In Out In Out Shake It All About

[Flyposter]

There was that Angel Song tour Kenny Wheeler did with Frisell, Dave Holland and Lee Konitz that sold more than any other of Kenny's albums, and was iirc described by one writer as Kenny returning to his West Coast roots. I don't think Kenny figured either of those out either: the sales or the connection!

S-A

For information, the guitarist on the Angel Song tour with Kenny was not BF but John Abercrombie. I still have the programme.

[Serial_Apologist]

S-A

For information, the guitarist on the Angel Song tour with Kenny was not BF but John Abercrombie. I still have the programme.

Good grief!!! Thanks for informing me Flyposter - I'd never have checked.

[Ian Thumwood]

I am surprised that no one had converted this in to a jazz vehicle before - especially as the original seemed like it was a jazz number anyway. This should please the inner minion:-

[Quarky]

Mon 7 Sept
Jazz on 3
Jez Nelson presents highlights from the launch of saxophonist Kamasi Washington's debut album The Epic at the Regent Theater, Los Angeles.

And what a debut!

Well, I'm in the Trish Clowes camp for a way forward.

Excessive Hype + "Coltrane" + Choir = Dead end, and ≠ popular form of Jazz.

lots of Energy, adrenalin generation, pulse racing, but is that really necessary?

[Ian Thumwood]

Well, I'm in the Trish Clowes camp for a way forward.

Excessive Hype + "Coltrane" + Choir = Dead end, and ≠ popular form of Jazz.

lots of Energy, adrenalin generation, pulse racing, but is that really necessary?

Oldball

I haven't heard Washington's album albeit have read some very positive reviews. He was a featured soloist on some of Gerald Wilson's last albums where he was hugely impressive albeit more reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders than Coltrane.

It is interesting that you cite Trish Clowes as a way forward. I'm inclined to disagree. I heard some of her work with Norma Winstone the other Saturday night and the clip I caught sounded like a low-key bit of Ornette harmalodics. I think she is ok just as so much current British jazz is. Like Laura Jurd, I am pleased to hear women contributing to the music and I concur that composition / arranging is at the forefront of where jazz might go. However I think that "lot of energy" is actually a really good thing.

Back in July I caught a load of various styles of jazz groups and felt that the technical proficiency was part of the norm. There were plenty of "Trish Clowes" and I would single out someone like Nora Kamm who was extremely impressive performing in a acoustic, fusion group. (Her drums / sax/ piano trio disc "Source" offers a more contemporary approach) However, the most exciting group was a trombone / sax and electronics dup featuring the rapper RacecaR was the most credible of them all. Why? Because the music had balls, was visceral and managed to truly connect with an audience of all ages.

I am curious to hear the Washington record and welcome any jazz which has a degree bite to it. I think we are in danger of seeing jazz become too polite. Whilst I can appreciate that there is a place for the likes of Trish Clowes, I am increasingly of the opinion that the best jazz does have energy, doesn't necessarily want to produce something that is comfortable to listen to and resolutely is proud of jazz's broad heritage as opposed to maybe leaning too closely with classical music / academia / what is lauded in "Jazzwise."

[Quarky]

"Ian Thumwood" is your user name, "Oddball" is mine. it may not be a particularly brilliant user name, but I don't know why you feel the need to modify it.

The point of my post was that I listened to Jezz Nelson's programme and felt that what I heard was "the Coltrane mix" plus simple Choir overlay. I couldn't see how that matched the praise heaped upon it by Jezz's guest presenter, nor how it represented a way forward into a more popular form of music.

Rather than listening to the programme the whole way through, I switched off and posted in the hope that I might get an answer to this apparent contradiction. i haven't had an answer yet.

Trish Clowes is a red herring, and I apologise for introducing her. Her music is a separate issue (but it is a form of contemporary Jazz that I enjoy).

Jezz does frequently present more popular forms of Contemporary Jazz, but this one left me puzzled.

Energy in Jazz- "Jazz Energy"- is of course welcome, but it should be controlled within some musical "aim", usually a framework. The best example I heard this week was Nina Simone singing "Sinner Man" on Jazz FM.

[Old Grumpy]

The point of my post was that I listened to Jezz Nelson's programme and felt that what I heard was "the Coltrane mix" plus simple Choir overlay. I couldn't see how that matched the praise heaped upon it by Jezz's guest presenter, nor how it represented a way forward into a more popular form of music.

Rather than listening to the programme the whole way through, I switched off and posted in the hope that I might get an answer to this apparent contradiction. i haven't had an answer yet.

Trish Clowes is a red herring, and I apologise for introducing her. Her music is a separate issue (but it is a form of contemporary Jazz that I enjoy).

Jezz does frequently present more popular forms of Contemporary Jazz, but this one left me puzzled.

Energy in Jazz- "Jazz Energy"- is of course welcome, but it should be controlled within some musical "aim", usually a framework. The best example I heard this week was Nina Simone singing "Sinner Man" on Jazz FM.

I have no comment to make on the programme, because I haven't listened to it. I find most of Jazz on 3 survives about 2 minutes and is then switched off. Trish Clowes I do like (in moderation) though.

I post primarily because I am impressed with your jazz credentials posting at 0311h!

Odd Grumpy

[Ian Thumwood]

I have no comment to make on the programme, because I haven't listened to it. I find most of Jazz on 3 survives about 2 minutes and is then switched off. Trish Clowes I do like (in moderation) though.

I post primarily because I am impressed with your jazz credentials posting at 0311h!

Odd Grumpy

Oddball

Apologies for getting your moniker muddled up. It was an accident and not intended to ridicule.

I will have to listen to the programme but there was an critical article on one of the websites about Washington which basically stated that both he and a number of musicians involved with the band had be known about by other musicians and fans on ( I believe) the West Coast with the point being made regarding the fact that this was a community of pretty amazing musicians who had snuck under the radar and how the fact that a record as ambitious in it's scale was not really a surprise. I am not too enthused by the use of choirs and the whole Coltrane thing doe get a bit boring and stale these days. However, the reviewer whose article I read seemed to suggest that Washington was doing his own thing.

I concur that energy sometimes needs to be controlled but even it it's excess, I think I would prefer that to a lot of jazz where the music is too polite. There seems to be a real schism in jazz at the moment where the most interesting jazz is increasingly being produced by what would have been considered "avant garde" at one time. I've been on something of a Blue Note binge this year but when I have snapped up something contemporary I am finding the likes of Ken Vandermark, Josh Berman, Steve Lehman, Satoko Fujii , Nicole Mitchell, etc more honest in their approach than some of the more fancied names. There seems to be an increasing reaction against some of the politer stuff which is a move I would welcome.

[Quarky]

Many thanks Ian, and for the insider information - which is the main reason I subscribe to these boards.

As regards politeness vs. energy, Tony Hall's latest promulgations seem appropriate:

"Creativity is the lifeblood of our organisation.
We respect each other and celebrate our diversity so that everyone can give their best."