あけましておめでとうございます。
私のコルトレーン論を英訳して、さらにそれをプロの翻訳家の方が修正されました。英語とジャズに興味のある方がご一読頂ければうれしいです。
Coltrane Re-examined
Like “Chasin The Trane”, I’m chasing Coltrane. Almost everyday I blow my soprano saxophone while at the same time listening to him on a CD player. What I have realized or, come away with from doing so is that Trane’s music is not as unique as I though it was with no parallel to it as I wrote in my blog. Now I am beginning to feel that his music is not always unique as I found some of his idiomatic phrases traceable back to Parker, Coleman Hawkins, etc. Yes, you hear an almost blasting tonguing, and extraordinary energy with which he goes instantaneously across the whole register of two and half octaves of the tenor-saxophone. And there is no doubt that those phrases were of his own creation, not contemplated in advance with no condition attached. Yet, I have come to realize that his use of music langauge is still rooted in the tradition of jazz.
You may think I am exaggerating, particularly for readers who have never played musical instrument, but when you try to copy his performance if not perfectly, you can understand his idea and attitude toward playing. I believe that playing jazz is essentially different from playing European classical music, even though they both use the same instruments. In classical music, the composer carefully chooses notes in advance, and creates a melody and sub-melody with the melodies and harmonies determined as their logical development for the instrumentalists to reproduce faithfully, whereas a jazz player seems to start from the reality of a specific individual instrument itself. For example, when he plays a tenor-saxophone, he hits each and every note on the same basis across the whole register of the instrument, i.e. from the bottom A to the top F sharp, and tries to make every note sound as if it took on a distinctive character, just like he plays as if the instrument were an extension of his own body. Therefore, even if a note moves two octaves at a time within a bar, it could be established part of the melody if it sounds logical in the context of the solo. Such technique, or attitude may not be found in classical music. In terms of playing instrument, improvised jazz performance may be, in a sense, more physical than classical music performance that is not improvised, although both express dexterity of hands acquired through hard practice. For; jazz musicians seem to be struggling all the time to find a way to make their instruments sound more beautiful starting from the reality of the instrument itself.
Now, what do I mean when I say “Coltrane’s use of music language is rooted in the tradition of jazz” as I noted above? Needless to say, he got a direct influence from Charlie Parker. It’s not exaggeration to say that any musician after Be-Bop can be traced back to Parker. There may be no need to mention priggishly what is so obvious. Yet, now fifty years after Coltrane performed his 1958 Prestige recording, something comes to fore. Just as we cannot see the woods for the trees when we are in the woods, we saw Coltrane stand far above the others. But, after fifty years, once we are out of the woods, as it were, we see him ranking equally with such giants as Miles, Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons, etc. Even Coltrane, like other jazz giants, adheres to phrases based on a rhythmic point in an ensemble, syncopation placed at English consonants, and intonation; generated from Yoruban language of West Africa, all these constituting the jazz tradition.
This is just an aside but I have been listening to jazz for more than forty years. Music has been ringing in my ears since then, and I often find myself humming phrases. Since two years ago when I became conscious that phrases in jazz improvisation are based on consonants of English language, the phrases ringing in my ears seem to have slightly changed. This may be attributable to the fact that I began to play in my bar (drinking place), as I listen to Coltrane. With better understanding the logic behind each phrase, I am now able to listen to Coltrane with more discerning ears. Whatever is the case, it seems to me that I can now get myself cool-headed enough to put Coltrane in the context of tranditionn of jazz, from a historical vantage point of view as noted above.
Nevertheless, Coltrane is still overwhelming as a musician I adore as well as a great mentor I follow. What is it that distinguishes Coltrane from other giants? This is where a forty-year-longstanding question needs to be asked: Whether or not did Trane’s music have a political message? Well actually there is no knowing about it as I wrote in the postscript that it was of “something only God knows”, when I translated his biography three years ago. Now, taking into consideration what I discussed above, I would like to further examine this issue despite the repeated same attempts I have made in the past.
As far as political aspect of Trane’s music is concerned even if it is extremely abstract, there seems to be nothing to go on but the circumstantial evidence that his musical style was perpetually changing. For he left no trace at all of the political comments he made or answer if any. “He was far away from such mundane world, and in much higher state of mind”, as Sonny Rollins puts it. The bottom line is that this may be true. But; we need to go further to consider the background against which he kept changing his style almost every several months ever since he joined the Miles group.
