Jazz - What's your bag, man?

[dhyantyke]

[Seán]

It's a wonderful album, isn't it?

[Seán]

Wynton Marsalis and his orchestra doing justice to the Ellington/Strayhorn version of "Waltz of the Flowers" called "Danse of the Floreadores."

Featuring lovely solo work by Marsalis and members of his splendid Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, Wynton can growl like the best of them:

[Sloop John B]

at last getting somewhat in the mood for a time of year I enjoy. I have to work Saturday and Monday which takes the sheen off it a little but there's some working Christmas Day so I can't complain.





SJB

[dhyantyke]

It's a wonderful album, isn't it?

Hi Sean, its taken me a while to think how to respond to that:
While I like this, I have listened to this only 3 times and am getting it more each time. 'In a Silent Way' is more accessible to me somehow. I guess its that as a relative newcomer to jazz, I am working my way backwards chronologically for the most part: i.e. started with Jarrett, Garbarek, Stanko, etc. Interestingly, in parrallel, I am moving from solo performances, to trio, to quartet and the nonet in this recording is as big a band as I've listened to..........the bigger the band the more my association is with the kind of music I was 'getting away from' when listening to Hendrix/ Pink Floyd etc...........I'll get over it most likely but it is taking tome to 'get my ear in'
The later Davis stuff is more immediately accesseble to me , coming from the Weather Report/Metheny/ fusion end of things.
Its certainly an interesting and rewarding journey of discovery

[dhyantyke]

I was enjoying this the other night and reading through the sleeve notes I came across something which made a lot of sense to me:
" As you can hear in this series of recordings, Monk, Rouse, and the rythm section creared a memorable and unique style and sound. Of course, the driving force is Thelonius. His concern with rythm is at the core of his music in both composition and performance. Even his famous dance moves on the bandstand often were essential to the "story" being told.

It was only after seeing a documentary about Monk with good footage of live performances that I really felt I 'got' something of what he was about and I was drawn to hear more of his music.

The note continues;
"The result was irresistable swing. Fortunately, what is and what is not swinging can't be verbalised, although many jazz sages have tried. Anyone who is attuned to the jazz pulse knows when it is happening-even laypersons somehow know when everything sounds "right"

As a definite "layperson", its nice to feel validated in that its possible to 'get' jazz, even if I don't have the conceptual understanding of what's going on in the music.
Not that I need validation to enjoy what I enjoy, but often have the feeling that there's probably a lot more to be enjoyed with more understanding...
on the other hand, there may be something in coming to the music with 'fresh ears'...
Any thoughts on this?

[Gerry D]

"You know why I quit playing ballads? Cause I love playing ballads." Miles Davis
"Is there a meaning to music? Yes. Can you state in so many words what the meaning is? No." Aaron Copland

[markof]

[dhyantyke]

I was enjoying this the other night and reading through the sleeve notes I came across something which made a lot of sense to me:
" As you can hear in this series of recordings, Monk, Rouse, and the rythm section creared a memorable and unique style and sound. Of course, the driving force is Thelonius. His concern with rythm is at the core of his music in both composition and performance. Even his famous dance moves on the bandstand often were essential to the "story" being told.

It was only after seeing a documentary about Monk with good footage of live performances that I really felt I 'got' something of what he was about and I was drawn to hear more of his music.

The note continues;
"The result was irresistable swing. Fortunately, what is and what is not swinging can't be verbalised, although many jazz sages have tried. Anyone who is attuned to the jazz pulse knows when it is happening-even laypersons somehow know when everything sounds "right"

As a definite "layperson", its nice to feel validated in that its possible to 'get' jazz, even if I don't have the conceptual understanding of what's going on in the music.
Not that I need validation to enjoy what I enjoy, but often have the feeling that there's probably a lot more to be enjoyed with more understanding...
on the other hand, there may be something in coming to the music with 'fresh ears'...
Any thoughts on this?

forgot to include the image:

[tony]

will have to listen to these over the xmas