Haha.. yes imho, I have to agree to an extent a lot of 'free jazz' is having a laugh.Originally Posted by montesquieu
Keep it up chaps. I signed up for a two albums a month subscription thing (the De Agostino Jazz on Vinyl series) precisely because my knowledge of jazz is so limited, and this was a good way to get to know more about it and find new avenues - and it's definitely worked in that regard. (It's also functioned to confirm what I hate ... I once left an Ornette Coleman gig at half time because I was - and remain - convinced he was taking the piss - free jazz, I just can't handle it at all).
Anyway I've had a few new leads here already
But it's an interesting subject actually. The "New Music" as it was called at the time, late 50's early 60s,
Was a reflection of social unjust and alienation. We have to remember these musicians knew how to read and play in
The structured and conventional way, so this direction was a decision they took. These were young, mostly men, often very angry and frustrated by society and what America had done and what it had to offer them.
If you take John coltrane for instance, there he was at the height of his career, famous, in demand, relatively wealthy and creatively at his peak. He led the most in demand and highly rated quartet in the genre. After producing arguably his masterpiece, A Love Supreme, he literally over night, disbanded the quartet.
He stated he did not want the confinement of the conventional Jazz set up where the rock and epicentre was the piano, so he basically sacked McCoy Tyner and changed the line up bringing in Rashied Ali, to be the second drummer along side Elvin Jones. (Elvin by the way was having none of this)
The rest is history as Coltrane entered his "free period". He wouldn't acknowledge the word 'Jazz' as that pigeon holed his music and refused to play the club circuit as it confined him to hour long sets, indeed at this time a coltrane horn solo could last an hour easily! But the point is, these were technically gifted, trained sight reading musicians who chose to take that route at a point in their careers. Commercial suicide. The music was slated!! Down Beat, the Jazz journal bible killed them.
People we're outraged.
Some of the recorded avant-garde stuff stands up pretty well 50+ years on as it took no trend so became timeless. There is a fascinating book on the whole 'New Music" movement of the time entitled 'As serious as your life' by female British writer, who loved jazz and went to live In New York, Val Wilmer. She gets up close and really digs deep into these musicians. It's a good read. The coltrane documentary, Chasing Trane, is a great film and touches heavily on his change of direction.
So taking the piss or an expression of art, the soul and energy?
Many years ago, I walked laughing out of a gig by American saxophonist Don Byron, when he started to play a hosepipe
And was accompanied by a chap banging a bent wood saw. I'm pretty sure they were taking the piss!! Although everyone around me seemed to take it very seriously with much goatee stroking..
Having a laugh or did I just miss the point?!
Na.. they were definitely taking the piss!
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