Robbin’s Nest
Aug 29th, 2008 by oldfogey
One of my first posts on jazz here was about this classic recording of mainstream jazz. It was recorded in December 1953 as a jam session by a band led by trumpeter Buck Clayton. The other members of the band were trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonists Urbie Green and Henderson Chambers, Charlie Fowlkes on baritone sax. The rhythm section was Count Basie’s – without Count Basie – Freddie Green on guitar, Walter Page on bass, Jo Jones on drums. ‘Sir’ Charles Thompson was on piano and he composed the piece. You have to bear in mind what was happening in modern jazz at the time. That febrile, nervy and essentially neurotic music called bebop had swept the classic and swing jazz of Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, Lester Young into the dustbin of history. That was the intention. Well, it hadn’t - any more than Wagner swept Mozart into oblivion. Classical values endure. And here it is - composed, relaxed, comfortable and at ease with itself. Not all art is revolutionary - and the best often isn’t.
| Rate it: |
 Email it
|
      |
|
While I am a John Coltrane fan, I appreciate this style of massage also. Thanks for the great post and the good music.
Lovelyn - Thank you for your comment. When I was young I pretended to like Coltrane and Coleman. And only a few weeks ago I sat down and listened to ‘A Love Supreme’ again - and I was bludgeoned into admiration for Coltrane’s instrumentalism. But that’s not enough, and in the end I concluded that it was music which had no welcome for me. Music (or literature or any art) that does not hold out its hand to welcome its audience can have no complaint when we vote with our feet.
I’m glad you liked ‘Robbin’s Nest’. Best wishes OF