response 1 of 22:

May 19 23:03 UTC 1994

(what did jazz fans think of "Jazzmatazz Vol. 1"? It was a hip hop/jazz
record by Guru of GangStarr, and featured such jazz artists as Donald Byrd
and Ronnie Jordan.)

response 3 of 22:

May 21 02:48 UTC 1994

For all you guitarists out there and guitar fans:

        Wes Montgomery:  Full House
and
        Wes Montgomery:  The Incredible Jazz Guitarist

Also, Tommy Flanagan, who some of you may have seen earlier this
year at Kerrytown Concert House, and who played on Giant Steps with
the immortal Trane, is on The Incredible Jazz Guitarist, so there's
another reason to get it.  Full House features the rythm end of the
Miles Davis quintet (Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb) and
Johnny Griffin (played with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers).

oops, I spelled rhythm "rythm"

response 5 of 22:

May 24 00:34 UTC 1994

for all you out there:
muddy waters

response 7 of 22:

Jun 12 20:03 UTC 1994

        Prob along similar lines to Jazzmatazz, I saw Grooce Collective in
Detroit last night and they blew me away. They have a vey eclectice sound,
sort of like Funkadelic meets hip hop with bop era jazz riffs played live
(no samples). I was very impressed. Apparently they are part of a new music
movement that is being lables acid jazz.

response 9 of 22:

Jun 24 01:27 UTC 1994

Haven't heard too much take 6

I would like to get back to #1, re Donald Byrd who is on Jazzmatazz.
I got an album by him called "Black Byrd." It was recorded in 1973, and it
is pretty nifty. Actually, I'd give it a mixed review. Some of the tracks are
really hot (most notably "Love's so far away"), but some of it gets kind
of new-age-like and muzakish. But it's got some pretty good grooves on it.
Kinda cool. Anyone heard it?

response 11 of 22:

Oct 18 17:40 UTC 1994

I recently started playing jazz piano.  I don't know exactly how it happened
Right now we're playing "Well You Needn't", "Joy Spring", "Take Five",
"Song for Lorraine", and "Airegin"

response 13 of 22:

Feb 5 21:47 UTC 1995

I play Jazz improve on my trumpet I would also like to reccomend something to
everybody that likes swing style.  Try to get the concert of Benny Goodman at
carnige hall.  It is his best work that I've heard.  




DD

response 15 of 22:

Jul 20 15:12 UTC 1995

Have you heard the Benny Greene recording _Testifyin'_?  That's the only thing
I've heard by him.  I like it pretty well.  He's clearly a gifted pianist.  My
only complaint with that record is that his playing is a bit cliched - he seems
overly concerned with pleasing the audience.  This may well be a function of
youth.  How do the records you mention compare to this one?  I look forward to
hearing more from Mr. Greene.

-Paul

response 17 of 22:

Aug 1 20:25 UTC 1995

I definitely didn't mean be to be harshing on Benny!  As I said, I rather 
*liked* what I heard!  I was just commenting on
some of my impressions of *one* of his recordings.  Even with respect to
that recording, there's nothing that says I will never change my view.  
Part of the point of my post was to ask if you (or anyone) thought that
I had judged too quickly, and therefore needed to give it another chance
(which I will).

As to some of your other comments, I am not sure which are meant to be
rhetorical and which are meant as sincere questions warranting sincere
answers.  I'd happily try to express some of my views in detail if you're
really interested.  For the time being, I'd just like to say that I
personally, quite like lots of the modern musicians who I expect are
the targets of your criticisms (about musicians who don't focus on 
pleasing their audiences).  Further, it's not at all clear to me that
the only legitimate reasons for creating music involve uplifting etc.
As to questions about the value of jazz that isn't primarily aimed at
pleasing an audience, I suspect that these are closely tied (or identical)
to questions about the intrinsic value of art in general.  These are ex-
tremely difficult questions to answer (though they're fun to discuss)!
I'll happily discuss these with you as well, but I don't think we should
embark on this project lightly.  

