JSngry Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 I think one or one and a half stars for this CD is appropriate given the target market of AMG. No doubt, but I have a real problem with anybody who takes any AMG review as anything other than just one person's opinion, and not necessarily a "fully informed" one at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 I think he plays "Stuffy" during that free association. We played this on the radio twice during the day when it first came out. Needless to say the blue hairs in the audience were not impressed. Though the fuscia hairs did raise a razor cut eyebrow or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 I don't necessarily trust the fuscia hairs to have much of a sense of "historical context", but I sure as hell trust them a lot more than the blue hairs to have a sense of what's happening right now. What's the midway point on the spectrum between blue and fuscia? That's what color hair I want to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allblues Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 What's the midway point on the spectrum between blue and fuscia? Bluscia? But seriously, the midpoint color for me has turned out to be "greying." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 Sadly my hair is using an exit strategy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMP Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 The CD version does let you hear the whole thing without a break, for what that's worth. (One of the benefits of the CD is that occasionally we get a full-length performance of material we knew from an LP that was interrupted by a fade, like "Creator Has A Master Plan.") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.L.M Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Would agree with Jim but it's not a concept that I'd buy into. The only solo albums that seem to work are pianos probably for the reasons stated earlier in the thread. Not an accurate statement. Probably a badly inform one. I've more than fifty saxophone solo albums - LACY, PARKER (EVAN), BRAXTON, NED ROTHENBERG, JOE GIARDULLO, BRÖTZMANN, LARRY STABBINS, HELMUTt GIES, MICHEL DONEDA, GIANNI GEBBIA, MATS GUSTASSON, DAVE LIEBMAN, JAMES FEI, BRANDON EVANS, SAM RIVERS and so on - and most of them are outstanding. I've also solo trombone, guitar, bass, trumpet, clarinet, bass clarinet and PIANO albums, all fines in their own way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 What P.L.M. said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Would agree with Jim but it's not a concept that I'd buy into. The only solo albums that seem to work are pianos probably for the reasons stated earlier in the thread. Not an accurate statement. Probably a badly inform one. I'll stick up for Brad. The non-piano solo albums I've heard and boring and self-indulgent. I particularly disliked the ones by Lacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.L.M Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 I'll stick up for Brad. The non-piano solo albums I've heard and boring and self-indulgent. I particularly disliked the ones by Lacy. Good for you. Not for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Well, we're definitely into "matters of personal preference" here, but before anybody dismisses Lacy's solo output out of hand (and count me as among those who find it mesmerizingly brilliant), a listen should be had to Hocus-Pocus Like the Rollins album, it's essentially a "practice album". but the difference is that, whereas Rollins totally free-associates, Lacy plays a set of etudes that he composed to address specific musical/technical issues and then improvises on and off of them. His melodies/themes/motifs/etc are always to the fore (as they always are, imo), and the developement of each etude is really easy to follow. Seems that Lacy wrote a buttload of these type etudes, but this would appear to be the only recording specifically dedicated to them (if I'm wrong, please let me know). More's the pity. What else is a pity is that, although it's one of Lacy's most essential albums (imo), it's damn near impossible to find, and was from the git-go. But if you do find it, carpe diem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesbro Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 So, unless someone is playing a tune with a rythm section, that means he is 'practicing'?? Sure would like to hear some people here elaborate on improvisation vs practice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 You can improvise and still be practicing. Has to do with the intent, parameters, and direction of the improvising. Are you "working things out" or are you letting it all go and just playing? And yes, that does mean that a lot of "jazz" (most, actually) is ultimately just so much practicing in one form or another (which is not to say that this practicing does not have a beauty and validity of its own). The number of people who really play, who truly improvise w/o it being some form of "practicing" are few and far between. Hope no bubbles are being burst here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Like Monk says to Teo Macero in "Straight No Chaser" after he finds out they weren't taping while they were playing down a tune in the studio....something to the effect of.... Monk "Let's hear that back" Teo "We weren't taping. I thought you were practicing." Monk (pissed) "You practice everytime you touch your instrument." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Well, we're definitely into "matters of personal preference" here, but before anybody dismisses Lacy's solo output out of hand (and count me as among those who find it mesmerizingly brilliant), a listen should be had to Hocus-Pocus Like the Rollins album, it's essentially a "practice album". but the difference is that, whereas Rollins totally free-associates, Lacy plays a set of etudes that he composed to address specific musical/technical issues and then improvises on and off of them. His melodies/themes/motifs/etc are always to the fore (as they always are, imo), and the developement of each etude is really easy to follow. Seems that Lacy wrote a buttload of these type etudes, but this would appear to be the only recording specifically dedicated to them (if I'm wrong, please let me know). More's the pity. What else is a pity is that, although it's one of Lacy's most essential albums (imo), it's damn near impossible to find, and was from the git-go. But if you do find it, carpe diem. Jim - others will know far better, and I don't own it myself, but I believe there's an album on Tzadik called 'Sands' which is comprised of music from book 'S' of the etudes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Thanks for the heads-up. I didn't know that, but will be on the lookout for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Ah, Eric Dolphy's "God Bless the Child" and Coleman Hawkin's "Picasso" are more than successful solo performances, they're masterworks of improvised music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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