Here is an interesting artist that's new to me, and I wanted to share his music.
Yo Rok, I found this on "You Tube"; it really encompasses New Orleans music, when I'm listening to it, I slide back in time to the better days I'm sure New Orleans has seen. Besides the music, it has a lot of interesting photographs. Post whatever you like and I'll respond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U61BORipCoI |
Although I liked listening to the music, not sure I would buy it; here is an interesting video of the place; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgvoKSTQR-k |
Certain subjects cause my blood pressure to rise, and that's not good; "No more forever sounds good to me" That's the most incredible album ever; any time you can get two records without a bad note on either of them, that's spectacular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHold6ylvEM I enjoy this record by the process of "osmosis"; that's when you sit and let the blue vibes soak into your spirit; that piano talks to my soul, it communicates with my inner self. |
I, Orpheus, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed. "That I will obey the orders of the President of the United States." Somebody saved a few lives with a helicopter and was reprimanded because he didn't have orders. |
Katrina was Gods will, the wall is questionable; what was not Gods will was the response after the disaster. I saw that none response for three days on National TV. If I tell you water is coming over a wall behind me, and you take a week to throw me a rope, you want me to drown. I saw those bodies floating that should have long ago been safely rescued. I know the resources that were available for disaster that were never called upon and so does everyone else who was a medic in the Air Force, Navy, or the Army. Did God will for the White House not to pick up the phone? Could the fact that most of the people suffering were Black have anything to do with it? |
I've had Abbey is Blue on my play-list for sometime. While Dianne Reeves exuberant afro-centric performance was best if you were there, Abbey's version is best in the seclusion of one's room. That song tells a story; while Dianne's is the most exciting, Abbey's tells the story the best; 6 on one hand, a half dozen in the other, it depends on what mood you're in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbE7jf_Hp5w Every time I see this I fall in love with Lizz Wright, but I like the rest of the woman as well; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R_Qk1AN5S4 |
Baby-Face Willette might be from New Orleans; I know his music hits some New Orleans licks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNkag9AKgbA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOANP-92NqQ |
Casandra Wilson from "Jackson Mississippi" is one of my favorites, and from what I heard, she still lives there. Son House, if that ain't the blues I would like to know what is; as one girl I knew would say "Just throw me out in the alley and let me roll with the rest of the tin cans"; that's when she was enjoying the low-down Blues. |
Keegiam, thanks for this information; "There are folks in inner city America who have never known, or known of, a family member that has ever had a job. Generations." I didn't realize things have been that bad for that long, and just to think, President Obama gave banks and corporations Billion for bailout. |
Before this country was even founded, there were "peasants"; people with nothing but their labor to trade for wages. Long after this country was founded, someone came up with the idea of "unions"; those unions enabled "common people" formerly known as "peasants" to earn much higher wages, to include medical and dental benefits. They achieved the highest standard of living ever in history for "peasants". Along came "Trickle down economics" and union busting, plus "Right to work states"; no longer did plants have to pay those high "union wages"; they could just relocate in the South; you remember, that place where people worked for no wages at all once upon a time. Yesterday "common people" AKA peasants had a standard of living high enough to live "The American Dream"; today, corporations earn the highest profits in history. I wonder how things got switched around? Whatever happens, blame it on a poverty stricken, powerless, minority that's hardly surviving; that's the southern way. |
Nikonnola, there are no most important instruments; only most important musicians. https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-story-behind-charlie-parkers-plastic-sax-on-jazz-at-masse... |
Thank you Acman for "Jelly Roll Martin". I will continue with "King Porter Stomp"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8_2ISGOIjU This music is language of the soul; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxz9eZ1Aons |
