Sunday, April 09, 2006

From the Manager

Hi,

We're going to listen to the entire Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. So, be ready for the mystical trumpet of the master. And don't get lost in the piano battle between Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea (and of course Larry Young in Pharaoh's Dance) or drum war between Lenny White (so, yes, a little R&B) and Jack DeJohnette. (In case you buy them at iTunes, you'd lose the very important booklet that includes Ralph J. Gleason's liner: "Music is the greatest of the arts... it cuts through everything, needs no aids...")

Why this volume? I don't know... Maybe because I just read this Kompas feature on Nial Djuliarso. That guy is really something. But, as the article says, his producer chose a "middle way", meaning a "light, easy listening jazz" to "serve the (Indonesian) market demand". Yes, what people here usually mean by "jazz" is something like Dave Koz or Kenny G. Poor Nial...

Or maybe we can ask Nial to play here at the Café? No need to listen to "what market wants". As my econ guys here like to tell me, "supply creates its own demand". I don't know what that means, but I am now writing a composition: "Screw the Market". At least, when there's a need for compromizing, the kind of Miles' fusion is the way to go: don't give up the core.

2 comments:

  1. But Miles lost his battle against rock and roll --in term of market's sales figures, of course.

    And on Nial's, you're right, mate. He shouldn't do that. Although his re-interpretation of Sound of Music's My Favorite Things and his original Moscow Morning are still remarkable.

    And was it you who said that even Branford Marsalis played with Sting?

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  2. Of course, Zal, in terms of sales figures, Miles couldn't beat rock and roll. So did other jazz musicians. Well, for that matter, so did Kubrick, Borges, Mulholland's Drive, etc... Looking at sales figures in Indonesia, I'd propose Rhoma Irama :-)

    Oh yeah, Branford once played with Sting. It was a project where Sting deliberately invited eminent jazz musicians (in addition to Marsalis, he got Kenny Kirkland and D Jones). Branford is a giant. He can play with Sting or even for Jay Leno's Tonight Show. But he plays Jazz.

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