antoniodeste

I really have to write to Johnny Rotten.....

Here we go again. Funny, very funny. Funny like Bondi, who after being a communist for so many years (and even a mayor) spits into the plate he has eaten from, from the heights of the Forza Italia pulpit that welcomed him after his enlightenment on the road to Damascus, or rather, the cowboy knight. I mean, I can understand that someone might not like something, but there's a way and a way to argue. Resorting to obscenity, with "pippaiolo" terminology in my opinion does less honor to those who write it rather than to the person it’s directed at. Metheny had left me with big doubts too; after all, he certainly hadn't shone for originality lately. But in this "little thing" from 2005, something happened, in my view. If one doesn’t want to see it, that’s perfectly legitimate. However, it remains that these manners (yes, those of this "punisher") are at least questionable. I thank Symbad for the attempts, which were correct, at explanation and persuasion. Unfortunately, as you know, there’s no worse deaf person than one who doesn't want to hear (and listen). Besides, from what I read in reviews and comments from this character, there are almost never half measures or nuances. On the other hand, there is usually an excessive self-consideration of one’s knowledge and strength expressed this way. Honestly, it neither warms nor cools me; I'm perfectly indifferent. In fact, I invite him to keep going like this. After all, who has already "labeled" him and knows him, with these "nice manners" of a super-know-it-all with a unique and refined taste, will probably avoid him anyway. (With a nickname like that, too...).

For JOP: Come on John, you finally found the record you were looking for! If you need any special prescriptions, just give me a shout, and I’ll rush over. :-))

One of the most unpleasant reviews ever read. Johnny Rotten, in his heyday, would probably have felt like an idiot in the face of such punk knowledge.

As a young man, I had an education that was almost entirely symphonic-lyrical, which pleasantly and happily brought me closer to the roots and development of so-called classical music. Over time, my once-vibrant interest gradually softened towards more contemporary forms (Von Weber, Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy, Rimsky Korsakov, Schoenberg, especially Mahler) and then to areas of interest increasingly distant, both in expressive and conceptual terms. Sometimes I feel the desire to listen to Wolfgang Amadeus again, and I do so, but it feels as if something distracts me from a deep concentration and capacity for attraction towards this great composer. Of course, this happens with Tchaikovsky or Borodin as well; it's a sort of desynchronization that prevents me from experiencing genuine sharing. This does not, of course, detract from the works in question or the monumentality of the figures involved. Bye, Hal.

Often, when I was a radio programmer a long time ago, I ran a segment on the ugliest and/or most useless records of the month. After a while, I realized that while it was fair to "alert" listeners about the "nothingness" of certain releases (understood, of course, in my indisputable judgment), I might have better spent my time on the opposite segment; that is, one aimed at highlighting even more deeply the mountain of beautiful things that are usually published every month. If you allow me, aside from the elegiac note regarding this album, I would suggest the same. Best regards.

Nice review, concise, straightforward and to the point; you can quickly sense the "militancy" for jazz and the parallel openness to other things that are not necessarily less "noble" from the writer. I don’t know Nergaard, but I’m intrigued by her geographical background, like the other singers mentioned by the reviewer. Lello shows an unusual curiosity for places not normally frequented by so-called canonical jazz. Since the 70s, Scandinavian countries have repeatedly made their voices heard in the jazz or para-jazz scene, and sometimes you have the luck of stumbling upon a true gem. I don't know if this is the case. Perhaps a sample (I wouldn't want to ask for too much) wouldn't hurt. Thanks Lello, anyway. Beautiful cover.

A lively, pleasant, and spirited review. For a while, I wondered if Symbad and Symbad_bassist were the same person. Some reviews or comments (from a stylistic point of view) seem to be written during the day; others at night; as if there were a "schizophrenic" approach to the subject. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a flaw. Nonetheless, this bubbly and enlightened way of arguing is welcome. I’m not familiar with the album in question, but I have already expressed impressions about the pianist in other contexts. Personally, I don’t prefer the technical/stylistic approach of Jeff Ballard, whom I’ve seen live with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Mark Turner (on two separate evenings). I really just don’t like it (well…).
On Grenadier, however, I could write lines of appreciation. I find him extraordinarily skilled, aware, and "physical" with his 3/4. An intelligent and swinging bassist; it’s beautiful to watch him even when he seems to be dialoguing with the instrument (holding the bass in his own way). For those who still don’t know, and Symbad talks about it here, the DVD version of the extraordinary "Bird" by C. Eastwood has finally been released. Once upon a time, it was said that Clint, as a Western actor, had only two expressions: one with the hat… and one without. Cheers.

I find the observation pertinent, balanced, and in a certain way, wise. The adjective "spessissimo" makes quite plausible the complex concept underlying the work. After all, such a long and articulated composition (despite theoretical subdivisions) can indeed prove difficult to digest when taken as a whole. Metheny seems to want to confidently and authoritatively assert his position as a contemporary leader of a "certain" way of making jazz, and the proof, in this sense, is a challenge. I refer interested parties to the most recent group publications on DVD. The brilliance, conviction, and density of this Methenyan "new deal" emerge right from the start, leaving no doubts about the current state of grace of the guitarist from Lee Summit. After all… to posterity, the difficult verdict. See you.

I reciprocate, with pleasure.