tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post4909800939785935478..comments2024-03-24T08:17:55.097-04:00Comments on BLOG TO COMM: Christopher Stiglianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17107248034597839482noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post-49195225735517222752011-01-05T17:28:26.481-05:002011-01-05T17:28:26.481-05:00i like jazz!i like jazz!Roman Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05425483031311692296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post-76753264873863911422011-01-05T15:03:07.747-05:002011-01-05T15:03:07.747-05:00That's the problem...the piece I read just men...That's the problem...the piece I read just mentioned that he did some orchestral works with avant garde passages! Nothing much to go by, though I shall add that (for what its worth) WIkipedia under their listing of "avant garde" mention Ellington which I think is where my curiosity got piqued in the first place!'' And (regarding my earlier musing) I <i>could</i> see Ellington and Braxton recording together...after all, Braxton did an album with Dave Brubeck!Christopher Stiglianohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17107248034597839482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post-56786565291268339882011-01-05T14:26:13.397-05:002011-01-05T14:26:13.397-05:00Chris, if you can tell me which orchestral works h...Chris, if you can tell me which orchestral works have been called "Avant garde," I can give you an assessment of them.<br />Bill S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post-65073526083925216942011-01-05T13:57:49.047-05:002011-01-05T13:57:49.047-05:00There's a ref. to some avant garde orchestral ...There's a ref. to some avant garde orchestral works. Anybody out there care to fill me in on <i>those?</i> Also, thanks for the tip off re. the <b>LIVE AT THE WHITNEY</b> and Storyville sets. And too bad he didn't live long enough to perform with Braxton!Christopher Stiglianohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17107248034597839482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post-49601271617989051992011-01-05T11:55:19.958-05:002011-01-05T11:55:19.958-05:00OK, you've shamed me into a response.
You aske...OK, you've shamed me into a response.<br />You asked me about Ellington and the avant-garde. I didn't answer initially because I don't associate him w/ the avant-garde at all. Yes, he was always progressive and innovative, and something like "Reminiscing In Tempo", a 4-part work from the 30's, or Black Brown & Beige from the 40s, or about 100 other things are truly innovative. However, in terms of avant-garde, really, the only thing I would recommend is the solo piano "live at the whitney" cd, recorded in the early 70's a few years before his death. You probably know that Monk considered Ellington his main influence on the piano, and Ellington's elliptical and percussive piano style has been an influence on many in the avant-garde, but I think if you go into his work looking for some hidden avant-garde nugget, you're not really going to find it. Progreesive, yes. Innovative, yes. But he was rarely if ever self-consciously "avant-garde" in the way that, say, Stan Kenton was on occasion. But Kenton was often pretentious, and Ellington rarely was (although I'm not the biggest fan of his later "Sacred Concerts," which are a bit pretentious to me). <br />I'd be happy to talk about Ellington more if you have any questions, but there's a simple response. <br />Some of the unreleased material from Duke's "Stockpile" that has come out on the european "storyville" label and on a ten-volume US set in the 1990's would be the closest you might get: his score for the dance piece "The River" and to the play "The Jaywalker" might be of interest..<br />MONEY JUNGLE would have also been a recommendation of mine. There was a reissue of that in the 90s w/ some interesting alternate takes...hope that's the version you have. It's too bad Ellington did not record w/ someone like, say, Archie Shepp or Bill Dixon or Ken McIntyre or Booker Ervin. I can see that kind of thing working well (as did his album w/ Coltrane...or MONEY JUNGLE), but I can't imagine him working with, say, a Frank Wright or an Albert Ayler or with many of the Euro free-jazz players...<br /><br />Bill S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6910067.post-11987650221861605752011-01-05T08:59:53.729-05:002011-01-05T08:59:53.729-05:00Hey Chris - I dig that Money Jungle album...I neve...Hey Chris - I dig that Money Jungle album...I never knew about it until a friend gave me a copy a year or two ago. I've never been a huge Ellington fan per se, but I'll check out anything with Mingus & Roach on the bill.JamesChanceOfficialhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04517788409617221144noreply@blogger.com