Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Jazz Edge
This will be the blog that will probably have people looking at me strangely (or rather, moreso). Eric presented some excellent information about a musician that I knew very little about...Miles Davis. I have heard of him throughout the years but had never really listened to his music. Eric wanted to stretch his learning "edge" and learn more about Miles. I must admit, this type of jazz is on my 'edge' also. While I like jazz, for some reason I enjoy mainly the jazz of the big band era. I have tried for years to enjoy the type of modern jazz that includes jazz fusion. I found what was more fascinating was the artist himself, not necessarily his music. Miles exudes a kind of presence of nonchalance that is quite intriquing. While I'm not a big fan of jazz of this type, I really liked the way that Miles continued to grow, both personally and musically. After class, I went through some of the youtube archives and listened to some more of Miles' music through the years. His music does change and I think it challenges not only himself, but the listener as well. I don't think that Miles performed his music to please his audience, but rather to please himself. It was his way of expressing himself. As he told Harry Reasoner, he 'hears' music all the time. Even though his music wasn't necessarily my 'cup of tea,' I can't help but admire the man for continuing to listen and re-create what he heard.
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I also admire the uncompromising devotion Miles Davis showed for his music throughout his career. He stood by his art no matter who or how many people criticized the paths he took. I am not a Miles Davis or jazz conniseur, but what makes me want to listen to more of it is the freedom with which he moved between styles.
ReplyDeleteWhen musicians start sounding dogmatic, I feel like it is because they have chosen a very specific genre to focus on in their career. It may not be a perfect example, but I think of the integral serialists as being composers who tried to elevate a specific type of music on a pedastal. The only thing that Davis seemed to preach was that he tried to write the music he liked, no matter what style it was in, how outside of the box it may have been, or for however long it might hold his interest. To me, he was innovative for exploring how to apply his own voice to a variety of different musical genres. I think it is also a testament to his being a truly amazing musician -- how many people do you know who feel comfortable playing with a big band, electronic instruments, and rappers?
Miles Davis's personality is so unique, and it was been lost on me when I first learned about his music in an academic setting. Seeing those interviews today helped him become more than just an oft repeated name in some textbook. He was a real mover and shaker in the music world simply because he wrote what he liked.
So, a big thanks to Eric for sharing this intro to Miles with us today. I have added Miles's autobiography to my wish list for summer reading!
Great, I am glad everyone enjoyed it. I will continue to make posts. I have much more that I wanted to cover but could not(time)!!!!
ReplyDeleteDoug, I promise to not look at you strangely. This I believe - That we should never feel pressured to "like" all the music we hear -- just as we should not feel pressured to like every kind of food -- Miles believed this, too! However, we never will find out if we like something until we try it. I'm a mom -- I say this often [at least I did when my kids were little], but I never made my kids eat food they did not like. I did [and still do] make them occasionally listen to music they did not like -- and they do the same to me. That is why I now can sing along with several hip-hop and country tunes. I do not apologize.
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