Jazz for aficionados

Empty!?! Empty!?! Damn! At first I thought you were referring to the "Bebop" clip; "loud, fast and empty" was exactly my reaction. I didn't say that because... well, like my grandmother used to say.....You seemed to like the "Bebop" clip, even if it wasn't by Diz.

But, wait!, you mention the audience; so, you must be referring to either the Horace Silver "Cool Eyes" or the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell. Now I am really confused. On the Horace Silver clip the Dutch audience looks like they don't know what hit them and seem totally uninvolved; in spite of the great music. On the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell clip what I can see of the audience is mainly two gentlemen who are clearly digging the playing (big smiles of appreciation on their faces), and there is big applause and hollering after the solos. But, that tune IS faster and louder; so that must be the one you refer to.

First of all, I didn't think "loud" or "fast" was ever an automatic disqualifier. But, empty? This must be the first time that I have heard Phil Wood's or Tom Harrell's playing referred to as "empty": complete mastery of the language of bebop and its harmony, great swing (yes, fast and relentless; but, that is the point of the tune: "Tenor Of The Time") from some of the acknowledged contemporary masters of the music, especially Woods and Harrell. So, in the spirit of enlightenment and sharing can you expound on that a bit? What is it the makes it empty for you; what is lacking? Better yet, what do you hear in the "Bebop" clip that you don't hear in the "Tenor Of The Time". Perhaps the music was better than you think, and had the intended impact on you simply because a very good argument can be made for the tenor of our time being "loud, fast and empty". But, the playing? No way!

*****Empty!?! Empty!?! Damn! At first I thought you were referring to the "Bebop" clip; "loud, fast and empty" was exactly my reaction. I didn't say that because... well, like my grandmother used to say.....You seemed to like the "Bebop" clip, even if it wasn't by Diz.******

Can we at least agree that today is Friday?
I thought I liked the 'Bebop' clip in spite of it being Dizzy. When you said it was Faddis, then I thought, well that explains why I liked it. Dizzy is a seminal figure in Jazz and a great player. An imposing personality and innovator. And, he did go to Cuba, which changed everything for the better. Can't talk about Jazz without mentioning him.

Just not my favorite trumpet player, just as Bird, is not my favorite Sax player. Has to do with style, not talent.

Cheers

*****But, wait!, you mention the audience; so, you must be referring to either the Horace Silver "Cool Eyes" or the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell. Now I am really confused. On the Horace Silver clip the Dutch audience looks like they don't know what hit them and seem totally uninvolved; in spite of the great music. On the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell clip what I can see of the audience is mainly two gentlemen who are clearly digging the playing*******

I am speaking of the 'TRUMPET' playing on the Woods/Harrell. clip. This conversation started with trumpet playing. The Horace Silver clip I saw, was just a still shot of the LP cover. Nica's dream. No audience. I may have missed a clip. But I can assure you I would not be critical of Silver. On the Woods/Harrell clip, there are a few shots of the audience. One shows that, during Harrell's solo, people in the booth have turned their backs to him! Not a good sign, assuming they are Jazz lovers. But not proof of anything either. Other than having a big un-Jazz like, belly, Woods was Ok by me.

Cheers

No it's not, it's Saturday!

In Japan :-)

********So, in the spirit of enlightenment and sharing can you expound on that a bit? What is it the makes it empty for you; what is lacking? Better yet, what do you hear in the "Bebop" clip that you don't hear in the "Tenor Of The Time". Perhaps the music was better than you think, and had the intended impact on you simply because a very good argument can be made for the tenor of our time being "loud, fast and empty". But, the playing? No way!*******

When I was in college, it seemed as if the Trumpet players were always the brash and trash talking bunch. I was one of them. But the guys from Memphis and New Orleans were light years ahead of me. One of our favorite things was to have what we called 'head cutting sessions'.

We would get the Excerise book and see who could play it the fastest and longest without screwing up. Once we destroyed the Purdue University Trumpet section at the Indianapolis 500. We were bad!! :)

My point is this: That was not music. Just notes used to improve technique and sight reading. And that's what Harrell sounded like to me. Playing the exercise book.

Also, the body language of all, save the bass player, did not indicate that even the players themselves, were into the music. The piano player could have been Horowitz playing Chopin!!!

I did not mean to imply that 'fast and loud' was a negative. Esp, since my favorite tune is "Hog Calling Blues"!

In the Bebop tune, I heard a Jazz GROUP, playing bebop Jazz, with, among others, a trumpet soloist. In the Woods/Harrell thing, I heard a guy blowing a trumpet. It did not convey anything other than that to me.

You must keep in mind that I am a member of the unwashed masses, and often times miss the finer points of music. I just know what I like, when I hear it.

I have one final point to send.

Cheers