Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Jazz On Tuesdays... Conversations trios and duets

My week of prepping continues and with no students, there is a bit more time to dine out for lunch. Two of the Daves (the third apparently is not waking up early enough to meet us for lunch) are prepping for 2010-11 along with me. The three of us have spent many a time together and the conversations flow out in continuous snarky comments as two of us respond to what the third one said.

I have been told that jazz musicians must be great at listening. One cannot just play like a master and have a memory of a billion standards, but when a cohort heads off into a newly inspired improvisation, the other players must go along for the ride.

I have been blessed to have seen many a concert in my life and I won't say one stands out above all the rest, but...

I once responded to a survey asking which of Keith Jarrett's bands was the best. So, I love piano trios, and I love standards, and that band was the concert I was just about to mention.

Jarrett, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette had been conversing for 25 years when I saw them. At one point a tune ended and a member of the band exclaimed, "all these years and I have never heard you do that before!" Here is one from their early days together...




In my life of conversations, duets are highly favored. And tonight after work I had a great one. The last time I met with this friend was in 2009 and I told her I would tell her my story, so I told her and she listened, then she shared with me. As I drove home this blog post came to be.

Singers talk about pianists they adore. Here is a tune from one my favorite duet albums, Bill Evans accompanies Tony Bennett.





May you be blessed with an amazing conversation with a friend or two.

3 comments:

  1. Nice post and observations re conversations. When you get into larger groups like quartets and quintets the conversation can be more subtle.... not so obvious or maybe not as intimate.
    I also love the Evans-Bennett duo and the Jarrett trio (The Cure being one of my fave albums)

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  2. Sunna... Last night I had a septet of a conversation with great friends! but as a band we would have stunk as we often broke up into separate groups ;')

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  3. Big fan of both of these guys individually. Great combo! Thanks for this, Wayne.

    Mich

    PS. Hubby bought me a Bill Evans piano book for my birthday a few years ago. I've hammered my way through only the first piece. Bill Evans makes it sound soooooo easy. It ain't!

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