Jazz for aficionados

Next to "Bird", the most beautiful music with strings was recorded by Clifford Brown;


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnAu6Us8g7k&list=PLq4VW9oRlsbz4ZhvGTqB8qs5Ll7sJaKEE

Re Alex’s great Bird/Desmond interview:

Many interesting stories and anecdotes and always interesting to actually hear these supremely talented individuals speak. Two things in particular stood out for me:

- First, here we have the musician who is widely regarded as the greatest to ever play this music on the alto saxophone; a giant in the true sense of the word. Yet, notice the deference and respect with which he addresses and talks to Paul Desmond. Desmond was another giant, but with a different voice.

- “I don’t consider myself too old to learn”- Charlie Parker

C.P. – well,you make it so hard for me to answer you, you know, I can’t see where there’s anything fantastic about it all. I put quite a bit of study into the horn, that’s true. In fact the neighbors threatened to ask my mother to move once when we were living out West. She said I was driving them crazy with the horn. I used to put in at least 11 to 15 hours a day.

C.P. – that’s the facts anyway. (chuckle)

P.D. – I heard a record of yours a couple of months ago that somehow I’ve missed up to date, and I heard a little 2 bar quote from the Klose book that was like an echo from home…

C.P. – yeah, yeah. Well that was all done with books, you know. Naturally, it wasn’t done with mirrors, this time it was done with books.

P.D. – well that’s very reassuring to hear, because somehow I got the idea that you were just born with that technique, and you never had to worry too much about it, about keeping it working.

J.M. – you know, I’m very glad that he’s bringing up this point because I think that a lot of young musicians tend to think that…

P.D. – yeah, they do. They just go out…

J.M.- It isn’t necessary to do this.

P.D. – and make those sessions and live the life, but they don’t put in those 11 hours a day with any of the books.

C.P. – oh definitely, study is absolutely necessary, in all forms. It’s just like any talent that’s born within somebody, it’s like a good pair of shoes when you put a shine on it, you know. Like schooling brings out the polish of any talent that happens anywhere in the world. Einstein had schooling, but he has a definite genius, you know, within himself, schooling is one of the most wonderful things there’s ever been, you know.

https://youtu.be/DP7E0K4IMqo

@frogman 

You're preaching to the choir.

Cheers

Today’s Listen:

Hank Crawford -- MR BLUES / MR BLUES PLAYS LADY SOUL
The ’Lady Soul’ refers to Aretha Franklin.

From the Ray Charles School of Jazz. 2 albums on one CD.

Brother Crawford likes a little Jazz with his blues. Southern style.

teardrops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNT1CccFfDc

on a clear day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF_0E9TEJs4

route 66
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTGJ1K9eeok

never let me go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKoVOkFso-w

going down slow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo2ekzjvyhg

Going Down Slow  -- saved the best for last.

Cheers

While Parker stated how fantastic schooling was, he had no formal training beyond high school. That was due to the "economic reality" of most jazz musicians.


"Study is absolutely necessary"; whether formal or informal, initially, all great jazz musicians put in most of their waking hours toward mastering their instruments. During Birds time, some highly acclaimed institutions scoffed at "jazz", just ask Miles, who went in the front door and out the back of Juilliard. (Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education.)

Whether one goes to a formal school or is "self taught", intensity of study and practice is necessary. I wrote about a musician who "never" practiced; that's because he was performing "improvisational hard bop jazz" three times a week. (If he had not been performing constantly, practice would have been essential)

He was 36 and looked 26 (I was 26); I bet you can guess his name. Before I met him, I'm sure he had spent most of his life practicing because he "never" looked at the organ keys; quite often his eyes were closed.

At that time there was a club devoted to "Improvisational hard bop" (no standards). That's what the audience that patronized that club demanded, and that's what he gave them.

In my mind, there is no greater musician than one who can constantly create on the spot; "The improvisational jazz musician". Next would be "The pit musician". While the pit musician went through many years of formal training, and can play anything that can be put on a sheet of music paper, he can not spontaneously create all night long.

I suppose comparing the two is like comparing "raw talent" to intense formal training and practice. I've compared the two, live in real time, and they are a sight to hear and behold.


If I was left on an island with only one record to play, I would choose "Bird With Strings".