For as long as I can remember, I have loved to make compilation albums. Or, in old school parlance, mix tapes.
And, new school, playlists.
My days of filling Maxell, TDK and Memorex cassettes disappeared with the advent of CD-Rs, but at some point I put together a disc of great jazz saxophonists for one of my nephews. I even put together some cover art utilizing images of wonderful jazz paintings by Bruni Sablan, simply for personal use.
The artwork isn't mine to replicate here, but noting that today is International Jazz Day, I was able to find all the tracks to compile into the Spotify playlist below. Obviously there is a lot more music by each of these artists to be found on Spotify, YouTube, etc., and info at AllMusic.com and Wikipedia. But for now, please enjoy:
Chick Corea and Gary Burton
accompanied by the Harlem String Quartet
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie, IL
December 6, 2012
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Should my delusions of self-importance ever reach the point where I publish Seth Saith’s Rules for Life, one of them will be:
Any time you have the chance to see a jazz musician whose name you know—especially for relatively little cost and effort—do so.
Wednesday’s passing of the great pianist, Dave Brubeck, reminded me that on multiple occasions over the past decade I had noted appearances of his at Orchestra Hall and Ravinia Festival, but for one reason or other, I never opted to attend any of his concerts. Now I’m sorry that I didn’t.
I can’t quite call myself a jazz aficionado, but I enjoy the art enough that I try to get to a couple performances each year. Typically, these are by the few surviving artists considered all-time greats—Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett—or the handful of contemporary players I’ve come to be aware of, such as Joshua Redman and Miguel Zenon.
It isn’t coincidental that all the names I’ve mentioned so far are either saxophonists or pianists, as those are the instruments—i.e. vehicles for superstar band leaders—I most favor. And with the death of Brubeck, I think that leaves only Tyner, Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea among the ranks of legendary jazz pianists that casual jazz fans are likely to know. (Perhaps also Ramsey Lewis, though I’m not a huge fan of his style. A few younger pianists I’ve heard and like include Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Benny Green and Ryan Cohan.)
So although I wasn’t necessarily planning to see Chick Corea with Gary Burton (a famed vibraphonist) and the Harlem String Quartet on Thursday night at Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, three things conspired to convince me that I should:
1) Brubeck’s death; 2) Half-price tickets on Hottix.org and 3) The fact that the venue is 5 minutes from my home.
And thus I reiterate: Any time you have the chance to see a jazz musician whose name you know—especially for relatively little cost and effort—do so.
For while I doubt that I would have gone down to Symphony Center to catch the performance, nor paid the $60 & up that tickets were priced at before HotTix sliced them in half, I’m glad the stars aligned to see Corea and Burton when the opportunity presented itself.
If nothing else, I now have a better understanding as to why Corea has been nominated for 56 Grammy Awards—including 5 more just announced—and has won 18 over his illustrious career (Wikipedia).
Three of the current nominations are tied to Hot House, Corea’s latest album with Burton, with whom he has collaborated for 40 years. Selections from the album, on which Corea and Burton mostly put their spin on compositions by others, comprised the bulk of Thursday’s performance.
Burton explained that this was atypical—their concerts primarily mine Corea’s own works—but all I know is that everything they played sounded good to me.
Early in the first set, Corea and Burton did an exquisite rendition of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” which is on Hot House, and I loved the unique interpretation, with Burton lyrically channeling “all the lonely people” on his vibraphone (somewhat akin to a xylophone; see the photo below and video at bottom for a better sense).
While that was the only piece played for which I had a discernible point of reference, other interesting covers from Hot House included the title track (written by Tadd Dameron and made famous by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie) and “Chega de Suadade” by Antônio Carlos Jobim.
The first set ended with Corea and Burton paying touching tribute to Brubeck with “Strange Meadow Lark” from his famed Time Out album (it is also performed by the duo on Hot House). Corea noted that Brubeck was a friend and something of a mentor, and that while in the ’60s Brubeck may not have been deemed “cool,” his innovations helped pave the way for jazz fusion.
