Jazz for aficionados

A musically pointless exercise in incredible instrumental virtuosity and equally pointless obnoxious showmanship.

..... you asked 🙃

OK, I'm speechless.  Y'all say something.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmKQptkI6g0

Cheers

Rok, I saw the play; it was the most entertaining night I can remember.

These are the cuts that introduced me to Roland Kirk, they are still my favorites;


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk0mSclnUQQ


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWPUKskCv7E


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp_YRl1qWTk

Speaking of not celebrated:

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

Posted this CD back in the beginning.   Ain't got it git it.

Fats, what a talent!!

Cheers

Here is a jazz artist we haven't celebrated; While on a visit to the U.S. in 1958, Legrand collaborated with such musicians as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Ben Webster, Hank Jones, and Art Farmer in an album of inventive orchestrations of jazz standards titled Legrand Jazz. This is one boss album, I'll have to replace mine, it's seen one playing too many.


                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmnkmrdO6nI

Love the babe, the outfit, and especially the car.   I think that's an Austin Healey.   Back in the day I rode from Atlanta to Knoxville in one of those and almost came down with hypothermia.

Another thing we have lost: Great Album Art.

The music was great also.   Smith was among the first Jazz players I became familiar with.    His stuff was on the Juke box.

Cheers

Sonny Stitt question:  How rare is the CD of him and his electric saxophone?

While I'm not sure this tune apply's to our game, I dig Jimmy Smith's organ, and this is one of my favorites from the 50's time frame; I hope you like it too.


                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaTH6VbFK7I

Absolutely true.   Both genres are serious art forms and the best examples of each are on equally high levels, imo.  But, Mozart performed by the Vienna Philharmonic is on an entirely different level than when performed by the Cincinnati Pops.

And he didn’t need two drummers!:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ayNEiQvKqac

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pWFF1fYIkHY

You’re right about Killer Joe; on Q’s “Walking In Space”.

Great Jazz is timeless.  Especially the classic songs.   I think of Jazz the same way I think of Classical music, I never think of Beethoven or Mozart as being old.   It's just timeless, just like great Jazz music.

I think 'Killer Joe' was on the "Walking in Space' LP.   Bought it from a German record shop in Nuremberg.

Cheers

There is something about the feeling I get when I hear those old jazz tunes that were so popular when they came out; it's like seeing an old friend that you haven't seen in a long time, it's a warm feeling.

                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u23Etcb-L9M

Rok, although not jazz, "Bennie And The Jets" was most recognizable from the first notes. It was such a popular and catchy tune that it was on the juke box of a jazz joint that I hung out in at that time, 1974; and I played it a lot.

Pryso,both your posts were explicitly correct; there was a game change, and I think the latter is much better, it's easier to understand, and we brought out some of the very best jazz tunes over the years; "Poinciana" was most certainly one of them.

Great drumming essential to this music.   Goldilocks.   Not too long, not too short. Just right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1WvT8kQ_84

Cheers

Nice interview with the great Phil Woods, but it doesn’t really address the question posed by Rok.

**** I could not tell if he changed Jazz , or was he just the best player to express the change. ****

That’s actually a very interesting and important question. I think the answer is both.

First, I am really glad to see questions like that raised. When this thread was still young the notion of “evolution” in jazz was not only misunderstood, but was practically entirely dismissed as a pointless academic exercise. The significance and importance of “evolution” in jazz cannot be overstated. While it is true that some players come along that shake things up in a way that is radical, to a very large extent that new and radical change in the direction of any art form builds on what came before it. There is usually a certain logic to the evolution.

Parker’s music can be said to be a culmination of musical trends that were already taking shape with jazz players in general moving away from the typical swing style that was prevalent up until then. If one listens to what players like Bud Powell and Coleman Hawkins were doing before Bird came on the scene it is easy to hear and understand the lineage. When Bird went to New York (yes, NY) he found that many players there were already experimenting with musical ideas which built on and departed from the traditional swing style and that would lay the groundwork for bebop. It could be said that Bird (and Dizzy) put it (the new trends) all together in a way that was the most cogent and clear.

One of my favorite stories in all of jazz lore and one that makes the point about the inevitable “logic” of this evolution is the story of when Sonny Stitt met Charlie Parker in the early ‘40s. Having grown up and worked as a jazz player in Michigan, Stitt had never even heard Parker play. Yet, when they met they found that their styles were remarkably similar. This has been corroborated by many prominent players that knew them both.

Yes Rok, that was the lady that Phil Woods married.

Rok, I think this tells the story bettter than anything I can say


      http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/02/interview-phil-woods-part-2.html

Interesting video clip on Bird.   I wonder how Jazz might have evolved if everyone had headed for New Orleans rather than New York.   Too many outside non-jazz influences in the Big Apple.

I could not tell if he changed Jazz , or was he just the best player to express the change.

Was that the woman that later married Woods?


Cheers

Never post too early in the morning. First post has same link twice, this is the one that was intended,


                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8imhzVC9Z5o

Did someone else submit this? After watching it, I wanted to thank who ever submitted it, but couldn't find who to thank.


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


No other single musician has had the impact on jazz as Charley Parker.


