JSngry

"Playing changes" is where hard-bop got to be such a perceived dead end for so many players in the mid-late 50s, which is why the whole Monk/Rollins-leading into Ornette thing flowed so well for so many. It was time to leave some space in the cognitive math and start thinking "melody" instead of "harmony". But I can't stress this enough - it's never an either/or dichotomy, and it's never just those two things that come into play - there's plenty of other factors like accent, tone, interior time, all sorts of shit. "Harmonic" vs "melodic" playing...left at face-value it's really easy jargon for easy thinking in the service of easy listening - aka music as lifestyle accessory. I mean, they're real enough, just not the reality. And once again, the answer to any question about music is - rhythm. If you want the easy, final answer, there it is - rhythm. Take the same eight notes in the same sequence over the same two chords and play them in a fairly regular/steady rhythm and you're playing "harmonically". Play them in a rhythm that stops starts, leaves spaces, and you're playing "melodically". Truth be told, no matter what you do, you're doing both. But if terminology is needed, there some is.

Ornette plays constant melody, just not over a constantly recurring form. His solos are not too hard to sing if you can get the places where he pivots the key. Of course, where this all leads is, inevitably "what is melody?", and the answer is...yes.

Can't do more than offer my deepest sympathy at what must be an anguishing event in your family. for innocence to be violated before it comes to life...damn, how wicked is that? The flip-side of the vacuous romanticizing of the innocence of childhood is the callous disregard for it, the impersonal trampling to death of it by forces concerned once, only, and always with self, self, self. Here's hoping with all hope that there is a support system for this new life that will in time allow it to feel save and loved, and as a matter of course, not just as an isolated event.

The rich get richer? I'm supposed to feel...something about that coming from a Yankee fan? Not in this lifetime. Not sure if it's a good thing or not, the Oswalt sigining...he's old and nowhere near as dominant a pitcher as he used to be. But as a fill-in for Feliz (who's definitely the better investment long-term, at least if his elbow's not permanently jacked, which nobody's ever said that it is, no TJ surgery or anything), he's gotta be be better than Scott Feldman. Feldman's been given chances to step up and hasn't. Not even slightly. So...fuck him, at least as a fifth starter. And meanwhile, while nobody's looking, the Angels have gotten hot. Rangers' pitching has got to stop fucking around with inconsistency and start dealing. To the end that Oswalt can contribute to that end, it's a good signing. But he's a month away from stepping in. A lot can happen in a month.

It's a question of degree, of focus. You can find some kind of harmony anywhere, and you can make a melody out of anything. Hawk's main focus was making a melody by outlining the notes of the chord (and their extensions, and thier substitutions/passing chords). Prez' was in using the chord changes of the tune as an outline around which to create new lyric melodies. This manifests itself in each players' rhythmic proclivities - Hawk played with an more or less steady flow, since his game was connecting chord tones in any number of variations. Prez would break his lines up rhythmically, starting and stopping as he pleased. Inevitably, there are areas of intersection and crossover (for one, Hawk whatever Hawk lacked in variety of rhythm, he more than made up for in being a master of melodic arc and contour, and Prez knew his changes inside out, as evidenced by how he'd pop outside on the spur of the moment and just as suddenly pop right back on in) , but that's generally what the terms mean in "real life". As usual with anything, to make too much out of them as absolutes reduces the dimensionality of the music, and that's not a good thing, unless you like that sort of thing.It's not like you can put in in a box and have it stay there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv09QKB9FrI

Listening to this right now & very much enjoying it. Very organic creative processes at work here, meaning that any number of "references" can be heard and/or are suggested, but not self-consciously. Just a very natural speaking in the vernacular. Same goes for the electronics when they are used, they don't sound like ELECTRONICS, if you know what I mean, they just sound like a part of the music. No "lofty artistic platitudes" or jismatic word-jacks from me for this one, just deep, honest enjoyment at hearing music that makes good sense coming in and going out. In a world gone wrong, balanced people making balanced music is certainly welcome. Here some is!

I'll stick with Maddux instead.

Do you drink Scotch whiskey all night long and drive behind the wheel?

Denise LaSalle -- Second Breath LP 1 $4.99 $4.99 611107 CD 1 $9.99 $9.99 Gladys Knight& The Pips -- If I Were Your Woman/Standing Ovation(plus bonus track) Sylvester -- Step II 11781 LP 1 $3.99 $3.99 31635 Asha Puthli -- LIndiana Denise LaSalle -- Second Breath LP 1 $4.99 $4.99 611107 CD 1 $9.99 $9.99 Gladys Knight& The Pips -- [list=1][*][/list] LP 1 $3.99 $3.99 31635 [b]Asha Puthli -- [/b]LIndiana [code][b]Denise[/b] LaSalle -- Second Breath LP 1 $4.99 $4.99 611107 CD 1 $9.99 $9.99 Gladys Knight& The Pips -- If I Were Your Woman/Standing Ovation(plus bonus track) Sylvester -- Step II 11781 LP 1 $3.99 $3.99 31635 Asha Puthli -- LIndiana

Given a choice between a pie chart and I pie, I'll take pie. Every time.

Who the hell is Maddox, and why is/are he/she and/or they so touchy about things?

We get that same ex-player dryness (although perhaps with a different "accent") on Rangers radio from Steve Busby. Busby & Eric Nadel have turned into some of the best radio guys out there, afaic. Then again, I'm partial to radio baseball on general principles.

Some primo Jaws here. Everybody and everything else sounds just dandy as well. and Vi Redd really grabs the ear.

No, that's art. This is art: This is just silly: Let's stick to awesome:

This is awesome: This is just weird:

"Rock City Rock" rules.

Is that all there is?