The Free Musics - Couverture souple

Wright, Jack

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1537777246 ISBN 13 : 9781537777245

Editeur : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

The author is one of the veterans of American free improvisation, going back to the 1970s.He is mainly a saxophonist whom another original, Davey Williams, called "the Johnny Appleseed of free improvisation" for his criss-crossing the country with this music beginning in the 80s, which at age 83 he continues today.
Unlike academic and hagiographic books, The Free Musics takes the active musician's point of view. This researched study goes into previously unexplored territory--the relation of musicians' music (especially those categorized as “avant-garde”) to the social and economic realities. These have changed from the postwar era to the present, in terms of status and livelihood support—gigs on which ordinary musicians once depended for livelihood have disappeared except for a minute handful. Media and academic credentialing has led to a hierarchy of that visible few, with others ranked beneath them, while the vast majority of musicians have no need for ranking and are invisible to the mass media and its public.
The book focuses first on the jazz origins of sixties Free Jazz through to today’s free jazz, resurrected in the late 80s. The study follows the shifting relation of these musicians to the media and institutional music world, which has determined what music gets performed and recorded. Next, the book focuses on free improvisation in North America, with a glance at its origins in the UK and Europe. Free improv in the US is traced from its beginnings in the late 70s to today, including its strong links to experimental music and free jazz. “Free improv” is the broad genre title, earlier called “non-idiomatic,” and often confused with free jazz and structured improvisation, but for players focused on the form it is a distinct approach, here given the name of free playing.
Free playing has been the practice of a small number of musicians who form a network rather than a hierarchy. They enjoy a unique bond not found in society, certainly not between strangers, as in ad hoc groups—total trust of whatever the others are doing. No individual seeks the prominence of the soloist, as found in all consumer-oriented musics, such as jazz and free jazz. Lacking a hierarchy, and with no aim to meet the needs of a career (music world acceptance), the names of players are culturally insignificant and unknown outside a very small number of attentive listeners. Instead, their playing and relationships directly serve their artistic interest. For more information see springgardenmusic.com

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

The Free Musics goes into previously unexplored territory in the study of music—the social reality of musicians, especially those categorized as avant-garde, viewing all such musicians as distinct social groups. They are motivated specific to musicology and social/economic realities, which have changed from the postwar period to the present. In terms of status and livelihood support—paying gigs—there is normally a hierarchy: some are representative figures, some are ranked beneath them, and others are unranked and invisible to the media and public. The first part deals with free jazz, from its originary period in New York when it was a sixties movement, to today’s established form. The study follows the shifting relation of these musicians to the music world of media and institutions and to classic jazz, and the effect these have on what music gets performed and recorded and what is suppressed. Secondly, the book focuses on free improvisation in North America, which is traced from its beginnings in the mid-1970s to today, including its strong links to free jazz and experimental music. The title is often used indiscriminately, but for those who use that title to define their music it refers to a distinct approach, here given the name of free playing. Following some of the British originators of free improvisation, it has often been called “non-idiomatic,” which is here critiqued. Socially it has been the practice of a small number of musicians who form a network rather than a hierarchy. For them no defining code is to be learned or imported, and so anyone can potentially benefit from playing with anyone else. Ad hoc groupings are balanced by choices based on individual musical interest and friendship. Instead of aiming to meet performance, music world, and career needs, their playing and relationships directly serve their artistic interest. Free playing puts the artists ahead of the results of their activity and in charge of their collectivity. Lacking a hierarchy, the names of its players are culturally insignificant. Given this configuration, the network, the approach, and the recorded results of playing are unknown outside a very small number of attentive listeners. The author is a saxophonist, exclusively playing free improvisation since the late 70s and continuously organizing, touring, and expanding his musical horizon. For more information see springgardenmusic.com

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Date d'édition: 2017
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1537777246
• ISBN 13: 9781537777245
• Reliure: Broché
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 316
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Manufactured by Amazon on behalf of the author; https://www.amazon.fr/hz/contact-us; ; c/o Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., 38 Avenue John F. Kennedy; Luxembourg; L-1855; Luxembourg