JaZzArt en València

The image above is the framed print of this original work of «Art Digital» that I have just included in my Pixel gallery, but there are more ways you can have this print hanging on your wall… Pixels handles the entire transaction and ships to you quickly.

Choose original art as gifts this holiday season and if you want to find something good, different and still very much original, check out my fine art prints at Pixels/Fine Art America. I have selected several of the images of my original work and have allowed this company to convert them into high quality fine art prints in many forms and on many items. They are beautiful and quite affordable. Check out my gallery at Pixels here.

CHEERS

John Coltrane… Uno de los mas famosos y fenomenales saxofonistas del Jazz… Creador de un estilo, de una escuela y seguido por casi todos los jazzistas de hoy en dia. Sus composiciones son ya estándar en el repertorio de los músicos del jazz y su legado crece… Nació en Hamlet, Carolina del Norte (EEUU) en 1926 y murió en Huntington, Nueva York (EEUU) en 1967…

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John Coltrane… One of the most famous and phenomenal jazz saxophonists… Creator of a style, of a school, and followed by almost all jazz musicians today. His compositions are already standards in the jazz musicians’ repertoire, and his legacy continues to grow… He was born in Hamlet, North Carolina (USA) in 1926 and died in Huntington, New York (USA) in 1967…

Gracias…

Cheers…

Venga que hoy me desvío un poquet pero, vamos, ni tanto porque la música es poesía y si la música es poesía y dicen que la pintura también, entonces hablo de la misma cosa pues para mí las tres van hilvanadas con el vellocino dorado que persiguió Jasón y los argonautas…

¿Qué? Vamos al grano…Art Pepper fue un músico de puta madre. Nació el 1 de septiembre de 1925 en California y murió allí mismo 56 años después. Su carrera musical fue corta ya que se vio interrumpida por muchos años que pasó preso y otros más en clínicas de rehabilitación por su drogadicción. Pero, aún así, logró colocarse entre los grandes intérpretes, los claves de lo que llamaban el “Cool Jazz” también conocido como el “West Coast Jazz,” o sea el Jazz de la costa oeste de EEUU que mola. Uno de sus grandes fue Gerry Mulligan que tocó con Miles Davis en la importantísima grabación “Birth of the Cool.”

Pero hablo de Art Pepper, y como dije anteriormente era la ostia. El mismo dijo que era un genio, y que no sabía de nadie más que tocara como el el saxofón. ¿A quién me recuerda esto? ¿A Dalí? No… Pepper era un genio…
Pepper era un tío osado y paradójico a la enésima potencia. Lo mismo te componía una balada, dulce, suave, sensual, que te decía que ser un gran jazzista es parecido a ser un gran criminal y que él estaba dispuesto a todo, por ejemplo, a matar al que se metiera con su mujer. No lo critico, sino lo admiro y tiene razón, un hombre tiene que defender a su mujer y a su casa…

Uno de los temas más famosos de Art Pepper es la balada “Patricia” que compuso en 1978 para su hija. Sucedió que mientras estaba en prisión su ex-mujer le llevo a Patricia, que a la sazón tenía unos doce años de edad, con la intención de hacerle ver a la niña que su padre no era más que un monstruo enjaulado junto a todos los otros allí. O sea, su padre vive encerrado, junto a la escoria de la sociedad, porque se lo merece, porque él es así también. Cuando Pepper se volvió a topar con Patricia ya ella tenía treinta y pico de años y el la llamó para desearle feliz navidad y ella le respondió diciendo que sabía que él no era más que un criminal y un racista, que ella había leído el libro.*

Cuando a Pepper le dieron el alta de la clínica de metadona, donde se había librado de su adicción a la heroína, volvió a tocar y a componer. Juntó a unos buenos músicos e hizo una gira por Europa y Japón, grabó varios discos para Galaxy Records, la subsidiaria de Fantasy Records. Sus últimos álbumes fueron Living Legend, Art Pepper Today, Among Friends y Live in Japan.

Art Pepper murió de un accidente cerebro-vascular. Abusó mucho de su cuerpo, toda la vida, y aunque se había curado de la drogadicción, su cuerpo quedó debilitado y no pudo sobrevivir el derrame. Murió en 1982 en Los Ángeles y está enterrado en el mausoleo Abbey of the Psalms del cementerio Hollywood Forever.

