3 ms·

Jazz education is a blessing and a curse. Most high level high school programs are focused on the Essentially Ellington competition, meaning that they learn to

Jazz education is a blessing and a curse. Most high level high school programs are focused on the Essentially Ellington competition, meaning that they learn to swing, to play with humanity and emotion, and to blend together. All good things, and I do believe that Ellington is the greatest American composer period. But it appears learning an 80+ year old style usually is not a gateway to discovering the modern day equivalent. Still, if you look in the right places jazz is still very much alive and evolving. I made a top ten list for 2022 if you want examples that acknowledge the tradition but don’t touch the worshipped canon and to my ears are relevant to right now. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NUGbkID4mmc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NUGbkID4mmc

jefurii 4y ago
Thanks for those recommendations! Yep, I didn't make it past early college music classes, which just weren't doing it for me. I got booed out of the room once for suggesting it'd be cool to mix jazz and hip-hop (in 1989). Probably should have gone some place like Berklee but I didn't see that path at the time. I recently discovered multi-instrumentalist Robert Stillman, who opened for The Smile (Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's side project with Tom Skinner). He played solo tenor saxophone with some kind of looping effect, along with some lo-fi sampling involving multiple lightly-synchronized cassette tapes of himself playing other instruments. Amazing stuff.
- aczerepinski 4y ago
  I did go to Berklee and loved it - the most open minded and forward thinking of the music schools in my opinion. Also, I'm a huge fan of The Smile, and that was my overall favorite record from last year. I covered one of their tunes a week ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYGuqAiveQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYGuqAiveQ I'm not super familiar with Robert Stillman other than seeing him with The Smile on Tiny Desk last week. I'll have to check out his own stuff.

jefurii 4y ago

Thanks for those recommendations! Yep, I didn't make it past early college music classes, which just weren't doing it for me. I got booed out of the room once for suggesting it'd be cool to mix jazz and hip-hop (in 1989). Probably should have gone some place like Berklee but I didn't see that path at the time. I recently discovered multi-instrumentalist Robert Stillman, who opened for The Smile (Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's side project with Tom Skinner). He played solo tenor saxophone with some kind of looping effect, along with some lo-fi sampling involving multiple lightly-synchronized cassette tapes of himself playing other instruments. Amazing stuff.

aczerepinski 4y ago
I did go to Berklee and loved it - the most open minded and forward thinking of the music schools in my opinion. Also, I'm a huge fan of The Smile, and that was my overall favorite record from last year. I covered one of their tunes a week ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYGuqAiveQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYGuqAiveQ I'm not super familiar with Robert Stillman other than seeing him with The Smile on Tiny Desk last week. I'll have to check out his own stuff.