however, be willing to say that an argument could be made that bebop is the central point in the evolution of jazz. To me, the development of bebop is probably a bigger departure from what came before it (swing) than any other earlier or later stylistic move in that evolution. Hard bop is obviously a logical extension of bebop, modal jazz a logical extension of hard bop on its way to free jazz and fusion. Bebop could be seen as the "eye of the storm" and there were probably more "what the fu@k?"'s uttered when first hearing bebop than at any other point; if only because there were probably more jazz listeners at that time than at any other. Even Louis Armstrong, the granddaddy of jazz, famously said "Bebop is Chinese music". From this standpoint, I can understand how one of the greatest bebop performances by the best practitioners of the style could be considered the "ultimate jazz". That clip is fantastic and Bird's solo break alone could make it the ultimate. Another "ultimate" moment: https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLC9h9deIXsDsBiB50lJRZjdPkU51c1gfF&v=h6NCx0wcrC4 |
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Beautiful song and heartfelt singing, Acman3. Thanks for that.
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I wanted to make you all aware of what I think is one of the most interesting jazz compositions and jazz statements in recent years. Ted Nash, longtime member of Wynton Marsalis’ "Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra" is one of the most creative musicians on the jazz scene today. He composed this work as an eight movement work titled "Presidential Suite" / Eight Variations On Freedom. The inspiration for the work, and each of the movements (variations), was eight addresses or speeches by important US and world leaders. Besides the subject, particularly significant on this US presidential election year, one of the things that makes the work so interesting is that each movement reflects the cadence of each president or world leader’s speaking voice, that leader’s personality and the time in history when the speech was given. The composer is very effective in reflecting these things in the music while remaining true to the spirit and tradition of jazz. Great compositions with some smoking jazz solos by some notable guest soloists. The second of this two disc set features readings by well known actors of excerpts from these speeches. The recording has been nominated for two Grammy awards this year. Highly recommended; especially for anyone who still thinks there isn’t really great and creative new things happening in the jazz world today. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGZ850dD0XW7C82HUemCpGzQsy342jf9T(Btw, what was that strange noise? I thought I heard a strange noise in the room next door...) 😳 |
That’s my good friend Dr. Paul Cohen. I posted that clip a while back in (I think) another thread (maybe here?). During the ‘20s there was literally a “saxophone craze” in this country with a huge variety of different saxophones manufactured for a public that just couldn’t get enough of the saxophone. There probably wasn’t a Vaudeville act that didn’t feature at least one saxophone player and most families had a member who played the saxophone. Most of those saxophone variants would be obsolete within a couple of decades.
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**** I find a connection between some Middle Eastern instrumentation/melodies and jazz. **** Without a doubt, pryso; great observation. The subject of one the great early “bruhaha’s” (to quote our OP) here. The connection is undeniable and well documented; unless, of course, there is some other agenda at work which tries to invalidate or deny the existence of cross-cultural influences in the arts. One of the most obvious “instrumentation” examples is the guitar, the classic Blues instrument which had its roots in the Arabian “Oud”. The Moors controlled Spain for centuries and the Spanish and French influence is well established in New Orleans. From none other than Jelly-Roll Morton himself: “Then we had Spanish people there. I heard a lot of Spanish tunes. I tried to play them in correct tempo, but I personally didn’t believe they were perfected in the tempos. Now take the habanera" La Paloma", which I transformed in New Orleans style. You leave the left hand just the same. The difference comes in the right hand — in the syncopation, which gives it an entirely different color that really changes the color from red to blue. Now in one of my earliest tunes, "New Orleans Blues", you can notice the Spanish tinge. In fact, if you can’t manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never be able to get the right seasoning, I call it, for jazz.” |
Took about ....seven years (holy cow, has it been seven years?!), but I knew you’d come around ☺️
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New for 2017:
Gary Smulyan,"Royalty At Le Duc". Smoking baritone saxophonist; the best on the scene today.
Ralph Towner, "My Foolish Heart".
John Abercrombie, "Up And Coming".