After intermission, Corea and Burton were joined by the Harlem String Quartet, who they had met while recording the only Corea composition on Hot House, “Mozart Goes Dancing,” which has now earned a Grammy nom.
Hearing the string quartet was sublime on that song, as well as on a beautiful take of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight” and Corea’s own “Brasilia.”
I certainly don’t know enough about jazz piano virtuosity to critique the technique, level of difficulty, originality, etc. of what I heard. I just know that I liked it. Corea was never as thunderous on the keys as Tyner, whose style I prefer, but even a dilettante like me couldn’t help but marvel at his dexterity. I can’t intelligently explain why Chick Corea is one of those (few remaining) name-brand names of jazz—though having played with Miles Davis surely helped—but at least I got a sense of why he deserves to be.
And from what I’ve now read about Gary Burton (Wikipedia), his legacy is nearly as legendary. While I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a live vibraphone before, I sure enjoyed the way it sounded in complementing Corea and the string quartet.
Once upon a time, top jazz musicians were like rock stars. Nowaways, when even most rock stars aren’t like rock stars, jazz players seem to exist on the fringes and there are only a few of the old greats left. So any time I can abide by my own Rule of Life at top, I intend to. For not only am I glad I saw Chick Corea, I learned another name worth knowing in Gary Burton. And though it isn’t exactly incisive criticism, their live introduction to Hot House was pretty damn cool.
-- As mentioned above, here is a clip of Chick Corea and Gary Burton performing “Eleanor Rigby” a few months back:
Ornithology: The Music of Charlie "Bird" Parker
Chicago Jazz Ensemble
with special guest Miguel Zenon
February 24, 2012
Harris Theatre, Chicago
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High on the shortlist of my all-time favorite sounds is that emitted by a well-played saxophone.
This likely emanates from being such a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, with Clarence Clemons' sax having been such a distinctive and definitive part of their music.
While I wouldn't quite call myself a jazz aficionado, I long ago came to love hearing recordings of--and particularly solos by--such legendary sax players as Charlie 'Bird' Parker, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman, the last two of whom are still alive and who I've been fortunate to see in concert.
I've also been dazzled by many saxophonists at the club level, most of whose names I'll never know.
Although I don't follow the jazz genre with the same avocation I do rock, I take note when someone is hailed as a great sax player, especially as I feel being a jazz virtuoso doesn't bring the recognition it once did. (I remain unclear if no one is rising to the level of Miles, Mingus, Monk and those named above because America en masse doesn't care much about jazz or if there just aren't many players of that caliber anymore. Or perhaps both.)
Which brings me to Miguel Zenon. Along with Joshua Redman and maybe a couple others, he is one of the few young, in-their-prime saxophonists I have come to know enough to seek out in concert. And if you care about jazz to the level I do--or anywhere beyond it--he is someone you should know.
Last night, he was in Chicago to join the Chicago Jazz Ensemble--led by artistic director Dana Hall on drums--in a program titled Ornithology: The Music of Charlie "Bird" Parker.
Though I would have been thrilled to hear Zenon play anything associated with the great Bird, the focus of the evening was recordings Parker made in 1949-50 called Charlie Parker With Strings. As the affable Hall explained, Parker was the first jazz musician (at least of note) to record with strings, playing "standards" with violins, violas, cellos, etc. At the time when Parker was pretty much inventing be-bop, this exploration may have been seen as somewhat soft, but as Hall mentioned, an essential part of great artistry is the need to try new things.
I have Charlie Parker With Strings, the Master Takes and while it might not excite like more conventional Parker, it still sounds quite good to my untrained ears. Likewise, Zenon playing with the CJE and a guest string section (plus oboe, English horn, French horn and harp) sounded delightful. Songs like "I'm in the Mood for Love," "Autumn in New York" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" lent themselves more to Zenon demonstrating a silky dexterity rather race car solo runs, but there was nothing not to like.
