tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.comments2023-09-04T08:44:59.620-07:00Running The Voodoo DownPhil Freemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05041604069121995890noreply@blogger.comBlogger382125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-13881720159574777862015-11-11T10:48:52.506-08:002015-11-11T10:48:52.506-08:00I remember that. I wish I could find a photo of th...I remember that. I wish I could find a photo of that Reid impersonator.David Shortellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762434474562103113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-85384105729764544382015-11-11T10:47:53.244-08:002015-11-11T10:47:53.244-08:00I remember that. I wish I could find a photo of th...I remember that. I wish I could find a photo of that Reid impersonator.David Shortellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762434474562103113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-80947921889559472822014-11-17T21:03:28.041-08:002014-11-17T21:03:28.041-08:00& how, Phil
Bullseye.
ps Loved your book& how, Phil<br /><br />Bullseye.<br /><br />ps Loved your bookCrocodileChuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762442097044797842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-82012428257300888622014-08-07T13:10:21.977-07:002014-08-07T13:10:21.977-07:00And this is why I don't remove blogs from my b...And this is why I don't remove blogs from my blogroll just because they go password protected for months...Sigivaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16152366541957466049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-21962946392322320752014-08-07T00:09:11.238-07:002014-08-07T00:09:11.238-07:00After all, he's a Saxophone Colossus.After all, he's a Saxophone Colossus.Yitzchak Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13478596798458473250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-50389108582266542712013-09-06T10:35:12.895-07:002013-09-06T10:35:12.895-07:00hey thanks nice review, quite intrigued by this al...hey thanks nice review, quite intrigued by this album as hadn't heard of it before. LukeBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08513254578415358271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-9134918023817658882013-06-04T07:42:46.442-07:002013-06-04T07:42:46.442-07:00I'm glad I'm not the only one who's be...I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been feeling the same way about this ad.<br /><br />There are a lot of ads lately that I don't understand the depictions of the product or the intended consumers.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346365270993409482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-16158791527279269772013-06-03T20:42:26.431-07:002013-06-03T20:42:26.431-07:00Nice piece, Sheffield's column is embarrassing...Nice piece, Sheffield's column is embarrassing.<br /><br />One note, a better example of Carl Palmer "funk" would be <i>When The Apple Blossom's Bloom...</i>, recorded during the <i>Brain Salad Surgery</i> sessions. Henry Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15871451112170286316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-68608972900396613522013-06-03T06:59:13.623-07:002013-06-03T06:59:13.623-07:00Hey Phil! Great to see your thoughtful post. Funny...Hey Phil! Great to see your thoughtful post. Funny thing is, my piece in the book is actually about starting my own band because I was inspired by the prog-influenced bands in Oakland at the time. (Sure, one of those bands was my boyfriend's and I write about learning about music from him). Margaret's essay is an absolutely gorgeous piece of prose about love and loss and change, in addition to making out to King Crimson. My guess is Rob didn't actually read our essays or else decided to take an easy shortcut in summing us up. Thanks again for writing this!blisickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18230771595915162537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-85432378786368451972013-05-12T14:13:26.156-07:002013-05-12T14:13:26.156-07:00I like to play substandards - old stuff nobody giv...I like to play substandards - old stuff nobody gives enough of a shit about to play. Of course that limits your audience to about twelve nerds in the northeast. But if's fun music.pwlsaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15301642133484044429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-36362536857591673152013-02-05T11:29:18.944-08:002013-02-05T11:29:18.944-08:00bravo! Great review there, mate. Though i dont agr...bravo! Great review there, mate. Though i dont agree with your thoughts about aglaia, she is a woman myshkin found so beautiful that he was afraid to stare (or even look). Id marry her any day without a second thought (i wont even argue about a virginity/aids test) She had me at "How dare you send me that love letter.... "Arun Kishorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08950527370571975358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-64673415709537143422013-01-14T08:05:43.279-08:002013-01-14T08:05:43.279-08:00You wrote: "There just weren't that many ...You wrote: "There just weren't that