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

Two fantastic clips, acman3. Loved the Zorn album; had read about this collaboration, but hadn’t heard it. Zorn is a very interesting musician who is one of the stars NYC’s “downtown” scene which puts out some very eclectic stuff. Known as an avant-garde player he can, as you point out, really swing...in his own unique way. Great record. Who needs a rhythm section when you have Bill Frisell? He sounds amazing on this. Also enjoyed the Walt Dickerson. Talk about setting a mood! Thanks for the clips.

Happy New Year!

Happy and Healthy New Year to all!  

Happy New Year to all the aficionados, and may you enjoy the music even more this year than you did last year.

Happy New Year to you Rok, and I hope your wish comes true.

FROHES NEUES JAHR ZU DEN JAZZ-LIEBHABERN AUF DER GANZEN WELT!!

A special shout-out to our OP.  Wishing you a healthy new year.
 
Cheers

I don't believe this has been brought up????


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J8sMq1ath4

Interesting looks at BeBop. There is a live version of this music which is pretty cool also. Zorn can surprisingly swing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9YgN3zBXjw

Bobby Broom

Woody Herman’s “Woodchopper’s Ball” it is.  

Merry Christmas to all!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=edm8uenCtrg

Merry Christmas!

So Solly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpNjAmQmq90

This Saxophone section are all sisters(in a manner of speaking), and all from Mississippi.

Cheers

Wood Choppers ball.   The tune is now named by the clip poster.  Based on your clues, I assume it is woody Herman.

Cheers

Merry Christmas to all.

Cheers

Ok, since no one is biting re the identification of the background tune in the video clip, here is one more and final hint in addition to my unbelievably clever first hint 😊 which apparently no one got:  the composer of the tune was a big band leader recently mentioned here in reference to his famous saxophone section whose members were not sisters 😉.  His name is referenced (sort of) in the title of the tune 🤔.  C’mon aficionados, show us what you got!

This is the third album I ever purchased.  !967 I think.   The first two were Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.   What a time we lived in then.  We spent our time training for Nam and riot control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3bfqlTCHZk

Love this woman.

Cheers

Good work, Rok!

Excellent, pryso! The aficionados are digging deep!

Now, re the tune in the background. A hint (in more ways than one 😉):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iNxujJGnbB4

C’mon, O-10, (and all) join the party; ‘‘tis the season...”.

frog, the tune driving that guy bonkers in your V2 clip was "Undecided" -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpnDbJjBW8A

Also alex thanks for the Mundell Lowe link, nice easy, swinging example.  And for fans of Gordon, I hope you've seen the film "Round Midnight" -

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

O-10:

Here's one you missed.   I'm writing my check as we speak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWxVwTVU15Q

Cheers

I recognized them all, but my brain is almost gone, so I could only remember the names of 'moon river' and 'ain't mis-behavin'.   My memory being what it is, is almost as terrifying as his playing.

The names will pop into my head in three or four days.

Cheers

Very good, Rok.

Here we go. Challenge v 2:

But since the answer is in the responses, for a true challenge, can anyone identify the tune playing in the background as the dude in the clip sets up HIS challenge?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xc50FsGS2cs

And one more challlenge; if you can stop laughing long enough. Gotta love youtube. Actually, five challenges and identify your answers by #:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wJl7V5Y3grs

One note, instant ID.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hX5fRbsmE8

Cheers

My interest in jazz on LP was revived by digging into so-called "spiritual jazz"- the Heath Bros. "Marchin' On" on Strata-East (many very cool records on that label but now pricey) and Lloyd McNeill's "Washington Suite," also expensive as an original pressing. Don't know about the CDs. 

I think Basie is tough to beat using the original criteria.  But therein lies the problem; the original criteria were a little vague I think.  What artist is saying the most at any given time is a strictly subjective thing.   And when the facts are presented via actual number of notes played it may be dismissed as “playing technical games”.   So, what to do?  I can make a perfectly plausible (I think) case for why the SILENCE between two well placed notes in one of Miles’ solos says more than anything else; after all, while it may sound like a cliche, it is true that in a composition the rests (silences) are every bit as important as the notes.  Take any tune and remove the silences and see what happens ☺️  Then we have the problem that for it to be a real challenge the provided clip should not identify the tune at all.   So, for me the original premise is the best while still allowing for individual subjectivity.  Iow, there will be no “winners”.  I’m good with that.  No reason to not have a few variations of the original game ‘though.  Cheers all.

The rules of the game changed, or at least my understanding of them.  But at my age I'm easily confused it seems.  ;^)

Anyway, I thought o10 was originally suggesting submitting songs/artists where the musical message was conveyed by the fewest notes, i.e. with significant space between them.  That's why I nominated Basie.

But if I now understand things what he was really asking for is submission of songs which can be identified by the fewest introductory notes.  Nothing wrong with that, but it is a different game.

Carry on all .  .  .

The rules of the game changed, or at least my understanding of them.  But at my age I'm easily confused it seems.  ;^)

Anyway, I thought o10 was originally suggesting submitting songs/artists where the musical message was conveyed by the fewest notes, i.e. with significant space between them.  That's why I nominated Basie.

But if I now understand things what he was really asking for is submission of songs which can be identified by the fewest introductory notes.  Nothing wrong with that, but it is a different game.

Carry on all .  .  .

Excellent!  We have a winner.  No coal in your Xmas stocking.