Balls 4-8/11/24

[Ein Heldenleben]

Fits America's role in world affairs today beautifully, too........

Yes well if the States were run by the Duke , the Count , the Earl , the King (jazz and rock) it might be a better place ….
not sure about Prince …might be a bit unpredictable..

[Ian Thumwood]

I think Bud Powell is a fascinating subject. He did write some great tunes and seems to be enjoying something of a reappraisal with composers as diverse as Ethan Iveson and Steve Lehman finding inspiration from Powell's music. To my ears, Powell is erratic as a pianist due to his mental health issues yet this makes him so compelling. At his best, he was a virtuoso as great as any classical pianist . With the passage of time, the white heat of his improvisation surpasses Bill Evans in my opinion. I just feel he was a brilliant musician.... jazz's answer to Dinu Lupatti.

I agree that jazz has a place on CofW. However I woukd like to see some composers as diverse as jelly roll.Morton , Herbie Nichols , Andrew Hill, John Hollenbeck, Maria Schneider or Muhal.Richard Abrams considered . In 2024 ,it is faintly ridiculous that jazz composers are not considered worthy of CotW by some in here.

[french frank]

I agree that jazz has a place on CofW. However I woukd like to see some composers as diverse as jelly roll.Morton , Herbie Nichols , Andrew Hill, John Hollenbeck, Maria Schneider or Muhal.Richard Abrams considered . In 2024 ,it is faintly ridiculous that jazz composers are not considered worthy of CotW by some in here.

I've just been scrolling through a list of the various composers featured. Quite instructive. Jazz musicians, like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus, feature more often than they used to but not that often. To me, one of the most useful features of the programme is that it does dig around for minor and forgotten composers. Anyone can read a book about Bach or Mozart if they just want the facts, and CotW is classed as a documentary programme, speech-based rather than chiefly music-based, so its remit isn't just to play full works.

I can't see that the current offering is anything but Radio 3 Wind-Up.

[Ian Thumwood]

French Frank

The jazz version of CofW coincides with the London jazz festival.

[Quarky]

A piece of useless information: Wikipedia lists more than 1,500 composers. It is evident that CotW has done no more than scratch the surface of this huge repository.

[Ein Heldenleben]

A piece of useless information: Wikipedia lists more than 1,500 composers. It is evident that CotW has done no more than scratch the surface of this huge repository.

Life is too short to waste time on the inferior quality harmonically cliched pop music that’s made up yesterday’s Tango and today’s Latin episodes . And so Qobuz and the Goodall WNO Tristan beckons yet again, I would defend R3 to the last but they sure know how to lose friends.

[Ian Thumwood]

I was surprised that the reference was to music for ballroom dancing and not an actual composer called Balls.

In the Interest of balance the next composer should be Fanny Mendelssohn !

[Serial_Apologist]

I was surprised that the reference was to music for ballroom dancing and not an actual composer called Balls.

In the Interest of balance the next composer should be Fanny Mendelssohn !

That could only be a duff collection!

[cloughie]

Yes well if the States were run by the Duke , the Count , the Earl , the King (jazz and rock) it might be a better place ….
not sure about Prince …might be a bit unpredictable..

Now of course the King has been Trumped again!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Now of course the King has been Trumped again!

There’s only one Prez and his name is Lester Young. Politicians come and go but Art (Blakey) is eternal…..

[Padraig]

Yes well if the States were run by the Duke , the Count , the Earl , the King (jazz and rock) it might be a better place ….
not sure about Prince …might be a bit unpredictable..

Well we had The Clown Prince, and if your King was Oliver, his successor was his second trumpet.

And of course, we had an Empress of the Blues. Humble apologies.

[Nick Armstrong]

I was surprised that the reference was to music for ballroom dancing and not an actual composer called Balls.

In the Interest of balance the next composer should be Fanny Mendelssohn !

It’s all pleasant enough listening this week of course, albeit nothing to do with the COTW remit…. But not particularly analytical or instructive - I remained pretty mystified from start to finish about what characterises a foxtrot, for example