Marsh anoraks?

[Jazzrook]

A press release from Jez Nelson's Jo3:

"Martin Speake's heroes include Lee Konitz and Charlie Parker and for the anoraks amongst you there's a touch of Warne Marsh in there too."(Jazz Journal ~ March 2014)

Why does an awareness of Warne Marsh's music make you an anorak?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qFB5XFbnN8

[Old Grumpy]

Marsh anoraks - perhaps a recently discovered tribe that inhabits the environs of the Somerset Levels.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

let us be positive! if we accept that an anorak is a geezer who really knows what's what then Jon3 clearly intend to refer to a deeply knowledgeable aficionado of the ineffable art of jazz in its manifestation as saxophone virtuosi .... an appreciation not shared by the majority

[Serial_Apologist]

let us be positive! if we accept that an anorak is a geezer who really knows what's what then Jon3 clearly intend to refer to a deeply knowledgeable aficionado of the ineffable art of jazz in its manifestation as saxophone virtuosi .... an appreciation not shared by the majority

Indeed - and no less a mortal than Iain Ballamy called one of his bands Anorak.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Indeed - and no less a mortal than Iain Ballamy called one of his bands Anorak.

If Speake is an "Anorak" shouldn't his real hero be Charlie Parka?

Ok, I'll get my. ..Chris Barbour....


BN.

"Raindrops keep falling on my....bop beret"

[burning dog]

Ok, I'll get my. ..Chris Barbour....

Or my Tony Crombie, or my Illinois Jacquet

[charles t]

Warne Marsh literally 'passed on', while performing on the bandstand at Donte's JazzClub

OUT

OF

NOWHERE

...talk about your parables!

[Ian Thumwood]

It is strange how certain musicians seem to attract a cult following and appreciate by a small coterie of fans. I like Marsh's playing yet I wouldn't have a clue as to what his most representative album would be. He is a musician that I have always associated in partnership with Lee Konitz and the Tristano connection always seems to be a good one to have for "jazz kudos."

I think in the future that musicians like Marsh will probably be reconsidered in the pantheon of jazz greats and you can envisage a time when musicians who played in a style more divorced from Hard Bop or had a more individualist approach being more valued.

[Jazzrook]

It is strange how certain musicians seem to attract a cult following and appreciate by a small coterie of fans. I like Marsh's playing yet I wouldn't have a clue as to what his most representative album would be. He is a musician that I have always associated in partnership with Lee Konitz and the Tristano connection always seems to be a good one to have for "jazz kudos."

I think in the future that musicians like Marsh will probably be reconsidered in the pantheon of jazz greats and you can envisage a time when musicians who played in a style more divorced from Hard Bop or had a more individualist approach being more valued.

Ian ~ If it's any help my favourite Warne Marsh 1982 album is 'Star Highs'(CRISS CROSS JAZZ 1002). Also, with Chet Baker on the 1984 'Blues For A Reason'(CRISS CROSS JAZZ 1010). Not forgetting the 1978 'Apogee'(WARNERS!) with Pete Christlieb(produced by Steely Dan!)

If you can find a copy I'd recommend Safford Chamberlain's 'An Unsung Cat: The Life and Music of Warne Marsh'(SCARECROW PRESS, 2004).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qFB5XFbnN8

Marshrook

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

It is strange how certain musicians seem to attract a cult following and appreciate by a small coterie of fans. I like Marsh's playing yet I wouldn't have a clue as to what his most representative album would be. He is a musician that I have always associated in partnership with Lee Konitz and the Tristano connection always seems to be a good one to have for "jazz kudos."

I think in the future that musicians like Marsh will probably be reconsidered in the pantheon of jazz greats and you can envisage a time when musicians who played in a style more divorced from Hard Bop or had a more individualist approach being more valued.

Warne's later work became a lot more rugged and driven. Ckout "All Music" with Lou Levy despite the dire state of the piano. There is also some wonderful stuff from Europe esp. Copenhagen.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

The prices of Amazon are a bit steep. I used to have a quartet date with Peter Ind and Lee Konitz but the band was pretty rugged. There was a sax duo of a Bach fugue on the record which was really badly played and it put me off this particularly live recording.

[Tenor Freak]

The prices of Amazon are a bit steep. I used to have a quartet date with Peter Ind and Lee Konitz but the band was pretty rugged. There was a sax duo of a Bach fugue on the record which was really badly played and it put me off this particularly live recording.

