A Rare Appearance of Coltrane On Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePScRElDHOY

This video of John Coltrane playing, “On Green Dolphin Street,” is less of a music video and more of a music documentary.  What it lacks in production value is made up for in historical value. There are no expensive props or dazzling visual animations— just four musicians playing a simple 32-bar form, show tune. Because the context of their performance is so spontaneous and evidently casual (because the leader missed the session), each musicians talent is showcased brilliantly and without distraction.

The quartet’s first musical decision is to start the tune off with a rubato piano intro featuring one complete statement of the melody.  Paul Chambers accompanies him with the bow which sets up a nice contrast for the pizzicato petal-point figure he plays when Jimmy Cobb brings the time in.  The staging and camera work reflects the musical decisions made by the quartet perfectly. The video opens with an overhead shot of Wynton Kelly’s hands on the piano.  They pull the camera back to reveal Paul Chambers, then Jimmy Cobb, and finally John Coltrane, but just his silhouette. Once Coltrane brings in the melody, the lighting shifts and the horn player has the spotlight.  

During the saxophone solo, we have some subtle camera movement to add liveliness and motion to the shot.  A wavelike animation also appears right by the bell of Coltrane’s saxophone. The first time I watched this video, I was mystified by the animation that fades in around 2:18 until I read mobuisII’s comment which points out that the animation was generated using an oscilloscope.  The waves are entertaining and they offer some variation to an otherwise static shot, but they don’t do much for me. I find myself not paying too much attention to them while they are visible and I certainly don’t miss the when they fade out.

While the decision to include the oscilloscope animation was questionable on the videographer’s part, all the decisions they made with the lighting were excellent.  Jakob Kurup says in the comment section that the, “musicians almost look divine.” The image of these legendary musicians playing against a solid black background is quite powerful.  The spotlight illuminates each one of them when they take a solo casting dramatic shadows over their concentrated expressions. Sometimes it even appears as though the musicians are glowing when the camera goes slightly in and out of focus temporarily blurring the picture.

The first two cuts in the video happen at the end of the saxophone solo into the piano solo. We see Coltrane’s profile for the entirety of his solo and towards the end a three quarter shot gets overlayed with the profile shot.  The profile shot quickly fades out and the viewer gets to watch Coltrane finish his solo from the three quarter angle. The next transition is a slower one which shows the back of Wynton Kelly sitting at the piano. All of the video editing described previously happens in about 15 seconds and is done very smoothly.  The video is certainly deserving of Chris Lawrence’s praise, “So incredibly polished and professional. Like something out of a movie. Breathtaking stuff.”

The “no-frills” vibe of this video combined with the greatest playing the history of jazz has to offer makes this production something that belongs in an archive.  Watching this video as a musician is a truly educational, and equally inspiring, experience because we get to understand how Coltrane and his contemporaries carried themselves on stage through visual means.  We’re not left guessing how Wynton Kelly’s hands looked on the piano, or how Paul Chambers held his bow all thanks to the skilled recording engineers at work that day.

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: Breaking the Mold Or Reminder of Old?

Although President Trump’s statement, “We write symphonies,” was not perfect, he made a good decision to point towards music while praising the progressive mentality adopted by the U.S. and its allies.  There’s no doubt the President’s three-worded, blanket statement insinuates that classical music is an elitist artform, but Polish and American composers have produced countless works of art which aim to expose the exploitation of and prejudice against specific groups of people. George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess is an example of music creating awareness and helping those in need.  

The initial reception of Porgy and Bess after its release in 1935 was mixed at best.  Both the casting and the music were called into question as Gershwin’s folk opera featured an all-black cast as well as music that combined elements of jazz with western classical music.  Gershwin was faced with the challenging task of writing music that would pass as authentic folk music but would also withstand the highbrow scrutiny of operatic audiences. Duke Ellington said Gershwin’s score did not reflect a genuine “Negro musical idiom,” but other critics said, “It abounds in color, it retains the quality of the Negro chant, the spiritual, the wail, the jazz, and the blues.” Not only was the music a hit or miss for some folks, but the content of Gershwin’s folk opera also had some questionable implications. Some described Porgy and Bess as a detriment to the race and as a vehicle that promoted racist stereotypes.

