Correction:
”obviously there is best anything in Jazz”, should read “obviously there is no best anything in Jazz”.....obviously.
”obviously there is best anything in Jazz”, should read “obviously there is no best anything in Jazz”.....obviously.
Jazz for aficionados
One doesn’t have to compare at all while listening and just enjoy the particular artist and/or context. On the other hand, ever wonder why some recordings just don’t push the right buttons for you? Why they just don’t have the right feel? The above is often one of the big reasons. Personally, I find it interesting to understand why. No artist is perfect and in many ways their imperfections and limitations are part of what makes them unique and interesting. |
No one has picked Chico Hamilton. I can understand that, he's more of a "musician" than a drummer. He's also "West Coast"; ages ago he seemed a little odd to me as well, but his music was like an alternate universe compared to East Coast. Many of the records I have by Chico can not be found on "you tube"; consequently, I can't share them with you, but I'll pick out what's on "you tube". I'll begin with my favorite "Conquistadores", and work back to the albums I had in the beginning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BJNxVf_iLM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF_Kwdmg1Cg&list=RDSF_Kwdmg1Cg&index=1 This was his sound when I began collecting his records in 59, very "West Coast"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IfB70c-DxQ |
frog, this was a rare time where I see things differently than you do. I certainly agree about drummers, or any musician for that manner, "fitting" in with a group style-wise. But your "It is also an obvious generational thing." does not always hold up. Miles was only six years younger than Brubeck so close enough to be of the same generation, yet as you say, Hancock was a great fit with what Miles was playing at that time while Brubeck would not have worked nearly as well. Without doing an inventory, I think Miles pretty much continued to choose sidemen from the same age range even as he grew older. Blakey did the same. But they were more the exception to your suggestion for same generation, probably most other leaders followed that. Now I'll stand back while others list more examples where leaders went outside their own generation. ;^) |
I’m glad that I’m the kind of aficionado that goes where the artist I’m listening to takes me; I never compare. I guess that this comes naturally as the reaction on fro’s recent post. The movie maker and the movie watcher. I’d like to compare these two rather than a musician and the one who listens music. Where the pure observer sees the magic and the story itself, prior to anything else, the movie maker sees the complexity of work; the technic of shooting, the angle of light, the cut between the frames and all kinds of other stuff...Presumably this can’t be shaked off one’s mind. It’s the curse in the blessing from the obvious reason. Captures everyone who tried making something (creating something small or big). Once one has come to the other side where creators have been hiding and tasted the role of the maker, there is no way back. The magic of an observer shapes into the magic of a maker; one starts to examine, to compare, is grown to have bigger eyes (in movies) and bigger ears (in music). See what other can’t see, hears what other can’t hear. The curse in blessing how I see it. Somebody correct me if I am wrong but I guess that above mentioned is the reason why fro drinks too much coffee. |