Jazz for aficionados

*****First of all, for a really great performance of this beautiful music on original instruments try Trevor Pinnock with The English Concert; and for my favorite with modern instruments but still using period performance practice try the Marriner/St Martin In The Fields.******

I have the Marriner / SMIF CD. I am almost embarrassed to admit I have six CDs of this music. The first one I purchased years ago was "The Academy of Ancient Music / Hogwood" It's on authentic instruments also.

****Niquet is the type of conductor that drives me nuts. There is, again, a sense that it is about what looks good. His technique is showy and dramatic with large motions that serve no musical purpose.*****

My thoughts exactly. I remember thinking, this guy is demonstrating that maybe Conductors are not needed past rehearsals. But the man is French, so looking good is important. Did you check out the shoes?

I understand that Andre Rieu is an excellent musician, that found he could make a lot more money as a showman. His stuff is not serious. I just love 'Amazing Grace' on bagpipes.

The band Barenboim conducted was the Israeli-Arab group he established. He did all nine symphonies during that Proms. There is a DVD out. Thinking of getting it. Like I need more sets of LvB.

I thought the horns were the highlight of the performance. They sounded so 'real / natural', on my computer setup. I love that sound. Not disagreeing with you, just to my amateur ears. And, the visuals were great. I think that makes a tremendous impact on a person's perception of the performance. The sound and video were excellent by youtube standards.

Thanks for your review. Very insightful.

Cheers

Wow, lots of posts since I was last able to check in! Sorry guys, but I am in the very busiest part of my season right now and simply don't have time to listen to all these links. In a couple of weeks, I could go back and do so, but right now I just can't.

Rok, I pretty much agree with everything Frogman has said. I actually had a music theory major in my undergrad as well as my horn major, so I am qualified to teach it, and have privately. Triads are the basic building blocks of pretty much all Western music, until you get into the 20th century avant garde composers. Triads continue to be the basis of all popular music, including even most jazz, though it is much more experimental. Frogman's suggestion of buying a keyboard is a good one, however I would also suggest a set of books written by a guy named Paul Harder. They are "programmed" courses - meant to be taken at your own pace. You cover up half the page that has the answers as you work through. There is an accompanying CD. He has one for Fundamentals of Music that would be great for you, and then there are others that reach the equivalence of freshman and sophomore college music theory, much more than you would probably want to know, unless you really got into it.

Now for the abstract art stuff. Basically, yes, I agree with the author of your book. As to your questions - yes, music is more abstract than painting. As the author says, painting is two dimensional - you can see and even touch it, and can look at it over and over again. Music is only heard, and then it doesn't exist anymore, at least that particular performance, unless it was recorded (Richard Strauss and other composers and conductors and performers were horrified at the very idea of recorded music when the possibility first arose, by the way - recordings have fundamentally altered the way people think about music compared to even just 100 years ago). This is much more abstract.

if someone had never heard Don't Cry For Me Argentina before and did not know that it had words, it would be purely abstract for that person.

The other questions are more interesting - you are getting into aesthetics now. Someone putting words to an established tune definitely gives a meaning to the result that is not abstract anymore. However, you could also make up a completely different set of words and seemingly (or really) giving the music a totally different meaning. Which one would be correct? Would either be at all close to what the composer may have been thinking/feeling? He/she may be completely horrified. These questions do not have a simple answer.

Another fantastic performance of the Water Music, by the way, is the English Baroque Soloists, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, who is my favorite period instrument group conductor. The natural horn playing is superb, far better than any other I have ever heard, including the one Frogman mentioned, which is a good one indeed.

Didn't see the video in question, but Frogman is probably correct that they were coached. Video has also fundamentally altered the way people think about music, especially performing, in mostly negative ways. Now there are huge numbers of people that think if you aren't wildly moving around or making funny faces, you can't possibly be emotionally involved. That's a load of crap.

Hope that decently answers your questions. Need to get to bed now. I promise I will go back and listen to some of these clips you guys have posted when I get time.

The Frogman:

****Well, if you insist; and, please understand that my lack of enthusiasm for this performance and Niquet is the very reason that I had not commented.*****

Negative reviews can be more instructive / valuable, than the positive ones. This is the stuff I most want to hear.

Forgot to say this earlier.

Cheers

Frogman,I thought the Joe Sullivan big band narrative showed how there are enclaves of musicians all over the world, perfecting their craft. Community. Striving to move forward, knowing if they stop growing and stretching, they will stop getting that RUSH of playing music. I thought it fit into the conversation without actually commenting myself. Listen again if you get a chance.

Joe Sullivan has been in rotation for a while on my local college station KNTU at the University of N.Texas, which as you may know is a pretty good school for JAZZ. Did you notice the Youtube had less than 50 views?

I am a fan of Fred Hirsch, and have several of his CD's. I love the last CD with Julian Lage. Lage was new to me .

I am familiar with Ted Nash. I will dig into his music more. I have only heard him in other peoples bands. I listened to a little of the Presidents Suites, but only little snippets.

I would be lying if I said I had heard Rich Perry. His playing, from what I have heard today, has a beautiful breathy tone. Very nice! I did notice he had a CD out with Jim Mcneely's music. I am a big fan of Mcneely's writing and piano playing, so that may be a good one for me.

I have Tim Hagan's Animation and the live CD that followed. Lost track after that. He is a very good trumpet player. Sometimes the style he WAS playing got in the way of how good he was. Always fun though.

I will have to look into the other players. Only so much time!

As far as Donny Mcaslin,I Iike his music. He is a good soloist. As Rok mentioned he did get a little long, but he is young and having a blast. I personally like a lot of electronic jazz. I will have to keep an eye on him.

Have you heard of a pianist named Chris Parker?

Acman3, yeah, a shame that the Sullivan clip is only getting 50 views. You're right about the NTS, a lot of great young players have come out of that program and the One O'clock Lab Band. Do you ever hear about or know a trumpet player (also plays saxophone, incredibly enough) named Bob Meyer? When I was going to school at U of Miami in the late '70's there was a guy from Texas (Austin, I think) who was living and teaching at U of M. I remember that he was a rough-around-the edges player, but with fantastic jazz feel and style. I have often wondered what happened to him; I had heard he moved back to Texas.

I will checkout Chris Parker; thanks for the tip.