Jazz for aficionados
Once, when i was in a used record store, a man and I started talking about Jazz. I told him I was new to Jazz and barely knew anything. He said, " if you buy anything today, buy George Russell"s recording Stratasphunk" I plunked down my $3.99. Sweet! http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=g1feYNzVunI |
Just to refresh everyone's memory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH10ndmE_8g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJkKNc0bP-o Cheers |
The importance of Russell's Lydian concept cannot be overestimated. What I alluded to earlier re the presence of Coltrane at the recording session of "Manhattan" has to do with the influence that this concept had on the shaping of the playing styles of giants like Trane and Miles. 1959 has sometimes been called the most creative year in recorded jazz, and while it's probably not possible to pinpoint one actual year, there is no doubt that during the late 50's there was a creative hurricane going on. Russell's Lydian concept would influence players like Trane and Miles, but I also have no doubt that Russell chose Trane for the session because of where his playing was going independent of anything else; kindred spirits of sorts. It is certainly no coincidence that Trane was chosen for the session (Stan Getz was also very hot during that time, but he was not chosen, nor would have been appropriate for the session). Modal jazz was one of the products of this creative revolution and the impact on the direction of jazz is huge. In answer to Rok's question "Where is modal jazz in today's scene?", the answer is: EVERYWHERE. First of all, the influence of Trane's playing style, a direct product of or use of modal theory, can be heard in the playing of just about every contemporary player today; especially, and obviously, in the playing of saxophone players; not necessarily in the playing styles of the "retro" players (LCJO guys) so much. Second of all, for whatever it may be worth to some, jazz–rock practically owes its existence to modal jazz. This is one of the best and easiest to understand explanations of modes and modal jazz: http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm8-3/Modal_Jazz.htm Russell's "Manhattan": First of all! WHAT A BAND! The personnel list is amazing. Not only is Trane's presence interesting, but notice how he tamed his normally much more aggressive and brighter tone (even in the 50's) to better fit the musical vibe of the session. I hear the influence of Ellington in how Russell uses the different instrumental sections of the band; but, with a more modern harmonic sensibility in the chord voicings. The feeling that Russell's approach (modal) evokes is one of the music being "suspended" harmonically with less obviously forward movement (harmonically) and less obvious need to resolve harmonically. To my ears this is a characteristic of modal music in general and creates a "cooler" feeling. For a very simplistic example of this feeling sing: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear O-10"; then, start the song again without finishing it with the last (and harmonically resolving) "happy birthday to you". Some very interesting reading that relates to George Russell, the academic setting that was an integral part of the modal jazz movement, and one of this thread's favorite topics: the unsung hero: http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/tenor-saxophonist-david-young-rip/ http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/when-russell-met-baker/ One of my favorite modal tunes. Dorian mode and as is typical in modal music, few chord changes (four chords in AABA form): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmRQ0PBtXU |