A mí no me interesan las cosas malas que habría hecho. No juzgo. Para mí es un genio del Jazz y uno de mis músicos y compositores favoritos. Lo admiro como jazzista y punto…

* En 1980, Art Pepper y Laurie Pepper, (la tercera esposa), publicaron su autobiografía titulada “Straight Life” (“Una vida ejemplar, memorias de Art Pepper”). El libro hablaba del submundo, el hampa criminal donde habitó Pepper durante la década de los años 40 y 50. Entre las anécdotas había una en la cual Pepper se jacta de haber violado a una mujer en Londres durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Debido a la publicación del libro el director Don McGlynn hizo el documental titulado Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor. En el documental habla Pepper y Laurie directamente e incluye una grabación de un concierto en el Malibu Jazz Club. Lo recomiendo.

Ahora a escuchar… Luego me contáis que os parece…

Gracias…

Oi, so today I am going to stray a little bit from my usual path, but not so much, because if music is poetry and they say that so is art, then I am speaking of the same thing. I do believe art, music and poetry are sewn together with the Golden Fleece that Jason searched for with his Argonauts…

What? Ok, I’ll get to the point…

Art Pepper was an incredible musician. He was born on September 1, 1925 in California and passed away 56 years later. His musical career was quite short because it was interrupted multiple times. First, he spent time in prison which took away several years of his career, and then he had to undergo rehabilitation for his heroin addiction. However, despite these obstacles, Pepper was able to establish himself as one of the greats, alongside the key players who pioneered «Cool Jazz» or «West Coast Jazz.» One of those significant figures was Gerry Mulligan, who collaborated with Miles Davis on the influential recording called «Birth of the Cool.»

But I’m talking about Art Pepper, and as I said earlier, the guy was amazing. He himself claimed to be a genius and said he didn’t know anyone else who played the saxophone like he did. Who does this remind me of? Dalí? No… Pepper was a real genius…

Pepper was a true paradox of a guy, I mean to the nth degree. He could compose a ballad for you, sweet, smooth, and sensual, and at the same time, he would tell you that being a great jazz musician is similar to being a great criminal, and that he was willing to do anything, for example, to kill anyone who messed with his woman. I don’t criticize him, I admire him, and he is right, a man should defend his woman and his home…

One of Art Pepper’s most famous themes is the ballad «Patricia,» which he composed in 1978 for his daughter. It so happened that while he was in prison, his ex-wife brought Patricia, who was about twelve years old at the time, with the intention of showing the girl that her father was nothing more than a caged monster among all the others there. In other words, her father lives locked up, alongside the dregs of society, because he deserves it, because he is like that too. When Pepper encountered Patricia again, she was in her thirties and he called her to wish her a Happy Christmas, and she responded by saying that she knew he was nothing more than a criminal and a rapist, that she had read the book.*

When Pepper was discharged from the methadone clinic, where he had overcome his heroin addiction, he resumed playing and composing music. He formed a band with talented musicians and embarked on a tour of Europe and Japan. He recorded multiple albums for Galaxy Records, the subsidiary of Fantasy Records. His latest albums were Living Legend, Art Pepper Today, Among Friends, and Live in Japan.

Art Pepper died from a stroke. He abused his body heavily throughout his life, and although he had recovered from drug addiction, his body remained weakened and couldn’t survive the stroke. He passed away in 1982 in Los Angeles and is buried in the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

I am not interested in the bad things he might have done. I don’t judge. To me, he is a genius of Jazz and one of my favourite musicians and composers. I admire him as a jazz player, period…

* In 1980, Art Pepper and Laurie Pepper, his third wife, published their autobiography titled «Straight Life.» The book spoke about the criminal underworld where Pepper lived during the 1940s and 1950s. Among the anecdotes was one in which Pepper boasts of having raped a woman in London during World War II, because in his mind she deserved it. Due to the publication of the book, director Don McGlynn made the documentary titled «Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor.» The documentary features direct interviews with Pepper and Laurie, and includes a recording of a concert at the Malibu Jazz Club. I highly recommend it.

