Younger/Peer/Older/Gone--#2 of 4

Yes, this list going backwards...today's topic is the older yet still present musical inspiration!

So, last post we focused on 2 musicians whom I've loved for many years, but passed away at tragically young ages. Bassists Jamerson and Pastorius redefined the electric bass song by song, and left an indelible mark on the instrument and it's practicioners in their wake.

Today's choices reflect a couple recent additions to the home library. I highly recommend both, and have enjoyed them greatly!

1. Stevie Wonder on "Live at Last: A Wonder Summer Night"

Came out yesterday, and though I have one quibble, it is a high education, to say the least. My quibble? He leaves the heavy-hitters for the end, and then treats them as if on an oldies tour, truncating and hasting his way through them. Leaving the epic "As" for last, he cuts entire sections from the song, and limits that legendary improv to an entirely too-short, yet still killer, climatic burst. For a performer of his tenure to still have the goods as he so eloquently does, it's literally a crying shame to not have, simply put, more of him to enjoy. In a day and age where his generation has lost touch, soul, ability, focus, or even life, Stevie Wonder stands firmly as an Artist, vibrant, vivid, and as valuable as ever. To see his way with his audience, the complete respect he pays his band and vocaslists (including daughter Aisha Morris), and to realize that one man, still alive, wrote all these classics.... that is to know that Giants still walk among us.

2. McCoy Tyner on "Guitars"

When I auditioned for a college of jazz in 2004, I made the faculty suffer my horrendous performance on Santamaria's-via-Coltrane's "Afro-Blue". Trane's Live at Birdland, personally reccomended to me by Derek Trucks no less, became a constant companion from 2003-2005. And as much as Trane enlightened me, a lot of it was blowing right past me at the same time. But the spark that always kept me entranced turned out to be his young pianist, McCoy Tyner, who's visinoary and breath-taking livelihood on the piano always fiercely drew my attention, and changed me irreversibly.

Tyner, the last remaining member of Coltrane's legendary quartet, has endeavored to continue in the exploratory spirit of both Trane and his own catalog, and his newest record is no different. "Guitars" is a CD/DVD set that showcases Tyner's trio of Ron Carter on bass, and drummer Jack DeJohnette, augmeneted and inspired by a quartet of guitarists, and one very special banjo hero.

The aforementioned Trucks shines on his two selections, the standard "Greensleeves" and "Slapback Blues", and is perhaps the underdog hero here. He is young, not commonly associated with jazz as a genre by the mainstream press, and is definitely known as one of the world's best electric slide guitarist. He is respectful to near fault here, but the pairing is a wonderful taste of what could come, if pursued. John Scofield is a titan in the field, and shows why; Bill Frisell plays with subtlety and grace, and the acoustic banjo loveliness of Bela Fleck is, in my opinion, the most uniquely best fit. Marc Ribot, a player whom I respect, has me scratching my head and feeling dissapointed. His overly-effected, harsh tones do not fit well with the tonality of the otherwise acoustic trio, and, to point, I don't think he played up to his potential. It sometimes comes off as "Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman had a baby, and they called it electric avant-garde"

The DVD is well-worth the price of admission- seeing a legend of Tyner's pedigree working on arrangements, discussing tunes with musicians, and completely schooling everyone on how to improvise is priceless. As with Wonder, I just wish there was more....

~

And there you... 2 more more cool people and things to check out. Revenge of the Long Post indeed, but I do this because I can, as my friend Ernie Terrell is fond of saying. As always, I welcome your feedback, hope you enjoy, and keep rocking the free world!

Videos? We got yo' stinkin' videos!

McCoy Tyner - "Guitars" Trailer
Stevie Wonder - Surprise....