Just read a review of a British jazz album in a British jazz magazine. It says - An unsettling tendency has been noticeable in jazz during the past few years. Whereas musicians used to improvise on well-known tunes, nowadays they more often write their own music, perhaps feeling that the old songs are hackneyed. This would be fine if the new compositions were as memorable as those in the Great American Songbook, but many jazz composers seem unable to write noteworthy melodies. This means that it becomes a problem to follow what the musicians are improvising upon. At the same time, some composers have strayed more into genres outside jazz, so that their compositions lose the reference points of jazz and become almost indistinguishable from classical music or film soundtracks. Ive decided not to quote the artist, album or journalist to protect the guilty. I kind of agree…. With a few reservations….. Certainly I miss the blues when its not there as that seems IMHO to be the bit where the emotion comes from. And the blues in jazz is no longer an essential ingredient it seems. No wonder a lot of the newer european jazz doesnt hit me where I want to be hit & why so many people consider jazz to be an intellectual pursuit these days.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:13:53 +0000
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