Great example of the type of artistry I find most intellectually and emotionally satisfying. Musical line and creative ideas. Also, 95% seamless OB's.
Redone version of one of Carlos' most creative and Fellini like compositions, stripped and slowed down. At times, Carlos plays so far behind the beat that it almost collapses inwardly, but never does.
Some will say that this is not blues, but Carlos brings the exact same sensibility to his blues playing. (Not to say I don't hear a few short "Carlos" patterns sprinkled throughout, but the point is that it is not about the patterns, but the music). ---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Oct 25, 2015 4:15 PM
this is great.. i love deljunco.. he is at the top for sure. i think he might get the overtones and sympathetic notes better than anybody... not sure explaining this correctly.. what he gets for playing multiple notes simultaneously, the dirt that creates.. he embraces the squawks of the harp, at least to my ear.
but to compare this to pattern playing.. much of what he plays is strongly a pattern from what i can tell and hear. his parts are mostly set, so the pattern is the song. not being critical at all here, just commenting on how to deal with the difference between improvisation, which is usually based on patterns, and composition, which can be or not.
Ain't it great we all have different tastes? I think I can see a bit more where you're coming from now Iceman.
Personally, I find that almost all of the jazz that I have heard doesn't do it for me. Maybe its because I don't have enough music training, but I just don't get it. I prefer my music visceral rather than cerebral. That's probably why I love the blues so much. I can certainly appreciate the virtuosity of the performance, and I don't mind the tone, but I find it really hard to listen to. To my untrained ear there are far too many 'wrong' notes. I don't presume that they are mistakes, but so many of the note choices strike me as discordant that what I hear is cacophony. Maybe a little more structure (pattern) in the chaos would work better for me.
I'm reminded of the old joke about blues musicians playing three chords to a thousand people and the jazz musicians playing a thousand chords to three people.
I know you put this as an example of melodic playing, but the melodies that I can make out don't appeal or make sense to me (some of them I actually find irritating).
Agreed that the melody of this tune is kinda "advanced", or unusual and not to every taste. It is not quite jazz - think of it as movie soundtrack music.
However, I once again point to the solo after the melody has been established as well as the playing over the groove towards the end, which is the most "blues like", even including original ideas that can be transposed, learned and played in the blues idiom.
This is just one song in an artist's output that also includes some unique stone cold blues tunes.
My point is that even though this type of playing does include what some may define as patterns, it is not dependent on playing a stock pattern over and over and faster. Personally, I find this more creative.
Others seem to really enjoy that other pattern style, which is impressive due to the velocity more so than the lines created.
As you say, comes down to some extent on the definition of "pattern". He has his patterns that becomes recognizeable when you´ve listened to him a bit -- but he definitely scores higher on originality. Personally I´m not wild about this tune (remebering it from one of CdJ:s records). It´s "quirkiness" seems a tad self-conscious, or even contrived; and frankly the amount of OB:ing here is slightly provoking: they may be performed with extreme skill, in a relative way, but still come out kinda squeky to me. Also CdJ has in common with H Levy a certain "Look mama, no hands"-factor that often shines through at the cost of musicality. This speaks of the harmonica as not really accepted as a genuine instrument, but something that has to be "proven" again and again with even more impressive stunts. (Although there are surely worse examples in his repertoire than this.)
Still, obviously a fabulous player. From the same session I like this one:
