Improvised

[Beef Oven!]

Beef

The curious thing about Glenn Miller is just how much his instrumental numbers had their origins in recordings by black artists, the most famous of these being "in the mood" which was a riff as old as jazz that had floated through the repertoire of bands like Hendersons, Don Redmans and Edgar Hayes. The famous arrangement was ultimately made by Eddie Durham who also wrote for Basie and Jimmie Lunceford , the latter famously admired by Miller. Lunceford's partner. incidently, was the daughter of black activist W.E.B Du Bois. Another famous example was erskine Hawkin's Tuexdo Junction" which was made in to a hit by Miller. There are a number of other Miller originals too which were similarly borrowed from black bands and Tommy Dorsey was also quite good at this too. Atleast Benny Goodman had t5he good grace to employ the likes of the Henderson brothers, Edgar Sampson, Jimmy Mundy, etc.

I admire Miller's business acumen and how he tailored his music to maximum commercial advantage. This has served as a model for commercial music ever since. However, I don't think his band was as musically adventurous as Ellington or a host of others and as a musical unit not in the league of your Luncefords, Herman Herds or Basie.

I just like the toons, and I don't give a monkey's gonad as to who he nicked them off!

Goodman's paternalistic politics are not liberating and are no better than Miller's approach, IMV.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

actually i do not think this is about race [a very dubious concept and very hard to define]; it is about the racial discrimination and segregation of African Americans for most of the history of the USA and the social educational and economic deprivation they suffered .... the miracle is that from such disadvantage sprang such genius, and it grew and spread despite the police and psychiatrists of the USA trying to beat and electrocute the life out of several great geniuses of the art ...

that said now everyone pretty much goes to college, i think this has more import for the art than skin colour

irrespective of the skin colour or who wrote the arrangements, or which band one might prefer, no one surpasses the music of Ellington, Armstrong, Parker, Davis or Mingus [and others] and very few come close in terms of innovation to two Italian Americans Tristano and Giuffre but it is the music, not the preference, the skin or indeed the nationality ...

[Quarky]

I just like the toons, and I don't give a monkey's gonad as to who he nicked them off!

Goodman's paternalistic politics are not liberating and are no better than Miller's approach, IMV.

I thought for a moment Beefie, you were referring to Strictly's Len Goodman, who is currently doing a TV programme on British dance bands of the '30s, which apparently produced much hot jazz, but which were by and large devoid of the "negroid element"! Historically, particularly prior to WWII, the racial division in Jazz was outstandingly obvious, and it's certainly a disappointment if this division still exists.

But as has been noted, it's time to move on. Significant progress has been made in civil rights/ equal opportunities. Let's just concentrate on the music. I'm still waiting for Ian's best picks of 2013 (apologies if I have overlooked them).

[Beef Oven!]

Significant progress has been made in civil rights/ equal opportunities. Let's just concentrate on the music. I'm still waiting for Ian's best picks of 2013 (apologies if I have overlooked them).

Totally agree

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Totally agree

Well hurrah for that. White people decide all is almost right in the best of all possible worlds. For whites.

Try casting your rosey eyes at the respective black/white percentages for America's prison population. And the states where that disparity is highest.

"Same old, Same old Sh/t"...Lester Young.


BN.

[Barbirollians]

Well hurrah for that. White people decide all is almost right in the best of all possible worlds. For whites.

Try casting your rosey eyes at the respective black/white percentages for America's prison population. And the states where that disparity is highest.

"Same old, Same old Sh/t"...Lester Young.




BN.

Well said !

[Beef Oven!]

Well hurrah for that. White people decide all is almost right in the best of all possible worlds. For whites.

Try casting your rosey eyes at the respective black/white percentages for America's prison population. And the states where that disparity is highest.

"Same old, Same old Sh/t"...Lester Young.


BN.

I don't want to think about all that shit when I'm listening to music, time and a place bro'!

[Ian Thumwood]

Beef Oven / Oldball

Everyone's contribution, including my own, to Alyn's thread regarding "Best of 2013" can be found on this link:-

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?9848-Getting-in-ahead-of-Ian

Having now also heard Christian McBride's trio album, I would be inclined to add that to my list as well.

[Beef Oven!]

Beef Oven / Oldball

Everyone's contribution, including my own, to Alyn's thread regarding "Best of 2013" can be found on this link:-

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?9848-Getting-in-ahead-of-Ian

Having now also heard Christian McBride's trio album, I would be inclined to add that to my list as well.

Thanks Ian.

Sadly, I'm a sucker for a list/poll - just hope I don't find too many things to spend money on!!!!

[Ian Thumwood]

Beef Oven

The thing that perplexed me with the original list was that I felt 2013 was a great year for jazz albums across the whole spectrum of the music. There were some albums that didn't like up to expectations such as Gerald Clayton's which was diluted by his decision to sing on a few numbers and the inclusion of a poet. The music was a marked contrast to the live set I saw him perform. Even Ambrose Akinmusire couldn't really salvage this album. With regard to larger ensembles, Alan Ferber's "March sublime" was a standout even though John Hollenbeck's "Songs I like alot" was terrific and worth the money for the reimagining of Queen's "Bicycle race."

The blog also chose to ignore singers and whilst I can appreciate the hostility jazz singers generate and the accusation of diluting the music or even of not being jazz the wierdness of Youn Sun Nah's album was fascinating. The Korean's set at Vienne was also the best jazz gig of 2013 for me. I received Dianne Reeves' new album as a Christmas present and her move to Concord from Blue Note has resulted in the most commercial offering I've heard her produce. Covering a wide range of pop material, it is slick and polished and would not be everyone's cup of tea. However, I love this CD and it makes you wish all pop music could be as good as this. Still, for my money, the best singer in jazz and one of the best live acts in the music.

Cheers

Ian

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i have a similar sugar addiction to Al Jarreau as Ian does to Dianne Reeves but as i get old the taste for sugar declines ... music has to reach higher bigger smarter or summat but not the indolent sadness of lost love &c ... with both Reeves and Jarreau the backing is what now thrills ...

i do not surf the waves of new releases and hate lists

the best jazz i heard last year was recorded in the late 1920s and 30s by Duke Ellington; i heard it anew and fresh and nothing else compares ... and Craig Taborn Chants

[Ian Thumwood]

Dianne Reeves is extremely versatile. Without doubt, she is up there with Ella, Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter. Technically, she has no peers and an album like "A little moonlight" simply leaves much of her competition standing. True, she has a great band behind her and the arrangements are quality yet having seen her sing live on numerous occasions I would rate her as one of the best live acts in jazz. She has a star quality that puts her several notches above most other jazz artists and the professionalism / connection with her audience always seem just that more special than most other performers. Never tire of listening to her sing.