So, now that the 'worst' category seems to be just about exhausted, what music is out there that, though it generally gets favourable responses from your friends and peers, from media that you trust, etc., that you just don't enjoy. I'm not talking here about stuff that just doesn't fit into a genre that is of no interest to you (i.e. I know nothing about rap, hiphop, new country, most new rock, so those aren't part of it). Here's my few easy to think of ones, being someone who listens to mostly improv and avant-jazz: 1) the Maneri family: Joe and Mat both grate on my nerves, though I've tried several times. I'll even expand that as far as many of the people they play with (such as Pandelis Karayorgis, Randy Peterson, etc...). 2) Joe Morris: he may even fit in the group above. I'm not generally a guitar fan, but Morris is pretty low on the list. 3) Dave Douglas: go ahead and jump all over me for his one, but I just don't care. I don't mind his playing in Masada, and thought there was some potential with Tiny Bell, though I haven't listened to either of those bands in quite a while now. Think the 2 string project albms I have were OK, but again its been a while, and I have no desire to pull them off the shelf. I've heard bits and pieces of most of his other albums, but have never been inspired to buy. 4) Toshimaru Nakamura: the whole electroacoustic thing has been growing on me over the past few years, but he (and the entire sine wave concept in general) is one I will never get. I'd rather have someone scratch at my eyes for an hour than try to listen to either of the two albums I have by him again (do and Weather Sky). 5) Kind of Blue: people constantly tell me how important this album is in the development of jazz. I don't care, it still bores me to death. I'd put tons of recordings by Mingus, Monk, Ellington, etc far above. So, what's on your list ?
On Wed, 03 Jul 2002 13:22:17 -0600 Dan Given wrote:
So, now that the 'worst' category seems to be just about exhausted, what music is out there that, though it generally gets favourable responses from your friends and peers, from media that you trust, etc., that you just don't enjoy.
2) Joe Morris: he may even fit in the group above. I'm not generally a guitar fan, but Morris is pretty low on the list.
Count me in also with Joe Morris. I have no idea what is the fuss with him.
5) Kind of Blue: people constantly tell me how important this album is in the development of jazz. I don't care, it still bores me to death. I'd put tons of recordings by Mingus, Monk, Ellington, etc far above.
I have to disagree here. KIND OF BLUE is gorgeous: playing and compositions. I almost could sing any track of the record! My list of artists highly praised and who leave me totally indifferent? Top of my head: William Parker: Many reviewers are making a god of him and I just can't understand why. I saw him a few times, and I found his bass playing repetitive and uninspired. Can't say too much of him as composer either. Friends still try to convince me that I don't have the right records and that I might have tried him on the wrong night... Most of the ecstatic jazz scene, in fact. Jim O'Rourke: Reading THE WIRE and other magazines (the ones which care) we get the feeling that Jim transforms in gold everything that he touches (rock, improv, electronics, pop, avant-barnyard country punk, etc). After almost ten years of intense activity, I still can't think of one track by him that I can memorize. Cadence's "house" artists (Lou Grassi, Dominic Duval, etc): Here I am just wondering who buys the records... Ken Vandermark: I admire his energy and hyperactivity but I can't think of even one track that I really care. Although I love him as a sideman (with the Peter Brotzman Group, specially). Patrice.
on 7/3/02 2:09 PM, Patrice L. Roussel wrote:
Cadence's "house" artists (Lou Grassi, Dominic Duval, etc): Here I am just wondering who buys the records...
Jeez, there's a list that's too long to even attempt. I've heard several albums with Duval in various contexts, and heard him live a few times (at festivals, where it wasn't really a concious decision) and think that he just overplays and gets in everyone else's way. And then there's Grassi, who, no matter how long the list of uninteresting Cadence/CIMP artists gets, is still going to come out near the bottom! As for the rest, yeah, who does buy those things? I think I have two or three CIMP discs -- a Joe McPhee, the Evan Parker Trio, Greg Bendian -- and maybe a couple of Cadence ones (the Joe Gallivan disc is quite good). The only titles I am even curious about are the Braxton albums, but the CIMP sound quality and my lack of interest in his recent output have kept me away.
Ken Vandermark:
I admire his energy and hyperactivity but I can't think of even one track that I really care. Although I love him as a sideman (with the Peter Brotzman Group, specially).
I used to try to like Vandermark, bought a few of his early recordings and then gave up after the first Vandermark 5 album. Then a couple of years ago a friend gave me the newest, at the time, V5 disc (Burn the Incline, I think) and the DKV Wels/Chicago set. I kinda liked them, which inspired me to recently fork over the cash for the new DKV (Trigonometry). I shelved it without ever listening to the second disc. Hopefully I'm over the idea that I like Vandermark for good this time. Dan
on 7/3/02 1:09 PM, Patrice L. Roussel at proussel@ichips.intel.com wrote:
5) Kind of Blue: people constantly tell me how important this album is in the development of jazz. I don't care, it still bores me to death. I'd put tons of recordings by Mingus, Monk, Ellington, etc far above.
I have to disagree here. KIND OF BLUE is gorgeous: playing and compositions. I almost could sing any track of the record!
