etnobofin

Free Parking for improvisation in multiple environments.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Let's Give Wynton Marsalis a Break...

The guy sure can play. So, without taking sides in the politics of American jazz, here are two recordings of a young Wynton, cementing his place in the history of the music. With Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams in Japan in 1981, and with his own band (Kenny Kirkland, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Phil Bowler) in New York in 1983.

Herbie Hancock Quartet - Clear Ways
From Quartet: Columbia CGK 38275 [Buy]

Wynton Marsalis Quartet - My Ideal
From Think of One: Columbia CK 38641 [Buy]


posted by etnobofin @ 18:53  

7 Comments:

  • At 7:14 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I especially like his cover of "Autumn Leaves" on Standard Time Vol. 1

    :D

     

  • At 2:02 PM, Blogger etnobofin said…

    I keep seeing WM's Standard Time CDs in the shops, and never buying them. Probably something to do with finding "new" music more compelling than yet another interpretation of My Funny Valentine...

    ...but I should probably shake off this arrogant attitude and grab some of these albums occasionally! Thanks for the comment :-)

     

  • At 5:42 PM, Blogger DJ durutti said…

    sure wynton came play, but i still have a hard time giving him a break. Although my attitude has mellowed over the years, its hard shaking my fervent opposition to his leadership and huge role in of the conservative/reactionary school of jazz beginning in the early 80's (at the dawn of the Reagan/Thatcher era as it were).

    OK, sorry for taking sides in the politics af Jazz issue, but i couldn't bite my tounge in time!! (guess i still have an attitude about Wynton's role in Ken Burn's JAzz documentary & its take on post 1963 jazz.) alright, guess i can shut up now. Actually, Lincoln Center is a great place for Wynton -- he's the perfect curator of ossified museum jazz (oops, that's over-the-top even for me. sorry again).

    Ok now its time for me to hypocritically download the tracks!! -- thanks again for all the great posts and work @ etnobofin

     

  • At 9:39 PM, Blogger etnobofin said…

    I know exactly where you're coming from Matt, but surely every faith will have its fundamentalists who grab all the media attention, while the real scene is happening elsewhere?

    The Thatcher/Reagan call was spot-on though! Great! Is there a new neocon jazz maven for the Bush II era?

    I'd say that I agree with you about Ken Burns Jazz too. Everything after A Love Supreme and Miles 2nd Quintet is pretty much glossed over. But Ken Burns is an avowed classicist - I'm not sure Burns would have been the right documentarian to capture the spirit of Albert Ayler for example. We'll leave that for somebody else.

    I guess my point is that as a modestly exploratory musician myself, I try to ignore the dogma, and I take from conservatism whatever it is I need, as equally I take from the fringes.

    Did any of that make sense? And thanks for the kind words about etnobofin :-)

     

  • At 10:06 AM, Blogger DJ durutti said…

    Hey man, i definitely know what you mean!! And i think borrowing from the traditional, the fringe, and anywhere else is, imho, what keeps jazz and any art form alive, dynamic and an important cultural / social / political / whatever expression.

    On that note, i think the Wynton reactionary jazz ideology distorted or at least colored what was covered from '63 - present in Ken Burns' Jazz, and more importantly what wasn't. And of course the insulting "Bitches Brew and its progeny, along w/ all aspects of the avant garde and other jazz fusions (world beat, klezmer, funk, hip hop) nearly ruined jazz until Wynton, thank god came to the rescue. . .

    I remember receiving a hilarious email of a parody "transcript" of Ken Burns Jazz just after the series aired. The best segment started w/ something like: "its 1963, Mingus is creating some of the most important large ensemble works since Ellington's peak, Ornette continues to redefine what jazz is, the John Coltrane Quartet continues to explore what will become the most influential development in post-war jazz, Rahsaan is creating amazing, exciting music, but we're not gonna get into any of that. Instead, we're gonna spend 35 minutes talking about Louis Armstrong singing "Hello Dolly". . .

    Wynton kept referencing jass' New Orleans roots and comparing the afro-Caribbean/European classical/slave folk & blues melange to gumbo. After using the term gumbo 50 times or so, Wynton ends up in the kitchen yellin' out "hey i'm making gumbo -- who wants some?" and Stanley Crouch is all like "i do, i do!!"

     

  • At 11:12 AM, Blogger etnobofin said…

    Heehee, 35 minutes on "Hello Dolly" !

    I get the impression that the highly publicised conservatism of Marsalis/Crouch has inspired more column inches on than any other issue in jazz/improvised in the past 30 year.

    Perhaps the avant-garde or more "Progressive" movements/scenes in the Jazz Rebel Alliance have in fact been strengthened because they have an evil Empire to fight against?

    When you see the resources (media, funding, political support) available to many of the stormtroopers today, the Dark Side can seem pretty tempting. May the force be with us!

     

  • At 2:51 PM, Blogger DJ durutti said…

    I think the "common enemy" has prob. strengthened, provided a greater sense of community or purpose, and even connected some scenes/movements. And if its helped more folks avoid the lure of the "dark side," all the better! -- the force indeed!!

     

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