Why Jazz is the greatest thing ever

[crawjo]

I'm sorry, I just can't contain my excitement. Last week somebody clued me into the Downtown Music Gallery in NYC, and so I went to their website and ordered two Cecil Taylor cds that were on sale, Indent and Silent Tongues.

I'm listening to Indent right now. My God. This music makes me want to jump up and start moving around or something. Absolutely incredible.

While I'm finishing up the book that I'm writing, I get to be the stay-at-home Dad for my three month old daughter. And I've found that she loves listening to Miles Davis. I put Miles on, and if she's cranky she quiets down, and is content. If I put something else on, she doesn't like it, but she likes Miles. Maybe it's because lately I've been spinning In a Silent Way a lot. You know..."Shh...Peaceful." Works great with infants.

From Miles Davis to Cecil Taylor and on and on and on. That is why jazz is the greatest thing ever. People who don't like jazz just don't know what they are missing. And it's exciting because there is so damn much of it, you know? So much to explore, so little time. You start out listening to one man, and then you decide you like the playing of one of his sidemen, so you check that guy out, and then that guy leads you to another guy who leads you to someone else and it just goes on and on and on.

Jazz is the greatest thing ever. And Cecil Taylor is a fucking genius. When he came to that sudden stop on "Indent: First Layer" I felt like I had been flying along in a car and somebody just slammed on the breaks. It gave me that feeling you get in your stomach when that happens. And the audience, at, I guess this was Antioch College, just gave this nice little applause (clap clap clap)...they were probably just trying to recover from their near heart attacks.

So anyway, enough talk about politics. Here's to jazz! That's why we're all here, right?

[Salvador Dali Lama]

Silent Tounges is amazing. you might make air above mountains and erzulie maketh scent future purchasing priorities as well.

....my mom likes albert ayler. I'm serious. it's great.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

"Indent" is on my short desert island list, getting the edge over Silent Tongues only because it was the first post-BlueNote Taylor I'd heard, and the only record I literally ran out and bought right after hearing it. Those are two of my favorite albums, any category.

If you like these, you might also dig the solo albums by the British pianist Keith Tippett (influenced by Taylor). And at some point listen to the piano pieces (on Smithsonian) of classical composer Henry Cowell, who was an influence on Cecil.

And then there's that other solo piano disc on my desert island short list, "Some Combination Of Fingers and Passion," by a great Russian genius who died much too young.

[Jon Abbey]

[walto]

I feel the same way about Cecil Taylor, Crawjo. Absolutely the same.

Great post. We need some preaching around here these days!

What's your book about?

[Chris D]

When my eldest son was an infant, Monk had the same effect on him that Miles does on your daughter, crawjo. Maybe that's because I was singing him "Rhythm-A-Ning" when he was in the womb.
Our second son, 21 months old now, does this funky little dance to hard bop, especially Horace Silver.
They haven't gotten to Cecil yet!

[Sergio Zamora]

Stevie Rey Jr?

Crawjo, by any chance, do you like Budweiser?

[chuckyd4]

Hey Crawjo-

That was one of the greatest posts I've seen around here in ages. Honestly. It seems to me like we've been missing some of that enthusiasm lately.

Keep on listenin, man.

[crawjo]

Yeah, it just seems to me like everybody's been busy lately sniping at each other about politics. I know that there is a whole thread devoted to "What are you listening to now" but I think it would be cool if people would also start their own threads when they hear something that moves them.

I'm still agog over that Taylor disk that I heard last night. And I still haven't listened to the two other new Taylors that I have, Silent Tongues and Winged Serpent. It's going to be a fun week.

To answer the other questions posed in this thread:

Walto--It's a biography of Joe DiMaggio, being published by Greenwood Press. It's almost done, I'm just trying to fine tune the manuscript before it gets turned in to the publisher next week.

Sergio--I don't drink. I drank some in college, and I always thought that Budweiser was the most putrid of all the cheap domestic swill beers that were out there. I sort of think of Budweiser as the McDonalds of beers...You don't quite know what's in there, but something about its taste is vaguely disturbing.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally posted by crawjo
Sergio--I don't drink. I drank some in college, and I always thought that Budweiser was the most putrid of all the cheap domestic swill beers that were out there. I sort of think of Budweiser as the McDonalds of beers...You don't quite know what's in there, but something about its taste is vaguely disturbing.

Jeez, next thing you know, crawjo will claim he doesn't bring his own little packets of bland yellow mustard into restaurants.....

'Silent Tongues' should provide just about the same level of ecstasy as 'Indent'. If nothing else (and there's plenty else) those last two brief encores of 'After All' rank, imho, among the most beautiful performances ever in jazz.

