The Non-Classical You Are Listening To

[Herzeleide]

Originally Posted by Herzeleide

Trane's tone is often disarming in its sheer candour and honesty...

Not sure if 'honesty' is the right word, since it's actually quite easy to be honest, when what Trane achieved took lots of hard work. Maybe the idea of digging deep to get to the core of the truth is more appropriate. Honesty and truthfulness aren't the same thing.

Originally Posted by Herzeleide

The first one is cool and possesses and prepossessing lyricism

This should read: 'possesses a prepossessing lyricism'.

I listened back to that blues of McLaughlin, 'Thelonius melodius'. He's an incomparably great guitarist, but the problem with it and other groups he's played in over the past twenty or so years that are all in the post-bop vein is that none of them have a bassist (the organ can't compensate, and I have obviously put aside his fusion bands which often feature a fine electric bassist). Listening to groups featuring Paul Chambers, Jimmy Garrison and Ron Carter has made me appreciate not only their individual talents, but also the role of the bassist in jazz. Unfortunately both the sound quality and the nature of the music in earlier bop kind of prevents this, but I'd say (though I'm not sure about this, if anyone knows better, please correct me) that it was from Miles's first great quintet with the awesome Paul Chambers that the bass gains a more prominent position, where you get imaginative arrangements that bring the bass more to the fore.

This isn't from the aforesaid quintet (though Miles isn't there, he is in spirit, and most the players are the same) but it is from the aforesaid bassist and features great players, is a great arrangement of a great tune and is on one of those Prestige Coltrane boxed sets that I mentioned:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=235tbU_5mMA"]YouTube - Paul Chambers Quartet - Dexterity[/ame]



And there's a great moment in the version of 'One Down, One Up' that I keep talking about before Trane and Elvin take off together, when Jimmy Garrison plays a groovy figure ("de-bom-bom-dip, de-bom-bom-dip, de-bom-bommm, dommm" etc.) which affords the music a surreal quality - you can get down to what Garrison is playing, but Coltrane is totally other-worldy. This surreal quality is apparent in something else I've also been listening to - Meditations. 'The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost' features Coltrane playing a simple tonal melody over an atonal background. So, not only is the title reminiscent of Messiaen, but so is the technique. I would say a fair amount of Coltrane's music shares commonalities with that of Messiaen - both are at times ecstatic and ritualistic, and bird song is of course really a kind of language. And they both feature additive processes. Messiaen didn't like jazz, but I can only assume he had only heard an earlier, sanitized version. I've mentioned previously the Boulez/jazz connection. What Boulez, Messiaen, Charlie Parker, Coltrane and probably Miles had in common is that they all knew, liked and were influenced by Stravinsky.

Anyway, I found another guitarist who also is a Miles Davis alumnus (though admittedly -not that this was his fault- at a time when Miles's music didn't even bear comparison with his earlier stuff). His style is more legato that McLaughlin's, he swings in a cool, laid-back way and he sure knows his harmony. This is not to say I prefer him to McLaughlin, but at least his band has a bassist!

So here's John Scofield with Joe Lovano playing a cool tune with a fine bassist!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNq806NLRCg"]YouTube - John Scofield Quartet / Wabash 3 (1990)[/ame]

[Herzeleide]

Originally Posted by Herzeleide

you can get down to what Garrison is playing

Errr, to 'get down' to something means to put oneself into it, to involve oneself. What I meant was that the riff Garrison spontaneously creates (some of which I transliterated into scat) is earthy and danceable (in a conventional sense) whilst Coltrane is mostly unearthly.

I should have mentioned Dave Holland, and his sterling work with Miles Davis (and without, though sadly this part of his oeuvre for me is restricted to what I can find on YouTube). With Miles he's always great, even when his role is restricted, is brilliant live, but truly awesome on my favorite album ever, Bitches Brew. The title track also features what is as far as I'm aware the only true solo he gets on a Miles record; in conforming to the standard on this tune and the whole album, it's completely and utterly wonderful, it's too much.

Check this out:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6R0GjY3agU"]YouTube - Dave Holland Quintet Metamorphos and interview 2002[/ame]


I also should have mentioned Charles Mingus, whose birthday it is tomorrow, and whose album Ah Um I really like. Here's the lovely 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat':

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_RxWXijz0"]YouTube - Charles Mingus - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat[/ame]


It's Duke Ellington's birthday next friday, which coincides with the beginning of the New Orleans jazz festival. I'm unfamiliar with Duke's music, so any suggestions/recommendations would be very welcome!

[Baroque Mongoose]

Thanks to something that came up in another thread, I realised I hadn't listened to this in a month of Sundays, so I got it out again yesterday while I was stewing the apples. It's gorgeous:



And here's a sample track (the one that has been stuck in my head all morning while going round the shopping centre):

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScAAJpgCayE"]YouTube - Achille TOGLIANI "La signora di trent'anni fa" Piste da sci[/ame]

Now, this CD is one that I bought in Rome, and I've never read the liner notes very carefully, because they don't give much information about the songs themselves. So I've always had the vague idea, based on the musical style, that this album was primarily 1930s music, with perhaps a bit of 20s. Not a bit of it. I've just looked more closely, and there is only one track on the album from the 30s. Everything else is from the 40s, and the song I've just shared here - which to my ear doesn't sound any later than about 1933 or 34, and I would have guessed probably a bit earlier - turns out to date from 1949.

