Jazz for aficionados

O - I DID sample the Mingus Git It & Fables. That’s how I knew to reference the Andy Summers. But yes, in terms of "did it rock my world?" (to use that cliche)....No. Even so, I can hear how radical that Mingus LP must have been when it came out vs the other jazz jazz of the day; I do prefer Fables more than Git It in that respect. Reading about it, Ah Um is certainly held in high regard. According to Wikipedia, "Mingus Ah Um was one of fifty recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry....".

I’m guessing you and I are separated taste-wise by more of a cultural divide than I at first realized. That divide, as you have mentioned several times, reflects the times we grew up in. The jazz jazz you enjoy, I often find lacking in melodic or rhythmic interest; it just seems "light" to me - thinking about Somethin’ Else (or even, Git It) as examples. I know that’s "heresy"; and I am NOT talking "light" as in light jazz.

BUT I still greatly appreciate learning about these historic jazz albums. It’s like visiting a great art museum for jazz. We all don’t respond in the same way to every style of art that’s on display. I might prefer Flemish painters and not like Expressionism at all. But you won’t hear me arguing Expressionist art shouldn’t be in the museum. I just won’t be in the gift shop later buying a print of one of those pieces.

As far as the Brecker, Syzygy was Frogman’s recommendation and off Brecker’s self-titled debut album as leader. That’s a tough listen too...like what I heard on Pilgrimage’s first few tracks. African Skies is off his Tales from the Hudson. African Skies sounds like JAZZ JAZZ to me and I really like it. It’s got a strong melody that is worked in an interesting way, great rhythmic drive and excellent solos; a varied aural texture. Not boring at all. I still want to know what you think about it. Here’s a link again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvFVxU3j620&ab_channel=strumaus

Brecker seems like a force of nature to me. He DOES remind me of Coltrane in that way. Listen to JC’s. soloing on One Down, One Up. A little overwhelming and almost too much to take in. I’m hardly any kind of expert on him but the Brecker I’ve enjoyed so far has been when he is grounded and balanced in a larger ensemble (like on that Tales from the Hudson recording).

Gotta run. Ciao.

Ghosthouse, at last, something I don't have to "pontificate" over; plain and simple; I like it and what "all" of the artists are doing as well; Michael Brecker-Tales From The Hudson -African Skies.

Brecker left out his "noodling", and he's blowing in fine form. McCoy Tyner is very much himself; I can't think of a new word at the moment, but it would amount to more "Tyneresque"; Trane fanatics know what I'm trying to say. Plus I like the African flavor.


Mingus is a lot about "culture"; he's a painter, and when you don't know the culture, you can't see the picture.


Enjoy the music.

Ghosthouse, St. Louis has a fantastic art museum; when I took my son, (who was a little tyke at the time) to infuse some culture in the kid, I got lost in the paintings, and almost lost my little tyke. (The way the guards acted, those paintings must have been worth a few bucks)

Maybe I should go again and we can compare art to music?

O - If you've not been in a while, a good time to go back!  Your son might enjoy it too (and now, less likely to get lost, I'd expect).  Would happily join if I lived closer.  Visiting art museums is a favorite thing to do when traveling.  

I see the St Louis Museum of Art has a very nice website.  

Not intended to sway anyone's point of view; after all, we all like what we like and as O-10 pointed out recently we all grow into genres and appreciation of their uniqueness and different layers.

"Noodling" is defined as "aimless musical improvisation".  Now, Michael Brecker's opening to the tune "Sysygy" may sound to some as noodling; but it is anything but.  Brecker was the kind improviser that never noodled a single note in his career; he was an extremely purposeful improviser.  The extended improvisation in the opening of the tune was a deliberate element of the composition.  Some may not like or appreciate this kind of improvisation without the harmonic underpinning (comfort?) of the harmony instruments in the rhythm section, but it is a deliberate element of the composition which creates musical tension followed by the release of the tension when the harmony instruments come in.  A conceptual choice....improvisation BEFORE the statement of the melody.  Moreover, that improvisation sticks to the harmonic changes of the tune.  Hardly an aimless exercise.  Again, any one of us may not like it, but I believe there is value in, at least, acknowledging the artist's intent and not being dismissive of the artist's vision.  

This may be of interest:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TlEAl3jdn6o