-Paul

response 19 of 22:

Aug 2 15:59 UTC 1995

Well, if you mean to be asking whether I can see a reasonable rationale for
(more or less) this grouping, I think the answer is yes!  I'm not actually very
familiar with Holly Cole or Vanessa Williams (I've heard the names, but as far
as know I haven't heard their music).  Otherwise, anyway, the first group is
what  I would (perhaps contentiously, though I don't necessarily mean anything
in- trinsically negative by it) call "pop jazz".  I'll admit that I don't find
this category very enjoyable.  This sort of thing is very largely nothing more
than a matter of taste (about which, I think, we can't usefully argue ... my
Latin isn't good enough actually to brave the "re gustibus non disputandum" or
whatever it is).  To oversimplify an analysis of my own taste here, I guess I
don't find some the elements that attract me to jazz in general (and in the
first place).  That is, I find very little improvisational or compositional
daring or inovation.  I feel like the chord progressions (and chord substitu-
tions etc.) are highly predictable and standardized, and the note selection
above those chords is quite narrowly constrained and conventional.  Also,  to
my ears, performers in this (vague) category don't do anything rhythmically
very interesting.

The second I category I would loosely call "classic".  Here I find lots to
like (though I'm not sure if you meant Ray Brown or Ray Charles by "Ray" ...
it doesn't much matter since I like them both).  These musicians are among
those that got me hooked on jazz in the first place (among the first real
jazz shows I ever saw was Oscar Peterson in the early '80s in Detroit ...
maybe '82?).  Originality, inventiveness, daring, and an incredible (again,
to my ears) emotional fire knock me out whenever I hear any of these players!

I guess I'd call the third group (loosely) "neo-bop" (though I'm not familiar
with Lenny Breau - again, heard the name but not the music, I think).  I find
lots to like here too.  It's a little hard for me to gush very strongly about
this category since there has been some public acrimony between (some of) them
and (some of) my favorite "avant garde" (for lack of a better term) jazzers.
That's politics, though, and I'm meant to be talking about music here, so those
considerations aren't fair.  I have to say, these musicians have given me a
lot of pleasure over the years.  I've seen Wynton Marsalis twice now (once with
his brother Branford in the mid '80s - maybe '85? - and once with an all star
review in '93) and enjoyed his playing both times.  The first time (while I
was quite happy overall) I thought that his playing was a bit too tied up with
technique for my tastes (it seemed to make it hard for the "emotional fire" I
had mentioned before to express itself), but the second time I was utterly
blown away!  No loss of amazing technique, but an added gut-wrenching blaze
of emotion and blues expression the likes of which I have seen only very r
rarely!

Finally, I'll add another short category list (of some of my favorites).  Let
me know what you think!

Roscoe Mitchell
David Murray
Lester Bowie
James Carter
Marilyn Crispell
William Parker
Jane Bunnett
Don Pullen
Peter Brotzmann

... I could go on and on!  Good listening,

-Paul Philippon

response 21 of 22:

Aug 3 15:14 UTC 1995

I'm glad you like James Carter!  I've seen him a couple of times and have
yet to be less than completely *amazed*.  You mentioned that you haven't
heard any of his recorded work.  I can recommend the albums under his own
name very highly.  His fist was _J.C. On The Set_ on the Japanese DIW label.
This is my favorite of his records.  Hecond was _Jurassic Classics_
also on DIW.  Also burnin'.  His most recent was _The Real Quietstorm_ on,
I believe, Atlantic (it is, in any case, his first major label U.S. release).
I like this one lots too, though it is my least favorite of the three.  The
(incredible) rhythem section which usually plays with James has a cd out
by themselves as well - it's just called _The Craig Taborn Trio_.  Craig is
the pianist, and lives in Ann Arbor (for now; he's moving to NYC soon).  The
bass player is Jeribu Shahid and the Drummer is Tanni Tabbal.  This record
is also on DIW and, in my opinion, well worth seeking out.

In case not everyone knows this info, James will be playing at this years
Montreux Detroit Jazz festival (again - he was there last year as well).
The festival spans the Labor Day weekend and is completely free.  It takes
place in Hart Plaza.  James is going to play with his own group, with Lester
Bowies New York Organ Ensemble (don't miss this!!), with David Murray, and,
I think with one or two other groups as well (perhaps with Spencer
Barefield?).  Here's a chance to check out some of the other people mentioned
on the list above (and get a solid dose of James) if you're interested.
Good listening,

-Paul Philippon