AAMAM: Miles Davis’ “So What” Is Perfect! Part 18 of 30

On March 2, 1959, Miles Davis recorded “So What” at Columbia 30^th Street Studio in New York, with legendary musicians Paul Chambers (bassist), Bill Evans (Pianist), John Coltrane (tenor saxophonist), Julian “Cannonball” Adderley (alto saxophonist), and Jimmy Cobb (Drummer). “So What” is the best song ever recorded on the best album ever recorded in the history of recording, Kind Of Blue. Kind Of Blue is consistently among the top 10 non debut jazz albums purchased every year since 1960. You have this album, right?!

“So What” is the supreme model for modal chord structure. “So What” is uncanny in that every solo is perfect—every note is in the right place. “So What” changed the sound of jazz for the entire decade of the 60s.

Sit back, turn it up, and listen. Happy AAMAM!

Black Music Month Pt. 3 of 4: Jazz

Jazz is by far the most influential music ever created.  I know this is a bold statement, but it is true.  Jazz music has a critical global influence.  I would wager there is no place in the world anyone can travel and not hear some form of Jazz.  There are no pages left in Jazz’s passport.  The genre has never had any problems making its way through customs.  Jazz music, once known as jungle music, and music of the savage, capable of corrupting minds of the most pure soul, and inherently evil, ascended out of the brothels of Storyville, danced its way through the mean streets of St. Louis and Chicago, learned to swing in Harlem, and took flight across The Pond with all the sensibilities of the Black American struggle, was ultimately embraced by the world.

Jay McNeely corrupting the minds of the pure

Jazz, also known as American Classical Music, carries with it the entire narrative of the Black presence on American soil.  It is truth, it is emotion, it is literate, it is pompous, it is fresh, it is uncontainable, and it is love all at the same time.  Jazz is universally appealing and has the ability to change lives.

As the Jazz genre emerged out of the turn of the century, it shifted and transformed its style, rhythm, and movement to accommodate the changing cultural and social tides in America.  Today, moreover, through it all it has been sincere in its production and its message to the masses.

Continue to celebrate this BMM and listen to as much Jazz as you possibly can.  Check out the origins of Jazz in the recordings of Scott Joplin and Buddy Bolden.  Listen to the role of the Blues in the formation of Jazz with W. C. Handy, and Jelly Roll Morton.  Dive deep in to the era that placed Jazz on the map and check out the work of Louis Armstrong.  Learn about swing through the bands of Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington.  Listen to amazing and classic voices (singers struggle to emulate today) of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and Johnny Hartman.

Unmatchable voice

Find out what all the fuss is about Bebop by listening to Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell.  Listen to the magic of Jazz through Miles Davis and John Coltrane.  Groove to the descargas of Afro-Cuban Jazz y escuchan a Chano Pozo, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Dizzy Gillespie (yes him again), Eddie Palmieri.  Then be reminded Jazz is still hot today and check out the new lions such as Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Gregory Porter, Esperanza Spalding, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Robert Glasper.

For now, listen to 4 of my favorites.

5 Albums, Seriously!

You’ve all heard the question “What are your 5 favorite albums?” or this one “You find yourself stranded on a deserted island, what 5 albums do you hope you have with you?” Or even better, “If you could only listen to 5 albums for the rest of your life, which albums would you choose?”  These are seemingly harmless questions at first glance.  However, these questions are quite devastating if taken lightly.  You can’t just answer them too cavalierly, because the future of your listening pleasure is at stake.  You have to think seriously about these things.  Take some time, sit down, rub your chin, go over your music collection, and sleep on it.  Don’t ever rattle off 5 albums on a whim–that would be crazy insane and certain death ten days into your horror if you ever had to actually live out two of the above questions.

So, welcome to my Sunday afternoon.  I was faced with the question “If you could only listen to 5 albums for the rest of your life, which albums would you choose?” My first thought was “Oh this is easy!” I positioned my hand like I did when I was in elementary school to count to 5 . . . and that’s it. That’s all I did.  I stood motionless for a while . . . thinking.  My mind, like some possessed jukebox, began to play snippets of songs I heard over my whole life.  I even imagined a bevy of album covers, which was crazy (the Rufus feat. Chaka Khan album cover with the lips on it popped up most often and I don’t know why . . . really, I don’t).  This was tough because I wasn’t choosing 5 songs or 5 artists, but rather 5 entire albums.  I couldn’t quickly settle on 5.  I was stumped.  I had to get serious. So, I sat down, rubbed my chin, and went over my music collection, ultimately I slept on it.

