Jazz Corner: The ‘Unputdownable’ Mix

I am warmed considerably when I read a well written piece of prose, when the author uses the persuasive art in telling his story. When the story itself is intriguing, the reading becomes all the more enjoyable and gripping. A good storyteller with an interesting story to tell makes an almost magical mix. The word that applies here is “unputdownable”.

I feel much the same way about a good music performance; the musician is a communicator and his music/song is the tale he relates.

In all of music, I find that when the music performer has some elbow room to create something of his or her own dimension within the scope of the music, some sparks can fly. After all , musicians– particularly jazz musicians–tell a story through the music. A jazz musician, not restricted by the songwriter [as in popular music] or by the constraints of a classical music performance [where his/her music is written on the score to be played with unwavering fidelity] has the scope to express himself freely,  essentially, to improvise.

The jazz musician, particularly the soloist in question has the range and responsibility of taking the music to where his mood dictates at the moment.

An inspired jazz performance delivers the same kind of joy as the talented author.

Jazz performance is really the art of story telling in the most basic way. It is also as unique as a fingerprint, a one off. After a particularly inspired concert performance, Miles Davis was asked by a fan to describe the music he had just played on stage. Pointing upwards in the air, Miles replied, “that music is gone up there somewhere, man! It will never be repeated”. That’s the uniqueness of jazz.

Very recently, a video of Aretha Franklin singing, “Natural Woman” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC was all prevalent on social media–a wonderful example of the speed and versatility of contemporary communication. This was a concert honoring the singer-songwriter Carole King, who was in the audience. Such was the expressive delivery of the song by Franklin that President Barack Obama, also in the audience became emotional and was moved to tears. Carole King, who also wrote this song seemed dumbfounded by the sheer quality of Franklin’s impact.

That is the power of communication I have been talking about.
If you want to dig up some more examples of the moving power of music–in this case jazz–I am sure you have your own favorites. For what it’s worth, let me add a few by way of random suggestions of music with the power to move.

In no particular order:

Ray Charles & Betty Carter – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

Regina Carter – “Our Delight”

Billie Holiday – “Prelude to a Kiss”

Frank Sinatra with Antonio Carlos Jobim – “Change Partners”

John Coltrane – “Alabama”

Miles Davis – “Someday My Prince Will Come”

Charlie Parker with Strings – “Everything Happen to Me”

Phineas Newborn Jr. – “All the Things You Are”

In each of these, you will find that the story being told by the musicians has been told particularly well, with a reach and power to ensure that it reaches the listener exactly as the musician means it to! This is the quality I, as a listener seek from music. It is sheer joy when it happens.

There is a basic rider that applies to this process–listen!