Monday

Those who were at Hal Miller’s presentation of rare video footage of the “greats” of jazz already know what a fascinating cross-section was presented. For those who weren’t, here’s a bit of a recap.

(Minus 15 minutes at the start and an unknown portion I missed at the end. No guilt, thanks to my festival pass! Only sorry for what I missed…)

A comment Miller made near the end of his presentation sums up the tone of the evening: “Keep in mind,” he said kindly, “you’re not obligated to like everything you see.” His goal was to expose as much variation in the clips as he could, so that we can say “Hey, I heard Duke Ellington....No, I saw Ellington!” and then decide for ourselves whether we like him or not.

True to his word, he presented Betty Carter (1980s, I believe) and John Coltrane (1965) with an honest appraisal of their popularity: both an acquired taste, some would say, and controversial because of the reaches of their experimentation. (There would be other ways to say that.) In the Carter clip, Miller suggested we take note of the young trio accompanying her and how they “followed” her through an extended dramatic scat. This, truly, is something you must see to appreciate! And Miller was right on the mark. Young enough to be her grandsons, the band clearly adored their singer—and were putting every ounce of their youthful energy and skill into keeping up with her. Priceless!

As an aside: I am certain now, fully a year since hearing Ranee Lee at JazzFest 2010, that Betty Carter is a major influence on this new Canadian star. Making this connection on my own was my personal moment of epiphany this evening.

But back to Miller’s selections. Yes, we all are looking for the sound we “like.” It’s why we’re hesitant to buy tickets to hear musicians we don’t know. But I’m starting to throw this habit to the wind, at least when JazzFest rolls around each year. Because in the sheer variety and quantity of music offered in six festival days (never mind the quality) there is a landscape represented whose beauty lies in the relations between its elements—not in one element alone.

And having made that high-minded point, I will return shamelessly to the like/dislike model to tell you about a mesmerizing clip Miller shared. It was from the recording session for a medley-tribute to Miles Davis, produced by Bob Belden—who is described elsewhere as a musical “renegade.” ?! The project, titled “Miles Español,”explores the influences between Spanish music/culture and jazz, all through the medium of Miles Davis’s music. It is a culmination of world beat/fusion/jazz like I’ve never heard before. Have you ever been in the presence of something utterly new and unexpected—only to realize you’d been craving it since before memory? Voilà. Goosebumps.

Another aside: I am pleased to have discovered that, indeed, a documentary is being made of this material; it and the CD are to be released any time. Frankly, I will consider my purpose on earth accomplished if JazzFest can bring something of this project to Medicine Hat in the near future. No pressure, Lyle and esteemed members of the JazzFest Committee…

Tonight Miller showed… No, correction: tonight I heard and saw clips of a young Ella Fitzgerald; Miles Davis in Paris, 1957; Oscar Peterson in Holland, 1965; Duke Ellington in Paris, 1958; Joe Morello and Dave Brubeck in Rome, 1959; John Coltrane in Antibes, 1965; Blossom Dearie, 1985. And more. With conversational ease and a staggering but down-to-earth historical and musical background, Miller set up each clip with brief comments that put the artists in context and offered a few hints at how they fit into the landscape of jazz—and what there is to appreciate, whether or not we conclude we “like” the music.

So my festival experience is off to a great start. (Thanks, Hal!) I only wish I had a second chance at the Woody Allen flick Sweet and Lowdown; once seated in Miller’s presentation, I couldn’t tear myself away, even for a movie at the Monarch! Roger Moses tells me it was a very entertaining fictional biography in true Woody Allen style. A great 1930s soundtrack and lots of present-time narration interspersed with commentary by music buffs and critics (including Allen himself), all centered around a brilliant musician but fundamentally unlikable character. I was amused to hear that the movie does indeed leave you wondering whether Emmet Ray (main character) was real or not. If you try to answer this question with a little web research, you won’t find consistent answers! Sounds like the audience loved it.

You can see more of Miller’s film clips tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday from 12-2 p.m. at the public library. Wednesday, I understand, he will be taking requests.

Guess what I’ll be requesting? –CGS