Christopher Smith wrote:
On Apr 3, 2008, at 6:32 AM, dhbailey wrote:
Then it's a pretty poor piece of music, if it depends more on the
personality of the performer than the quality of the music.
Can I offer a different example in jazz?
The Charles Mingus band, even when he was sick and in a wheelchair in
front of the band with a different bassist, still sounded like his band
with all the personality and life that it had when he was playing.
Mingus operated his band as much by force of personality as by musical
direction, and I suspect they all thought he might stand up out of the
wheelchair and charge them if they defied him. I didn't hear the band
when he was dying in Mexico, but according to all reports, the band kept
playing as if Mingus was there. But once he was dead, the band started
playing more like THEY wanted to, rather than the way Mingus wanted, and
it was a pale, wan version of the band we all knew and loved.
Some music depends more on the performer than other musics, and jazz is
one of those, I think. It isn't necessarily a reflection on the quality
of the music if it needs a certain virtuosity (in technique or
interpretation) to get its point across.
The same is true in classical music -- a music director who is
respected/feared/whatever can make an orchestra play "his way" just by
being in the room, even with a different conductor on the podium.
That's totally independent of the music being played.
I agree that a person's personality can definitely affect the way a
group plays. But the music lives on even when that person has left or
died, even though the interpretation changes.
--
David H. Bailey
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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