Peter Erskine. I've heard he has a new one coming this year. Should be great from this great drummer of "Steps Ahead" and "Weather Report" fame.
Steve Slagle. Same. Very interesting alto player who usually stays behind the scenes.
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It’s quite possible that he just wanted to tell you that starting tomorrow St. Louis will be in mandatory lockdown as we are here in NYC and have been for a few days. Total drag, but not wise to go outside for anything non-essential. National lockdown is probably inevitable.
Good wishes to all. |
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Glad you liked it, Dave. I'm a sucker for a great tenor sound. Here's another classic RVG recording of another of the tenor saxophone giants who, unfortunately, is mostly only known for his CTI recordings. Those (CTI) are also very good, but generally not on the same musical level as the Blue Note's: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nSREpSL-Yqk |
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You're not digging deep enough. Imo, of course; we all draw the line at different points. Thanks for rembering my comments; but, you give me way too much credit for infamy. The comment about Mozart/Stravinsky is something that has been pointed out by countless others before me and continues to be an accepted truth in music circles; for whatever that may be worth to you. Not much; I suspect.
Cheers. |
I agree completely, Acman3; and great clips, btw. There is a danger in, in any way, suggesting that the importance of players (like Roach) who were "not known as leaders" took a back seat, in the real scheme of things, to the guys in the front line who oftentimes get the limelight. The players themselves don't see it that way. In the cauldron of creative musical activity that is the Jazz scene there are many players who shaped its direction and added fuel to the fire underneath it that sometimes are relegated to the status of "sidemen". Drummers and bass players are the usual targets of this thinking. Roach is one of the most important jazz musicians who ever lived and as you point out a great leader in his own right. The magic that is possible and happens when a rhythm section is composed of players with a similar musical vision allows the full expression of the "leader"'s vision. The projects where the drummer is expected to do no more than go "ca-chink, ca-chink" are usually not very good no matter who the leader is. I can't imagine what Miles' 60's quintet would have produced without Tony Williams in the rhythm section; or Trane's quartet without Elvin Jones. The other danger is in potentially shortchanging the contribution of someone like Mingus as a player because of the excellence of the writing. Sure, his writing and arranging was great, and that is what stands out out for many; but, digging a little deeper, I wonder what his recordings would sound like without the amazing propulsive feeling and dry sound in his bass playing bringing a distinctive feeling to the music overall and the playing of the sidemen? Another player that doesn't get his due as a player because his writing and arranging were so great was Oliver Nelson. His "Blues And The Abstract Truth" is a masterpiece in Jazz writing and arranging as well as playing. He was a fantastic saxophone player and his playing, as well as being very soulful, always demonstrated the discipline and logic that are so essential to the art of composition and arranging. Few players played with as much control of thematic development in an improvised solo. One of my very favorite records with probably my favorite rendition of "What's New"; even Dexter Gordon's takes a back seat to the one on "Meet Oliver Nelson". Beautiful record: https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLddfRe84PI3iMpV4np6EO-x10y5-vMXQC&v=OCjbjGXrkyI |
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As always, so unfortunate that this thread has to sink to this level instead of aspiring for better.
