My favorite things

May 25, 2010

Where is Miles Davis of 60es?

I am writing while listening Miles Davis in Muchen in 1987. I never liked Miles of 80es. He seemed to have foget the melody. He went to the rhythm. Well, technically, they are excellent and world class for sure. I'm wondering why he didn't try to integrate the rhythm of 80es with the melody line of his early 60es.

Rhythm itself is great though it's boring to listen to the improvisation without chord progression. The second tune started out rather slow. I am not familiar with Miles in 80es anyway.
Now I jumped to Wight '70. I see the base of his 80es here. Now I feel like Miles was nothing but a human. Os he's been doing this for next 20 years. Right? The keyboard player looks familiar. Yeah, I was in Fort Lee in 1970. But I didn't have tried Miles live.



It is interesting if you chekc the number of times the video has played at Google video. Someday prince will come, one of my favorites counting 959 times. On thw other hands, Miles Davis Hannibal that sound pretty close to the sound of Muchen counted for only 167. So, Let me conclude that quite a number of people prefer Miles in 60es than 80es. Don't you think?

May 19, 2010

Erroll Garner, the steady beat.

Hey, this is the Garner style. Tempo is good. I hear a little Bud Powell, don't you? His left hand sure amazes me every time I hear. But Garner wasn't my favorite. If you listen to the second tune, In a mellow Tone, you'll realize why he couldn't be mu favorite. He could fake the melody line but never be the excellent improvisation performer, I'd say.




But well, I like his intonation. That appears his third tune, Don't worry 'bout me. His ballad play is kind of boring and easily gets into the category of cocktail piano. He cannot be a player who can go along with drummer of bassist, I assume. You feel thrill with driving piano but never with the accompanist, right?

He's gone in 1977, at his age of 55. It's a long time ago. According to the WikiPedia, he's been active till 1974.I see interesting comment on him in the wiki, saying "Short in stature (5 foot 2 inches) Garner performed sitting on multiple telephone directories, except when playing NY, where Manhattan phone book was sufficient." Mmmmm...

May 4, 2010

Thelonious Monk, ballad: Don't blame me

Every body knows the quire playing style of Monk, right? I like his play as well as Oscar Peterson. The timing is themselves. But it get bored if you keep listening all the time. For that matter I'd say same thing to Bill Evans.

Monk is astonishingly technical sometime. If you check "Straight no chaser", you'll see it. But I love his poetic ballad playing. And this is one of them. See the left hand? And the way he kicks? That's Monk.



I tried him once. Everybody thought that I was just lazy and lousy player. It's a memory of my high teen years. Blue Monk is rather easy to perform his way. No legato, no dragging left hand chord. You play chopping melody line and improvisation line. That makes you Monk.