[Trombone-l] Artistry

[Chris Tune]

So goes it with much of music.  Right now on the Amazon discussion groups
around jazz (there is one about jazz trombone players) they brought up Ray
Anderson and someone thought that Ray was the greatest, having created a
"new kind of music". 

I chimed in that Ray is an example of an Avante-Garde ("AG") style player,
and I summarized that there are those who love the AG and those, like myself
who can enjoy "some" AG and, of course respect the artists who choose that
route, but then I tire of AG music relatively quickly (I can handle one set,
when not drunk. . .one night when drunk).  I enjoy the order of the sound of
Mozart and Beethoven and then particularly enjoy finding someone who can
take that organized sound and put "life" into it.

I can and do try to pick up the techniques that are considered AG:
microtonal sounds, different rapid across the grain licks, ultra high
sounds, ultra soft sounds, multi-tonal sounds, different growl sounds.  I
just view the sound as part of a complement of "effects" as opposed to part
of a palette of an art style.  I don't want to be considered part of AG
world because I don't want to spend inordinate amounts of time around that
music. I could see myself doing a reduced, much more tonal version of that
style, but I'd probably need to invent the style, and I'm too stretched thin
right now to do that.  Maybe someday.  I actually experimented with my Yam
Silent Brass and running it through guitar effects on Cubase.  Pretty
interesting.  Would really not want to bring all that crap with me and try
and make it reliable for performing.  Maybe someday I'll set up a situation
where I do music like that and make up a recital in a controlled
environment.

Tune
-----Original Message-----
From: trombone-l-bounces at samford.edu [mailto:trombone-l-bounces at samford.edu]
On Behalf Of Jeff Albert
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2008 12:24 PM
To: Daniel Pliskin
Cc: bone bone
Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Artistry

On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 1:33 PM, Daniel Pliskin
<daniel_pliskin at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> I suppose Kaplan is guilty of poor execution, poor
> technique, while Fogerty is guilty of a lack of artistry.  Giving Kaplan
the benefit of the doubt, it's
> interesting to note that without technique artistry goes unnoticed.
>
>

There's lots in Dan's post to deal with,  but I am going to stick with
the line quoted above.  "without technique, artistry goes unnoticed."
That is largely true of us mere mortals, and is encouraged in many
academic situations, where nothing else is noted until the technique
and standard practice are in place.

Interestingly, many of the recognized geniuses have (had) really lousy
technique by academic standards.  Miles Davis would be judged a
deficient trumpet player in most music schools today.  Ornette
Coleman, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie and a host of
other successful, even great, artists had aspects of their technique
that would not be accepted in many circles.  In the classical world it
is the composers that have the freedom to be non-conformist, because
the instrumentalists with personally unique technique are sent
elsewhere.

Even in classical trombone soloist circles, Christian Lindberg is
arguably the best known soloist, and many people have expressed
dislike for aspects of his sound or interpretation (which could be
seen as aspects of technique). Why is he the one that sticks out from
the group, and makes and sells the most records?

I think picking apart others' technique is the last bastion of the
merely-very-good.

I didn't hear the Kaplan performance.  It may have been a pedestrian
reading of a great piece.  I don't have a problem with calling BS when
it is present.  We all have to find the balance between being true to
our standards, and doing the things we have to do to be able to be
working musicians at all.

Jeff

-- 
www.jeffalbert.com
www.scratchmybrain.com
www.openearsmusic.org
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