midori's green: 3月 2014

2014年3月31日星期一

KANO

久しぶりの熱血物語！
泣いてスッキリ！
嘉農のみんな、ありがとう！

2014年3月30日星期日

John Coltrane Quartet - Ballads (1963, Impulse! Records)

Ballads is a jazz album by John Coltrane. It was recorded in December 1961 and 1962, and released on the Impulse! label in 1963 as A-32 and later AS-32 (the "s" is for "stereo"). Critic Gene Lees stated that the quartet had never played the tunes before. "They arrived with music-store sheet music of the songs" and just before the recordings, they "would discuss each tune, write-out copies of the changes they'd use, semi-rehearse for a half hour and then do it". All the pieces were recorded in one take, except for "All or Nothing at All". In 2008, the album was a recipient of the Grammy Hall of Fame award.

Personnel:

John Coltrane – tenor saxophone

McCoy Tyner – piano

Reggie Workman – bass (on #7)

Jimmy Garrison – bass (all others)

Elvin Jones – drums

Tracklist:

01. Say It (Over and Over Again) (4:20)

02. You Don’t Know What Love Is (5:16)

03. Too Young to Go Steady (4:24)

04. All or Nothing At All (3:38)

05. I Wish I Knew (4:55)

06. What’s New (3:47)

07. It’s Easy to Remember (2:48)

08. Nancy (With the Laughing Face) (3:12)

Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer

Jim Marshall – photography

1963, Impulse! Records.

In the world of jazz, the name John Coltrane is recognized by all, and is surrounded by legend, myth, some mystery, and, most importantly, virtuosic and revolutionary music. The name John Coltrane, if you know his music, conjures up the sounds of continuous streams of notes (or “sheets of sound” as it is sometimes called) in the mind of the listener. On recordings of his such as “Giant Steps,” “My Favorite Things,” and his solos on Miles Davis’ record “Kind of Blue”, this is a style that Coltrane implements frequently, and it came to be the sound that he was most known for.

In the two years leading up to “Ballads,” Coltrane’s releases on Impulse! (“Live! at the Village Vanguard” and “Coltrane”) were adventurous and had a mixed reception with critics. Coltrane strays to some degree from his “sheets of sound” approach on these albums, and the music is much more free, open, and organic than it previously was. Some listeners had a hard time following what was going on because of the casting off of a more traditional structure, hence the amount of negative criticism it received.

“Ballads” is refreshing because it is a return to tradition for Coltrane, not only in his approach to soloing, but in the way the quartet approaches the arrangement of the songs. There are no extended solo sections or long vamps like in “Live! at the Village Vanguard”, and the songs are usually no more than four and half minutes. They also respect the harmonic progression of the compositions and do not stray from this original form. The nature of the recording session may have been the cause of this, as there was little rehearsal, the arrangements were written hastily, and all but one of the tracks are first takes. This process was common historically in jazz, where recording session were often impromptu, with little to no rehearsal time.

As the title implies, all of the songs on “Ballads” are ballads. The slow tempo that ballads have gives Coltrane a chance to show off his ability to play beautiful melodic lines, while also at times implementing his “sheets of sound” approach. It is intriguing that while his playing on “Live! at the Village Vanguard” garnered so much negative feedback, it is just as melodic, if not more so, than his playing on “Ballads.”

from:

http://kerwinsreviews.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/john-coltrane-quartet-ballads-1963-impulse-records/

當妳試圖多了解一些John Coltrane時，經常會遇到 “sheets of sound”這個詞。
台灣的謝啟彬老師所做的解釋，是迄今見到的最適當的中文解釋！

【Sheets of Sound】

說明 – 謝啟彬

很多外文書都會寫Coltrane會吹所謂的「Sheets of Sound」，原來發明這個形容詞的名樂評家Ira Gilter是指Coltrane把樂句壓縮，原來兩小節長的句子擠成一小節，好像把大東西塞進小容器一樣，一次想吹很多東西，Trane必須想快一倍（背景和絃速度照舊），並真正拼命練習他所排出來的音符組合（Grouping、Digital Patterns、Scale等等）。這樣的手法一連續結合起來，聲音就會是一片一片的聲響（因為音多又快，除了換氣之外句子都很長），而非只是一顆一顆地符合拍型，最好的例子就是他在《Someday My Prince Will Come》裡及「Soultrane」專輯裡的一些Solo，那就是「Sheets of Sound」（不過那時是搭著用的，他還在嘗試中），後來他在Impulse!時期吹Free Form的曲子，這種具彈性速度的“醉拳”式手法就會非常地適切，而關於有些樂評會說他在Prestige時期的部份錄音或甚至《Giant Steps》的演奏是「Sheets of Sound」，就是錯誤的說法，因為那是曲子速度快他也快，他是吹一顆一顆（或八分音符或十六分音符）的符合拍型句子。「Sheets of Sound」會讓和絃變多，不過那是Trane即興自己時加的，也不會到一小節“二十”個，這個就不是Bebop手法了，是Coltrane開創的手法之一。