Rok, I see things in a "cause effect" manner, or chain of events. Black people were relatively prosperous in St. Louis in the 60's, and most of the 70's. The decline began in the 80's, and has continued into the present. "They, cities, epitomize the break down of the Black family." No Rok, the cities epitomize the breakdown of the lower middle class economically; Black people in the cities are just in the spotlight. Lower middle class rural Whites are overdosing and finding other ways to do themselves in because they can't make a living. They are quietly vanishing. The biggest and surest occupation in the cities is selling dope, because they need dope to cope, which also results in the cause of 90% of the murders. It's all about what economic class you're in, not the color of your skin. Rich Black people certainly don't have those problems, but poor white people have the same problems as Blacks in the cities; it just gives them, and the media a feeling of superiority over Blacks in the city who are in the spotlight of social deterioration. Fox TV hits the roof any time you mention "class"; that's because all of them are millionaires, and "class" will put the spotlight on how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Poverty is the root cause of criminality; there are Black people living in the richest neighborhoods in St. Louis, although a very small %, they don't commit crimes? Which brings me to the question, "Why is there almost 0% crime in rich communities, on the City limits of St. Louis?" If all those rich people were Black, there would still be almost 0% crime there. I worked downtown St. Louis through the 70's and part of the 80's; rode a bus back and forth to work everyday through that neighborhood where he started off the tour. There were people walking and kids playing on those very sidewalks which are now empty. St. Louis was paradise for me; plenty of neighborhood "bistro's"; too close to home to get a DWI; plus that, you could even walk if you couldn't drive. In one word, what took St. Louis down was "JOBS"; when the going got rough, the tough got going and left, leaving the majority of neighborhoods to those least able to fend for themselves, and crime was for some, the only viable way to make a living. |
Since this thread is about all things New Orleans, I waited for 17 hours for someone else to chime in and give you a thumbs up on Wynton, but it didn't happen; maybe you should put an add in a local newspaper to tell them about this thread. No one can give a "strict definition" of jazz, and anyone who plays what they have determined is a strict definition of jazz will sound old fashioned, to say the least. All those names you gave are like "steak and potatoes", it's good, but not everyday; although Mingus is the one exception I would make, that's because he's somebody different everyday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdQuL1Vyy04 |
There never has, and there never will be a strict definition of "jazz". Wynton has attempted to say, this is jazz, but that is not jazz; it won't work. While what was presented is a good example of "New Orleans Jazz", it does not stand up for repeated listens in my opinion; it was dated when I was born, and that was a long time ago. There have been more artists with different styles of jazz than I can count since that time. Here is one of them; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BgZnyxD-bk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ltqlGdxJIo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC4hCn9411k&list=PLDiwark-Pr9o05stcwcQBOeiZrNKSO0-v&index=3 |
Nikonola, you have answered many questions I had about New Orleans; like what makes it so different from any other city. In every city I've ever been to, people "retreat" from one another; they build nice decks in the back for privacy. They even ignore the gun fire like in a war zone in the inner city. That gunfire is not people getting shot, but gangs warning other gangs not to come on their "turf"; it's kind of like animals peeing on trees. I like the way people in New Orleans sit on the "front porch" where they can engage with one another; after all there's nothing they can do about the gigantic problems we are confronted with, might as well drink and be merry; that's what makes New Orleans so unique, and is one of the reasons why those who are born there prefer to stay there. Thanks. |
Rok, here's a tour of St. Louis, where I used to live, and loved it when I lived there 20 years ago; it's where I was born. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TEi0nJP5BE |
The first time I heard "Ode To Billy Joe", I was crossing a bridge in Mississippi in my brand new "Duece" (Electra 225), and I was sure it was the Tallahatchie Bridge, but since I was coming into Hattiesburg, as I discovered much later, that was not it. I have never heard a version of this song I didn't like; I wonder if it's because I was so busy spending my misspent youth. I wish I could spend all over again? Gene Harris can make anything sound good. For old time sake here is the original; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv33eaygVDQ |
I'm still getting into New Orleans culture because it's new to me. Right now I'm fascinated by "Second Lines"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpKiuVVXXeA&t=14s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG6KH905cGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HXFzkX8sOY Since I'm not a native of NOLA, I'm sure any one who is, can find "Second Lines" better than what I posted. Please join in. |
