Comments on: SWINGING MODERN SOUNDS: A POST SOMEWHAT ABOUT JAZZ http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/ Books, Music, Movies, Art, Politics, Sex, Other Sat, 26 May 2012 01:55:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Art Rosch http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-83838 Art Rosch Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:01:20 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-83838 How cool is a comments section where James Moody is mentioned. I will now attempt to write an insightful exegesis on just how jazz has continued to thrive, and/or die. Some of the musicians are thriving. Many are dead. I remember July 18, 1967, the day after Coltrane died. I was in a Lincoln Continental driving to a gig in Lawrence, Kansas with two other members of a trio. We got lost in the Ozarks, saw a tornado, stopped at a rural gas station where I bought a Post-Dispatch. A teeny weeny squib at the bottom of the Entertainment section said, "Jazz Musician Dies". We all cried. That was remarkable for a white drummer and two black musicians of various ages. Men didn't cry back then. Does jazz still exist? Sure. Technology evolved, music came along with it, and that in itself exerted a powerful influence on jazz. Marsalis does a fine job curating Classic Jazz. That's about all I know. I would appreciate having someone tell me what to think. Someone like Rick Moody. I trust Rick Moody. Don't ask me why. This has been a clinically proven digression. How cool is a comments section where James Moody is mentioned. I will now
attempt to write an insightful exegesis on just how jazz has continued to thrive, and/or die. Some of the musicians are thriving. Many are dead.
I remember July 18, 1967, the day after Coltrane died. I was in a Lincoln Continental driving to a gig in Lawrence, Kansas with two other members of a trio. We got lost in the Ozarks, saw a tornado, stopped at a rural gas station where I bought a Post-Dispatch. A teeny weeny squib at the bottom of the Entertainment section said, “Jazz Musician Dies”. We all cried. That was remarkable for a white drummer and two black musicians of various ages. Men didn’t cry back then. Does jazz still exist? Sure. Technology evolved, music came along with it, and that in itself exerted a powerful influence on jazz. Marsalis does a fine job curating Classic Jazz. That’s about all I know. I would appreciate having someone tell me what to think.
Someone like Rick Moody. I trust Rick Moody. Don’t ask me why.
This has been a clinically proven digression.

]]> By: peter breslin http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-1551 peter breslin Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:10:10 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-1551 There was some ripping Miles Davis after On the Corner, in particular Get Up With It, Aghartha, Dark Magus and Pangaea, a roughly 3 year period from 72-75 where Davis and company recorded 4 double albums. Sort of at the same time, the Art Ensemble of Chicago returned from their sojourn to Paris to the US, Ornette Coleman began flirting with Prime Time, Cecil Taylor began performing and recording again after a stretch of obscurity, Anthony Braxton was writing some of his most innovative compositions, etc. The most fertile periods in jazz have always been those when the critics have insisted the music *wasn't jazz*. Even John Hammond said this of Duke after the Carnegie Hall concert in 1941. "Duke's not playing jazz anymore!" This is exactly what's *irreverent* about Marsalis, by the way, this refusal to see the continually living breathing art form, to will it to stand still. Disrespectful and fatal. Worse than misguided. There was some ripping Miles Davis after On the Corner, in particular Get Up With It, Aghartha, Dark Magus and Pangaea, a roughly 3 year period from 72-75 where Davis and company recorded 4 double albums. Sort of at the same time, the Art Ensemble of Chicago returned from their sojourn to Paris to the US, Ornette Coleman began flirting with Prime Time, Cecil Taylor began performing and recording again after a stretch of obscurity, Anthony Braxton was writing some of his most innovative compositions, etc. The most fertile periods in jazz have always been those when the critics have insisted the music *wasn’t jazz*. Even John Hammond said this of Duke after the Carnegie Hall concert in 1941. “Duke’s not playing jazz anymore!” This is exactly what’s *irreverent* about Marsalis, by the way, this refusal to see the continually living breathing art form, to will it to stand still. Disrespectful and fatal. Worse than misguided.

]]> By: Jerry Stahl http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Jerry Stahl Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:57:48 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-78 Smoove! Fucking perfect. We live in a smoove world. America's smoovaholic. This is my favorite kind of writing: where James "Blood" Ulmer and Soft Machine show up in the same sentence - not to mention Arthur Danto and Sonny Sharrock in the same universe. Fantastic. "I love music like this, music that just doesn't sound like anything else." Egg-fucking-zactly. That's the same reason I love this blog - and Rick Moody's writing. (Even if the author is not related to James Moody - who didn't get mentioned. Anybody not acquainted needs to read the first sentence of Purple America and call me back.) Not a lot of prose actually swings. This does. And anybody who reads will be smarter at the end than they were at the beginning. How fucking often does that happen? Smoove! Fucking perfect. We live in a smoove world. America’s smoovaholic.

This is my favorite kind of writing: where James “Blood” Ulmer and Soft Machine show up in the same sentence – not to mention Arthur Danto and Sonny Sharrock in the same universe. Fantastic.

“I love music like this, music that just doesn’t sound like anything else.”
Egg-fucking-zactly. That’s the same reason I love this blog – and Rick Moody’s writing. (Even if the author is not related to James Moody – who didn’t get mentioned. Anybody not acquainted needs to read the first sentence of Purple America and call me back.)

Not a lot of prose actually swings. This does. And anybody who reads will be smarter at the end than they were at the beginning. How fucking often does that happen?

]]> By: Ros http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Ros Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:56:21 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-31 What a well thought out and engaging piece. The notion of our "historical present" might seem like a philosophical conundrum, but is apt, inventive and useful to an understanding of what's happened in jazz since its Brillo Box-Bitches Brew moment. (Try saying that 5 times in a row!) I'm no expert, but I also like music that sounds like nothing else and The Tiptons are really really great, so thanks. I'm so excited about this blog! What a well thought out and engaging piece. The notion of our “historical present” might seem like a philosophical conundrum, but is apt, inventive and useful to an understanding of what’s happened in jazz since its Brillo Box-Bitches Brew moment. (Try saying that 5 times in a row!) I’m no expert, but I also like music that sounds like nothing else and The Tiptons are really really great, so thanks. I’m so excited about this blog!

]]> By: Rick Moody http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Rick Moody Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:37:35 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-30 For the record, Amy Denio of the Tiptons Sax Quartet notes the following: "A couple of things – that Pere Ubu song we played at Bennington those years ago is ‘Non-Alignment Pact’, and also our new drummer’s name is actually Chris Stromquist." I offer fervent apologies to Chris! For the record, Amy Denio of the Tiptons Sax Quartet notes the following: “A couple of things – that Pere Ubu song we played at Bennington those years ago is ‘Non-Alignment Pact’, and also our new drummer’s name is actually Chris Stromquist.” I offer fervent apologies to Chris!

]]> By: Rick Moody http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Rick Moody Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:59:02 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-29 You're sweet! I can only find a couple of passages that I could assuredly have made more elegant if only I had more time! You’re sweet! I can only find a couple of passages that I could assuredly have made more elegant if only I had more time!

]]> By: Stephen Elliott http://therumpus.net/2008/12/a-post-somewhat-about-jazz/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Stephen Elliott Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:50:04 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=859#comment-28 This is some fine ass music writing! Am I allowed to comment on my own website? This is some fine ass music writing! Am I allowed to comment on my own website?

]]>