http://www.chipin-kaiya.com/c/c-transcription/c-transcription/SheetsOfSound.html

在陰雨綿綿的星期日下午，聆聽這張唱片，真是滿心歡喜！

2014年3月28日星期五

Cover of Today

Photo by my friend Eugene Shimalsky.

2014年3月26日星期三

GoGo Penguin !

2012 release from the Manchester-based Jazz trio. Featuring pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Grant Russell and drummer Rob Turner (all still in their 20s).

Chris Illingworth (p)
Grant Russell (b)
Rob Turner (d)

Tracklist:

1. Seven Sons Of Bjorn
2. Last Words
3. Unconditional
4. Fanfares
5. I Am That
6. Akasthesia
7. HF

Gondwana Records, 2012

Jazz musicians are some of the most musically imaginative souls on the planet, but their imaginations often desert them when it's time to choose a band name. So thanks must go to whoever decided to name this group GoGo Penguin: it's a suitably imaginative name for a trio full of imaginative music. Three young men who met at the Royal Northern College Of Music in Manchester, with a sound that combines jazz, dance music, electronica and rock: that's Gogo Penguin. Fanfares, on Manchester-based trumpeter Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Records, is an emphatic opening statement for the trio's career.

GoGo Penguin may be a piano trio, but it's by no means a piano-led trio. Grant Russell takes on more than the usual bassist's share of the melodies. Drummer Rob Turner's constantly inventive percussion reveals new joys on repeated listening. The tunes are all originals—the rather minimalist sleeve notes don't give credits for individual tunes, suggesting that they may all be group compositions in some shape or form, and the equally minimalist band website isn't giving much away either.

There are attention-grabbing tunes and performances throughout Fanfares. "Seven Sons Of Björn" wears its influence on its sleeve: the title giving a strong hint, the music—driving, energetic, full of movement—making it clear. This is GoGo Penguin's tribute to the Esbjorn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.). Elsewhere, there are resemblances to pianist Neil Cowley's Trio ("Fanfares") and to Phronesis ("I Am That"), two bands that also share GoGo Penguin's openness, drive and passion.

The hypnotic "Last Words" is underpinned by pianist Chris Illingworth's repetitive three-note bass line, the melody shared between Illingworth's right hand and Russell's bounding bass while Turner's busy, skittering, drumming displays a resemblance to the style of e.s.t.'s Magnus Ostrom. "Unconditional" is another tune built around a hypnotic groove but it's a gentler affair altogether; Russell and Turner keep things cool while Illingworth takes the lead role on this beautiful and melancholy piece. "Akasthesia" begins with Russell's confident and soulful bass solo, becoming a brief drum and bass duet and, with Illingworth's entrance, opening up into a graceful, expansive melody. The punchy, assertive "HF" demonstrates GoGo Penguin's more muscular side, yet Turner's arco playing on the tune has a spectral beauty.

So, GoGo Penguin gets the award for Band Name Of The Year: an impressive accolade in itself, but of little consequence if the band were to fail on a musical level. But Fanfares doesn't fail; this would be an impressive fourth or fifth album, let alone a debut release. 2012 year end Best Of lists await.

Review by Bruce Lindsay
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=43353&&width=1366#.UzLw5vmSwdc

2014年3月25日星期二

Parting kiss...

A giraffe at Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, licks the face of terminally-ill patient Mario Eijs.
Eijs worked at the zoo doing odd jobs for 25 years, and his last wish was to be brought back there.

His wish was fulfilled by the Stichting Ambulancewens (“Ambulance Wish Foundation”). Eijs, who has a mental handicap, is dying of a brain tumor and has difficulty walking and speaking. Several giraffes became curious when Eijs was brought to their inside enclosure Wednesday. “Mario got a lick on his nose after a lot of snuffles,” foundation worker Olaf Exoo said in a written summary of the day. Exoo said it was “a last greeting to each other that gave everybody watching goose bumps.”