Here is the Doctor John whose ways our Dr. John adopted, and got his ways; http://www.conjuredoctors.com/dr-john-montanee.html |
More good music for a Sunday evening; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmRkZeGFONg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmm9u8dPU4A |
I'll just have to pretend not to see that hat. While there have been a number of good female vocalists to come along, he's the only outstanding male vocalist to come along in quite some time. To put something special in "Merry Christmas Baby", a song that's been sung by all the best male vocalists since God knows when, is quite a feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant is just so unique; she adds a new and different twist to whatever she sings. As many times as I've heard that tune, not once was it in church; unless I was at the church of good times, but I'm sure reverend Smith's "Sermon" has redeeming qualities. |
More important than the instrument is the musician playing it. When any new musician comes along on any instrument, and he's good enough to be compared to all the greats before him, he's good. While I heard of "Gregory Porter", since male vocalist wasn't a niche in my collection that I was trying to fill, I didn't pay much attention; and besides, how could somebody who dressed like that sing? What possessed him to wear that hat, it was a mistake; I just knew that the next time I saw him, he would have corrected it. Well, the next time I saw him, he still had on that goofy looking hat. Hat or no hat, it's time to listen and hear whether or not he can sing. This guy can sing, when I compare him to all the great male vocalists that went before him, he compares to the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFsChbwsbmo I like this, but no matter what he sings, he sounds good; you can hear his mastery of music, and know that he has a lot of formal education. |
But on the serious side, my ears are way out of whack compared to the experts when it comes to piano. As an example Cecil Taylor, and Andrew Hill are very highly rated pianists that I could live without an abundance of them in my collection, maybe you have a different view. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EstPgi4eMe4 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=andrew+hill+spiral |
Louis Armstrong, Charley Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie, are three of the most renowned names in jazz; two trumpets and one sax, no piano. We hear of "Concert pianists", but that's in another Genre of music. I like long piano solos, but that's as far as it goes. A solo piano all night long grates on my ears; eventually they begin to sound like "Schroeder"; that's the kid with the toy piano in Peanuts. Your ears are specially tuned to pianos, which is why you like them so much. My ears are more tuned to sax and trumpet. That being said, I wouldn't even want to hear a solo sax or trumpet all night long, no matter who played it. It just boils down to; "Different strokes for different folks". |
Most people believe the trumpet is the most important instrument in jazz, followed by the sax. Dizzy Gillespie, a well known trumpet player, was a disciple of Roy Eldridge; South Carolina-born Dizzy was also a crucial figure in the birth of Latin jazz, and famed for his big band Afro-Cuban fusion sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhD_KJpRwAY |
Rok, I just stumbled upon something super hot; what do you think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAySRiAIDXI |
I will forever be in love with Pannonica, and all jazz tunes with "Nica" in the title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwvuGJPQBNw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDrxzKYdwsA |
"Pops" is still number 1 on official lists, but those who place him number 1 on the street have died out. If he had played hard-bop he would be number 1 on the street now. Another kind of New Orleans music I like is "Voodoo music". In the South, I believe they call it "Hoo-Doo". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZePgj6rLV5k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KIscg0L7PA&list=PL16276A94A9205B1E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb8DlC3utYE |
If you can't win the argument, change the subject; that sounds like politics 101 to me. On to more good trumpet player from New Orleans. (Between me and you, I was in basic training with this guy named Petrie from Nawlins, that's the way he pronounced it, and he was born in New Orleans, had that accent that let you know it) Maybe things done changed since that time. Nicholas Payton was born 1973 in New Orleans, and he's a top rated trumpet player; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWXELfT-pMk |
