Holy cow it's been a while. So im going to write about Jazz.
To some the term "jazz" brings to mind an archaic musical form that has been obsolete for better than 50 years, yet to others it evokes a sense cool, and smoothness that has been sorely lacking in popular music for the better part of 50 years.
I find myself almost listen to jazz exclusively now, and I'm not sure why. Sure I love rock and roll, and blues, and reggae, but there is something about these old jazz recording that brings its own sense of calm and peace, or sadness and frustration.
I find that jazz musicians from the 40's through the 60's were able to communicate so well with their instruments and their souls. The emotions and themes present in some of these recordings is so palpable. For example if you listen to the album Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, aside from being probably the most influential jazz album ever recorded, it conjures up feelings of loneliness, sadness, and depression. Yet at the same time it also produces images of wonder, motivation and inquire. When was the last time you heard and instrumental album touch so many bases all at once??
Davis and Coltrane trade solo's so effortlessly, their musical conversation is rooted in feeling, life experience, and a desire to push each other into trying something different. I don't know of many other artist parings that had such an impact on each other.
You can mention that John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Keef Richards, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were obviously pushing each other, but it comes off more as a partnership rather than a co-creation of art together. Don't get me wrong, their music is definitely artistic I just feel that Davis and Coltrane, when they were playing together, were so in touch and constantly on the same page. (although im sure great points can be argued for the afore mentioned individuals, however I feel that these relationships were more like one person brings something to the table and then the other adds on top of it, and so on. Where as with Davis and Coltrane there was always an element of co-creation, or birth followed by re-birth, perhaps its because Jazz is in the moment, and no one knows which direction things will go.)
Another thing that has totally absorbed me about Jazz, is that the musicians were MONSTER players. They were so versed at their respective instruments, it's makes one wonder how often these guys practiced. Coltrane for example would practice for 9 hours a day...A DAY!!! Most of us don't even work our jobs for 9 hours a day every day, 365 days a year. And I'm sure that most of these jazz guys did something similar. I know for a fact that after practicing and practicing when you're finally turned loose, you are able to let your soul show through in your playing, and your individualism shines through, and you can speak with your horn, or your strings, or your sticks going beyond rhythm, chords and key changes and creating a very deep musical language that transcends those musical boundaries.
So go put on some strong coffee, get a pack of smokes (if that's your thing), and put on some jazz this weekend, and try to concentrate on it, absorb it, and I hope that you discover that you love it as much as I do.
I find myself almost listen to jazz exclusively now, and I'm not sure why. Sure I love rock and roll, and blues, and reggae, but there is something about these old jazz recording that brings its own sense of calm and peace, or sadness and frustration.
I find that jazz musicians from the 40's through the 60's were able to communicate so well with their instruments and their souls. The emotions and themes present in some of these recordings is so palpable. For example if you listen to the album Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, aside from being probably the most influential jazz album ever recorded, it conjures up feelings of loneliness, sadness, and depression. Yet at the same time it also produces images of wonder, motivation and inquire. When was the last time you heard and instrumental album touch so many bases all at once??
Davis and Coltrane trade solo's so effortlessly, their musical conversation is rooted in feeling, life experience, and a desire to push each other into trying something different. I don't know of many other artist parings that had such an impact on each other.
You can mention that John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Keef Richards, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were obviously pushing each other, but it comes off more as a partnership rather than a co-creation of art together. Don't get me wrong, their music is definitely artistic I just feel that Davis and Coltrane, when they were playing together, were so in touch and constantly on the same page. (although im sure great points can be argued for the afore mentioned individuals, however I feel that these relationships were more like one person brings something to the table and then the other adds on top of it, and so on. Where as with Davis and Coltrane there was always an element of co-creation, or birth followed by re-birth, perhaps its because Jazz is in the moment, and no one knows which direction things will go.)
Another thing that has totally absorbed me about Jazz, is that the musicians were MONSTER players. They were so versed at their respective instruments, it's makes one wonder how often these guys practiced. Coltrane for example would practice for 9 hours a day...A DAY!!! Most of us don't even work our jobs for 9 hours a day every day, 365 days a year. And I'm sure that most of these jazz guys did something similar. I know for a fact that after practicing and practicing when you're finally turned loose, you are able to let your soul show through in your playing, and your individualism shines through, and you can speak with your horn, or your strings, or your sticks going beyond rhythm, chords and key changes and creating a very deep musical language that transcends those musical boundaries.
So go put on some strong coffee, get a pack of smokes (if that's your thing), and put on some jazz this weekend, and try to concentrate on it, absorb it, and I hope that you discover that you love it as much as I do.