many really great records released in 2012" Really Phil? Maybe rock records but in improvised avant music it was a great year, you're out of the loop.Kreillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17904931137561020038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-77576493576270480262013-01-14T08:03:48.133-08:002013-01-14T08:03:48.133-08:00You write: "There just weren't that many ...You write: "There just weren't that many really great records released in 2012" Really? You heard them all? C'mon Phil, you know better than that.Kreillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17904931137561020038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-38043340269725388552012-09-18T08:35:11.123-07:002012-09-18T08:35:11.123-07:00I haven't heard this new disc you're talki... I haven't heard this new disc you're talking about, but I doubt that's what's going on with it. <br /><br /> <a href="http://www.concertticketshub.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Concert Tickets</a>mondalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246504680051766052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-89182361802123744712012-09-17T17:14:21.699-07:002012-09-17T17:14:21.699-07:00In terms of improvisation I would rather hear some...In terms of improvisation I would rather hear somebody improvising on a standard than another tune with a vampy 1 or 2 chord solo section, like so many originals these days. But like Dan says, it's the result and the spirit that matters. Konitz can play I'll Remember April more refreshingly than most can on a standard or an original. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00302445213923376246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-9471052684723095112012-09-09T23:39:38.313-07:002012-09-09T23:39:38.313-07:00Uuuuuh... With all due respect, you're making ...Uuuuuh... With all due respect, you're making an elementary error, which is to confuse the material that's being improvised on and the actual improvisation. You could have picked 50 guys who, I completely agree, play standards like some craggy museum piece, but instead you picked Konitz, one of the few people in the world who can consistently make these old tunes sound brand new. (Which isn't to say that Live at the Blue Note is his best record). With an improviser of his caliber (and there are only a few others), the material that's being improvised on is very much secondary to the actual music being made. Do you have the same rant about free improvisation, where people are improvising on nothing? What counts, at the end of the day, is whether the music sounds fresh and authentic. For most musicians, it helps to have new material. For a few, it just doesn't matter. Konitz is absolutely one of those. Dan Tepferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12493121514757658165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-92080115730124877652012-09-02T23:45:44.514-07:002012-09-02T23:45:44.514-07:00"...they brought little more than their instr...<i>"...they brought little more than their instruments with them—no set lists, no prior discussions about the music they wanted to play."</i><br /><br />...and, I assume, little or no rehearsal. That's the biggest obstacle to performing new repertoire; not finding it, but <i>learning</i> it, be that a matter of individual or group effort. While I share your views in large part, I'm far less troubled by the specific case of the stagnation of the jazz repertoire than with the way music (not just jazz) has become a flashmob art. If you want to play original material, you're not just asking the audience to take a chance on something new; you're making your project more expensive to fund and asking for a greater commitment from your musicians. In attempting to present new material, there is an incredible amount of inertia to overcome that, contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with either aesthetics or marketing. The failure of so many elder statesmen to lead the way on this front is indeed galling, but I wouldn't be surprised if most of them aren't themselves as frustrated as you and I are with a musical culture and infrastructure which are the biggest obstacles to their own replenishment.<br /><br />Having said all of that, I bring a willing, open mind to every standards gig/record I check out, and every now and then, I hear a group really making music that way. It reminds me why we bother with standards and how I might bother with them better. The band Fat Kid Wednesdays, from Minneapolis, comes to mind, though they play lots of originals also. In LA, I heard a group with Larry Goldings and Larry Koonse a year and a half ago which featured some stunning interplay, suspensions of time and pulse, etc. No one in the audience or on the bandstand was bored that night; it's not unheard, just hard to come by.