**** Had he lived in Mozart's time, we would not know his name.****
If you could understand why this comment says it all, and I mean ALL, perhaps there could be some interesting discussion about the greatness of Oliver Nelson instead of this nonsense. Too bad. Hint:
"Had Trane lived in Jelly Roll's time; we would not know his name"
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Feels kind of silly to go from McCoy to Rudy Wiedoeft, even if it is the legendary Wiedoeft. Pryso mentions his dad’s C melody saxophone. Now obsolete (Dr. Cohen has three) it is an unusual sounding saxophone due to a range that sits smack between the alto and the tenor. You aficionados may not realize it, but you have probably heard both Wiedoeft and the C melody saxophone many times: https://youtu.be/nkM0m-fB2UwMaybe not this: https://youtu.be/3yMwc8olTLE |
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It really was a remarkable time in music, O-10. Yes, that is NYC in the album cover picture and what an amazing place for music it was in 1956. One year before I was born and still is an amazing place for music; different, of course. I've enjoyed your recent posts for their open mindedness and even handedness; especially the comments about the evolution of the music. To not have that evolution as an essential part of the backdrop for any commentary about this music is to not really understand it. Thanks for that. I like your "fresh water/salt water" comment and would only point out that salmon (and others) can live in both salt water and fresh water. Moreover, and as we all know, they swim upstream to spawn in fresh (!) water away from the coziness of the salt water home base. Important symbolism here; I think. As you just did, films have occasionally been mentioned on this thread. Going back to that great pic of Thad Jones (and the pigeons 😊), you will notice, in the background, the theater marquee advertising the 1956 release of the film "The Seven Wonders Of The World"; classic and amazing documentary in "Cinerama" (1956 version of "IMAX"). I think its fair to say that we all consider Jazz to be one of the artistic wonders of the world. (The film is available on dvd and highly recommended) Thad Jones was part of one of the most amazing musical families. The Jones brothers, Thad, Elvin, and Hank were three of the most important players to play this music. Especially, drummer Elvin, I think.........but, WAIT!!!! .... I think I better check with our resident grizzly bear before making this assertion. I may have to interrupt his lunch as he eats the salmon swimming upstream on their way to FRESH water to make sure my comment passes jazz-muster...... Hmmm, I wonder if Jelly Roll liked salmon? 😝 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rxMtbeWRObshttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DHIxXtMeotMhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lFnHuWR5MsE |
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Great clip with Elvin and Richard Davis. Frank Foster on tenor; great player who for years shared tenor duties in the Basie big band with Frank Wess.
Of course, can’t talk about music without time factoring in.
****Time is the interval between two events.****
In music those events are the pulses or beats and the interval is the length of time between them. Of course, how the player arrives at each of those events (beats), how the player "finesses" that arrival (length of time), is what gives the playing its feeling. This is why musicians seldom say "player x has good rhythm"; instead, "player x has good time".
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If you guys think that you (we) are the only jazz fans on this site you would be very mistaken. No one is suggesting that my suggestion would lead to more than a few more posters, but without much effort I can think of at least half a dozen new posters that stopped posting as a result of, or (to be as fair as possible) after some episodes of bs here. Wether they would have stayed long-term we may never know; however, even if I am mistaken, isn’t more civil interaction a desirable thing either way? You guys can continue to ignore this issue and even very recent examples of what I’m talking about, but it doesn’t change the facts and their possible ramifications. Too bad. Perhaps on some level the real wish is that this remain exclusive. Doubly bad.
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If one wants to suggest that a "true" music lover should be prepared to have a very thick skin and deal with a certain amount of unfriendly and provocative "dialogue" just for the sake of participating in a thread about music, then I may be willing to concede the "touch and go" point....maybe. However, as I have expressed before, I simply don’t agree that the reason that other posters don’t stick around is lack of love for the music. I hope there is room in the discussion of this subject for a different opinion without things sinking to unpleasantries. I care about this subject since I would love to see many more posters here and, if we can agree on one thing related to this, it ahould be that, as with all issues, if it doesn’t get discussed nothing changes.
In my opinion, based on my observations about thread participation here and, by participation in other music threads by those very same "touch and go" posters, the reason that most of those posters don’t stick around is not lack of love for this music nor because they are "extreme audiophiles". One only needs to revisit some ot the series of posts that the "touch and go" posters participated in and what was going on re the style of interaction taking place between other posters or involving themselves. I also hope that we can agree that there has been a whole lot of stupid and unpleasant squabbling. Moreover, and most importantly, there have been several instances when new posters felt demeaned or insulted for their taste in music. Personally, I don’t see just what is so difficult to understand about the reality that this can’t possibly be an incentive to stick around; love of music or not. Who wants to deal with or be around that nonsense? I would strongly suggest that every participant here be less "exclusive" and more inclusive in general attitude when interacting with others; not to mention inclusive about the music itself. Sure, there a lot of boneheaded audiophiles who have no feel for music; but, there are far more who are music lovers. This shouldn’t be an exclusive "club" for the "hip" and "knowledgeable" Jazz heads who are all too eager to proclaim what is jazz and what is not in a way that turns others off to participation. The potential of this thread is not even close to being fully tapped. My two cents.