[Dick Trickle]

I think the coolest thing about any art is the process of discovery. With Jazz, you can keep on discovering what you didn't experience before whether with new music or things revisited from the past.

I get a feeling when listening to alot of different jazz recordings I do not get from anything else. It's like seeing color for the first time... I pretty much become intolerable to be around if I don't listen to good music or get a chance to play once in a while.

It is the coolest authentic american artform in my opinion, and it has spawned so much and asked for so little... why? Because those that know love it, and continue to love it, play it and perform it because it is the shiznit.

[Sergio Zamora]

Crawjo,

In our defense, keep in mind that a lot of us have been talking to each other since the beginning of time. A lot of folks here go back to another now defunct BBS. So it's more difficult for us to say "hey, this album is da bomb!" because we probably already said it.

It is in the brewing luminous, baby

[GoodSpeak]

Originally posted by crawjo

So anyway, enough talk about politics. Here's to jazz! That's why we're all here, right?

Exactly.

It is also why you and I can disgree on other issues on this BBS, but still find a common bond in Jazz ;-)

Good luck with your book, Crawjo.


TimMc

[chuckyd4]

btw, I guess I'll be the square to say it... most of these references to budweiser and yellow mustard involve a certain enthusiastic poster (some would say the single *greatest* poster in the history of online posting) that has been rather scarce of late.

Just so messieur crawjo doesn't get too confused and run away. I think most of us would agree with your assessment of the "king" of beers. (I always assumed it was the king because it would never be voted president. although as an American beer, it wouldn't actually have to get the most votes to win, I suppose. [there's the snippy political joke of the thread])

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by chuckyd4
some would say the single *greatest* poster in the history of online posting) that has been rather scarce of late.

The poster that will change the way you read posts forever.

[Pete C]

Originally posted by crawjo
I sort of think of Budweiser as the McDonalds of beers...You don't quite know what's in there, but something about its taste is vaguely disturbing.

Rice, for one thing, strictly forbidden by the Reinheitsgebot (German purity law of 1516).

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally posted by Sergio Zamora
Stevie Rey Jr?

Perhaps in enthusiasm, but Crawjo has to work on inscrutibility. Reynolds used to get me fired up about albums and players I never did manage to identify. "And when the thin man with the scraggly beard puts his lips to his horn, it's a pivotal moment not only in the history of jazz but in the history of mammals on this planet."

[Jon Abbey]

Originally posted by Squaredancecalling Steve
"And when the thin man with the scraggly beard puts his lips to his horn, it's a pivotal moment not only in the history of jazz but in the history of mammals on this planet."

that made me laugh out loud. did you recognize your boy Sergey's picture that I posted here for you?

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I was pretty sure it was Kuryokhin, Jon, and I opened the picture in a new window to read the url to confirm it.

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by Jon Abbey
that made me laugh out loud. did you recognize your boy Sergey's picture that I posted here for you?

Oh, that's who it is. He looks much younger than I imagined him.

[crawjo]

Okay, now I'm really confused. Someone please provide me with a brief rundown of what you guys are talking about.

Goodspeak,

Thanks. I'm listening to Taylor again right now and all I have to say is, "Who is Cecil Taylor and What does it Matter?" (Sorry, I've been rummaging through the archives.)

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally posted by crawjo
Okay, now I'm really confused. Someone please provide me with a brief rundown of what you guys are talking about.

That would be telling, #6.

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by crawjo
Okay, now I'm really confused. Someone please provide me with a brief rundown of what you guys are talking about.

Crawjo,

Stevie Rey refers to poster Steve Reynolds, aka the Preacher. The russian musician Square alluded to is the late Sergey Kuryokhin.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally posted by crawjo
Goodspeak,

Thanks. I'm listening to Taylor again right now and all I have to say is, "Who is Cecil Taylor and What does it Matter?" (Sorry, I've been rummaging through the archives.)

It was a great discussion...though many just didn't get the point I was making about the music being bigger than the name.

Perhaps they chose not to, who knows.


Tweaking sensibilities on this BBS will bring rain ;-)

[crawjo]

Goodspeak,

I know. I read through the discussion. That was three years ago, wasn't it? Did you ever get into Taylor?

But anyway, the basic point, that one can be a committed jazz fan without liking any particular artist is very true. And from the list that you provided in that thread of people you listen to, you obviously love the music. In fact, I'm certain your knowledge of it is deeper than mine, since there are many artists that were on your list that I have yet to get to. These things take time, you know.

