Quote:
Originally Posted by gridjam  I forgot Thad Jones! 
I don't know if I can whole-heartedly agree that every jazz player is lyrical and melodic- some players can be described as more angular and searching, or dissonant and brassy, and so on...EVEN THEN, these descriptions we decide on (and the press decide on) are usually only based on a small portion of what we hear that player do. I guess it's the inner English lit student in me that wants to hear more critique (not to be confused with criticism) when it comes to describing players and music, much as they do in the British way, in which the language used can almost make you taste,smell and feel the event, eliminating the possibility of just a one or two word description.
This is an eternally unfolding answer situation we are in here now, but I think it's great to see names that I have yet to load into my crazy-full ipod world to once again discover and enjoy.
best,
ij |
This is great stuff. Reminds me of an older player I know who played the best melodies. Nothing fancy harmonically, just a joy to listen to. It was always a mystery to me to hear other players cut him down because of his lack of harmonic adventure, then hear them play a solo with all kinds of altered sounds and no discernable melody. The players who put it all together, horzontally and vertically, intellectually and emotionally, just blow me away.