Over night my mind weeded out all the albums that I would never listen too over and over again. That left me with about 150 albums that I would listen to, well not that many, but plenty.  So the following is my honest and serious attempt to answer that seemingly harmless question.  These are entire albums that I could listen to from beginning to end everyday with out question.  Every song on these albums is perfect in every way.  Check’em out and listen for yourself.

Here they are in no particular order:

1.     Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue.  This is hands down my favorite jazz album, which so happens to be the most popular jazz album ever recorded in the history of jazz, period.  With personnel like Cannonball Adderly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, and Bill Evans of course it’s perfect. (My favorite song on the Album: “So What”)

2.     Steely Dan’s Aja.  If you have not listened to this album I feel sorry for you. You need to experience the artistry and obsessive perfection of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker.  This is the best in sophisticated 70s jazz/rock.  I don’t know how else to explain it.  It’s musically complex yet highly accessible.  Since I’m a amateur musician and truly appreciate great musicianship, I’m drawn to this album by the personnel of Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Joe Sample, Wayne Shorter, and Michael McDonald.  Special shout out to Al Schmitt et al for creating an engineering and recording musical masterpiece.  They set the standard with this album in recording excellence and have the Grammy to prove it. (My favorite song on the Album: “Black Cow”)

3.     Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall.  It’s Mike under the direction of Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton, with Louis Johnson, David Foster, George Duke, Pattie Austin, and the C-wind (Seawind) horns; shout out to horn arranger Jerry Hey. What else do you need me to say? (My favorite song on the Album: “Working Day and Night”)

4.     Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite (MTV Unplugged Live version). Neo soul at its finest.  Maxwell dives into these song off his first album in epic fashion.  How could he go wrong with writers such as Itaal Shur, Leon Ware, Stuart Matthewman, and Kate Bush, it’s perfect.  I love the freedom expressed in the live recording. (My favorite song on the Album: “Gotta Get: Closer”)

5.     Parliament’s The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein.  This album contains some of the funkiest soul re-dipped in funk that you have ever heard in your life.  Full of social messages and culturally valuable writers George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell nailed it.  Not to mention the voices of Glen Goins and Garry Shider are out of this world–these brothers blow in the most funkiest of ways. Special shout out to Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker.  (My favorite song on the Album: “I’ve Been Watching You (MoveYour Sexy Body”)

There you have it, my 5 albums that I could and will most certainly listen to for the rest of my life.  This was rough; because there are plenty more I could easily have listed.  But today, right now, this is it.

Whew! I have a headache!

Justsoulyouknow!

What are your 5?  Hey, hey, hey . . . . take your time. This is serious! Your Willy Nilly-ness could result in your early death!

Dr. King Was A Jazz Head!

On January 16^th, this nation will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His sermons will no doubt be re-examined, certain individuals will rehash the time they met him, and others with long memories, will recount the time they marched with Dr. King.  Many more,  will express, with deep emotion, what his life’s work has meant to them.  The media will again flood the public with a collage of iconic images of Dr. King (including this blog); from his birth to his death all while his sermons of “I have a Dream” and “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop” provide the sonic tapestry of verse and chorus in the background.

The Obamas visit the MLK Monument in D.C.

I imagine droves of people will visit King’s burial site at the King Center in Atlanta.  I also imagine an unprecedented amount of people will visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in D.C. . . . if it’s open . . . ???  After all, it is a national holiday.  No matter, Dr. King’s holiday is indeed a great American cultural event and one we Americans are proud to celebrate.

To celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his day, I want to write something cool on my blog.  I didn’t want to write just anything. I want to somehow connect Dr. King directly to music.  I’ve seen videos and listened to plenty audio of events, which were lead by Dr. King or featured Dr. King inundated with music; gospel music to be specific.  We’ve all heard emotional renditions of “We Shall Overcome” and jubilant versions of  “This Little Light of Mine,” as Dr. King readied himself and made his way to the pulpits, stages, and across bridges during the struggle for Civil Rights.  But did he demand songs such as these to be part of his sermons, lectures, and oratory performances?  No, this was a fundamental music element rooted in the Black church meant to ready ones soul to receive the “good news”; a culture from which Dr. King comes.  I wanted to find that perfect blend of music, King, and purpose.

I perused the Internet for that elusive music connection to Dr. King.  After some time, I was ready to end it when I came upon a quote from Dr. King concerning the importance of Jazz.  Jazz? Yes, Jazz.  I was reinvigorated! I searched for the source of this quote and soon found it. Now, I thought, I can write something really cool for my blog.  Turns out this quote came from a forward written by Dr. King for the first annual Berlin Jazz Festival in 1964. (IKR) His speech was included in the program for the event.  People thought Dr. King personally delivered the speech at the opening of the festival, which began September 24^th and ended on the 27^th of 1964 however, he did not attend the opening of the festival.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy at the Berlin Wall in West Berlin in September 1964.

[Did you know he was in East and West Berlin from the 12^th to the 14^th of September 1964? You can read all about it here. It’s amazing!]

How did Dr. King come to write the forward for the first annual Berlin Jazz Festival? Here is the short of it: essentially the director of the event asked Dr. King in July of 1964 if he could, in his spare time, take a moment and write a few words about Jazz to be included in the program.  Dr. King obliged!  Why would he ask Dr. King to do this?  Well, I believe the director of the festival may have asked him for the following reasons: Dr. King was in fact, Times Magazine “Man Of The Year” in 1964; he was instrumental in getting the Civil Rights Act passed and was there when it was signed: he was a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize in July ‘64, which was awarded to him later that year. In 1964, Dr. King was the global symbol for peace.  In much the same way as Jazz, Dr. King life’s work had transcended far beyond the boundaries of the South to take root on fertile ground elsewhere.  For this very reason I can understand why the director of the festival appealed to Dr. King.  Still, to be asked to write something specifically on Jazz for the first annual Berlin Jazz Festival is peculiar.  Did the director of the event know something more about King than the rest of us?  Was Dr. King a Jazz head?!!!  Would he come home from his long marches and fiery speeches, fix himself a scotch on the rocks, light a cigarette (yes he did), plop down on the couch, and ask Coretta to hold all calls while he mellowed out to Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” or would he hype himself up to go out on the road by listening to Max Roach’s “Freedom Now Suite.”  Yep, I think Dr. King was a Jazz head!  I believe he listened to jazz all the time, snapping his fingers and bobbing his head.  Moreover, Dr. King not only listened to it but he connected Jazz to the struggles and victories of Black folk as well as similar human experiences throughout the world.  So when asked if he could take a few moments of his time to write some words about Jazz, he went all in . . . deep!

This is what Dr. King wrote:

 God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.

Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life’s difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.

This is triumphant music.

Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.

It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.

Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.

And now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in the particular struggle of the Negro in America there is something akin to the universal struggle of modern man. Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy. Everybody longs for faith.

In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these.

It’s too bad Dr. King didn’t make it to the festival because the line up was off the chain.  Amid the mostly European talent were giants of the jazz genre, i.e.: Miles Davis’ quintet, George Russell, Coleman Hawkins, Roland Kirk, Dave Brubeck, Joe Turner and Sister Rosetta Tharpe and all their accompanying band members. Wow! What a show!

Dr. King and Jazz in 1964 came together to further the cause of peace and acceptance on a global stage.  Combined, they voiced the struggle of the oppressed with penetrating melody, harmony, riffs, glissando, tempo changes, solos, and vamps. On MLK day I plan on listening to some of my favorite Jazz recordings, most likely some ‘Trane and Kirk in memory and in celebration of Dr. King’s birthday and life’s work.  I think, however, Dr. King if he were alive today, may not be so nostalgic in his Jazz selection, I feel he’d rather listen to new cats like trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, or bassist Esperanza Spalding, and certainly any recording with drummer Brian Blade.

So, did Dr. King have a direct connection to music? Yep! And it was Jazz.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Jazz head! LOL! Nice!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had he survived, would have reached his 83^rd year of life on this day.