I know some people tend to associate jazz with muzak / elevator music, but to me, jazz has always been the best example of music as communication.1This being, of course, an opinion bounded by my rudimentary knowledge of jazz. I don’t claim to say this with any kind of authority or expertise. I’m an occasional enthusiast at best, lol. Which reminds me that there are some related notes from the Kindle that I should probably try to save here. Someday.
For today, some newfound gems2The Corea & Hiromi improv + Esperanza Spalding’s more recent track and old favorites:
Two of the best jazz pianists on the planet in freewheeling conversation.
This is still my favourite Hiromi piece, tho.
On the subject of favourite jazz pianists / pieces, this is another of my all-time picks. There aren’t any good live recordings of this on YouTube, which is unfortunate, because there’s nothing like watching Brad Mehldau set a piano on fire.
Jazz has its fair share of Personalities-with-a-capital-P, but it’s also a genre heavily defined by bands and collaboration. Even the Benny Goodman and the John Coltrane spent most of their careers playing in groups. Snarky Puppy, with over 40+ musicians in “The Fam,” is one of my favorite examples of the connections built when talented musicians play and create together.
Which isn’t to say today’s jazz doesn’t have capital-P Personalities, because whew, the luminous Erykah Badu.
And the incomparable Esperanza Spalding
And Takuya Kuroda, who manages to make a trumpet effortlessly cool
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