January 7, 2010

My First Post

Time Further OutI'm a jazz enthusiast, and I mean that in the true sense of the word enthusiasm. That word comes from the Greek enthousiasmos meaning "to be inspired" or more specifically "inspired by god." Jazz can strike me like that and I often find myself listening over and over again to a particular song until I feel that I finally absorb it somehow. Does this happen to anyone else?
     The current enthusiasm is the song "Far More Blue" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. This song is from the album Time Further Out, recorded in 1961. It's a sort of funky waltz that begins with a beautiful Paul Desmond lead on the melody. Brubeck is considered part of the "cool" school of jazz, and Desmond's solo is a perfect example. But Brubeck's solo which follows is an argument against it, unless he's trying to be the nerd of the cool school. The piano solo is rhythmic and in fits and starts, as were many of Brubeck's solos, as if the waltz were trying to break out into a Charleston or something. The rhythmic play against the drums and bass are what make the song so enjoyable for me. Brubeck returns to the melodic waltz at the end - almost as if to say "I can play like this too."

3 comments:

  1. Love this description of Brubeck's solo. Don't think I've heard the tune, but I can "hear" it in this review.

    Nice launch, John.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm the same way with listening to new things over and over until I can replay them in my head. I've been doing that with a lot of Lee Konitz things lately. Listening again and again until the improvised melody is a familiar as the original tune.

    Good luck with the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw Lee Konitz live at the San Francisco Jazz Festival a couple of years ago. He played with no amplification in a small venue. Fantastic!

    ReplyDelete