Cheers…

One of the masters of West Coast Jazz, or «Cool Jazz» is Gerry Mulligan, North American saxophonist. This New Yorker born in 1927 was also a clarinettist, a composer and an arranger. But he shines predominantly with his baritone sax. He worked wit Stan Kenton and Miles Davis, among others. He played with Chet Baker in a piano-less group considered one of the coolest of the «cool» groups. Mulligan died in 1996 from complications from knee surgery. He was 68 years old.

This time the song becomes many as I truly believe that to get to feel the soul of Gerry Mulligan you have to hear more than just one song. So here are many for you to delight in. And then you tell me what you think.

Cheers…

Shorty Rogers…

His name was Milton Rajonsky and he was born in 1924. He was a trumpeter and an arranger and one of the main, perhaps the principal, founder of West Coast Jazz… He worked with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton during the 1950’s… Shorty Rogers died of melanoma at the age of 70 in California…

Here is one of his recordings from 1958 with a Cuban flavour to it… Well, I guess you would call it Jazz with a strong rhythm section. Whatever you call it, if it has a Cuban flavour it has to be good…

And this is how we close up a day full of extremely bang on Jazz!

CHEERS…

Para que no vayas a pensar que el saxofón no se ha usado o que no se usa en composiciones clásicas, te voy a decir que si, que el saxofón también es usado en piezas clásicas del repertorio moderno… Sax, ya sabes (P.1) que fue el inventor del instrumento, siempre pensó que se usaría como un instrumento para la orquesta clásica. Su sonido, parecido al de la voz humana, tenía mucha de la flexibilidad de los instrumentos de viento-madera pero el poder de los instrumentos de viento-metal. El saxofón original estaba en la clave de Do mayor. La primera vez que fue utilizado en una orquesta fue en 1844, en una cantata titulada “Chant sacré” compuesta por Hector Berlioz. La presentación fue dirigida por Berlioz y el saxofonista fue el propio Adolphe Sax… Aquí te dejo una pieza interesante, el Concierto para saxofón de Henri Tomasi de 1949, dedicado a Marcel Mule, el reconocido saxofonista francés quien fue el saxofonista en la debut de 1949. Además te incluyo el «Chant sacré» de Berlioz.

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To prevent you from thinking that the saxophone has not been used or is not used in classical compositions, I will tell you that yes, the saxophone is also used in classical pieces of modern repertoire… Sax, as you know (P.1), the inventor of the instrument, always believed that it would be used as an instrument for the classical orchestra. With a sound similar to the human voice and with much of the flexibility of woodwind instruments, it had the power of the brass instruments. The original saxophone was tuned in the key of C major. The first time it was used in an orchestra was in 1844, in a cantata titled «Chant sacré» composed by Hector Berlioz. The performance was conducted by Berlioz and the featured saxophonist was Adolphe Sax… Here’s an interesting piece for you, the Concerto for Saxophone by Henri Tomasi from 1949, dedicated to Marcel Mule, the renowned French saxophonist who performed on the debut in 1949. I am also including Berlioz’s «Chant sacré».

GRACIAS

CHEERS

¿No lo conocías? Pues yo te lo voy a presentar. Venga, te presento a Bobby Keys… Este saxofonista fenomenal, durante la década de los años 1970, tocó con muchos de los mas grandes grupos de rock incluyendo a los Rolling Stones,[1] Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, George Harrison, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker y, bueno que más quieres… Keys nació en Texas en 1943 y a los 15 años comenzó a tocar profesionalmente con el cantante Buddy Knox (conocido por su hit de 1957 «Party Doll«)… Y aquí viene lo bueno pues mientras tocaba con la banda del cantante norteamericano Bobby Vee, conoció a Keith Richards y se hicieron buenos amigos. Esta amistad lo llevó a que los chicos lo incluyeran en la banda y Keys debutó con The Rolling Stones en el disco Let It Bleed tocando en la canción «Live with Me» en 1969. Pero para mi, lo más importante fue que también tocó en mi canción preferida de la banda, «Brown Sugar,» y también en otras como «Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,» «Rip This Joint» and «Sweet Virginia.» (todas estas las vas a oír hoy aquí)… Y esto sigue bueno pues de 1973 a 1975, Keys tocó con John Lennon en Los Angeles junto a Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson y Keith Moon, además en dos discos de Lennon: Walls and Bridges, fíjate en la canción «Whatever Gets You thru the Night» y en Rock ‘n’ Roll… Bobby Keys murió de cancer del hígado en Tennessee, diciembre de 2014.

