Rebirth of the Cool

By Don Thrasher

Many modern jazz musicians are staunch tradition-al-ists, more likely to parrot genteel sounds from the past than create new music imprinted with their own generational personality. That’s not true of adventurous New York-based experimental jazz ensemble Burnt Sugar, one act firmly entrenched in the 2 [RETURN TO ARTICLE]

  • Reader Comments

     Page 1 of 1 pages

    Great review on Brown Sugar. I think Mr. Davis would have liked them. He was constantly evolving the genre. That progrssiveness needs to remain, if jazz is to survive.

    United States Posted by Jack Spencer on Nov 29, 2004 at 10:33 AM

    Barely into the article the reviewer forgets himself….Citing Burnt Sugar as an exception to “parroting genteel sounds from the past”, the band leader Tate plainly states that he is basing his adventure on “Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and other kindred spirits”.
    We have lost our minds..truly. I love Miles, but that “generational imprint” is at least thirty years behind us, not that we can’t still love it.
    And samples played on laptops for do not signify an innovation to me…it just LOOKS like one to music critics.

    United States Posted by Richard Ray Harris on Dec 1, 2004 at 6:46 AM

    “Rebirth of the Cool” has to be one of the most tired and overused jazz-article headlines in the history of music journalism. Next time, might I suggest “Afterbirth of the Cool”.

    United States Posted by Noam Sane on Dec 6, 2004 at 11:40 AM

    I dig almost the whole range of what is traditionally called “jazz.” Almost. Like anything else there is widespread midstream schlock jazz that thoughtlessly presents iself as mood music for elevator lovers. Thrasher’s review misses the big boat that sailed decades ago in terms of the avante-garde that gets ignored by most jazz listeners. Ornette is just one aspect of that, that would include Cecil Taylor as another one of those “older” artists still on the cutting edge. However, for years there have been musicians in the free jazz (or, more accurately, music) school who have been playing their asses off, ignored by all but the most alternative of music press publications & barely played on the airwaves with the exception of what some might call underground radio. I’m familair with one such musicain intimately, viz.,Philly sax player Elliott Levin, now in his early fifties (is that too old for career recognition?)who has been blowing strong for decades. I was thinking Thrasher’s review may be about time considering the demise of so many of the originators of jazz… now looking forward to the next generation (already here?) of live musicians.

    United States Posted by c. natale peditto on Dec 8, 2004 at 2:11 PM
     Page 1 of 1 pages

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