[Dixielandjazz] Improvisation redux

[Stephen Barbone]

Got to thinking about the time I went to see Ornette Coleman, Don
Cherry, Charlie Hayden et al at the Five Spot In NYC circa 1961 or so.
Curious because it was avant garde or "free jazz". That is, no defined
melody, no defined chord changes.

Basically Ornette started the tune on sax and made up the melody and
chord changes as he went along. The rest of the band had to follow his
changes by ear. Then in mid tune, Cherry on trumpet took over the lead
and made up his own changes and melody. Then Hayden soloed on his own
chord changes and the rest of the group softly followed his lead.

Etc., etc., all night long. Didn't understand or appreciate it then
except for one facet. That was the most together band I ever heard. They
LISTENED to each other and managed to be right, as far as the changes
were concerned, even though they were being totally improvised by the
lead horn at the time.

Puts to rest the idea that one must know where one is going. Or that one
must know what note in the chord one is going to play. They made it work
in a totally unstructured setting, when they didn't know what chord was
coming next. That's improvisation.

As I said, I did not understand or appreciate it. But sitting at the
next table was Leonard Bernstein with a faculty group from Julliard.
They absolutely loved it and kept commenting about how good it was. Made
me feel like a jerk for about two weeks until I got back to my own
grooves.

Cheers,
Steve

PS Still don't understand or appreciate most free jazz, but then, there
are a lot of things about music I don't understand. Like tonight's 2 set
concert at a local High School. 500 in the audience absolutely went
hysterical over what we did plus I sold 68 CDs. Yet "jazz" is dying?
NAH. Just certain jazz presentations.

And tomorrow night, that private Mardi Gras party for 150 Nuns. What
next? ;-)