Oscar Peterson

[ardenik]

I didnt wanna take sides or anything, im just sayin what i think... :$ She said "at least 2" so that means there could be more, dusk hehe

Originally posted by dusken I listen to fusion all the time. It tends to be less harmonically complicated

less harmonically complicated, yes, in the case of stuff like John Scofield, or Medesky Martin & Wood..... but in the case of, say, Bicthes Brew, its only less complicated because there's hardly any harmony in it!! hehehe

Originally posted by anileve I believe the best version of it is by Duke and Cultrate, the play is so harmonious and complimentary and with no interference of a big band.

uh-ohhh... i think there's a group of 17 ppl out there somewhere who are gathering torches and pitchforks to come get you!! LOL

[dusken]

Originally posted by ardenik less harmonically complicated, yes, in the case of stuff like John Scofield, or Medesky Martin & Wood..... but in the case of, say, Bicthes Brew, its only less complicated because there's hardly any harmony in it!! hehehe

Right. Music like that is important because of its style and artistic contribution and not as an exercise in music theory.

[dusken]

And in no way am I saying that the music is simplistic or easy. I mean it relatively, of course. I love that stuff.

[ardenik]

well in classical music history, a lot of the best theorists were pretty lousy composers, & the best composers pretty lousy theorists (i mean... to a certain point, obviously.... the great composers knew their theory inside out, they just didnt mind occasionally breaking the rules for the purposes of their compositions) & thats how the whole concept of "avant-garde" could exist. if nobody ever broke the rules, music, just like society, would never progress.

this has proven even more true in jazz, as the very large majority of great composers of jazz tunes were band leaders or players of some sort, not court musicians who were locked up in a tower for years at a time writing music they would hardly get to hear, like many classical greats. & therefore they were involved first hand with the performance of their tunes & charts and were hardly concerned with how "theoretically correct" their compositions were. 2 good examples of jazz composers who took great delight in breaking the rules of harmony in their compositions & arrangements: Duke Ellington & Charles Mingus.

The thing that's particular about Duke's writing style is that he threw the common practice of chord voicings or thickened-line voicings (thickened line = when u take a melodic line & harmonize it in 4- or 5-parts which follow the melodic contour of the original line in a mostly parallel manner. the final product is a melody moving in chords, rather than single notes) out the window & paid more attention rather to the melodic lines assigned to the individual players in his orchestra, whom he knew very well & would keep their personalities, capabilities & playing styles well in mind for every note he would write for them. & he was doing this since way back in the early-1930's, if not 20's....

and so just like THEORY has continued progressing since then... so has "who gives a sh1t about theory"-ism!!! hehehe

[dusken]

I do not disagree with you, but one most know the rules in order to break them. Bach wrote music that did not resolve "normally". And I know of the Duke's iconoclasticisms. For example, and I mentioned this before, I believe it was in "It Don't Mean a Thing..." where he had a walkdown which resulted in playing a natural and a sharp of the same note together. I would be one of the first to recognize the theoretical rule-breaking in jazz or classical. But I still do not believe that fusion (even B!tch's Brew) is approached with as much of an emphasis on theory, whether it is a conscious disregard or an adherence.

[ardenik]

by dusken: But I still do not believe that fusion (even B!tch's Brew) is approached with as much of an emphasis on theory, whether it is a conscious disregard or an adherence.

the only difference between what i said & what ure saying is that duke broke the rules on paper, whereas miles' band on b!tches brew broke them directly on their instruments, in real time. (and also the fact that miles' band in 1969 took the whole "breaking the rules" thing much further than duke did, as in they broke the rules.... umm... harder, if u will... lol)

.... & thats not even an actual difference, since i agree with that statement & i believe u will too! loll

[dusken]

Truce.

[anileve]

Have you guys heard of Marie Rene? I heard her music for the first time this weekend. She is simply amazing! I didn’t think that it was possible for anyone to scat the way Ella did, this artist comes frighteningly close. You guys should listen to her version of “Strange Fruit”, it’s better than Billie’s, it soars from the gut and just makes you shiver with every note she shatters with her powerful voice. The trumpet in that song is breathtaking and seems like it’s crying along with her. If you get a chance listen to that particular piece and let me know what you think. This is a website with a little intro to her voice, although it doesn’t do justice to her outstanding version of “Strange Fruit”. Simply brilliant!

http://www.maxjazz.com/marie/card/ecard.htm

[dusken]

Where did you hear "Strange Fruit"? Did you purchase an album? And does she scat on that song?

[anileve]

Where did you hear "Strange Fruit"? Did you purchase an album? And does she scat on that song?

My friend has an album, so I got to taste the flavor this weekend. No she doesn't scat in that song, if you know it you'll remember that it's more bluesy and sorrowful. Although in the rest of the album she did an amazing number on "Them There Eyes", that one gave me goose bumps, a scat like that I haven’t heard since Ella. This is the album by the way. The trumpet was unbelievable, I still can't get over it.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005O7UF/ref=m_art_li_1/104-3614689-3692710?v=glance&s=music