Is there a new mainstream in jazz?

[Ian Thumwood]

Charles

If you have acquired this recording, I would be intrigued to read your thoughts. I heard the LCJO play some of the music a couple of years back and was quite staggered that Marsalis had chosen to perform a number of movements from this suite. I find the LCJO to have been subject to the law of diminishing returns of late having seen them on 4-5 occasions with decreasing enthusiasm. Surely the whole Marsalis / tradition debate had got to be one of the most tedious in music let alone jazz? The last gig was was poorly attended and I got the impression that people had become too familiar with them and had lost interest. The Nash compositions were easily the most interesting music performed that night and it did seem a little at odds with the "originals" this band frequently performs which I think are often very indifferent. Nash really knows how to write and the clips I have heard suggest a familiarity with all aspects of the music .(I think it is the "Chagall" section that sounds like Ornette arranged for big band albeit in a far more accessible manner than OC's approach migh have been) Ultimately, you would have to say that the music wasn't too difficult by the standards of today by any means but it would certainly have been a challenge for those expecting Marsalis's usual sub-Ellington affairs.

[Ian Thumwood]

BTW:

Ben Allison plays Turner Sims with his current band this Friday. (One off UK gig ~ definately a bit of a "house favourite" down this neck of the woods."

[Ian Thumwood]

Caught Ben Allison's group last night and as the gig was recorded for "Jazz on 3", you will be able to hear the concert too when it is broadcast in a few weeks time.

This is the fourth time that I have heard one of this bassist's groups and although I ehad njoyed the "Herbie Nichol's Project" most of all, this is his best band. The line-up is bass, Rudy Royston on drums, Michael Blake on tenor, Steve Cardena on guitar and Jenny Sheinmann on violin. I must admit that I had reservations about the presence of this latter instrument initially but her first solo was was devastatingly effective I came away convinced she was the star of the evening. Usually jazz violinists fall between two stools, the romanticism of Grappelli or the rough-aggressiveness of Stuff Smith. These would have seemed to be the parameters but JS has what you could call a "trumpet style" of playing (as was once levelled at Earl Hines) where there is an economy in her playing with not a note wasted and every phrase being nicely considered. Steve Cardenas was also tremendous whether playing Jim Hall-esque lines or demonstrating the obvious influence of Bill Frisell on his playing. (albeit alot more "orthodox".)

The material did consist of alot of originals but there was a neat version of Mok's "Jackie-ing" which was very good and the set ended with a rock-out version of The Carepnter's "We've only just begun" where, what little reference to the theme was incorporated in the arrangement, was totally lost with Michaeal Blake's tenor which freaked-out over a very strange meter. As well as being a brilliant bassist whose thick tone under-pinned the band, I think Allison is extremely talented as a writer asnd , for me, the originals proved the best part of the gig. I think the way the instruments interacted and complimented each other, this seemed like a modern up-date on the kind of group that Chico Hamilton led in the 50's albeit there is a slight rock influence that sometimes under-pins the music without dominating or taking away anything from what is essentially an acoustic jazz group. Originals like "Fred" and "Green Al" were very impressive.

I think that this is a band that can take jazz to a public that will usually struggle with the music and the leader's easy-going and amiable relationship with the audience. However, anyone looking for a Hard Bop blowing session or jazz musicians pushing the music to it's extremes will be disappointed as Allison is looking beyond this and has stumbled upon a style of writing which makes the music fresh and exciting without compromising it's integrety. At the same time, the music is not at all challenging to listen to, the originals often having a pop-like quality that makes the themes instantly memorable. (In fact, the band does include the works a several pop artists in it's repertoire.) It is almost like a totally new approach to jazz , almost filmic in some respects but definatelly building upon the foundation of an earlier generation of jazz musicians like Bill Frisell or Pat Metheny who have sought out other possibilities to invigorate the music.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Ian thanks for that i shall watch out for the programme, alas the band is doing Europe and yours looks like the only uk gig ....

you may enjoy this, i am a fan and like the new album Home a lot

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/03/133241510/aaron-goldberg-trio-1-live-at-the-village-vanguard