一位在荷蘭鹿特丹動物園工作了大半輩子的工作人員馬力歐（Mario），現年54歲。癌症末期的他，臨死前最大的心願就是想與他照顧的長頸鹿們道別。當病床來到長頸鹿區時，一隻長頸鹿認出馬力歐並且湊到他身邊，在馬力歐臉頰上留下一吻，這一幕令在場的每個人動容。

這隻長頸鹿像是知道馬力歐的身體狀況般，給了馬力歐一個道別的吻，在那一刻，許多人都感動不已，馬力歐露出完成心願的笑容。

臨別一吻。。。

2014年3月24日星期一

Jack Tannehill – If Not For You (live)

A Tribute To Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan – If Not For You

If not for you, babe, I couldn't find the door
Couldn't even see the floor
I'd be sad and blue if not for you.

If not for you, baby, I'd lay awake all night
Wait for the morning light
To shine in through
But it will not be new if not for you.

If not for you, my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all
I'd be lost if not for you
And you know it's true.

If not for you, my sky would fall, rain would gather too
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all
Oh what would I do if not for you ?

If not for you, winter would have no spring
I couldn't hear the robins sing
I just wouldn't have a clue
Anyway it wouldn't ring true if not for you
If not for you, if not for you.

2014年3月21日星期五

John Hebert Trio - Floodstage (2014)

Benoît Delbecq (p)
Gerald Cleaver (d)
John Hebert (b)

Tracklist:

01. Cold Brewed
02. Floodstage
03. Tan Hands
04. Red House In NOLA
05. Holy Trinity
06. Morning Mama
07. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
08. Loire Valley
09. Saints
10. Sinners
11. On The Half Shell

Clean Feed，2014

The sophomore album from the John Hebert Trio, following 2010's Spiritual Lover disc (also on Clean Feed), opens with a rich, dark, brooding atmosphere of the sort Miles Davis used to conjure up in the 1970s. The piano trio, led by prominent NYC bassist Hebert, is augmented by a weird electronic delay-soaked pulse that flies in and out of the track like a drunken firefly in search of a place to pass out. This piano trio is different.

Things start swinging right away following this slightly surreal introduction with the title track, but it retains a dreamlike quality. The pulse wobbles and changes tempo and direction often enough that the alcohol-soaked quality comes to mind again; but I also can't help thinking of a dust devil in slow motion. (Isn't that it on the cover?) Drummer Gerald Cleaver is especially expressive here as he pushes and pulls the momentum of the music like a puppeteer controlling a mobile in a wind storm.

The next track, “Tan Hands,” features pianist Benoit Delbecq doing his best Keith Jarrett impression while Hebert does Gary Peacock and Cleaver does Paul Motian. Definitely derivative, but an homage that works and sounds absolutely gorgeous while still retaining the mysterious depth of the previous two songs. (Interestingly, the band also reminds me of Paul Bley - with Peacock and Motian - on a track sequenced later on the album called “Morning Mama.”)

This is followed by a very abstract blues called “Red House in NOLA,” appropriately steeped in humidity. Hebert and Delbecq dance gracefully around each other while Cleaver avoids steering the mobile into anything, letting its pieces clang softly in the breeze. This is followed by a rolling groove-based track called “Holy Trinity,” which sets the album back on the main road again with quiet force.

Among the many highlights: Delbecq plays a clavinet that sounds like a muted marimba or a thumb piano on “Saints,” which is followed by a track called “Sinners,” on which Hebert and Cleaver join in with Delbecq to thank Africa for talking to them. The band tackles “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” with a purity of heart that will put a big dumb smile on your face. Then there's “On The Half Shell,” on which Delbecq combines piano and electric keys, playing the melody line an octave apart on each. Hebert is jumping all over the neck of the bass as well, full of giant octave leaps. Cleaver is again the playful driver of this bus, threatening to run them off the road at every turn just for fun, but in complete control of every situation.

I honestly love every second of this recording. There is mystery, beauty, soulfulness and darkness throughout; and the rapport between the players is beyond exceptional – but what absolutely kills me is the glowing tube-amp, wood fire, Christmas lights, cherry-pie-right-out-of-the-oven warmth of every single track. Maybe it's this sub-zero Midwestern nightmare of a winter talking, but I think I'm going to spend every dark evening driving home from work to this album for the next month or so.

By Tom Burris
http://www.freejazzblog.org/2014/01/john-hebert-trio-floodstage-clean-feed.html