Charlie Parker's centennial seemed to pass with precious little mention in mainstream media, which I suppose should surprise neither jazz fans or followers of the current news channels. But here's a little something, not about Bird, but about the musical form as a melting pot that is worth enjoying. Grab a drink, sit down, and enjoy the history:
2 comments:
I like some jazz. However, in much of jazz, melody and harmony are lacking. Without melody, music has no horizontal extension without harmony music lacks vertical extension. The great comedian Robin Williams, perhaps the most brilliant improvisational comedian ever, demonstrated that improvisation works best within a containing structure, so too with music.
The Genius of Jazz, real Jazz, is America's gift to the world. Alas that there is a caveat. When musicians stray waaaaaaaaay off the melody and sound like they're just blowing/playing scales until finally they return to the meat of the music it drives me, if not away, then just plain crazy.
Same too with the aptly named "scat singing". Ugh. I can barely abide my favorite female vocalist, Lady Time, Ella Fitzgerald doing that. Improvisation is fine so long as it is brief in it's homage to the music and not long-winded toward the ego of the artist.
As for the late, great and much lamented comic Robin Williams. It is this man's opinion that the reason Robin took his own life is because the women in it took everything else. Think about it.
And yes, Real Jazz is my favorite genre. So called "Smoooood Jahz" to me is like eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes with syrup instead of milk. Yuck.
In all ways and for always, be well my young friend.
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