Brubeck at 84; Caol Ila at 18
Since I’m apparently writing to myself here -- no one else chiming in on our man Montaigne, no one else musing on what he had to say, and not even any critics pointing out how I totally missed the point -- I had a vote with myself about expanding the blog for the winter months. After all, the sox went into premature hibernation, and what, I’m going to write about the White Sox and the Astros? WhiteSox nation? They don’t even rule their city, let alone a nation. OK, I think it’s nice they made it back to the series after 46 years, and it’s also nice the Astros got there for the first time, not to mention they beat the Cardinals, who are really no friends of ours, but who really cares what happens now?
And so we need a new topic for the coming months, and I’m unilaterally opening the blog to posting on jazz music, as Wynton call it. (I always thought the term jazz music was redundant, but if it’s good for Wynton, it’s good for me.) And the first posting on the topic of jazz music is about Brubeck’s recent CD: London Flat, London Sharp. Amazing.
We saw much of this music performed when we saw Brubeck last June, at Rochester’s jazz festival. The CD is every bit as good as the performance was. It’s not just that Brubeck is still technically accomplished at the piano. The more amazing thing for me is that he’s still creating. After all those years, and after all the success and recognition he’s achieved in a career spanning six decades, his art is every bit as alive and vital as it ever was.
There are several new tunes on the disc, including the title song. I can’t appreciate the full extent of his technical mastery at the piano; I remember him saying how his left hand plays flats and his right plays sharps. But forget about all that cleverness; the song is terrific. And to have written this in his eighties is nothing short of remarkable. Most artists his age who can still perform, choose to remind us of years long past. A bit of sentiment, or nostalgia, a reminder of what was once so loved. Brubeck, however, does very little of that. Sure he plays Take Five at most concerts, but how disappointed would everyone be if he didn’t? The CD is split between new stuff, and old tunes, some of which were recorded previously by him. In the latter category is Unisphere, notable for its 10/4 measure.
Interesting also that Brubeck continues to perfect his art late in life, just as our master did. Only thing is, Montaigne was dead for 30 years at Brubeck’s age. But both bring a lifetime’s experience to their work. So there, the posting ties into the blog’s themes after all.
I enjoyed Brubeck this evening with a glass a Caol Ila 18, the virtues of which John recently touted. I concur heartily. Smoother than Talisker 18, and softer than Lagavullin, yet full of that distinctive smoky flavor. And although the taste is strong, every time I reach the bottom of a glass of Caol Ila, I want a refill. Its flavor always seems to grow, the more you drink it. This was the first Islay scotch I ever bought, and it remains a favorite.
And so we need a new topic for the coming months, and I’m unilaterally opening the blog to posting on jazz music, as Wynton call it. (I always thought the term jazz music was redundant, but if it’s good for Wynton, it’s good for me.) And the first posting on the topic of jazz music is about Brubeck’s recent CD: London Flat, London Sharp. Amazing.
We saw much of this music performed when we saw Brubeck last June, at Rochester’s jazz festival. The CD is every bit as good as the performance was. It’s not just that Brubeck is still technically accomplished at the piano. The more amazing thing for me is that he’s still creating. After all those years, and after all the success and recognition he’s achieved in a career spanning six decades, his art is every bit as alive and vital as it ever was.
There are several new tunes on the disc, including the title song. I can’t appreciate the full extent of his technical mastery at the piano; I remember him saying how his left hand plays flats and his right plays sharps. But forget about all that cleverness; the song is terrific. And to have written this in his eighties is nothing short of remarkable. Most artists his age who can still perform, choose to remind us of years long past. A bit of sentiment, or nostalgia, a reminder of what was once so loved. Brubeck, however, does very little of that. Sure he plays Take Five at most concerts, but how disappointed would everyone be if he didn’t? The CD is split between new stuff, and old tunes, some of which were recorded previously by him. In the latter category is Unisphere, notable for its 10/4 measure.
Interesting also that Brubeck continues to perfect his art late in life, just as our master did. Only thing is, Montaigne was dead for 30 years at Brubeck’s age. But both bring a lifetime’s experience to their work. So there, the posting ties into the blog’s themes after all.
I enjoyed Brubeck this evening with a glass a Caol Ila 18, the virtues of which John recently touted. I concur heartily. Smoother than Talisker 18, and softer than Lagavullin, yet full of that distinctive smoky flavor. And although the taste is strong, every time I reach the bottom of a glass of Caol Ila, I want a refill. Its flavor always seems to grow, the more you drink it. This was the first Islay scotch I ever bought, and it remains a favorite.
posted by pops | 7:56 PM
1 Comments:
responding to everything tonight.
in holland i met an award-winning young architect and his advice to me and my friends was "Baragan was 96".
in architecture, the highest honor is the Pritzker Prize, and Baragan won it at 96 years old. he never peaked, just kept getting better his whole life.
the trajectory of his carear matched the trajectory of his life.
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