[Ian Thumwood]

Calum

The clips sound good. I saw Goldberg about ten years ago when Joshua Redman was touring with a quartet that promoted the album "Beyond." The whole CD was very mediocre and it put me off Redman for a long while. He got hyped up very quickly when it wasn't particularly justified and I always felt that the saxophonist was part of a scene in the 1990's that put out loads of poorly thought out concept albums that tried to hook up with the contemporary pop of the time. In the intervening years, there is no doubt that Redman has emerged as a very capable player indeed and his work in a trio format demonstrates just how far he has come. I'm afraid I never felt the inclination to follow Goldberg's work up as he seemed an ok-ish sort of player but the tracks on the Amazon site seem pleasing enough and have a lot more poke than the kind of music Redman expected him to perform in the late 90's.

I thought that 2010 was an exceptional year for releases but nothing has really caught my ear this year - those CD's that I have bought being from a few years back that I wanted to catch up on or last year's Ornette tribute by Dave Liebman. Oddly enough, there look like being some interesting albums coming out later in the year but I am shocked by the price being asked for records by the likes of MOPDTK which I think is excessive.

I loaned ny father the Anat Cohen big band record and he thinks it is the best thing I have bought for ages - that would probably mean the Roy Hargrove big band album. Strange, I felt that it drifted into "muzak" on many of the tracks but the weightier arrangements definately are in the Gerry Mulligan kind of mould. Nothing too demanding to listen to but lacking the hell-for-leather exuberance of the "Notes from the village" record which is killing.

[Serial_Apologist]

Ian

I must be missing something here! Citing one outfit you appear to speak praisingly about a lack of the surprise element in one of your earlier posts, and talk as if free improv has long left the picture. I totally disagree with that pov. Is it to do with "the politics" of free musis - or your perception of those politics?

Thanks for going to the trouble of finding those clips; I wented your examples on what your thread is about. To me, though, this is all just well-crafted, well-presented straight ahead jazz I can hear just about anywhere by British bands in London, 2, 3 times a week if I feel so inclined. You're welcome to come up and stay at mine, and I'll take you to Hideway in Streatham or The Oxford in Kentish Town, to name just two where stuff as good as this if not better, and even a bit original, can be heard and seen for £5->10 a weekday night.

Enjoyed Ms Clayton's trio the best; but John Taylor - (yes, our very own John Taylor - where's Trevor when you need him??) - has been playing this way for 30 and more years, at this kind of standard.

S-A

[Ian Thumwood]

SA

Thanks for the response.

I think that Free Improv, as Calum has frequently claimed, is now very much part of the make-up of jazz and, where is does not allie itself with jazz, equally have it's own traditions. For me, it is an important ingredient although I may not always enjoy it yet probably too well established in it's nearly 50 years of existence to be considered at the vanguard of music as it once may have been. See the other thread about Hollenbeck / composition which is where the music is really "happening."

What I think has happened with some of the more conservative elements in jazz is that the music has been re-invigorated where it had previously lay dormant for so long. There are many more examples I could add but the overall impression to my ears is that musical styles that may have been tired 20 years ago have definately had a shot in the arm by the younger generation. Strange to see that Gerald Clayton (he is a bloke, btw!!) is your prefered clip and that you find him similar to John Taylor. The CD gives a very different perspective and I feel that he is plugging more in to the likes of someone such as Hank Jones than JT who took his cues from Bill Evans and took these ideas further. Taylor is a more "radical" performer in my opinion in contrast to Clayton's conservatism. You miught want to check out someone like Bill Charlap too who also plays in a pre-Evans style but, for me anyone, with less success and spirit of adventure than Clayton who does make recognition of more contemporary grooves.

Thanks for the invite . It would be great to meet up and it would have been possible only a few months ago when it looked like I would be running a project in Battersea. However, this has no fallen through and am largely responsible for several projects north of Oxford and one in Surrey. I will see what I can do about getting up to town for a gig but will probably need to wait a while before my workload goes down and I manage to have a free weekend! The offer is appreciated, though.

Got to dash.

Cheers

Ian

[Serial_Apologist]