It's Sidney Bechet, an iconic soprano saxophonist of the very earliest years
of jazz, perhaps the very first jazz musician recorded, certainly before
Louis Armstrong. It is highly improbable that you have heard him play Take
Five, as he died in mid may 1959, and the session for the first recorded
version of that tune didn't take place until late June of the same year. It
is also unlikely that Bechet would have been comfortable in 5/4 time at that
point in his life.
Take five was written for the Time Out album of the Dave Brubeck quartet by
the group's alto sax player, Paul Desmond. He is one of the greatest and
most underrated players of all time. Desmond's solo's are little works of
art, having the most sublime melodic content ever. Although his technique
wasn't that of Bird or Cannonball, it was certainly good enough, and his
sound was unusual, and often put off listeners. It as light and ethereal. A
reviewer once called his sound "like a dry Martini." Desmond responded that
it was more like three. Like most Jazz musicians, he was quite a comedian.
I would be suspicious of any jazz played by someone that has recorded Haydn.
The disciplines are divergent and don't generally play well together.
Although a competent player, Andre Previn's Jazz recordings were always very
derivative and lacked spontaneity.
As to 60 types of Jazz, I doubt it, but really, who cares?
Bill Pearce
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Swale
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 6:00 PM
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [OM] (OM) OT Wot is jazz?
Well, obviously I was stirring the pot !!
But in fact the only jazz piece I can remember and name is Sydney Beche
(?spelling) and his "Take Five". Any others that hit either of my ears have
gone clear through to the other side leaving no trace.
I might well follow up John Hudson's suggestion of Marc Hamelin's jazz CD;
I have two of his double CD sets of Haydn piano sonatas and they are
wonderful. He is a great pianist.
Andrew's record that there are 60 types of jazz is somewhat amazing to me
- beyond understanding. Sounds to me as though whoever decided that,
could be what is called in biological taxonomy, a "splitter" :-)
Brian Swale.
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