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Nate Chinen's "Playing Changes: Jazz For The New Century"


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25 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Still waiting for a reason to.

Hmm.

It's the sort of book that gets put on first year university reading lists, or which mainstream non-jazz fan music critics read and refer to so that they feel they are keeping current.  

I'm not sure that's a reason, either. But I'm reading it anyway. It is very zippy. It is okay. Okay, a lot of the music that Chinen is so enthusiastic about and considers to represent an "explosion of creativity", or whatever, makes me want to chew off my own leg to escape, but I can get through that.

Edited by Rabshakeh
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41 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

Is this referencing the Mehldau & Iverson stuff? 

Most of it. Kamasi Washington too. I listen to and love a lot of recent jazz music, but I honestly find it hard to get excited over some of the stuff Chinen is pushing as being the cream of the crop. 

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fwiw....I kinda recall Chinen breaking into, I think it was Jazz Times (yeah, THAT long ago) with an introductory flairstatement along the lines of hey, I'm a young guy, this old stuff was before my time, so don't expect me to have either expertise or reverence towards that kind of jazz, I'm young, dammit, YOUNG!

Not those words, but that attitude.

and I was like, ok, that's legit, good, break some molds here, move some thinkings ahead, that's useful, so...get busy.

and then, nothing happened. Dude wrote a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff that really didn't land (the music or the writing). so, like I said...not feeling a reason to read a whole book of that.

Plenty of good/great music being made today, just nothing/nothing much that he seems to be excited about. Maybe he's the Leonard Feather for the kids today, I duno. but I'm no kid, nor am I ancient either, just old enough to not waste my energy on dead-ends that go nowhere and back again.

I wouldn't mind a good Neo-Soul overview though, as I've had a sincere liking but small exposure to that genre for a few years now. But can I trust him on that if I don't trust him on jazz? Because for me, there is definitely an affinity between them.

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1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

Exactly. The temperature is great and there have been hardly any shark attacks this year.

:lol: That's right- hardly any!

7 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

DKWIM but when introduced to him, a couple years ago at Big Ears, he said "Oh yeah, Snurdy McGurdy".

Maybe he was referencing Roscoe Mitchell's album from your label? 

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

I wouldn't mind a good Neo-Soul overview though,

Some recent discoveries: Stephanie Santiago from London

Miir from Gary, IN

Tawiah from London

KeiyaA from Chicago

And Jamila Woods also from Chicago

Far from a Neo Soul overview, but just some leads on what I think are some talented singers. 

 

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34 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

I just found it strange that is what he said - beyond "nice to meet you". End of exchange.

 

34 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

I just found it strange that is what he said - beyond "nice to meet you". End of exchange.

Exaggerating a bit, it's like if he met Alfred Lion and said, "Blue Note, right?"

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Chuck's story reminds me of the early Seinfeld episode, where Jerry, George and Elaine are at a party out in the suburbs and George gets hit on by a co-worker and Jerry and Elaine end up stranded.  Jerry gets summarily dismissed by another party goer with "yeah I think I saw you once. You talk about a lot of every-day things." (turns away)

Larry's summary is spot-on, and if Chinen had met Alfred, I suspect that's all he could have said to him.

Whatever, Chinen brings nothing to the table as a writer or critic/thinker as far as I am concerned. 

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