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O-10, "Records To Die For-2017". |
Thank you for the vote of confidence O-10, but I am not sure that I am prepared to recommend the Hank Williams Jr. recording. I do like Hank Williams Jr, but make sure that you listen to it on YouTube before purchasing. I just thought that particular song was hysterical and would be right up my wife’s musical alley and her, let’s just say, unique musical tastes 🙄 The others I definitely recommend. |
Beautiful clips. Not only is she an excellent guitarist (self taught, btw), she is one of the greatest songwriters of the rock generation. She writes songs with a sophistication and (sometimes) complexity that go well beyond her folk/rock roots. I love her songs and singing. Btw, that is Wayne Shorter on soprano on the Pork Pie Hat clip and Michael Brecker with a smoking tenor solo on "Dry Cleaner"; the great Jaco Pastorius on both. For the record, it was Mingus who invited her to collaborate on a project around the poems of TS Elliot. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aCnf46boC3Ihttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w5782PQO5ishttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=igj20M84hbo |
Sure, Acman3; later today. Regards. |
Acman3, very interesting and fitting that you should mention both Max Roach and Jaco. As far as their contributions to the way their respective instruments are played and their role in an ensemble, one can say a lot of the same things about both players. They each pushed the boundaries of what was considered technically possible on their instrument well beyond what had been the norm until they come on the scene and they expanded the role of their instrument well beyond the traditional role of simply timekeepers. This goes to your question:
**** did Jaco decide not to lay back in support of Brecker, but to solo over Brecker's solo? ****
While I wouldn't say that he was soloing during Brecker's solo he was definitely, in typical fashion for him, much more active than the average bass player playing bass lines that were in response to what Brecker was playing as well as playing in a way that pushed Brecker and it was obvious Brecker was responding to; he even plays chords on the bass, something almost previously unheard of from an accompanying bass player. One could say that they were having a dialogue or a duet. On that particular performance the bass is mixed way up and the tenor is a little recessed adding to the feeling that the bass was soloing.
**** why Max Roach's use of poly rhythms helped the soloist, from a soloist point of view, it may help explain why Roach was so important to Jazz, ****
Max Roach broke many boundaries for drummers. Fantastic finesse at very fast tempos and his brush work is particularly great. He was one of the very first drummers to be comfortable playing in odd meters (3/4, 5/4, etc) as opposed to the usual Chin-ca-Chin, Chin-Chin 4/4 time that you have in the majority of jazz tunes, fast or slow. He was the first to use the drums as a melodic instrument by tuning his drum heads to specific and complimentary pitches. And, as you point out, he had an amazing ability for being able to play different rhythms at the same time with his uncanny hand and foot rhythmic independence. All of this was very new in the drum world.
As far as how all this impacts the soloist, it is obviously no secret that jazz playing is usually a collective effort by a group of musicians reacting to each other's musical contribution at any given moment. Even when a rhythm section player is relatively "passive" by sticking more closely to the traditional role of timekeeper only, there is a lot of nuance that can be brought to bear by way of a particular or unique time feel that the player plays with and this, in turn, influences how the soloist approaches the playing of a solo. This is one of the reasons why sometimes even the best soloists sound lackluster on certain recordings; the rhythm section is not happening. Conversely, when the rhythm section is really inspired the soloist is freed to reach greater heights of creativity which, in turn, adds more fuel to the rhythm section's simmer; they feed off each other. Now, consider a player like Roach who is able to bring new sounds and multi rhythms to the mix and how that will help the soloist push the creative envelope even further. Multi rhythms, while on the face of it, may seem to only add complexity to the mix, in a way actually make the rhythmic landscape simpler for a soloist by creating a situation in which the players rely on an implied pulse as opposed to obvious drum hits on primary beats (1,2,3,4). This is one of the reasons why the lowly (?) rhythm section player can be considered one of the most important jazz musicians as Roach was. Imagine Michael Jordan as a member of a college basketball team. Sure, it's fun to watch him score basket after basket; but, is it a good basketball game? I don't think so. In a team alongside other greats and its something special to watch.
