| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Allman Brothers - Jessica | |
| Dr. Whack -- 02/13/2005, 13:38:30 -- #11195 | |
| I bumped into a little inspiration a couple of days ago that I thought might be of some interest here. I was riding home in my car, flipping through radio stations and I happened upon "The Allman Brothers' - Jessica" right before the piano solo. Now I learned this solo note for note 30 years ago, so I knew what to expect - I thought. Before I knew it, I was bouncing around in my seat - totally into a 2-chord, major triad vamp (A-D) in anticipation for one of the most notable piano solos in music history (Chuck Lavell), which if you break it down is pretty much a pentatonic scale with a few "blue" notes here and there. But man, what these guys do with a simple 2-chord jam is pure magic - the epitome of music! Even though I knew every note that was coming around the corner, I was lost in the excitement of it - then....the big key change into the guitar solo and wow!! I was on cloud nine! I guess my point is, it's not what you play but how and when you play, that makes something happen. For you younger players out there, please do yourselves a favor and look up a copy of this great recording. It would a nice memory to have in your heart and musical palette. | |
| Peteboypete -- 02/13/2005, 13:55:10 -- #11197 | |
| Yeah, I've heard quotes that the Allman Brothers listened to a lot of Miles and Coltrane stuff (especially Kind Of Blue). I love listening to them. | |
| Dr. Mike -- 02/13/2005, 20:28:28 -- #11198 | |
| The Allman Brothers were pure Rock n' Roll ... Aint a damn thing wrong with that. They were greatness in there own right. Ain't no need to try to tie them in with Miles and Jazz. Thats not what they were about. Not by a long shot All music that has improvisation is not jazz. All Jazz has improvisation. All Mammals are Animals... Not all animals are Mammals. Mammals are cool but there are other cool animals too. | |
| Dr. Mike -- 02/13/2005, 20:33:06 -- #11199 | |
| Oh man now I be goin on a rant. Most Jazz has chords with tensions added to them. Music that has chords with tensions on them is not neccessarily Jazz. How that confusion about Steely Dan ever started is beyond my most fertile imajination days. Steely Dan is good music that uses chords with tensions added to them. Jazz is often good music that uses chords that has tensions added to them. You can in no way because of this jump to the obviously erroneous conclusion that Steely Dan is Jazz. | |
| Peteboypete -- 02/14/2005, 09:20:06 -- #11204 | |
| Man, I just proved that the Allman Brothers had a jazz influence. I don't see why that is a bad thing, and I definately didn't say they played jazz. It is a fact that all of the members of the band listened to jazz and have said that it influenced their music. ...anyway not all jazz has improvisation either, and I stick by that. | |
| alhaynes -- 02/14/2005, 09:39:07 -- #11205 | |
| When I listen to Coltrane I turn the volume up fairly loud. When I listen to the Allman Bros I turn it up all the way ! | |
| Barry -- 02/14/2005, 10:34:24 -- #11207 | |
| Jeez, I don't know. At the risk of starting another enormous argument - I have to say that, for me personally, I can't think of any music that doesn't have improvisation in that I would call jazz. For me, improvisation is one of the defining, maybe the most defining characteristic of jazz music. Pete, perhaps you could give me an example of some jazz with no improvisation in it so I could check it out? | |
| 7 -- 02/14/2005, 12:55:00 -- #11208 | |
| Many Swing Big Band arrangements did not include a section earmrked for and improvisatory solo section. Jazz without improvisation. | |
| Scot -- 02/14/2005, 13:04:27 -- #11210 | |
| "The Allman Brothers were pure Rock n' Roll ... Aint a damn thing wrong with that. They were greatness in there own right. Ain't no need to try to tie them in with Miles and Jazz." The Allman Brothers were pure MUSIC. They didn't care what genre they got their stuff from, they didn't care what genre they played. Pretty much everyone listened to Kind of Blue when it came out, same with Coltrane. The public ear was more sophisticated those days. I mean, Dave Brubeck Take 5 was a chart topper for a long time, people even danced to it- 5/4! When people are all about the music, there are no genre barriers. (almost like the world- when people are all about people, there are no racial, political, or ideological barriers) | |
| Barry -- 02/14/2005, 19:59:56 -- #11218 | |
| 7 I'm not really sure whether I'd call that jazz - but it does remind me of a great anecdote - although where I heard it and who it's about I can't remember. A bunch of musicians were on a big band gig in the '30s. They had been booked to provide music specifically for dancing but it was a fairly quiet evening and none of the punters seemed to be particularly interested in doing anything other than sitting around and chatting. The leader realised this and so he said to the band: 'Ok, guys, Nobody's really paying any attention to us so we might as well enjoy ourselves. Never mind the written arrangement for this next tune - after the head we'll blow a couple of choruses each for fun'. On hearing this one of the tenor sax players stood up, jammed his horn into his case and stomped of the stage complaining: 'Aw man, I didn't come hear to play no motherf*ckin' jazz.' | |
| Dr. Mike -- 02/15/2005, 18:28:40 -- #11240 | |
| ya A lot of Big band music is not Jazz. Primarily because of the lack of improviation. In fact at this point the Allman Bros music comes closer to being Jazz than some Big Band music. | |
| Dr. Mike -- 02/15/2005, 18:32:49 -- #11241 | |
| Also I challenge there is anything wrong with full blown dissaagreements in this forum. Long threads with lots of heated debate (as long as they do not get personal) are most educational thing LJP has to offer in my op. In Jazz youve got to see that every coin has 382 sides and you have to do your best to explore each side and take each side as seriously as posable as well. | |
| Father Mike -- 02/17/2005, 07:56:36 -- #11278 | |
| The Big Bang?? Dont start falling for that theory now. The Big Bang, thats not Jazz, thats heracy. | |
| mooondancer -- 02/19/2005, 18:36:17 -- #11352 | |
| Yes .. why discourage a good argument. especially when we're not even face to face. | |
| LarryC -- 03/01/2005, 22:48:24 -- #11659 | |
| Dr. Whack, Which version is it...I see a live version, and instrumental version, and a 16 minute version out on iTunes. Love Chuck Lavell (sp?). Ever hear his solo on Old Love from Clapton's Unplugged CD? LarryC | |
| Dr. Whack -- 03/02/2005, 00:25:20 -- #11660 | |
| As far as I know it's always been an instrumental...I was listening to the original "studio" recording - although it sure could have been live:) | |
| Gordon -- 03/02/2005, 17:44:28 -- #11663 | |
| LarryC - yes Chuck Leavell's solo on Old Love is truly great. PS he devotes a bit of time to talking about it on his educational DVD | |
| LarryC -- 03/03/2005, 13:24:34 -- #11680 | |
| Gordon, is that dvd worth $40? I've bought a few instructional videos over the years and they really are not that instructional. Larry | |
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