Community Chat

[Oznell]

On July 23, 1951, the great pianist-composer Thelonious Monk recorded "Criss-Cross".

Monk can be an acquired taste for some people.  I tend to gravitate more to sweet, easily "understandable" jazz, more than "intellectual" jazz, but I know that that cerebral stuff like Monk is good for me, at least in small doses!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQp1WVc_z5Q

[deepwaterdotter]

Thelonious Monk is a true jazz legend.

[MickD]

@Oznell A nice blast from the past!  A true magician/musician!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Fabulous.  Master of the up beat, and the ensemble is humming.

[Lapdog]

I learn so much with these discussions.   Thank-you one and all. 

Not having heard of him, I went to youtube and listened to Mr. Monk.  I learned about intelectual jazz.

I enjoy everything from Eminem, Vivaldi, to Hank Williams, the Big Bands and many more.

However,  I was not blessed with an ear for jazz. 

Mr Monks playing sounds so dischordant to me.  It is as if it never has to be played the same way twice.

Like chalk on a blackboard to me. I do not know why.  I am sure I am in the minority. 

I am glad to now have a name for it.

[Moonchilde]

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@Lapdog wrote:

I learn so much with these discussions.   Thank-you one and all. 

Not having heard of him, I went to youtube and listened to Mr. Monk.  I learned about intelectual jazz.

I enjoy everything from Eminem, Vivaldi, to Hank Williams, the Big Bands and many more.

However,  I was not blessed with an ear for jazz. 

Mr Monks playing sounds so dischordant to me.  It is as if it never has to be played the same way twice.

Like chalk on a blackboard to me. I do not know why.  I am sure I am in the minority. 

I am glad to now have a name for it.

---

You're not the only one, @Lapdog. The only jazz I like is early traditional and Dixieland, Ragtime, Big Band and similar.

Improv jazz and various modern jazz styles just don't sound pleasing to my ears.

I describe Stravinsky's music as sounding to me like someone dropped a large drawer of silverware on the floor. Modern jazz sounds similar to me as far as annoyance factor, if not actual sound.

Over the years I've had friends who are jazz fans. I'm glad they have the enthusiasm - I know many people do - I just don't share it ;-)

[Lapdog]

@Moonchilde  What you said !   I also enjoy Dixieland and Ragtime.  They are fun!   The silverware reference is priceless!!!! 

[Oznell]

Lapdog and Moonchilde, interesting discussion.  That's kind of what I meant by having a preference for "sweeter" jazz, esp. the vocalists, like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and of course, composers like Duke Ellington etc.

But the more abstract, seemingly "discordant" jazz does intrigue me, and I expose myself to it in little bits at a time.

I love your candor in talking about this! 

[Lapdog]

@OznellNow you are talking my language.  When singing is involved, it is a whole different story for me!   The voice makes the deal for me a lot of the time.

Thank you so much for the discussion.  I hesitate so often to respond because opinions are like....well you know! LOL!

And typing those opinions does not always represent our meanings very well.

[Oznell]

Here's a good, accessible intro to a quite melodic jazz approach in "There's a Small Hotel" by legendary horn player, Chet Baker.  It crackles along and you definitely hear the tune in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtt5Vt6SCwY&list=PL6MP3z8uuNRIAHXx9jaXmhX7RVm1BYBW-&index=68

Chet Baker unfortunately was a heavy drug user, which of course got worse as time went on, and his death from falling out of a window, in Amsterdam I believe, was in mysterious and sordid circumstances.  Such a shame, he ostensibly had everything, and as a young man looked like a very chiseled model for a Ralph Lauren ad...

But to show you what a multi-talented genius he was, he was as admired as a vocalist as he was for his instrumentals, much like Nat King Cole.  He has the most insinuating, smooth, honeyed voice imaginable.  A little taste of his downbeat, tender singing of "My Funny Valentine":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvXywhJpOKs&index=3&list=PL6MP3z8uuNRIAHXx9jaXmhX7RVm1BYBW-