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Acman3, very interesting and fitting that you should mention both Max Roach and Jaco. As far as their contributions to the way their respective instruments are played and their role in an ensemble, one can say a lot of the same things. They each pushed the boundaries of what was considered technically possible on their instrument well beyond what had been the norm until they come on the scene and they expanded the role of their instrument well beyond the traditional role of simply timekeepers. This goes to your question:
**** did Jaco decide not to lay back in support of Brecker, but to solo over Brecker's solo? ****
While I wouldn't say that he was soloing during Brecker's solo he was definitely, in typical fashion for him, much more active than the average bass player playing bass lines that were in response to what Brecker was playing as well as playing in a way that it was obvious Brecker was responding to; he even plays chords on the bass, something almost unheard of from an accompanying bass player. One could say that they were having a dialogue or a duet.
Max Roach broke many boundaries for drummers. Fantastic finesse at very fast tempos and his brush work is particularly great. He was one of the very first drummers to be comfortable playing in odd meters (3/4, 5/4, etc) as opposed to the typical 4/4 Chink-ca-Chink, |
😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌 |
A little catching up: Excellent Brad Mehldau suggestion, Dave. Beautiful record and I’m glad to see Mehldau get some love here. The last time his music was posted he received undeserved lukewarm response; I think it was around his "My Favorite Things". He is a brilliant player that has a unique jazz feel that is less obviously "swingy" than older generation jazz players. I was intrigued by a couple of comments that I would love some expounding/clarification on: Francesco Cafiso: very impressive young player with probably a bit too much youthful exuberance. He has a whole lot to say; but, not quite organized enough yet with his thoughts. I was intrigued by the comment that he is NOT a *stereotypical* player. He is what saxophone players call a Phil Woods clone. He sounds very much like Phil Woods in tone and ideas and has clearly listened to a whole lot of Woods and copies a lot of his vocabulary. His solos are jam packed with stereotypical bebop licks and not enough connection between them. Previously, Phil Woods was unfairly (imo) deemed a "stereotypical" player. Wondered about this apparent contradiction. Why would I want to listen to this...... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kZfWZCENO3o......when I can listen to this, a real master: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHicOTweC5oMarsalis, "Abyssinian Mass". I actually liked that clip and a couple others from the Mass that I listened to a lot. I think Wynton is coming into his own as as a composer. I haven’t liked most of his previous large scale compositions. There are some really great things there compositionally; and, ironically, some of the things that make this music successful for me are exactly what I don’t like about his playing in an improvisatory situation. I am intrigued by the comment that a Southern chorus would have been better. I think I understand why the comment was made and would love some clarification; but, again, the order and refinement that these voices have are part of how Marsalis "heard" the parts that he wrote for the chorus and in the context of that piece I think it works. That’s the irony, that control and refinement at the expense of a sense of abandon (Southern chorus?) is precisely what hangs up his improvisation. Still, I liked it a lot. Thanks for the post. I came across this related clip that I found interesting: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5N9CNp7ab-Q |
**** I put that on the proper forum ****
O-10, if you don't mind my asking, how is the "ANALOG" forum the proper forum? Very little of the discussion in the clip is about analog. Perhaps "MISC AUDIO" would have been a more appropriate forum and would have received posts.
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Rok, wondering which Wilsons you have compared the Polks to? |
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Fantastic document, Alex; thanks for that. One of the many beautiful things about Jazz is that it is a never ending continuum; always evolving. Some may not be willing to accept (or like) this fact, but a fact it is and it would serve "aficionados" well to put their favorite period in the history of the music in the context of this fact. There are no "best" nor "most influential" in this music since our favorites from any given period would not have been possible without those who came before them. Bird would not have been possible without Pops. So, with that in mind, who then is the "most" influential? Personally, I find early jazz fascinating and very enjoyable just as I do quality examples from any other period, early or recent. I would never suggest that everyone has to like jazz from every period in its history, but I would suggest that to not be dismissive of the music that led to our favorite period adds a great deal to our appreciation and enjoyment of our preferred style of jazz. I would also suggest that to be so quick to dismiss those early styles belies a fundamental flaw in a person’s understanding of the music.
