SoCal Theologica: Musings from the West Coast

JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH: Charles Mingus

Mingus was an innovator to say the very least. Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Mingus.

Charles Mingus (22 April 1922–5 January 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice.

Mingus is highly ranked among the composers and performers of jazz, and he recorded many highly regarded albums. Dozens of musicians passed through his bands and later went on to impressive careers. His tunes—though melodic and distinctive—are not often re-recorded, in part because of their unconventional nature. Mingus was also influential and creative as a band leader, recruiting talented and sometimes little-known artists whom he assembled into unconventional and revealing configurations.

You can read the entire article here. Go here to Mingus’ official website. Here he and his band do a classic Bobby Timmons tune, “Moanin.” Enjoy!

JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH: Miles Davis

Read Miles’ full bio at his official website.

Here are some great videos of Miles and his phenomenal bands.

JAZZ ARTISTS OF THE MONTH: The Marsalis Family

The Marsalis family is undoubtedly the first family of Jazz. The family is as diverse in playing jazz as they are in personality. Ellis Marsalis functions as the philosophical patriarch of the family, providing a substantial connection with traditional streams of jazz. His piano playing is as economic and lyrical as any I have ever heard. Like Monk, Basie, Ellington, and Powell before him, Ellis wastes not one single note. Everything is placed exactly where it should be. Every jazz piano player should be his student.

Wynton is the statesman of the family and perhaps the most influential jazz trumpet player of the 20th and 21rst century (a little more water will have to flow under the bridge to adequately measure such a statement). He is a purist in every sense. His dedication to both the blues as a multifaceted donor to the global music landscape and traditional jazz as a leading voice in today’s mainstream jazz music ethos is more than simply sentimental. Wynton, like his playing, is thoughtful and intentional. He understands better than most the long stream of excellent music in which he stands.

Branford is the most “expressive” of the family. He has headed the Tonight Show band. He had a phenomenal run with Sting alongside his good friend, the late (and particularly great) Kenny Kirkland. So unlike Wynton, Branford branches out into different expressions of music. Yet, he plays them all with the same disciplined lyrical and rhythmic style. His enjoyment of the music is obvious.

The two lesser known brothers are Jason and Delfayo. Delfayo is an excellent Trombone player, who shines in the clip below. In the late eighties he released his first album (CD for those of you born after 1970), Pontius Pilate’s Decision. Jason has yet to release a CD of his own but plays actively. He is, without any doubt, a first class jazz percusionist. He could be the most talented of all the family. His solos are well defined variations on percussive themes. The clip below perfectly demonstrates his abilities as applied to New Orleans jazz.

Here is a clip from their family album. The song is the classic Struttin with Some Barbeque by the peerless Louis Armstrong.

JAZZ ARTIST OF THE MONTH

There are very few people in the music world more musical than Bobby Mcferrin. Most only know his tune “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” However, he is much more prolific than this simple pop offering. I have included a few videos below for your listening pleasure. The “Drive” video runs a little behind but is still worth a couple of listens. Enjoy!