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Re: OT - Ken Burn's Jazz was RE: good intentions
In a message dated 01/30/2001 9:18:02 PM Central Standard Time,
PaulPokr@aol.com writes:
The last class covered jazz from 1959 to the present. And even then, instead
of Miles, the instructor spent most of the time on Fusion. We DID have some
amusing conversations about Kenny G, however.
That's 'cause the world of academics doesn't contain many that understand
Miles, post-KindOfBlue. Fusion is easy to teach: arm some jazz guys with
electric instruments and make them play R&B rhythms. Then: roll two dice and
use the resulting number as the numerator of your time signature. (For the
Mahavishnu Orchestra, use three dice.)
It's the nature of the beast. As the boundary of jazz became scribbly and
hard to read, and as many started their own interpretations, it became less
easy to sort and classify. And besides, many professors couldn't play it,
couldn't locate it in their own earholes, so how in the name of allah could
they teach anyone else about it? (Only Ornette can explain harmolodics, so
the story goes.)
It's all about control. If you can control your instrument, you can decide
to ignore the rules.
oh god, another attack of Naw-Ledge coming on!
Kevin