The origins of the word "Jazz" is one of the most researched in the English language and the spelling "jass" is not "wrong". It is, in fact, how the word was originally spelled; along with "jasz", "jasm" and with origins in the word "jism" (!). It’s a very interesting story which every "aficionado" should be aware of; just like the very important fact that Pops was far more than an "entertainer". Personally, until I understand things of this nature, I would not be so quick to pat myself on the back for being so unique and insightful compared to others. We tend to think we know a lot more than we do; human nature, I suppose.
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Thanks for the "welcome back", O-10. Nothing nearly as exotic as the Med this time; just busy with life and work. "Detente"?: **** I would be quite satisfied, and that includes disagreements and all. **** Al Jarreau truly was a great jazz singer; a great musician. The vast majority of "great" singers couldn't come close to pulling this off with this kind of rhythmic confidence and accuracy. In five! : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hhq7fSrXn0cA favorite: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LRbtvRQUi8w |
Excellent article. Insightful and beautifully written; I loved it. The author touches on many of the themes that have come up here and I agree with just about every point made including her final verdict; "Well, I like Chet Baker; I just don't love him". I particularly liked her description of his playing from both technical and expressiveness standpoints and their respective limitations. She does a great job of putting it all in the context of how an artist is perceived by audiences who, for better or worse, inevitably factor in things like physical appearance and personal habits. I like his playing (maybe a lot); I just don't love it. |
Rok, I am afraid that your "opinion" is based on some inaccuracies and mistaken assumptions; I am not sure where to start. I hope that pointing these out is not felt to be breaking some "detente" and I'm sure you will appreciate some accuracy.
****Why were all the East Coast guys black and all the West Coast guys white?****
While it is true that most practicioners of "West Coast Jazz" were white, not "all" were; Buddy Collette, Benny Carter, Chico Hamilton and Red Callender, to name a few, were black.
****So, if I were a second rate horn player where would I go to earn fame and fortune? I could go to LA where Jazz had no history or establishment****
The idea that only second rate players were found in LA is absolutely not true and very unfair to the many great players who hailed from LA and were part of a movement in jazz that reflected a different stylistic aesthetic from that of the East Coast and not a reflection of lesser quality. Additionally, it is not true that in LA jazz had no history or establishment. There had always been a vibrant Jazz scene in LA with traditional jazz playing a very prominent role. Even your fave Jelly Roll lived in LA for many years.
LA was, in fact, were many great musicians went to "gain fortune". Many of the great LA jazz players were also very successful session players in the LA movie studios recording for the countless movie scores being produced. Unfortunately, that scene was racially segregated during the 40s and 50s, but players/arrangers like Benny Carter were able to change that situation for themselves and all that followed. There is an interesting connection between the existence of the Hollywood scene and the West Coast Jazz style. In keeping with, and perhaps as a result of, the demands of the movie industry for very well crafted and extended compositions for their movie scores, the West Coast Jazz style highlights the compositional elements of the music much more than the East Coast (hard)bop style which is typically that of a simple pass through the melody followed by improvised solos. The West Coast style features more intricate compositions with elements of Classical counterpoint and it was the first time that the very demanding concept of a jazz ensemble without a chordal instrument (piano, organ, guitar) was implemented; all this with a typically softer ("cool") instrumental tone approach as opposed to the harder edged East Coast style. Does this make it jazz that is less "real" and the other more real? Since when do the French decide what is real jazz? 😊
Oh, and btw, Benny Goodman was never crowned "King Of Jazz", he was first called "King Of Swing" in 1936; and for good reason. Swing (a very specific style of jazz) and the Swing Era was touched off by Benny Goodman well before most of the great players one can name. For perspective's sake, Bird recorded his first record in 1944.
Cheers. |