As with classical pianists, when it comes to elite saxophonists, neophytes like me probably often equate playing fast and loud with greatness, but it's not hard to conceive tone and texture as being just as important. Especially as Zenon gave ample proof that he could "blaze," as when soloing on the closing number, "Rocker," even when his playing was more restrained, his talent--like the sound his sax was making--was clear and delectable.
For about half of the two hour performance, Zenon was accompanied only by the string section plus Hall on drums, Jeff Parker on guitar, Jeremy Kahn on piano and Dan Anderson on double bass. But I particularly enjoyed the songs when the rest of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble was onstage as well and the audience was treated to some nice trombone and trumpet solos.
The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," Zenon has often explored the music of his Puerto Rican homeland, including on his acclaimed 2009 album, Esta Plena, about which a rave review by the Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich spurred my awareness and subsequent attendance of a Zenon gig at Jazz Showcase. He dazzled then, but it was just as much a pleasure to see and hear him tackle Parker--and rather unique Parker at that.
With balcony tickets only $18, it would have been nice to see the Harris Theater more full, but at least in Zenon's case--while also applauding the fine work by everyone onstage--it's encouraging to know that even if they aren't bringing out huge crowds, there still exist some new jazz musicians who deserve to.
I know and like a fair amount of jazz, particularly the legendary musicians and composers--Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins (who I saw earlier this year)--but am not quite an aficionado and 'Miles' short of being an expert.
But by far, my favorite jazz musician has long been saxophonist John Coltrane, whom I became aware of when Bono namechecked him--and Miles Davis--in Angel of Harlem, U2's 1988 song about Billie Holiday
'Trane' is typically cited just below 'Bird' (Charlie Parker) in the annals of all-time sax men, but I've liked him best since first hearing him and have come to own most of his major recordings.
More like Parker than their contemporary Rollins, whose career has stretched over 60 years, Coltrane's time in the limelight was rather brief. Born on this day in 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, he first became known in 1955 as a sideman to Davis, and then Monk, recorded his own first album in 1957 and didn't form his "Classic Quartet" until 1962. Although he had kicked his heroin habit years earlier, Coltrane died of liver cancer in 1967 at the age of 40.
I can't really speak too intelligently about his innovations or influence--the Wikipedia article on Coltrane does so briefly and Lewis Porter's biography on him is quite good--I just like the way he sounds, particularly when he blazes through solos. And even a dilettante like me can tell that his playing is different than almost everything that came before, and even after.
In honor of what would have been John Coltrane's 84th birthday, below are four clips from YouTube that go a short but considerable distance in showing why 'Trane continues to blow my mind.
(Note: For those who want to hear the music but don't have time to click through all the videos, the final video below is a "Playlist" that will automatically cycle through the clips I've chosen.)
My Favorite Things - Although most Coltrane records as a group leader primarily include original compositions, his 1961 take on Rogers & Hammerstein's classic from The Sound of Music stands as one of his signature tunes. The audio on this clip isn't quite perfect, but it's worth watching just to see the master at work. And though Coltrane is most famed as a Tenor Sax player, here I think he is playing an Alto Sax. Coltrane's pianist, McCoy Tyner, is also masterful here and I've had the pleasure of seeing him perform several times in the last decade.
Giant Steps - This is a really cool video someone put together for what is probably my single favorite Coltrane track. According to Wikipedia, "The composition is a milestone for jazz musicians' progress, given the difficulty of improvising its rapid progression of chord changes that progress through three keys (see Coltrane changes) shifted by major thirds, creating an augmented triad."
Blue Train - An astonishing Coltrane composition from 1957. This is the studio version accompanied by a nice photo collage.
A Love Supreme - Mentioned in Angel Of Harlem, A Love Supreme is a four-part suite considered one of the greatest recordings in jazz history. This is a brief clip showing Coltrane playing Part 1: Acknowledgement in 1965. The full studio recording of Acknowledgement can be heard here.
As I said above, this is just a "Playlist" that automatically rolls through the four videos above, for the ease of those who prefer to have the music playing in the background.
on him is quite good--I just like the way he sounds, particularly when he blazes through solos. And even a dilettante like me can tell that his playing is different than almost everything that came before, and even after. 
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