Forget importance for a sec, because that's a subjective thing. It's a record full of diverse people who play so in tune to each other. Also, as a collection of juxtaposed styles, it's a wonder. You have Miles' skeletel sparseness, Bill Evans' lush economy (not an oxymoron), Coltrane's most muscular and winding playing, and Cannonball reminding everyone that it pays to stay close to the house party (he's my fav throughout the record). Where else can you find such a range of different soloists who fit together so well in one place? The UN should probably study that record. skip h
Yet another list of records, sorry... Subject: Things I just don't get Kenny Wheeler's music for large ensemble Fred Frith's Technology of Tears John Zorn's Cobra Elliot Sharp (although I heard a recent duet album with Burkhard Stangl that moved me deeply from the first time I heard it) Cecil Taylor's ensemble work Buckethead's work under his own name Glenn Phillips' solo albums Alice Coltrane's string and harp arrangements The voice of Cassandra Wilson Hector Zazou The Henry Kaiser Band (the one with the cover tunes) the complete body of work by Eugene Chadbourne, although I recognise genius and sharp wit in parts of it There should be more... Regards, Remco Takken
On Wed, 3 Jul 2002 22:52:25 +0200 "Remco Takken" wrote:
Yet another list of records, sorry...
Subject: Things I just don't get
Kenny Wheeler's music for large ensemble
That's weird. Only that record?
Buckethead's work under his own name
I would not worry about Buckethead. Besides readers of GUITAR MAGAZINE, almost noboby cares of Buckethead's own projects. On the other side, as a guest he can be amzing. Patrice.
Wondering when this topic would come up... Uri Caine: I have a couple of his JMT CDs (Toys, Sphere Music) that everyone was so thrilled about, but didn't do a thing for me. At least Urlict/Primal Light was somewhat interesting. Maybe a subtopic... (seeing Vandermark's name)... too much of a good thing: Vandermark- maybe it's just one big blur lately, but there hasn't been too much of his stuff over the last couple of years that has sounded different from his stuff from the previous years. But he's still a 10 in my book. Even if he won't come to Denver to play (of course most likely nobody else in Denver has even heard of him...), and just about nobody comes to Denver to play. Dave Douglas- his last few haven't done much for me (before that, very nice...). --Frank
on 7/3/02 8:29 PM, Frank Malczewski at malczewski@earthlink.net wrote:
Wondering when this topic would come up...
Uri Caine: I have a couple of his JMT CDs (Toys, Sphere Music) that everyone was so thrilled about, but didn't do a thing for me. At least Urlict/Primal Light was somewhat interesting.
urge to flame... growing. I kind of agree with you on SPHERE MUSIC. But TOYS is another matter. I remember Uri bringing the rough mixes of TOYS to my apartment about two or three days after it was done, and I was in utter disbelief. While he was getting the arrangements together, he was calling me every night ("Can you tell if that bottom note in such-and-such bar of 'The prisoner' is a G or an F?"') dead on his feet. I think he knew he was set to make some sort of measurable statement -- or fail in front of Dave Holland et al. He really excercised a discipline beyond any I'd seen from him. When he played it for me, I was awestruck. I'd been his personal Dean bendetti since 1983, and I thought I knew what he was capable of. But, from the opening of "Time Will Tell", it was pretty clear that he had staked out some new turf, totally his own. It was a pretty emotional listen -- it was pretty obvious he had just made the sort of record that major careers spring from. He was really worried that it was good enough, and if the title was okay. At the time, it was to be called HERBAL BLUE, and I didn;t really like it. Soon after, it was TOYS. I think a number of us didn;t go for the title. But when the reviews hit, I really felt vindicated. I had been pushing for the guy since I was in high school. The piano player everyone in Philly was raving about at the time was Sumi Tonooka. Francis davis predicted she'd be the one to really make the big splash. But TOYS really made a mark that nobody around me had managed to make (Blasters and X notwithsatnding). Hearing that record for the first time and seeing Uri reach his first plateau are really lovely memories for me. skip h NP: my own 'best of stevie wonder' mix
When he played it for me, I was awestruck. I'd been his personal Dean bendetti since 1983, and I thought I knew what he was capable of. But, from the opening of "Time Will Tell", it was pretty clear that he had staked out some new turf, totally his own.
While I really love the album, it really seems to be that first track ('Time Will Tell') which blows me away more than anything else. Maybe this could start a new thread, albums which open with a big bang and then, no matter how good the rest of the album, it never really reaches that level again... eg. Henry Threadgill "Where's Your Cup?"
on 7/4/02 1:56 AM, Julian at germ@iinet.net.au wrote:
Maybe this could start a new thread, albums which open with a big bang and then, no matter how good the rest of the album, it never really reaches that level again... eg. Henry Threadgill "Where's Your Cup?"
You're not gonna believe this, but the all-time award for this could likely go to Joel Grey, for the version of "Roumania Roumania" that kicks off SONGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME. Bear in mind JG's dad was Mickey Katz, and that the band on the record is MK & his orch. The rest of the album is okay vocal Yiddish music, maybe a little over-orchestrated, but that version of "Roumania" will take your legs out fr under you. It's at least as good as the orig Lebedeff version. skip h
participants (7)
-
Caleb T. Deupree -
Dan Given -
Julian -
malczewskiļ¼ earthlink.net -
Patrice L. Roussel -
Remco Takken -
skip Heller