jazzbo

Eubie Blake has been quoted as saying "jazz is the Negro's way of expressing his religious emotions." Many musicians have linked jazz with religious feeling or spiritual matters. . . . Some, perhaps many, fans also link jazz with religion or spirituality. I fall into that camp. In a general sense music in GENERAL is a candidate for being viewed as spiritual or religious emotional expression. It's a powerful communicator with or without words, it's intangible really but very effective in moving humans emotionally and/or intellectually. Somehow jazz has a special allure and claim along these lines. In some ways jazz and blues resonates with me in a way that Gnosticism does: there are written texts but they don't tell the whole story (how do you show all the colors and rhythms?) and the player becames an adept and finds within himself the secret to his own sound and great playing, the journey to mastery can be the education that creates the power and the reward. . . . There can be within the playing and enjoying of jazz a sort of status as an outsider, one with an appreciation or knowledge or skill that is not the norm, is treasured by a few, rebuked or unnoticed by the many; Gnosticism can include these elements. Also, as music that was influenced strongly from its creation by (let's not argue whether it was created solely by or not) an enslaved, oppressed body of Americans who were discovering and struggling for their freedom, jazz and blues have that "from the bottom up" viewpoint associated with many of its creators, which can resemble a religious longing and move towards transforming one's life and "soul." Also I respond to jazz in a way that I did also in the past to religious writing and figures. Nor can I be alone, with all the mention I see directly or indirectly referring or inferring that jazz pioneers such as Bird or Trane are "prophets" in the music. . . . The music brings me hope and joy and comfort, much as a religious text or a sermon or a religious figure could. And pursuing the enjoyment of jazz and the discovery of the tradition and the history of the players has led me into a community of fellow "believers" that can resemble membership in a church or religious community. I don't myself put a lot of personal weight in religious beliefs of "personal salvation," (a religion with heavy emphasis on personal salvation repels me) but I think that there are musicians and perhaps fans who feel that the music has profoundly changed their lives (for the better) in almost a manner of religious transformation. Certainly there are jazz works that are created for spiritual or religious purposes; musicians from Duke to Mary Lou to Sonny Blount to Coltrane and Sanders and Marsalis and many more are deliberately inserting spiritual and religious material and/or beliefs within their work and hoping to communicate this material through their music. So I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I know the side of the fence that I come down on. I know that I feel a spirituality in many jazz works, and I know that jazz does seem to express some of my religious emotions as well. Just tossing this out there. . . not sure how to invite discussion, but chime in if this sparks any thoughts. Thanks!

Very good suggestions above. I also very much enjoy his final years of recording; he had become a very emotionally expressive and in some ways very risk-taking player. Any album with Kenny Barron or Jim McNeely at the piano chair makes for great listening.

Hey, I think more and more Duke was one of the Dukes of r and b---isn't that much of a stretch really!

It's a very good set, very well compiled and annotated. I'd list the highlights about the same as David would and I really have to dig this out and listen to the set again soon!

He seems to be quite a collector and historian of the r and b and vocal jazz material, and he's got good taste along those lines.

As Brad points out, this is an amazing assemblage of music. The sound holds up very well, for early remastering it is quite good, though there are better remasterings of the material out there in the last half a decade or so. At quite an expense however for Verve "Master Editions" and imports from Japan. If you can get a good price for this, you'll not regret having the music to hear and explore.

I've had the Classics cd since it was released, right about the time I was reading several books about the Kansas City and Southwest jazz scenes of the time. . . great release. Going to have to spin it again soon!

Those are truly beautiful covers! GREAT WORK!

If you can live without the alternate track that was on the US original, and can find it, the Spanish "Time Life" version is from the TOCJ. . . and should be cheaper.

It WAS a very good year for jazz fans, in many ways. . . .

Cool, nice to see it is on cd. . . and hope one day there is a cheaper version around!

Well, it certainly is no "Let My Children Hear Music!" But it's cool. . . I don't spin it that often and couldn't really tell you why.

Hmmm. . .maybe I'd better ask for the "Step Lightly" model. . . .

Got your email Tod, and will comply. I'm not sure this has ever been on cd either, never saw it listed. . . Leon Sash fans are probably frustrated as all get out!

This set is all that AND a bag of chips.

Let's NOT and just say we did!

Brita. The difference between coffee or tea made with Brita filtered water or our tap water is not subtle!

And there was also a Landscape cd of Oslo material, and some of this came out on a Moon cd as well I think. . . . The audio on the video is better however.

Yes, two cds have been put out of the Amsterdam material. I got those through the deep and unexpected kindness of a board member who I won't mention because he's so modest some years ago. I had been looking for them for some time; I had only seen them once at the Tower here in Austin before the European boots of Miles and Mingus dried up stateside. . . .I actually drove my cycle home to get more cash, drove back to the store, and they were . . . sold and gone already!

Yes, the Oslo video is a great one. The audio has been on cd as well.

I'd ask for a pair of Art Hodes "Out of the Back Room".

I don't care so much about sound quality with music like this. The Japanese cd I have of Monterey sounds better than a lot of cds I listen to with glee. I think my favorites of this 1964 tour may be the Oslo and the Holland performances. . . not sure why, because all the performances I've found have really been AMAZING.

I would say that possibly, in some ways, if you look at it with a recidivist viewpoint, there's a chance Cole was that pervasive an influence, however perhaps not.

Though maddeningly programmed. . . how very true. Also grab any Black Lion or RCA you see.

I voted for Pops' birthday too.