[kucheravka]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...?query=ornette

See also James Hale's report from Portland jazz festival.

[pXss8cyx]

I'm in Portland for all this great music, to hear Cecil & see god.
Ornette was great last night. I'm sure they can get it to sound better at the Chan. Denardo & Al McDowell were barely audible.
As an aside, in response to the James Hale blog, I found the SF Jazz Collective, both the playing & the writing, much more compelling than Hale did, it seems. Maybe, I had better seats. Myra Melford's band was outstanding, much more happening than when a similar line-up played JCC in Vancouver 4-5 years ago(?). Her harmonium playing has improved greatly. It's still not her killer trio, but moving stuff...
Today Tord Gustavsen, Bad Plus, Classical Jazz Quartet, Spanish Harlem Orchestra & Tim Berne's Hard Cell. Several talks in between.
Tomorrow, Cecil solo!!! Excited!

[DP5Ups8o]

How was Hard Cell? Was Taborn playing piano or keyboards? I have one record of theirs (The Shell Game) and I love it. Cecil solo would be cool too.

Ornette was pretty incredible tonight.

[pXss8cyx]

John, Hard Cell was amazing! Tim Berne is someone I've come to start really appreciating for the past few years. I tried real hard for 15 years, but found his writing & playing too.... loopy, swirling, kind of like Evan Parker's playing, but Evan I dug from the first note on. Go, figure... Now, whenever I get a chance to hear Tim in any situation, I'm there. I was a little concerned about Gerald Cleaver sitting in my man Tom Rainey's throne and Craig Taborn playing piano, instead of the Rhodes or some such, where he shines, imo. Craig's piano playing, though I admire it, has kinda left me cold in the past, with James Carter, Susie Ibarra & Jennifer Choi, Marty Ehrlich & others. Was I ever wrong!! It was as if he anticipated or was super-inspired by Cecil's presence in the area... his playing was bold, sublime, ferocious, awesome! Cleaver is his own man, a very inventive one at that. He's got a completely different vocabulary than Rainey does. Where Rainey cannot not swing (which to me is a good thing, too), Cleaver accesses more of that free European thing and does his thing really well. I guess, it's true what they say about one of the signs of a good band, how it responds to another good drummer and sounds very different, but very good. Berne was in top form, playing his own impossibly beautiful compositions so fluidly and with much heart, unlike how I perceived his playing as too cerebral in the past. I think, he'd had it with all the chatter from his involvement in at least 3 artist talks, was ready to communicate through his horn. Fabulous group interplay. Quite the memorable evening.

On a sour note, I couldn't stand the Bad Plus. I'd never heard them before. Kinda like Medeski, Martin & Wood with no soul or groovy feel. Not my thing.

Cecil was outstanding! He has not lost his fire one bit, nor his vision and sharp artistry, both as pianist and poet. I wish it was in a more intimate setting, but I doubt that it's possible (it was in the ballroom of the Mariott). I can now die a happy man -after I hear Braxton live, that is...

[Fertionbratte]

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[pXss8cyx]

ABBA's got lots going for them that Bad Plus don't.

[pXss8cyx]

In fact, I would pay to go hear ABBA, but not Bad Plus. Funny thing is the band seem to dig creative players like Tim Berne and Cecil Taylor. Perhaps, someone here can shed some light on their appeal. Btw, John, MMW are huge with the jamband crowd, a predominantly white audience. They do a lot more for me. Nice grooves and more inventive playing.

[Fertionbratte]

I should probably clarify my use of the term 'white.' I don't use it as a biological marker, more as a cultural 'identifier.'

Lenny Bruce laid it out best, I think, although he used the terms 'jewish' and 'goyish.'

I'm paraphrasing Lenny from memory here, but hopefully I communicate his core meaning.

"Basically, you're jewish if you dig jazz and are left of center. All negroes are jews. Irishmen who have lost their religion are jews. Ray Charles is jewish. Van Cliburne is goyish (even though he's a jew). Martin Luther King Jr. is jewish. Arabs are jews. 'Israelis' are goys, especially those in the Israeli army. If you live in New York City, you're jewish. If you live in Butte, Montana, you're going to be goyish even if you're jewish."

So, to my way of thinking, the crowd at a MMW gig may contain many pale-complected people. but they're not white people.

You dig?

[Fertionbratte]

No offense, but ABBA make me gag.

[metrocartockasur]

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[pXss8cyx]

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[metrocartockasur]

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[inilbowly]

I've resisted sharing my newly found enthusiasm for the music of Radiohead given that this is the Vancouver Jazz Forum, not a Radiohead fan site, but if we can discuss ABBA here, then I want to introduce this topic for possible discussion.

I've had a copy of OK Computer, Radiohead's excellent 1997 release, for several years, but otherwise my only experience with the band's music was through covers of its songs by Brad Mehldau and Chris Potter (have any other well-known jazz artists covered Radiohead songs?).

Early this year, based on favourable reviews, I bought In Rainbows, Radiohead's latest release. This led me to 1995's The Bends and, finally, to 2003's Hail to the Thief. I like about half the material on In Rainbows and Hail to the Thief, but think The Bends and OK Computer are rock/pop masterpieces. Virtually every track on those two recordings is memorable, and in general the band's music (can't say I pay much attention to the lyrics) is interesting and strong in terms of melody, harmony and structure.

To bring this discussion into the jazz realm, what do people think it is about this band's music that appeals to jazz fans and jazz musicians, and which makes jazz musicians want to cover its material?

Brian, if this entry should be its own thread somewhere else on the forum, feel free to move it.

[thegamexpertsdotcom]

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[Fertionbratte]

It's a joke, Cameron.

I'm not a 'jazz purist.' I don't 'hate' them. I just don't particularly care for their music.

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