Discovering Jazz Discovering Jazz

Another really fascinating episode from 5 years ago. This time I explore some of the controversies around two jazz solos.



The first one is Tommy Flanagan’s solo on Coltrane’s Giant Steps. One jazz writer stated ““With Giant Steps Coltrane supplanted Cherokee as the litmus test for aspiring improvisers, packing so many harmonic substitutions into one progression that at first blush, consummate pianist Tommy Flanagan could barely eke his way through the changes”. So how bad was Flanagan’s solo? And was Coltrane’s solo so powerful that it could cause us to experience vertigo?



Then there’s the controversy around Cannonball Adderly’s solo in Miles (aka Milestones). Fred Hersch said it ‘shone’. And another writer said he ‘struggled’ because he tried to play it like bebop rather than like modal music. You be the judge.



Other solos featured are by Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Guido Basso, Ornette Coleman, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, and Charlie Christian.

You just finished listening to Parts 4, 5, and 6 of The Jazz Solo. Now, as I take a bit of a break, lets go back five years and hear Parts 1, 2, and 3.



The first episode was probably the best of the bunch. Why don’t we all say ‘so what’ to Miles Davis’s most highly renowned jazz solo? And the other great solos in that piece of work as well.



Then there’s Louis Armstrong’s and Johnny Dodd’s solos in Potato Head Blues.



I also play raved about solos by Paul Bley, Oliver Nelson, John Coltrane, and Israel Crosby.

This is the last of my series designed to help me (and you) distinguish the difference between a ‘great’ jazz solo and a good one.



Lots of great music once again from Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock (with Freddie Hubbard), Dave Brubeck, Ellas Kapell (w. Manne Skafvenstedt), Jeff Johnston Trio, Coleman Hawkins, and Hank Mobley.

What are some of the jazz solos that other musicians and jazz writers consider to be so great? And what makes them great?



This week I start with a solo by Charlie Parker—talking about what has been termed “the famous alto break”. Then I move onto John Coltrane—and playing that sounds like it’s either “all composed or all improvised”.



The episode ends with Jaco Pastorious and his bass and percussion recording of Donna Lee, followed by a Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins ‘cutting contest’, with Dizzy Gillespie also getting into the fray.



Other well-known solos you’ll hear are Cannonball Adderley playing I Can’t Get Started. Then there’s Chick Corea with a solo described as “a perfect example of motivic development and story telling”.



There are also a couple lesser known solos. From 1997 there is Toronto guitarist David Occhipinti along with David Restivo and Jim Vivian. And one of my favourites—Victoria’s Kelby McNayr with a soft, subtle but creative drum solo that sounds too understated to be a ‘solo’. But it is!

Part 4, you ask? But where are Parts 1, 2, and 3. Answer: Way way back five years to Episodes 52 to 54.



The goal? To get a greater sense of the difference between a jazz solo that is considered *great* versus solos that are just ‘good’ (and sometimes not even that).



I reach out to ‘experts’ to get some opinions—and I play some of that music with those recommended solos.



This episode there are only seven tracks—and two of them are so long that I can’t play the whole thing. But enough to get a sense of the recommended solo and its context. No jazz solo really exists outside it’s context—which includes the ‘head’ (or main melody), the harmony, and the solo that other musicians play.



You’ll hear raved about solos by Paul Gonsalves, Frank Rosolino, Mike Murley, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Kevin Turcotte, and, of course, Louis Armstrong. There are other solos too—and some of them you might like even better than those ones the experts are talking about.



And in the next two weeks—two more episodes. Then I’ll go back into the archives and reprise the first three episodes.

The last of this fascinating three part series. I start by talking about and playing a great track by Wes Montgomery and Wynton Kelly–from newly discovered recordings released last year. And I finish with the great Rashaan Roland Kirk—focusing on his amazing resilience as he kept playing despite a debilitating stroke.



Another amazingly resilient musician who carried on despite physical difficulties was Michel Petrucciani.



Other musicians and singers I play this week are Chet Baker w. Paul Bley, Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, Eric Dolphy w. a bunch of jazz superstars (including jazz drummer Tony Williams), drummer Karen Carpenter (really!), and Amy Winehouse.



And as a special treat, a Vancouver pianist who made no commercial recordings but was raved about by Oscar Peterson: Chris Gage.