What Jazz or Blues are you spinning?

[WOStantonCS100]

revisiting this one

Gil Evans
The Individualism of
LP

[Mikeandvan]

Romanitc Warrior absolutely ruined me while I was still in my single digits. In many ways, I have never recovered and likely never will. Though I never stopped listening to other music, for quite a long time afterwards I held a good chunk of contempt and disdain for "lesser" musicians/"lesser" composers (especially outside of the jazz and classical arenas). The prowess of the musicianship along with the compositional aspect of, in particular, Chick's pieces just wiped the floor with so many who were praised in the music media, routinely. Typical r&b, rock, pop and funk of the day (which I was also into)... forget about it. Lesson learned and retained.

As I grew, I realized not all musicians/composers/songwriters aspire to the same goals and it's perfectly okay, even imperative to "do what you do" (a music library of only Return to Forever and the Elektric Band "I" and II would be sad, very sad, nor did the art of electric fusion guitar stop with Al DiMeola (not by a long stretch)... George Clinton is just as relevant as George Russell. Wayne Newtown is just as relevant as Wayne Krantz. Gil Scott-Heron is just as relevant as Gil Evans and so on it goes.

But, dayyum... in 1976... RTF set the "jazz fusion bar" so high they (in my opinion) had no where to go for their next one Musicmagic... and it showed, despite liking that album for different reasons. Similarly, albums like Birds of Fire, Thrust, Enigmatic Ocean and Black Market all had me wondering for a while why anyone gave a **** about Sonny and Cher! (Full disclosure: I own several Sonny and Cher albums, now.)

...just my two cents off the top of my head... No offense intended to anyone.

The problem with the more cerebral end of jazz/fusion is that is can sound sterile, devoid of feeling/funk, and that is why only a tiny minority of people like it, which is likely part of the appeal! (I may have been guilty of this as a youngster, liking 'difficult' music that is). Of the LPs you name above, I only know one, Thrust by Hancock (I take it?), and that's a fine LP, still retaining the funkiness of Hancock's earlier 70s output. Hancock seems an extraordinary figure in jazz considering his early 80s detour into electro with 'Rockit', or may be that was just to pay the bills?

[WOStantonCS100]

The problem with the more cerebral end of jazz/fusion is that is can sound sterile, devoid of feeling/funk, and that is why only a tiny minority of people like it, which is likely part of the appeal! (I may have been guilty of this as a youngster, liking 'difficult' music that is). Of the LPs you name above, I only know one, Thrust by Hancock (I take it?), and that's a fine LP, still retaining the funkiness of Hancock's earlier 70s output. Hancock seems an extraordinary figure in jazz considering his early 80s detour into electro with 'Rockit', or may be that was just to pay the bills?

True, it obviously does sound that way to some/many.

Outside of Strauss' Waltzes, The Messiah, Nutcracker, 1812 and William Tell Overtures and other such "over-played?" familiarities, I guess the same could be said of the loose category commonly referred to as "classical" (though they don't know it, many who grew up on TV cartoons and such in the 60's thru 80's have heard far more "classical" and "jazz" than they realize). I get it, though. If my first experiences were with Coltrane's Om or some of Britten's works, I'm not sure I would have had the fortitude to go deep. Glad I did, though.

Birds of Fire = Mahavishnu Orchestra
Enigmatic Ocean = Jean-Luc Ponty
Black Market = Weather Report

Thrust is all funk and all jazz all at the same time. LOL. Masterful. I close my eyes and get lost in that one.

While I would say Herbie was informed by classical composition, it seems to me that Chick (and, say, Wynton) made a purposeful study of it in order to play it. I liken it to the difference between Deep Purple with an orchestra and what Yngwie Malmsteen did with his Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra.

Interesting to note, I believe it was Lenny White and/or Stanley Clarke who balked at the term "jazz sellout" when questioned in an interview. He mentioned that like everybody else when they went home they were also listening to the same "pop" and "rock" and "r&b" music that everyone else was listening to so why should they not either incorporate or play some of that music outright, as well. They're musicians. That's what they do.

Sorry for being so wordy. I'm rounding out my stay-cation. Soon it's back to the IT crap that pays the bills.

[struth]

Magic Sam

Playing through the bt7 wirelessly from phone into my focals. Sound quality is really good

[struth]

Lightnin' Hopkins

[Barry]

Larry Coryell – 'The Lion And The Ram'



Label: Arista – ARTY 154
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1976
Genre: Jazz
Style: Fusion

[Barry]

Coryell / Catherine – 'Splendid'



Label: Elektra – K 52086
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1978
Genre: Jazz
Style: Contemporary Jazz

[Barry]

Larry Coryell - 'Difference'



Label: Egg – 900.558
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: France
Released: 1978
Genre: Jazz
Style: Fusion, Contemporary Jazz

[Barry]

Fortunately my partner loves the Blues (as do I), but doesn't know much about the Blues artist(e)s. So when she asks me to "put on the Blues", I will usually pick out a compilation CD. Hence:

Various – Blues Breakers! (15 Classic Tracks As Covered By Eric Clapton)



Label: Mojo Magazine – May 2013
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: Mar 2013
Genre: Blues
Style: Louisiana Blues


and

Various – 'The Blues - Nothin' But The Blues'



Label: One & Only Records – STARBCD033
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Europe
Released: 2013
Genre: Blues

[Mikeandvan]

The Headhunters - Survival of the Fittest. Herbie Hancock - Thrust & Headhunters.