Jazz for aficionados
After lullaby. The YT didn't want to let me out before this song was finished. "Stay" it whispered... "Stay"... "Dream a little dream of me..." https://youtu.be/gxrws7omOHQ |
Today is the birthday of a pianist that hasn’t been looked at. In many ways the quintessential West Coast Jazz musician. Fine Jazz pianist (and accordionist) with a solo recording career and who was a Grammy winning composer ensconced in the LA studio scene. We’ve all heard his music many times without realizing it; he wrote the themes for popular TV shows “Mash”, “Dallas”, “Get Smart”, “”Mannix”, and many others. Definitely one of “the cats” during the heyday of the LA scene. A style which can be said to be classic West Coast; cool, light swing reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi’s. His favorite format was always the piano trio . The personnel in his trio remained unchanged for decades and it shows; they played with a particularly high level of cohesion and musical telepathy: https://youtu.be/ms_j6Y_-h1o https://youtu.be/n6qCJsPuPek https://youtu.be/1jAZ9a400x8 https://youtu.be/tNRR18F_51c https://youtu.be/4r6WOHP2lJ4 |
Rok, re Concertgebow: THE (unanswered) questions for orchestras and their players right now. First, a couple of things as part of the always important backdrop: Fabulous orchestra and one which can play Beethoven 7 in its sleep; and I mean that in the most positive way possible. This is important because were they playing a newer and/or unfamiliar work it would be a different story in some important ways. Also, there is a reason that players in an orchestra normally sit the way that they do (did?).....strings, two to a stand and everyone much closer together. The reason for close seating is it allows maximum musical integrity. More on that later, but goes to follow that not seating close together would not allow maximum musical integrity. Yes, they sound pretty “normal”.....playing a very familiar work. Still, and taking into account the effects of individual conductors’ visions for the music, right off the bat one can hear two subtle musical details that could possibly be attributed to the “social distancing” seating arrangement. Listen to the accented chords that open the piece and compare to this; same orchestra, same hall and presumably same recording arrangement: https://youtu.be/-4788Tmz9Zo In the “COVID” version the players (strings especially) dig in a little more; a little more aggressive. I think that this is an attempt to compensate for the fact that there is more space between them. When that is the case one doesn’t hear the other players’ dynamic expression as clearly as when one is sitting closer together which in turn allows one to play with more dynamic nuance. Listen to the overall sound of the orchestra in the “COVID” version. To me, it sounds a little less “concentrated” and is a little “airier”; as one would expect from having more “air” between the players. What is the French horn player to do now that the trumpets, which he may have unison lines with, cannot be heard as clearly now that they are farther away? It can be a problem. With unfamiliar music, a big problem. Professional orchestral players are very flexible and adaptable. As you note they still sound very good (normal). This is all uncharted territory and there is a tremendous amount of anxiety as to all the possible known and unforeseen effects of all this. What about larger (many more players) works which require extremely close seating in a stage’s finite amount of space? Will this affect orchestras’ programming? Probably; certainly in the near future. Time will tell. BTW, do you own the Beethoven violin sonatas? In my book some of the greatest music ever written. |
dramatictenor119, and hypoman8, I want to compliment you both on your very good taste in jazz; I have both of those in my collection. Since words fall short on communicating music, it's our custom to post the link that displays the music under discussion; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhdZSPL7nq8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbxLxZVJ9nw I look forward to your many contributions in the future. |
