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This thread is not meant for bashing or controversy. I remember an old thread about a certain free improviser that resulted in a lot of argument.
In a few weeks I'm going to have a go at playing in a free jazz ensemble, and I've been drawing from improvisers that inspire me for ideas. Some are more well known than others. Here are a few. I'll start with one that is relatively less well known but one of my favorites:
1) Jeff Parker
I've had the fortune of seeing him play several times and taking a few lessons from him. He has a strong funk and hip hop influence as well as bebop. Some of his melodic ideas come from modern classical music (check out references to Stravinsky's cantata in his latest album).
2) Derek Bailey (obviously)
3) Otomo Yoshihide
4) Taku Sugimoto
Minimal but wholly entrancing music.
5) Mary Halvorson
I like her stuff with Thumbscrew the best. Very cool sound, incorporating non-tonal harmony and free improvisation in very elaborately composed and arranged music.
6) Nels Cline
Clearly has a strong rock influence. I think he has spent a lot of time getting to know his effects and he uses them very well in improvisation.
7) Bill Frisell
I'm always amazed at how he's able to say so much by doing so little. He has a large presence, but always provides context for free interaction.
8) Marc Ribot
Love his incorporation of the gritty blues sound in the genre.
9) Eugene Chadbourne
A country-playing maniac.
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09-14-2017 11:02 AM
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Frisell is one of my favorite "free" players (I say "free" in quotes because so much of this stuff still has structure and form, just perhaps not "chord changes")...it's hard to play free in the first place, but to play free in a ballad format...crazy hard! I think of some of the free improvisations on his records with Lovano/Motian...
I love to play free...I spend some time doing it every day...maybe I'll post some here sometime...it usually goes over like a lead balloon...
Playing free on guitar is tough...these are some nice examples you posted.
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"I have the room above her" comes to mind: Frisell, Lovano, Motian. What a mood that whole record has. That's actually an interesting example. The form doesn't seem to have been pre-defined and the improvisation is unscripted, but the outcome is very tonal.
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I'd love to hear some of your free playing, Jeff.
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Well, thank you, I'll indulge myself (and subject others) soon. Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
Yeah, "I have the room" is probably a desert island disc for me...and yes, very tonal, very melodic, but parts of that record are definitely "hiking without a compass." I suppose it depends on how players hear things, Frisell and Lovano are such great melodic players, they're not going to shed that completely, even when not restricted to chord changes.
Motian's playing on those records is just amazing to me...the drums become a third melody instrument. Talk about playing pulse and not time!
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The annual Motian/Frisell/Lovano gig at the Vanguard was a must attend event for me for years. Oh, do I miss that band...
Bill Frisell is playing with the Bad Plus there in October.
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This be me when I get like lost in the changes. These things happen and you go from in the pocket to free....
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Sonny Sharrock, this one Last Exit was pretty up there with tsunami jazz but he's done so much in many sound genres.
Bern Nix once with Ornette's Prime Time, in a nice solo exploration
Garrison Fewell combined his deep rooting in traditional bebop with the world of free jazz that opened up to him. We had many a late night talk sharing our worlds and the characters that populated them. A very overlooked figure in the free scene.
David
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Can't forget Elliott Sharp! Here he is performing some mutilations of Monk's corpus.
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There's a guy in NY, Dom Minasi. I'm surprised no one's mentioned him. I knew about him for years and we finally spoke on the phone before I split the Mango. Real good cat.
He has as much grounding in 'in' playing as anyone, so he's no BSer. I'll post some stuff when I have time. Very interesting stuff, and I admire not only his courage, but anyone who would stake out such a chancy territory (I mean career-wise). That stuff ain't for the feint of heart...
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Joe Morris
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some great names^...(sharrock!) but not yet mentioned-
pete cosey, keith rowe of the amm (very early 60's uk ), sonny greenwich, fred frith, arto lindsay, tisziji munoz, gerry fitzgerald, hans reichel
a great site for this kind of stuff is
PREPARED GUITAR
sadly the site has been dormant for awhile now, but still has much great info archived
here's pete cosey with miles..the fireworks begin around the 5 minute mark
cheers
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Damn! that was cool. What a lineup in that band. Watching miles 'conduct' is pretty neat too. Originally Posted by neatomic
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Good stuff! I had never heard him before, but there's loads of stuff on youtube. Wonderful to hear. Originally Posted by fasstrack
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Loved Last Exit since I first heard them in 88.
Chadbourne, though, doesn't seem to belong to free jazz to my ears. Bless his heart, but in the vid the OP posted and others, he's got a bit too much structure.
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Hell yeah! I feel the same way about Bartok. Stop with the squawking why don't you? Originally Posted by ragman1
What were you thinking? No. I don't want to know. I just hear a two year old.
I like Vivaldi. Enough with the other stuff.
Yup, anybody can hear what they want, based on their knowledge, imagination and integrity. Same can be said of the creative process. Knowledge is the great leveler.
David
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Bridge. Bridge. Where's the bridge? Originally Posted by ragman1
David
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That IS the bridge! I forgot the tune
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Want to do a mashup of your song with 4'33 ? Pretty easy A section but your time needs to be good. Originally Posted by ragman1
That IS the bridge! I forgot the tune
David
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Ragman, I'd be happy to discuss. Do you mind if we do so in another thread? I was hoping to keep this one as a repository of examples.
Last edited by omphalopsychos; 09-15-2017 at 09:08 AM.
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Yeah I agree. I put him in there for kicks Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus
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That's what's cool about these forums, turning each other on to cats, etc... Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
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David Tronzo is a master of unexpected form.
Here's a duo of epic free-form duo-ists. Dave Tronzo and Mick Goodrick in a meeting of the minds.
Eric Hofbauer combining form, free-form, fretted and slide
David
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There's no A section, Dave, it's just free playing. Technically there are no time issues either, it's just what it is. Originally Posted by TruthHertz
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Two germans from the former GDR:
Joe Sachse & Uwe Kropinski
They had a group called "Doppelmoppel" 2 trombones and 2 guitars
Uwe Kropinski even invented his own guitar-pick
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And a younger fellow:
Ronny Graupe
I especially love the drummer. His name is Christian Lillinger. You have to see him live! He's amazing!
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