AL's
Jazz
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AL's
Jazz
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I
am a real Jazz beginner, and I can only comment on what little I've heard
myself, and based on a little reading. In the past I had heard Jazz
here & there and usually found the focus on saxophones & trumpets
unattractive, mostly due to having negative associations from having played
violin in a school band. I liked the idea of the 'freedom' of Jazz,
but I kept myself well clear of it for most of my music listening
life. One of my best friends is wildly enthusiastic about it though, despite
having very little of it, and this urged me to begin looking out for rare
& unreleased Jazz in the course of my tape trading, to pass on to him.
I liked what I heard, and now have a small collection of live Jazz, (see
the tape trading section).
I don't really know how it happened, but one day in 1996 I got a CD by Miles Davis from the local library and the whole thing just fell into place. I opened myself up to the sound, and stopped projecting ideas about how I saw 'jazz' onto the music and discovered a whole new world. I suddenly saw the crucial role of Jazz music in the development of the other types of music I'd been so engrossed with for so many years- the freeform impressionism of the music came flooding through for the first time. Rather than hearing 'a trumpet' it seemed as though Miles Davis was blowing his very soul straight through the horn, and out into the world- anyone who hears it can directly access his frame of mind. The Poet Allen Ginsburg once described poems as 'pills' that were waiting there to be taken- and once one was 'imbued' and taken into the body the taker would access the precise moment in time that the poet was trying to capture. This is how Jazz effects me now, like a sound-poem-pill.
Now that I have started listening to some of the Jazz greats like Miles Davis, Charlie 'Bird' Parker, John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, etc. I can hear their boundless influence in so much of the 'improvisational' music I love so much. Artists like the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, Phish, The Allman Brothers, and countless others owe debts to these great founders of 'Free Improvisation'. Riding the wave of Gillespie's trumpet can be as exhilarating for me as time lost in Jerry Garcia's sweet guitar explorations, but I'd closed myself off from it. OPEN you mind to JAZZ! Just say yesssssssss.
Being fairly new to Jazz the scope of this page is limited to discussions of the artists I know, so I will briefly cover my impressions of some of my favorite artists. You may listen to some clips, and of course there are tapes for trade in the tape trading section. Links to more comprehensive sites round off the page.
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These are listening ideas based on what little I have in my collection- just my impressions, really;
Miles Davis- Miles went through some heavy stylistic changes over his career. His work in the late 50's early 60's with Coltrane, Wynton Kelley, Paul Chambers, & Jimmy Cobb is known as his 'classic quintet' and the period produced 'Kind Of Blue' - a classic. In the 70's Miles pursued wild & woolly rock-fussion jazz, the set I have from the Fillmore in 1970 being a prime example.
James Carter- JC is a stunning saxophone player, with a breadth of style & influences that he combines in a unique & inimitable way. A must hear artist. His latest CD 'Conversin' with the Elders' is well worth picking up.
Charlie Mingus- Mingus was a brilliant composer, sublime bassist, and his sense of humor mixed with hints of his darker side makes for an always complex & interesting listen. Mingus suffered from manic depression, and his music is often erratic & unpredictable nature sometimes reflect this.
Branford Marsalis- Another great reedsman, famous among Grateful Dead fans for his classic set with the band at Nassau Coliseum on 3/29/90. Fans of Branford's would do well to give this GD set a listen (similarly fans of this GD set could do worse that to check out Branford's other work!)
David Murray- Dave Murray is another name that will be familiar to Dead fans, having played with the band on a number of occasions, in addition to appearances with the Jerry Garcia Band, and guest appearances by Bob Weir & Phil Lesh at Murray's Big Band concerts on occasion. Murray has had an enormous output, and much of his latest work is with Big Band renditions of Grateful Dead songs. I perhaps prefer his own compositions, but his GD renditions can be exhilarating and unique!
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You need to download the Real Audio Player to listen to these clips. Just
click the Graphic on the left. Although it's not perfect, and the sound
is a bit ropey Real Audio is well worth downloading- there are many sites
with Real Audio content, and it's a great way of checking out bands your
interested in without coughing up the dough for a pricey imported CD. Some
sites offer a live stream so you can listen at the same time as you download,
but I don't have a server, so you'll have to download my clips first. I
intend to put new clips up regularly, but only a few at a time, due to
space restrictions.
Sites with Jazz Real Audio Content |
Sample from my Tape Collection |
| Real Audio jazz broadcasts on demand. 'ABS JAZZ' |
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Artists
James Carter
The
'Trane Station- John Coltrane
Milestones
-Miles Davis
Sony
- Branford Marsalis
The Real Mingus
Web - Charles Mingus
The Thelonious
Monk Web Site
The
David Murray Homepage
All
Music Guide - Charlie Parker
Jazz Sites
Blue Note Records
Inter Jazz
Jazz Central Station
Hard Bop Cafe
Jazz Net
Acid Jazz Server
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Links