Blues Notes #1

Hello, 

I did another livestream today. We're going to make it a weekly performance. We'll continue to do standards and improv. Enjoy the music. Don't forget to like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

Thanks, enjoy 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ikzDWiTXHc 

Fascinating Rhythm Reading Jazz in American Writing

I finally read and finished a book again. Its been a while, this book is called Fascinating Rhythm Reading Jazz in American Writing, its written by David Yaffe.  

"David Yaffe's writings have appeared in many publications, including the New Republic, The Nation, the New York Times, New York Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Village Voice, Slate, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He is Assistant Professor of English at Syracuse University."

Basically he's an academic who likes jazz, like most jazz writers and critics. In this book Yaffe explores the relationship between jazz and literature, talking a lot about Ralph Ellison, Norman Mailer, Stanley Crouch, Cornel West, Henry Louis Gates, Langston Hughs, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Fitzgerald, and J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye (there's jazz references in that novel), and goes into the aspect of the pimp over the artist when it comes to autobiographies (Lady Day, Miles, and Mingus get the work over). I would say the book credits Ralph Ellison more so than the others, and for good reason, because he was an important writer in the jazz idiom.

The book explores jazz and race quite spectacularly, going into the idea of the White Negro, and showing and explaining the close relationship between blacks and Jews going back to the early 1900s before bands were integrated, it wasn't until 1922 that Benny Goodman recorded the first integrated jazz band. Blacks and Jews were quite simpatico you could say. It wasn't until later that Blacks started to write and describe their art, poetry, and music in their own words without needing the white man to describe it in order to sell to the intellectual elite, which was mostly Leftist Jews. 

The book taught me a lot about jazz, not really the musical side (as Yaffe says pimping sells more than selling practicing scales) but the book focuses more on the cultural and literary aspects of jazz. As much as I love the literary side of jazz as Charlie Parker said in his only live television performance (and only recorded live performance with sound), "the music speaks much more than words ever could." I go with that tact, although I do believe that jazz needs writers and the literate elite to keep it alive without it getting deformed and mashed into fusion and smooth jazz. The neoclassical movement in jazz should always be strong, and should be informed by an educated elite, just like how it was in the 50's. If we keep things like that then I think jazz will be on a good track to staying relevant in an increasingly pop and rap dominated American society. Got that? Good. 

I think Cornel West sums up the book really well.

"This is a fascinating and formidable response to Ralph Ellison's famous call for a 'jazz-shaped' reading of American literature. Yaffe's bold and often brilliant treatments of black-Jewish relations in twentieth-century U.S. culture, Ellison's own seminal works, poetry and jazz influences, and the autobiographies of Mingus, Holiday, and Miles Davis are major contributions to American and Afro-American studies."--Cornel West, Princeton University

Now I feel a lot more informed on the cultural side of the jazz universe. Feels good to be a gangsta (kisses his gold chain) 

Low Down, the jazz movie

    

 

 Low Down is a biopic directed by Flea from the Red Hot Chilipeppers about jazz pianist Joe Albany. It is mainly told through Joe Albany's daughter's point of view. Jo watches and struggles with the fact that her father is a dope addict despite the fact that he's a brilliant musician that's played with the likes of Charlie Parker, Mingus, and Miles Davis. John Hawkes plays Joe Albany and Elle Fanning plays Jo. Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones plays a neighbor who does midget porn. One thing that I noticed in this movie that was a bit strange but maybe not out of character for a junkie was the fact that in every scene John Hawkes was smoking a cigarette. When it wasn't him it was some other character. In the 70s did everyone just smoke cigarettes and smoke them nonstop at that?
     Next, this film kind of has two parts. There's the first part, which is nice and peaceful and happy. And then there is the second part which is grim and hellish, the fact that he will never quit using. I rather liked the first part because that was where we get to see Joe Albany playing jazz and having fun making music. In addition, we get to see him develop and keep a great relationship with his daughter, despite the fact that he's on probation.
      Moving on, the second part involved Joe Albany going to Europe and making tons of studio records out there. He comes back home and he's happy about his life and his accomplishments playing in Europe. But then we realize that he's back to using again. It's grim and sad but this was the life he chose. Many jazz musicians lived the junkie lifestyle and quit on and off again and this was no exception. He ruined his relationship with his mother and daughter. But in the end Jo even resorted to buying him the stuff he needed so he wouldn't be so sick. The stuff I'm referring to would be the heroin. 
     Lastly, my final thoughts on this movie was that it was more biographical than just a plain old watch it and its over movie. It had a sense of making me really care about these characters, especially Jo, because she had to live through her dad being a junkie jazz piano player all his life. I feel like jazz musicians lived this way in the past because other jazz musicians did it and they felt like they needed to do it to be like them. Or they just did it once, and they're just hooked. I feel like there is such stigma today for people who use dope that you really can't get away with being a junkie. People will laugh at you, shun you, dislike you, and not be your friend anymore. On the other hand, today we have so many celebrities that are doing drugs that maybe it has become acceptable in the mainstream to be a druggie. This movie brings into question the ideals of musicians, actors, celebrities;what is and what is not acceptable? That's what makes this movie so interesting.

Thoughts on Keep on Keepin' On Film

     This was a movie that was about trumpeter Clark Terry, one of the all time greats who played with Duke Ellington's orchestra and many, many others. He's credited on being on at least a thousand records. He's a total legend and inspired people like Quincy Jones and Miles Davis. This movie doesn't show the musical giant that he is though. Rather it focuses on him being a teacher to young up and coming jazz musicians, particularly a blind piano player named Justin Kauflin who eventually gets signed by Quincy Jones at the end of the movie.

     This was a beautiful movie because it captures CT and Justin's love for jazz. Justin would come by to CT's place to work on tunes, to talk, and rehearse with his college band. Their friendship was a great one and CT thought very highly of Justin's playing. Justin's career hadn't really taken off when he moved to New York because he was blind and people didn't think a blind man could make it to gigs or learn their music. Justin was entered in the Thelonius Monk Competition somehow but didn't make top three, but in the end it worked out for him and he may become a great jazz musician working under Quincy Jones. This was a really fantastic film although it doesn't really feature much of CT's music or playing. At times I was sad to see CT in such destabilizing conditions as a result of his diabetes. The great trumpeter lives through his students!