This is Good Music Right Here

Keith Jarrett Live in Concert

Most of you have never heard of Keith Jarrett. He is in the top three of living jazz piano players in the world today. I would label him #1. Last night, Justin Taylor and I saw him perform one of his iconic solo concerts that are completely improvised. The following video will give you a sense for the breathtaking beauty of his playing.

The whole concert was not all like this but much of it was. Keith is an odd bird to say the least. Like most people with extreme, far outside the norm type gifts he says awkward things and can genuinely make a complete jerk out of himself to the audience. Last night was no exception, but the music speaks for itself and it was the height of common grace on display for all to see.




For more music like this I would recommend:

The Koln Concert
Jasmine
Over The Rainbow
Blues
True Blues
It's All In The Game

This is Good Music

Stella By Starlight - Solo

One of my favorite jazz songs to play.



Check out my trio's EP here.

Improv on the White Keys

Something I recorded yesterday.



Check out my trio's EP here.

Two Videos from Last Night's Gig

Two Degrees East Three Degrees West






Hocus Pocus

www.zachnielsenjazz.com

I just launched a new jazz website.  Click over if you get a chance.  If you have any feedback for me on how to make it better, please let me know.  I'll be adding new videos and transcriptions all the time so you might want to check back now and then.  

You can also check out my latest EP on iTunes or AmazonMP3.  It features a couple songs that most of you will know, "Message in a Bottle" by the Police and "Come as You Are" by Nirvana.

Why Not Jazz?

Dr. Doug Groothuis:

Why are so few people interested in jazz today? One reason is that the best jazz is subtle; it does not bowl you over with special effects or acoustic tricks. It, rather, invites listening. Few truly listen to anything today. Instead, souls are saturated with various sounds engineered to produce certain effects. People consume readily, but listen infrequently. Our ears are buzzing; our hearts are empty; our tastes are uneducated and crass.

But you must listen to jazz, let it penetrate into your sensorium. It is a deep and rich well, but one must decide to drop the bucket in and to pull it out.

Why Jazz?

Christopher Benson reviews this new book that looks quite interesting, Why Jazz?: A Concise Guide:

Music endears itself to us long before we achieve an understanding of it. When I was enrolled at Wheaton College, where students must uphold a covenant (popularly known as "the pledge") that entails abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and—at that time—dance, I felt the institutional standard for "the responsible use of freedom" was really an impingement on freedom. Escaping the claustrophobic campus, I discovered a freeing atmosphere in downtown Chicago at the Green Mill and Jazz Showcase, amid hoot 'n holler, clanking glassware, and a marine layer of cigarette smoke.

Those nights grooving to jazz are indelibly stamped on my imagination. Bewitched by the democracy of musicians who vocalized their eccentricities through instruments, I bopped my head, thumped my foot, and snapped my fingers. None of the entertainment seemed "immodest, sinfully erotic, or harmfully violent," as the pledge cautions against. But it was—and is—spontaneous, experimental, and daring. Years later I realized why this music appeals to me beyond its pleasurable sounds. "Jazz is freedom," declared the great Duke Ellington. It is an exhalation of the human spirit, like all music, but uniquely textured by the African American cry for freedom: long-suffering, exuberant, and sensuous.

Asking a big question in the title—as Kevin Whitehead does here—primes the reader to expect a big answer. Why Jazz? aims to "tune you in if you're new to the music, or tune up your listening if you've already got the bug." Whitehead, National Public Radio's Fresh Air jazz critic, admirably succeeds in meeting this goal by using a chronologically organized Q&A format. With remarkable precision and polish, he traces the lineaments of each genre, discerns the significance of key figures, explains the anatomy of sound, and sketches the important venues—making this a useful reference for a puzzled or curious audience. I am now equipped with more angles for listening to jazz performances, although the music theory continues to stump me.

Read the rest.

Bill Cosby on Playing The Drums With Some Jazz Giants

This is so good. I have felt his pain before, but in my case on the piano.

Time, Tick, Tock

This is a serious groove and interesting video.



(HT: Matthew Westerholm)

Jazz Song of the Day

This is one of my favorite jazz songs by one of my favorite jazz trios. Take a few minutes of unhurriedness and give this a careful listening.

You can get this song here.

You can get more from Esbjorn Svensen Trio here.

Art is dying in this world...

This is from the liner notes from the most recent jazz release from Keith Jarrett (my favorite jazz pianist) featuring himself and Charlie Haden on bass.  If you are new to the jazz genre this would be a very beautiful and simple entrance point for you.  I would HIGHLY recommend it.  They play with an elegant interaction that is quite engaging.

I resonate with this quote from the liner notes though I don't think I share the pessimism.  As long as there are humans in this world there will always be art.  It is simply part of what it means to be made in the image of God.  We will continue to be creative because God is creative:

Art is dying in this world, as is listening, as the world becomes more full of toys and special effects. With this death will come the undoing of many possible feelings: beautiful, tender, deep, trusting, true, sad, full of internal meaning and color. . .

Here is some music for you. Take it and its' your's. Charlie and I are obsessed with beauty An ecstatic moment in music is worth the lifetime of mastery that goes into it, because it can be shared.

(HT: Doug G.)

Z Music - Nardis

This video is from a recent recital at Desert Springs Church. This song, Nardis, by Miles Davis, is one of my favorites to play. It was made famous by jazz piano great, Bill Evans.

5 Reasons I Take Vitamin Z

I am looking forward to doing some guest posts for Zach this week.  I begin by giving 5 of the reasons why I take Vitamin Z.  Chris Brauns. . . Any reasons you would add?


#5 – The Bizarre Posts – Zach is eclectic in his posting and the humor often connects with me.  In fact, when I reviewed the “stupid stuff” category on my blog, I noticed that no one has more hat tips than Vitamin Z.  Zach’s Ken Lee post (see here) may be my favorite all-time post in this category. 
If you haven’t watched Ken Lee, you really must do so: click here.
#4 – Zach is a native of the GSOI and a University of Northern Iowa Panther alum.  Likewise, I am from the GSOI and my MBA is from there.
#3 - I like his music.  

 #2 – Zach is pro-life and pro-adoption without apology. 
#1 – Zach is helping lead a church plant in Madison, Wisconsin.  (See here).  There may be no strategic place to plant churches in our day, than in University communities.  They are at the crossroads of the world.  I can’t wait to hear how this goes. 
Why do you take Vitamin Z? 

Some Great Pics from A Recent Jazz Gig

See more pics from this gig by Ben Moore at www.ZachNielsenJazz.com

A Couple Tracks From Saturday's Gig

Solar

There Will Never Be Another You

The Face of Love - The Zach Nielsen Trio

I like how this one turned out.  www.ZachNielsenJazz.com

More Great Jazz At Amazing Prices

Yesterday I posted about Hank Mobley and the great on the real CD.  Today I noticed that two other of his great records are on serious sale for the real CD for the price of $3.68.  Three of these classic CD's for almost 10 bucks.  I wouldn't miss out on these.  The rhythm section on these records is about as classic as it gets and Hank's playing is beautiful. 

 

Workout

by Hank Mobley

Price: $3.68

 

Roll Call (Rudy Van Gelder Edition)

by Hank Mobley

Price: $3.68

The Stefano Bollani Trio

Just got this record. Many of you who are new to jazz might want to check it out. It's not too "out there". Amazing beauty. Very subtle and calming.