Even though Gershwin depicted Bess as a substance abuser with a penchant for abusive men and Porgy as a crippled beggar, Gershwin was still shining the spotlight on African American performers in 1935.  Empowering these actors and actresses on stage gave them opportunities to bring about real change. During the show’s run in Washington D.C., the cast went on strike to protest the National Theatre’s segregation policy.  Todd Duncan, starring as Porgy, was successful in organizing the protest and as a result ushered in the first integrated audience at the National Theatre on March 21, 1936.

Gershwin’s creation was celebrated by a host of incredibly influential musicians.  In 1958, trumpeter Louis Armstrong collaborated with Ella Fitzgerald to release an entire album of Gershwin’s music and one year after that Miles Davis released a similar album featuring the writing of Gil Evans.  The two albums are based off of the same material, but the end results are entirely different. Showcasing modal improvisation and third stream aesthetics, the Miles Davis record was quite innovative at the time of its release, whereas the 1958 record is another chronicle in the legacy of the iconic trumpet-vocal duo.

Inspiring two landmark albums, creating change in significant institutions, and advocating for African Americans in the arts, Porgy and Bess remains to be one of the most important American operas today. Gershwin innovated his art to incorporate elements from other cultures to create a dramatic documentation of American life.  I say dramatic because the production is hardly factual and uses Gershwin’s ideas of African American culture as an outlet for expression. His folktale created opportunities for Black Americans to perform on legitimate stage bringing about discussion and change.  I generally have a hard time supporting anything President Trump says, but a nod to Western Culture’s music history while making an appeal to America’s innovative spirit, “We write symphonies. We pursue innovation,” is one of the less ridiculous statements he’s made especially with figures like Miles Davis, George Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong decorating our history.

Neck Straps Today: Gimmicks or Essentials

All saxophonists and other musicians who play larger woodwinds invest in some piece of technology to support their instruments while they play them. Most people call this piece of technology a neck strap, but as manufacturers become increasingly aware of occupational hazards, some of these devices have absolutely zero contact with the players neck. For instance, JAZZLAB makes a harness which is made of high-tech, lightweight materials, and can be adjusted seven different ways to Sunday.

Now don’t get me wrong, JAZZLAB makes a great product and I have seen many players use this piece of equipment on several occasions, but I have always wondered if their product actually improves posture. If I’m at all like some of my fellow instrumentalists, I don’t think about my posture nearly enough whenever I pick up my horn. But when I do, I think about my posture from the ground up and try sit or stand as naturally as possible as if the horn weren’t even in my hands. The Saxophone Guy provides an excellent breakdown on building a healthy, supportive playing position and also has some pretty sweet pictures on his site:

https://www.saxophone-guy.com/good-posture.html

The Saxophone Guy has some pretty killing posture, but where is his JAZZLAB saXholder!? Countless saxophone legends have been able to play the instrument at the highest of levels without the aid of special harnesses. Here is some photo-graphical evidence for your viewing pleasure:

In the photographs above, we have three jazz giants and zero saxophone suspension gadgets. Perhaps I am a traditionalist, but the previous fact is a good indication that saxophonists today don’t need a fancy harnesses to facilitate good posture and achieve mastery of the instrument.

While Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon were truly masters of their craft, let’s take a closer look at a different saxophonist: Rich Perry (linked below).h

http://richperrymusic.com/

Rich Perry visited the Eastman School of Music in 2016 and performed as a guest with the Eastman Jazz Lab Band in addition to teaching a few master classes. When he played, he used the JAZZLAB saXholder to support his saxophone. I remember him saying that his harness was an essential step in his recovery. After years of developing bad posture, Rich created not only a unique sound on the tenor but also chronic pain in his neck and shoulders. He corrected this issue by improving his posture and using a harness instead of the old-fashioned neck straps. And if you don’t believe me, here’s a video of him playing with his harness on (solo starts at 5:00).

Rich Perry is one of many who has experienced the therapeutic benefits of playing with a harness. To invest approximately $50 to increase the longevity of your musical career is perfectly reasonable decision to make. But if you don’t have to, and you buy an expensive harness to have the latest technology I would advise against it. Either way, it’s probably better than playing on one of these!

https://secondhandsaxes.com.au/images/wrecksspares/brilhart%20sop%20strap.jpg