I really didn't know this. I've always assumed that musical taste on the Continent went at roughly the same pace as in the UK, but not a bit of it. While we were all about the big band sound over here, the Italians were still enjoying this delicate, fragrant (for want of a word) style of music. I think I need more Italian music from the 1940s immediately.

[Baroque Mongoose]

I have now found and translated the lyrics. Note that this translation is somewhat free; it's intended to be singable. It does get the sense over well, but it is not word for word. If you want word for word, there are dictionaries.

Here are the original Italian lyrics:

Il cuore mio indiscreto
pace ancor non si dà,
sempre più sveglio e più irrequieto
non si rassegna alla sua età.
Oggi m'ha ricordato in gran segreto,
una signora di trent'anni fa.

Nel millenovecentodiciannove,
vestita di voile e di chiffon
io v'ho incontrata non ricordo dove,
nel corso oppure a un ballo-cotillon.

Ricordo gli occhi, gli occhi solamente,
segnati un pò con la matita blu,
poi vi giurai d'amarvi eternamente.
Vi chiamavate ... non ricordo più.

La vita mia è perduta
se l'amor se ne va
oggi il mio cuore che non muta
che non si piega alla sua età
cerca la sua signora sconosciuta
la sua signora di trent'anni fà.

Ricordo il primo bacio che v'ho dato
tremando d'emozione e di passion
un bacio lieve poi vi ho posato
fra quei capelli corti alla garconne.

Poi vi condussi ... non ricordo dove,
e mi diceste ... non ricordo più.
Nel millenovecentodiciannove
vi chiamavate forse ... gioventù.

And here is what I made of them:

My wayward heart's affection
no peace on earth can know;
wakeful without a clear direction,
each passing year a mortal foe.
Today I had a secret recollection:
a lady I knew thirty years ago.

In 1919 - how could I forget you,
all dressed in voile and chiffon fresh from France?
I really can't remember where I met you,
perhaps it was the races or a dance.

I do recall your eyes so very clearly,
a pencilled hint of blue beneath your brow;
I swore for ever I would love you dearly;
your name was... but I can't remember now.

Life would be nothing to me,
if love from me should go;
my changeless heart is sad and gloomy,
calm of the years it cannot know,
and still it seeks that sweet unknown who knew me,
that lovely lady thirty years ago.

Our first kiss still in memory is burning -
with passion how my trembling heart did swell! -
and then I lightly kissed, as you were turning,
that Eton crop that suited you so well.

And then I took you... where, I can't remember,
at which you said... I can't recall, in truth;
in 1919 - maybe in September,
your name was... well, perhaps your name was Youth.

[Herzeleide]

I'm not going to wait until I have the cash to buy the record to listen to this, the most notable performance on a truly great live record of Coltrane! So for now I'll make do with listening to it while stuck in front of a computer. It elicited a negative response even from some people who had written positively about Coltrane; Ira Gitler called it 'monotonous', averring that Elvin Jones is the most interesting player on the track. It certainly (obviously) doesn't sound monotonous to me and if Coltrane does repeat phrases I think this is almost to share the roll that the rhythm section usually takes, hence giving Elvin more room, engaging in playful give and take with him. Interesting to compare it to the 'One Down, One Up' that I previously mentioned. They share similar tempos and the surreal aspect that I mentioned might be more pronounced here; 'Chasin' the Trane' is a major blues whose bright sound is undermined or given a more quirky, slightly uneasy edge through, uh... well, all the techniques Coltrane has to develop, transform and create tension!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdvBR8oXpb0&feature=fvsr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdvBR8oXpb0&feature=fvsr

[Herzeleide]

The gnomic shaman and his vociferous preacher friend.



You lucky, lucky people get to listen to my favorite number:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqdO8...B9D503BEF6D8C6

Now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC_pl_9wT_0



Though sadly I'm restricted to listening to this one on the computer.

[ilovebaroque]

http://hdaudioplus.com/100+.m3u
Here is something you'll enjoy playing with: On our "HD AudioPlus" site we have a huge "jukebox" packed with remastered samples from every genre. I've included the link here.

Have a blast!

We also have a similar list for Classical and Baroque which I will be posting soon.

[Green Knight]

Traffic--Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys. This album still sounds as fresh and exciting as when I first heard it in 1971. Long live Stevie Winwood!

[ilovebaroque]

Originally Posted by Stlukesguild

How do you categorize folk music? In a good many ways, a lot of what I have among my medieval collection is technically folk music (although a lot isn't). I see traditional bluegrass, folk, even pre-corporate rock as a sort of folk music... not far different from your celtic music (well... not "your" per se... I quite like it myself). But what of jazz? Arabic music? Japanese Shakuhachi? What I'm wondering is just how do we define "classical".

A possible definition: If the sound of endless wailing and whining doesn't make you want to climb the walls after 5 minutes or at least run out and get a fellafel, it definately is not Arab music!
Folk music is usually a story in song form using acoustic instruments as background.
As for "classical"...a wise man here among us likes to say, "whatever floats your boat".

[Green Knight]

Traffic--Shootout at the Fantasy Factory