Guess what - I am a Warne Marsh fan, particularly the later sessions such as Berlin 1980 and the Copenhagen stuff with NHOP. His tone definitely became coarser with age but I like the graininess of it, as well as his melodic ideas.

[Ian Thumwood]

Bruce

With players like Marsh you feel it is the way the improvisation takes place and the line that are spun which are more important than the overall result. It is as if the journey take priority over the eventual arrival at the destination. This is something that I would also say is typical of Lee Konitz whilst there are contemporary players like guitarist Jeff Parker and the late Chicago tenor sax legend Fred Anderson that I feel also fit in to this category.

I always felt that the greatest jazz musicians have a degree of architecture in the way that they construct their solos. There seems to be a degree of logic with how the soloists start , where the go to and how they conclude their improvisations so that they are almost like mini-compositions. I suppose Louis Armstrong is the prime example of this with Charlie Parker being probably the next greatest exponent. You would also have to include Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young in to this category whereas as pianist such as Paul Bley seems to my ears to be the ultimate creator of improvised solos. His blues "For Roy E" on the fabulous solo album "Tears" always struck me as being absolutely perfect and I think the Kenny Barron solos I linked to from the Abbey Lincoln album is yet another example. I haven't listened to Marsh enough to say all his work was the polar opposite but that is the impression I have of him playing. He seems to typify what someone once wrote of jazz as being the imperfect art form.

The liner notes to the last Jeff Parker album "Bright light in winter" had a quote in it where Parker proposed an approach to jazz where the dynamics were planed down so that the solos never reached any sort of climax and continued to spin out. Parker made this remark at a workshop at the Montreal Jazz Festival and apparently his opinions were in contrast to the usual idea of improvisation for Dave Douglas to express the originality of Parker's approach. It is a bit of a peculiar album and seems like the trio were rehearsing or trying out ideas on the recording session. There are moments where Parker sounds inspired and where the sense of unpredictability makes it an interesting listen but there are also some tracks where the music seems a bit unfocused and the low-key approach to the music (the polar opposite of threading) doesn't work for him. That said, I like Jeff Parker's playing and admire his outlook.

[Serial_Apologist]

Tori Freestone is a subtle, somewhat early Marsh-influenced player who, for me at any rate, bears out the 50s Cool way of being able to shape a solo that builds a story. Add a capacity for listening, and I think you have a player with more of value to come, as she leaves herself and her bandspersons room for manoeuvre and forward thinking in the immediate and longterm growth. At first her gentleness seemed to leave me out, but as the evening progressed I found myself more and more drawn in, disappointed when time was eventually called. See what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG78wLmTRpk

Bruce

With players like Marsh you feel it is the way the improvisation takes place and the line that are spun which are more important than the overall result. It is as if the journey take priority over the eventual arrival at the destination. This is something that I would also say is typical of Lee Konitz whilst there are contemporary players like guitarist Jeff Parker and the late Chicago tenor sax legend Fred Anderson that I feel also fit in to this category.

I always felt that the greatest jazz musicians have a degree of architecture in the way that they construct their solos. There seems to be a degree of logic with how the soloists start , where the go to and how they conclude their improvisations so that they are almost like mini-compositions. I suppose Louis Armstrong is the prime example of this with Charlie Parker being probably the next greatest exponent. You would also have to include Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young in to this category whereas as pianist such as Paul Bley seems to my ears to be the ultimate creator of improvised solos. His blues "For Roy E" on the fabulous solo album "Tears" always struck me as being absolutely perfect and I think the Kenny Barron solos I linked to from the Abbey Lincoln album is yet another example. I haven't listened to Marsh enough to say all his work was the polar opposite but that is the impression I have of him playing. He seems to typify what someone once wrote of jazz as being the imperfect art form.

The liner notes to the last Jeff Parker album "Bright light in winter" had a quote in it where Parker proposed an approach to jazz where the dynamics were planed down so that the solos never reached any sort of climax and continued to spin out. Parker made this remark at a workshop at the Montreal Jazz Festival and apparently his opinions were in contrast to the usual idea of improvisation for Dave Douglas to express the originality of Parker's approach. It is a bit of a peculiar album and seems like the trio were rehearsing or trying out ideas on the recording session. There are moments where Parker sounds inspired and where the sense of unpredictability makes it an interesting listen but there are also some tracks where the music seems a bit unfocused and the low-key approach to the music (the polar opposite of threading) doesn't work for him. That said, I like Jeff Parker's playing and admire his outlook.

[Bryn]

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it would be about the late lamented Tony. Ah well, I will follow it up, nonetheless.