<br /><br />It's well-documented that great improvisors across many different musical cultures often have surprisingly limited repertoires, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad (or avoidable) thing. Jazz as a verb, so to speak, is repertoire-neutral; it's perfunctoriness that's the real bugaboo.Stefan Kachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03103517356905739209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-69316798778409379572012-09-02T12:29:28.146-07:002012-09-02T12:29:28.146-07:00Lyn nails it: There are more song-writers on the ...Lyn nails it: There are more song-writers on the planet right now than at any time in history. There MUST be a few cranking out some jazz-interpretation-worthy tunes, right? Off the top of my head, Joe Henry, Tracy Chapman and Tom Waits all write melodic lead lines in their music. <br /><br />The other aspect of this discussion is, of course, where is the audience, and what will get and keep them in the seats? If all you play is stuff they've never heard before, you risk playing to your friends, many of whom will find other things to do the next time you invite them to a gig. So the dilemma is, play the old standards, in the best interpretation to showcase your own musical style, or go out and un-earth a few NEW songs. Go ahead. I'll wait here.Catch and Release Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10216906441772265508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-32227014235711337592012-08-31T02:47:17.073-07:002012-08-31T02:47:17.073-07:00I can relate to what Phil is saying. If i'm in...I can relate to what Phil is saying. If i'm in the right mood i can get into an album of standards, admire the artistry and all, but on a day to day basis it definitely doesn't inspire enthusiasm. Holding up 2 CDs in a store; given the choice between a standards album and an album of originals i'll take the originals every time.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11768610863984372583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-57458287795906199252012-08-24T21:45:40.496-07:002012-08-24T21:45:40.496-07:00I think you're missing the big picture. There ...I think you're missing the big picture. There is a place for standards in jazz, and a place for new compositions. The problem is when musicians decide it has to be either, or. Look at the Keith Jarrett standards model. Perhaps you hate it, but I'd argue that most people who have heard the Standards Trio understand that all these old tunes are being born anew. Jarrett obviously doesn't have to prove anything to anyone; he's got a huge catalog of originals. But he believes standards are the best medium for him and his great trio to deliver the goods. He's not coasting and to claim his is would be ludicrous. It's the same for Lee Konitz. He's one of the great saxophonists, and he never repeats a lick. He could play Stella By Starlight 100 times in a row and it would be vastly different each time. It's the same with each of the musicians playing on this new disc you mention, and each of them has a huge repertoire of original material. They chose to play standards on this disc because they love doing it. Personally, I don't really think Bill Frisell is that great of a composer (I have most of his discs but I rarely listen to them). I'd rather hear him play standards or other people's material. The problem with standards comes when the players are indeed just coasting, and not bringing anything fresh to the tunes. This is cocktail jazz. I haven't heard this new disc you're talking about, but I doubt that's what's going on with it. <br />Dave Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08635376242731622202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-88588815232748028802012-08-19T19:19:46.936-07:002012-08-19T19:19:46.936-07:00The question is, perhaps, who is writing the New S...The question is, perhaps, who is writing the New Standards. Let's find those composers.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02835126696719250088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-30685279423653414772012-08-19T15:32:18.336-07:002012-08-19T15:32:18.336-07:00Sounds like somebody's going through the motio...Sounds like somebody's going through the motions and collecting a check. It's turning jazz into a museum art, a problem that besets concert music on occasion.<br /><br />If you are going to play something I've heard a hundred times, you'd best bring something very new to the proceedings.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12939881701345686354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-21229077770507625142012-05-23T14:03:09.589-07:002012-05-23T14:03:09.589-07:00Kagemusha and Ran on repeat, but not Yojimbo?
Int...Kagemusha and Ran on repeat, but not Yojimbo?<br /><br />Intriguing.Sigivaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16152366541957466049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-7321348631591757842012-03-26T17:33:21.361-07:002012-03-26T17:33:21.361-07:00Thank you for sharing! Such a good photosThank you for sharing! Such a good photosHipponitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02370228525672805062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935370.post-72090649835739409612012-03-18T13:54:40.117-07:002012-03-18T13:54:40.117-07:00This is truly how God would make a trailer.This is truly how God would make a trailer.ethnotichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15030233529152136664noreply@blogger.com