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You don’t know him? Well, allow me to introduce you to Bobby Keys… This phenomenal saxophonist played with many of the greatest rock bands during the 1970s, including the Rolling Stones,[1] Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, George Harrison, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, and many more… Keys was born in Texas in 1943 and started playing professionally at the age of 15 with the singer Buddy Knox (known for his 1957 hit «Party Doll«)… And here’s the good part, while playing with the band of American singer Bobby Vee, he met Keith Richards and they became good friends. This friendship led to him being included in the band. So Keys made his debut with The Rolling Stones on the album Let It Bleed, playing on the song «Live with Me«, in 1969. Now for me, the most important thing was that he also played on my favourite song by the band, «Brown Sugar,» as well as others like «Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,» «Rip This Joint,» and «Sweet Virginia» (you’re going to hear all of these today)… And it gets even better, from 1973 to 1975, Keys played with John Lennon in Los Angeles, along with Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and Keith Moon. He was part of two of Lennon’s albums: Walls and Bridges (check out the song «Whatever Gets You thru the Night«) and Rock ‘n’ Roll… Bobby Keys passed away from liver cancer in Tennessee in December 2014.

GRACIAS

CHEERS

Venga, seguimos con algunos de los grandes del saxofón y ahora te quiero presentar a Johnny Hodges. Ya lo has oído tocar con Gerry Mulligan en el primer capitulo de este dia, juevernes musical, mitad de la semana… Pues si no lo conocías te dire que Johnny Hodges nació el 25 de julio de 1907 en Cambridge, Massachusetts, (EEUU) y que tocó extensivamente con la banda de Duke Ellington. Fue solista con el saxofón alto y también con el saxofón soprano… Durante sus años mozos Hodges viajaba frecuentemente a Nueva York para tocar con los grandes del momento incluyendo a Sidney Bechet, Luckey Roberts y Chick Webb. En 1928 se unió a la orquesta de Ellington y del 1951 al 1955 dirigió su propio grupo, pero regresó con Ellington para tocar en la participación histórica de la orquesta en el Newport Jazz Festival de 1956… Aunque algunos han dicho que Hodges era un autodidacta, no lo fue. Durante toda su juventud estuvo rodeado de grandes músicos, especialmente saxofonistas y además su madre era pianista y lo fue enseñando, no solo a tocar el piano pero también la batería. El propio Sidney Bechet le dio clases de saxofón a Hodges así que cuando se trasladó a Nueva York ya Hodges era bueno y conocido… Johnny Hodges murió muy joven, de 62 años el 11 de mayo de 1970 cuando sufrió un ataque al corazón… Bueno creo que aquí tienes una buena introducción para que conozcas, no solo su música, pero al interprete, un gran saxofonista. Ahora a escuchar…

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Let’s continue with one of the greats of the saxophone. Allow me to introduce you to Johnny Hodges. You’ve already heard him play with Gerry Mulligan in the first chapter of this musical Thur-Friday, the middle of the week… Well, if you didn’t know him, I’ll tell you that Johnny Hodges was born on July 25, 1907, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, (US), and he played extensively with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He was a soloist on the alto saxophone and also on the soprano saxophone… During his younger years, Hodges frequently travelled to New York City to play with the greats of the time, including Sidney Bechet, Luckey Roberts, and Chick Webb. In 1928, he joined Ellington’s orchestra. Then from 1951 to 1955, he led his own group, but he did return to Ellington’s orchestra to perform in their historic participation at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956… Although some have said that Hodges was self-taught, he wasn’t. Throughout his youth, he was surrounded by great musicians, especially saxophonists, and his mother, who was a professional pianist taught him not only to play the piano but also the drums. Sidney Bechet himself gave Hodges saxophone lessons. So when he moved to New York City, Hodges was already a good musician and rather well-known… Johnny Hodges died very young, 62 years old, on May 11, 1970, when he suffered a heart attack… Well, I think you have a good introduction here to get to know not only his music but also the performer, a great saxophonist. Now, let’s listen…

GRACIAS

CHEERS