response 25 of 115:

Jun 12 22:02 UTC 1997

For those of us who haven't been paying attention, what did the Pakrovsky
Ensemble do with/to "Les Noces" that is so interesting?

response 27 of 115:

Jun 23 07:44 UTC 1997

Wow, cool.  Thanks for starting the jazz topic, Katt.  I was just thinking
that something important was missing from the music conference, and now it
isn't...
 
I suppose I'm a little late getting into jazz, so I've got a long way to go,
but I think I've made a lot of progress.  I never used to like jazz, at all.
It struck me as too schizophrenic.  Now that I've heard more, I realize that
I was merely guilty of stereotyping (as we're often apt to do with the
unfamiliar), and I've since heard things that I enjoy a great deal.  Luckily,
I've been pointed in good directions by a few people whose advice I've sought.
 
Some of the random experiences so far on my jazz journey...
 
_Blues and the Abstract Truth_, with Oliver Nelson and company, is really a
current favorite.  This one was recommended to me as a classic.  I've played
it for friends who were not into jazz and they enjoyed it very much.
 
I'm currently hoping to run across _The Charlie Parker Story_ on Savoy,
although I hear that new Rhino _Yardbird Suite_ compilation is pretty nice.
I enjoyed what I heard while watching Clint Eastwood's _Bird_ a short time
ago.
 
Of course, Bennie Goodman and Dave Brubeck...
 
Sun Ra has struck me as interesting from only a few listenings.
 
I've started my obligatory John Coltrane collection...
 
One of the more interesting finds was Bheki Mseleku, which blends my interest
in international music and jazz.
 
A good friend of mine introduced me to Bill Frisell.  I dig Bill...(and my
friend...)

I got into John Zorn via my interest in experimental music, and a friend of
the aforementioned friend.  _News For Lulu_ was one of my more recent exciting
finds.  I've also picked up _The Classic Guide to Strategy_.  Fascinating
stuff.
 
Well, that's about it, so far...

response 29 of 115:

Jun 24 08:12 UTC 1997

Thanks, katt-- you've articulated so many points I only vaguely understood
before.

response 31 of 115:

Jun 25 14:02 UTC 1997

Well, being as I fell asleep twice during Koyaanisqatsi, maybe I'll go for
the second :)

response 33 of 115:

Jul 3 16:08 UTC 1997

Just heard both _The Charlie Parker Story_ on Savoy and Rhino's _Yardbird
Suite_ collection.  Very nice.  Rhino's collection is definitely the
definitive introduction to Parker's works, as it spans multiple labels, and
is graced with fascinating liner notes.

response 35 of 115:

Jul 10 23:00 UTC 1997

Mark:  You need to check out the Posters that have in Borders as well... I
forgot to tell you about the really kewl blues and jazz player posters.....
oh well...

response 37 of 115:

Jul 15 21:46 UTC 1997

re #21:  Good point, Kevin.  I hope to return to my improvisational studies
when I go back to school this fall (if not immediately, sometime in the
future).  Sadly, I don't see much effort from the classical establishment.
I don't know how colleges and universities are in your area, but the only
place I could find that taught classical improvisation was Evergreen College
(Which is near the Seattle area).  Improvisational skills need to be learned
in classical music before a student moves on to jazz.  I learned myself that
to do so otherwise is a monumental and difficult task.  Jazz adds so many new
chords and scales that it is best to start from a classical base first.

Anyone-- keep me posted on what you have found was the best way to learn
improv.

response 39 of 115:

Jul 16 14:54 UTC 1997

re # 38 I would assume this would mean the improv that is allowed in some
baroque and classical era pieces such as ornaments and cadenzas.

response 41 of 115:

Jul 31 04:08 UTC 1997

Exactly.  But I'm sure that includes learning the theme and variations form
(and if I remember correctly, this is how Beethoven got his big break-- and
I don't think he had it written down first?  the variations, I mean?)

In general, I don't think classical and baroque musicians were as extensive
in their improv as jazz musicians are and were.  Ornaments, cadenzas, and
variations on a theme have been mentioned.  I can't think of anything else,
besides the comparision of jazz's bigger chords.

response 43 of 115:

Aug 12 07:28 UTC 1997

re #9:  At the risk of sounding blasphemous, what about Scatman John?
His last big hit was "Scatman," a scat song with dance music instrumentals.
I'm sure some people think it's weird as hell, but it's really interesting.
The Third-Level Mix is especially well done.

I also didn't realize this man was a white guy until I walked into a Radio
Shack playing one of his new vids.  He looks a little like Leon Redbone--
long-nosed, with a big bushy moustache on his face.  The vid was pretty cool--
the engineers had pasted a clip of Louis Armstrong on a billboard so it looked
like Scatman John was talking to him.

Speaking of scat, I understand it was created by Dizzy Gillespie after WWII.
Audiotape was precious then, so musicians usually had only one take to record.
Gillespie went into the recording studio and found one of the valves on his
trumpet stuck.  Instead of bagging the recording or waiting until the valve
unstuck, he decided to go in and sing his part.  It caught on.  I've listened
to some recordings of him singing scat and he really does sound like a jazz
trumpet, except that he doesn't imitate the timbre exactly.

Bobby McFerrin is another example of voice imitation of instruments, but I'll
save it for now.

response 45 of 115:

Aug 30 07:59 UTC 1997

Well, this year was another near-miss with the Detroit jazz festival.  My car
broke down, yet again...

response 47 of 115:

Aug 31 08:31 UTC 1997

Maybe I'll check it out, this year.  I think I actually have a day off during
the festival.  

response 49 of 115:

Aug 31 16:36 UTC 1997

OK,tell us about why Medeski Martin & Wood are appealing.