Who is the best "hard-bop" jazz musician is not determined by some authority figure, but by a consensus of jazz musicians and jazz aficionados on the street; primarily in big cities. You can feel free to disagree with that consensus. Clifford Brown was considered the best until his death. He was killed on June 26, 1956; I was living on the South Side of Chicago with my older cousin who had only recently introduced me to Clifford Brown. The remarkable thing about being the best, is that even after death, a musician can still be considered the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt_fmhtePoc Not until Lee Morgan was any musician unanimously considered the best. He died February 19, 1972 at age 33. As I stated, a musician can still be considered the best even after his death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHN6-yWFKPc For a short while, before Wynton Marsalis left Art Blakey, he was considered the best. That's because as a trumpet player, he was comparable to both those musicians. It was not until he became his own man, making his own albums which did not live up to what was expected, and were not in the same league as the music of Clifford Brown or Lee Morgan that he was no longer considered the best. However, since he also played classical music, I think he was still considered the best by the establishment; hence, Lincoln Center. Of course, the assessment I made can be challenged. |
Wynton is a highly educated musician, that made him perfect for Lincoln Center. He started off in the big league of jazz musicians, not just any musicians, but the big league of jazz musicians, and he blew like big league musicians. After he left Blakey, there were extremely high expectations; it was expected that he would compare to musicians like "Lee Morgan", Donald Byrd, and Freddie Hubbard, but his albums didn't rise to the occasion. The problem was that more was expected than he could deliver. Now if you read the newspaper, he always got good press, but if you talked to aficionados, and the top jazz musicians, he wasn't in the "creative" running with the likes of Lee Morgan and Donald Byrd. Fortunately for Wynton, since he could also play Classical, that really put him in good with the establishment; one that really never understood hardbop or modern jazz noway. The bottom line is that more "creativity" was expected of Wynton than he was able to deliver. When you compare Wynton to Lee Morgan or Donald Byrd, you'll see where many other top jazz musicians are coming from. The establishment said it was jealously, but they're the last people to ask any questions about hardbop or modern jazz. There was no jealously, just statements of fact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr8MXT5f7gw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jpFtZ9KmvI |
Wynton started out with Blakey's Messengers, and everybody said he was arguably the worlds best trumpet player. That could still be true because he also plays classical music. While he might be the best jazz trumpet player, that did not include being the best jazz musician. After Wynton left Blakey, and was on his own, the shortcomings in his jazz composing talents became apparent. But he also plays classical, and that bumped his stature up with the establishment. https://wyntonmarsalis.org/videos/view/ms.-b.c.-art-blakey-and-the-jazz-messengers-live-at-seventh-a... There, Wynton is playing the hippest of the hip jazz, and he's blowing it out of the park. Criticism of Wynton from Aficionados and other jazz musicians did not come along until after he left Blakey. That's when we discovered he wasn't as good at making his own music as we thought he would be. That's it in a nutshell. |
NOLA music is all over the map; for me personally, we're back where we started; Jon Batiste plays what's most appealing to my taste in music which also incorporates New Orleans piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCC1EEmJlo4 No matter how good Wynton Marsalis can blow the trumpet, he's composed very little that appeals to my taste. While he can play everybody else's music, where's his? What can you present that might cause me to reconsider? When I hear this music I visualize New Orleans; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx23PzFb1RU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlifDYDUuHI |
What intrigues me is New Orleans Cajun or French, I'm trying to understand it before I go there. http://www.storyvilledistrictnola.com/glossary.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO4zcAH1-wo |
Rok, it's strictly a "New Orleans thing", and you have to be from there to understand it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKmfeCO6hBI |
Born in San Antonio, Texas, from the late 1920s, Glenn played with various jazz bands in the Dallas and San Antonio areas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBoM6O7Z3M4 |
Many of the people displaced by the Katrina "Aftermath" never returned to NOLA. A hurricane is one thing, but this disaster occurred "after" the hurricane. That was mentioned by some of the current residents. That fact will never let me rest, I was a medic and served in the unit at Scott that trained to respond to any kind of a disaster. We had anything and everything; hospital, Doctors, nurses, medics, plus C-5A's, but my unit was never called. Sorry to bring it up. |
