At Carnegie Hall
Definitive Jazz
Jazz has always had a great mix of structure and improvisation. I
personally love how jazz has several incredible compositions, and then the
musicians jam to them. I love how the focus is on both the playing and the
compositions. I feel that when it comes to live jazz albums, this album is
high up on the list of albums.
For a lot of concerts, people go to the show and they're regularly
socializing and hanging out. Carnegie Hall is one of those venues where
people are meant to sit and listen to the music. I was at a concert with
several bands that my friends were in, and one of my friends commented
on how I was one of the only people sitting in the front and actually
listening to the music while others were just socializing. There was
actually a pool table set up for people to play a game of pool during the
show.
Carnegie Hall, however, was a venue meant primarily for classical music
and made with great acoustics. They also had a really nice grand piano
that Thelonious Monk got to play. Although one of his favorite things to do
is find all of the notes that are out of tune, and play those notes more for
effect. What he really does is not play out of tune pianos, but he looks at
what he can do with what piano he has that he can't do with another. He
definitely sounds glad that he's playing a grand piano meant for classical
musicians.
Getting John Coltrane added is great because he's the most well-known
saxophonist in jazz, and he is a wonderful saxophone player. He might not
have the technical skills that Kenny G. has, but he has much more color in
his playing, and his improvisation sounds much better.
They had Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums.
These two had played with several other musicians, like most jazz bass
players and drummers, and also like most bass players and drummers,
they're able to just go and play with a complete different band. That's one
of the great aspects about jazz, that people can have never played any of
these songs together, but they're able to just pull out a lead sheet and
perform a tune like they've been playing these tunes together for years.
One of my favorite parts of jazz is that when musicians perform together,
they all have great discussions and conversations with each other, not of
words, but of emotions and atmospheres, and although the listeners aren't
part of it, they enjoy listening to it. You can also tell that the musicians are
having a great time.
Having the mix of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk really is what says
it all, and then add that this album is at Carnegie Hall already makes you
think "this must be good," and this is one of those times where it isn't a
disappointment.
The complaint that several people might have is that the second
performance of "Epistrophy" is only partial, but they already did a
performance of the song earlier on. I think that it works really well that way
as an album. I also like how this is an unedited live album. There was
probably some remixing on things, but they didn't delete anything or do any
overdubs. I think that all that they did was take out part of the secon d
performance of "Epistrophy."
Thelonious Monk is an incredible composer and piano player, and with the
help of John Coltrane, and one of the greatest rhythm sections, this album
is a must-have. One of the best parts of this album is that they're all
having a great time, and it really comes out in the music.
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