The Sight of Sound

Anthony Braxton Composition Figures

I've been spinning a lot of Anthony Braxton lately.  To me his music is quite physical to the point that it can be visual.  I have a background in art which lends me to be a visual person for the most part.  I originally gravitated to Jazz because it seemed to contain a visual aesthetic to me.  Which makes sense because one of the first Jazz albums I ever listened to was Charles Mingus' The Clown.  It contained "these greens and yellows, and all of these oranges."

It's not just in The Clown, but I have always connected Avant-Garde Jazz with Post War / Post Modern Art.  Conceptually and metaphysically this makes sense.  Musicians like Steve Lacy and Ornette Coleman have always made a big visual presence in my imagination.  Lacy, for example, seems to construct shapes with every lick he plays on the Soprano.  And obviously the name of this blog is derived from Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come, but along with musical notes I hear shapes too.  

Can sound be seen?  Can sight be heard?

Here are a few Jazz pieces that create colors, lines, and shapes in my mind.  Some are mathematical and controlled, while some are chaotic and organic.  You can decided for yourself.

"Evidence" - Steve Lacy

I can't think of a more modern sound on the soprano sax than Steve Lacy's.  Well maybe Coltrane's, but it's like apples and oranges.  This 1961 album from Mr. Lacy contains two thirds of Ornette Coleman's back up group and is a collection of two Duke Ellington tunes along with four of Thelonious Monk's.

Yet another exploration into Monk's music, Steve Lacy can really bring his own, unique style to a Monk composition.  He knows his way around a Monk tune, and even though this quartet isn't far out in Avant-Garde territory, Lacy's phrasing, licks, and arrangements are quite forward thinking.

Don Cherry is also very notable in this session. Bringing to the table a straight ahead approach to his trumpet.

This LP makes for great winding down music; whether it'd be after work, before bed, or reading a book. I often find myself throwing it on once I need a mental break from a project.
1961 - New Jazz
Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone; Don Cherry - trumpet; Carl Brown - bass; Billy Higgins - drums.


______________________
I sometimes blog on my iPad using BlogPress.  If you see the below signature attached to any post, it pretty much means I'm trying to justify any typos, weird capitalization, or awkward formatting issues.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

"Reflections" - Steve Lacy

I think this is one of the finest, individualistic interpretations of Thelonious Monk tunes that I have heard.  You can tell Lacy really understood how to translate his melodies and work them with just the right amount of dissonance and tension; and when and when not to apply it.  The rhythm company performs top notch and Mal Waldron seems to fit in well with Neidlinger and can anyone honestly think of any time when they didn't enjoy hearing Elvin Jones.  

My favorite is "Hornin' In."  Waldron starts off with this vamping and then after the first bar or so Lacy steps in with his wonderfully pitched horn.  The way he plays his solos it seems like many horn players were trying to mimic five years later.  Waldron's phrasing seems spot on and the harmonies between him and Lacy are out of this world.

This is an album I could consistently listen to for the rest of my life.     

1958 - Contemporary.

Steve Lacy - Sax (Soprano); Mal Waldron - Piano; Buell Neidlinger - Bass; Elvin Jones - Drums.