To many notes…
In the epic battle over technique, for it’s own sake it always falls far short. Yet technique married with the connection that happens when you are “in the zone”, where real ideas flow and churn like hot lava bubbling and boilling as it flows up not down, in a molten river against gravity directly into an imaginary upside down ocean, cooling at the moment of impact and producing lot’s of gas. Technique has a cold sharp sound, virtuosity a certain flair but are they not both tools? Like the brick it can be used to build a house or break someones window (or hurt thy ears).
But what does that word virtuosity really mean. Websters defines it as 1. a taste for or interest in virtu 2. great technical skill(as in the practice of fine art) Virtu is defined as a love of or taste for curios or objets d’art. Again what is objets d’art…what is art… very subjective …
Lately the less is more road has been real refreshing. Unless it is really called for and some music it really is, an amazing display of “chops” which again by inself falls short but when combined with a story line, some subtext, when the playing is a real connection and dialog with the other musicians, when you are saying something and not imitating, then all bets are off and the sky is the limit, especially in improvisational music.
Indian improvisation music has a deep complexity that is astonishing when one even peers into a layer or two of what is really going on there. Bbeing able to internalize form so you know what is coming way in advance, one can work out intricate cadences that resolve beautifully.
And all the polymetric stuff. Again this stuff shines when it’s used in great compositions and it’s use makes musical sense. By themselves they fall into exercises. I’ve been doing these hikes lately working on 5 and 7 in the time of 2,3 and 4 beats. Working in into the inner vocabulary . Sometimes 4 is not enough and 6 is too much. So 5 can be the perfect thing. When great feel is married to diggin into deeper layers of rhythms, like Jammey Haddad so elequitly told me at a lesson in NYC back when. ” you start to see many many facets appearing”.
The world is our oyster. The internet has made contact globally instantly for all of us a reality. Musically we can peer into every corner of the earth and hear what type of music is happening . What is going on and where. The cross pollination potentiality is astonishing. What a time for sure. More music….. less violence……..