But I think that even though we may disagree about the merits of particular artists, or we may disagree about the value in certain styles, because we are all here we all share something in common, a love for jazz. Thus, I am sure that people who have never heard Taylor can understand that feeling of elation you can get when you find a musician who, for your ears, really does it for you.

Do you have a favorite jazz musician, Goodspeak? I oscillate between Miles Davis and Cecil Taylor, which is ironic, because Davis really disliked Taylor's music. (On the other hand, I've seen recent interviews where Taylor says only kind things about Davis. On the whole, Taylor seems to me to be a better dude to hang out with than Davis probably was, but I could be wrong about that.)

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally posted by crawjo
So much to explore, so little time. You start out listening to one man, and then you decide you like the playing of one of his sidemen, so you check that guy out, and then that guy leads you to another guy who leads you to someone else and it just goes on and on and on.

I've found this to be the case quite often. It's a little overwhelming to see how much good music is floating around out there, waiting to be heard.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally posted by crawjo
Goodspeak,

I know. I read through the discussion. That was three years ago, wasn't it? Did you ever get into Taylor?

But anyway, the basic point, that one can be a committed jazz fan without liking any particular artist is very true. And from the list that you provided in that thread of people you listen to, you obviously love the music. In fact, I'm certain your knowledge of it is deeper than mine, since there are many artists that were on your list that I have yet to get to. These things take time, you know.

But I think that even though we may disagree about the merits of particular artists, or we may disagree about the value in certain styles, because we are all here we all share something in common, a love for jazz. Thus, I am sure that people who have never heard Taylor can understand that feeling of elation you can get when you find a musician who, for your ears, really does it for you.

Do you have a favorite jazz musician, Goodspeak? I oscillate between Miles Davis and Cecil Taylor, which is ironic, because Davis really disliked Taylor's music. (On the other hand, I've seen recent interviews where Taylor says only kind things about Davis. On the whole, Taylor seems to me to be a better dude to hang out with than Davis probably was, but I could be wrong about that.)

I have listened to some Taylor, Chapin, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Anthony Braxton and a few others. I must admit, I am still learning to appreciate the genre...but it'll happen, I am certain.

As to my favorite...my tastes tend run pretty much along the Be Bop, Post Bop and Hard Bop lines. Musicians I really like are Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, any of the Heath Brothers, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Oscar Peterson, Joe Williams, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Tony Williams, Billy Higgins, Clark Terry, Jimmy Smith among many, many others.

Of the so-called "New Lions" I tend to go with Nicholas Payton, Terrance Blanchard, Christian McBride and Joshua Redman.

It has been my experience that we can fight like a strange cat and a bulldog but it is the music that always brings us together on some level.


Keep listening, my friend, and don't let our sometimes "lively" discussions change who you are or what you like in Jazz. In my world, debate is a good thing ;-)

[Mike Schwartz]

Quote by Goodspeak:
Of the so-called "New Lions" I tend to go with Nicholas Payton, Terrance Blanchard, Christian McBride and Joshua Redman.

So glad that the days are gone [for good?] when someone would make a post with names like the above, would immediately get a ration of shit for having horrible taste, or as if they had commited some sort of crime.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally posted by Mike Schwartz
Quote by Goodspeak:
Of the so-called "New Lions" I tend to go with Nicholas Payton, Terrance Blanchard, Christian McBride and Joshua Redman.

So glad that the days are gone [for good?] when someone would make a post with names like the above, would immediately get a ration of shit for having horrible taste, or as if they had commited some sort of crime.

I agree, Mike.

It seems to me that Jazz is a big enough venue to allow for differing tastes.

What you like or why you like it should have absolutely no bearing upon doing something wrong or stepping beyond the bounds of the Jazz police. I have learned that much on this BBS and on the old Jazz Central Station and Jazz OnLine. Putting somebody down because they don't necessarily get into what you prefer to listen to is a cryin' shame. It only chases people from Jazz as opposed to actually bringing them to Jazz.


I'd like to think that maybe we've grown some over the years as posters on a Jazz BBS, eh?


And Mike...don't let our sometimes "interesting" exchanges deter you from enjoying what you like, either.


You're a good person.


No BS.

[Dr Dave]

crawjo: Don't listen to these mofos, they are all half-crazy anyway. You don't need to know anything about Stevie Rey, aka The Preacher, aka Steve Reynolds. You'll find out fast enough who's who and what's what.

I heard "You Better Git Hit In Your Soul" on the store muzak yesterday, and when Booker Ervin and John Handy started lighting it up, one of the reps walked up to me and said "That is some really great tenor saxophone." Made my week.