America during fifties and sixties was experiencing what Richard Wright described as “Heated Racism” raging across the nation. It is today difficult to imagine what the term really means. “Heated Racism” could be defined as a situation where brutality and death is just around the corner, forcing you be on your own, surrounded with enemies on all sides. This unearthly and blood curdling world was described in detail by Richard Write in his novel. This situation gave various influences on the mentality of black people. Return to Africa, exodus to Europe, conversion to Islam, turning to Marxism or Freudianism, resorting to violence, taking to the street, going on a strike, or joining a civil riot, all culminating in the Civil Rights Movements on a large scale. It was the situation that everything was in chaos. It all started at the end of the Second World War when black people, who were lucky to be back home alive; after they had fought at the risk of their own life, dreamed of a non-racist society. But the reality was just to the contrary. American whites subjected them to even harsher racism than they did in the pre-war days. They confiscated houses from black people for no proper reason. Or, just because they were “Negro”, black people were group-lynched. Such was the absurd situation the post-war black American found themselves in. It was quite beyond our imagination how black people got disillusioned, disappointed and despaired. This situation gave rise to several streams in the society, some blacks trying to resort to violence, some trying to get better of white philosophically, and others trying to engage the white patiently toward mutual understanding and reconciliation.
Coltrane’s music has evolved out of such a social condition. It is hard to believe that Coltrane was detached from the situation in which he found himself, while he was working out like no other musician and reading books so extensively. We have further circumstantial evidence that indicates this. It is a tune titled “Alabama”. I was once foolish enough to convince myself that this tune was made based on an imagination on bucolic countryside of Alabama. Gosh! I put my foot in my mouth! According to his biography, it is the tune composed as a memorial to the tragic incident in which four girls were killed in an white terrorist explosion during the mass at a church in Alabama. The serene motif of this tune is a sublimation of hatred and anger, filled with deep and sacred sorrow.
According to a Japanese novelist, Kenji Nakagami, Albert Ayler said “Rise up!” Even though Albert Ayler might not have actually said “Rise in revolt”, he clearly showed his political stance against whites. Not only did those Coltranean artists; but also members of Black-Panther Party; who were clearly working toward a violent revolution against whites; look upon Coltrane as their hero. I think that this is also one of the circumstantial evidence, that there was intrinsically something political to Coltrane’s music. His music has often been characterized as “vertical”, meaning he hits as many notes possible like arpeggio either from lower or upper register within a space of one beat. On the other hand, horizontal solo means prolong one note within a code with such notes connected horizontally to constitute a solo. Many musicians except Coltrane are horizontal type; one way or other. You could perceive more an elaborate logic and an imminent feeling in a vertical solo than in a horizontal one. Needless to say, music is an abstract product. I donot think it is wide of the mark to describe playing jazz as a process of abstracting the English language. If that’s what it is, I am led to believe that Albert Ayler and Black Panther members must have felt the same way I feel now about whatever is expressed by the idioms found in Coltrane’s music and his attitude toward playing. What I feel coming out of his music is whatever he wanted to express any way he could such as his persistent objection to the violence and naked discrimination that was becoming the order of the day, irreconcilable situation where he felt torn apart unable to do anything about the reality, the tragic discrepancy between perception of the reality and his existence, etc. Listeners must be touched by such an attitude. Again you should be reminded music is an abstract product, therefore, I cannot prove that what I said above is true. Coltrane said that his music is a “humble offering to God”. He must be true to himself and honest. But he plays in great agony, coming across to me as protesting against the reality that is so absurd. With the circumstantial pieces of evidence I presented above, I cannot but come to this conclusion.
K’s Case Ogata
私のコルトレーン論を英訳して、さらにそれをプロの翻訳家の方が修正されました。英語とジャズに興味のある方がご一読頂ければうれしいです。
Coltrane Re-examined
Like “Chasin The Trane”, I’m chasing Coltrane. Almost everyday I blow my soprano saxophone while at the same time listening to him on a CD player. What I have realized or, come away with from doing so is that Trane’s music is not as unique as I though it was with no parallel to it as I wrote in my blog. Now I am beginning to feel that his music is not always unique as I found some of his idiomatic phrases traceable back to Parker, Coleman Hawkins, etc. Yes, you hear an almost blasting tonguing, and extraordinary energy with which he goes instantaneously across the whole register of two and half octaves of the tenor-saxophone. And there is no doubt that those phrases were of his own creation, not contemplated in advance with no condition attached. Yet, I have come to realize that his use of music langauge is still rooted in the tradition of jazz.
You may think I am exaggerating, particularly for readers who have never played musical instrument, but when you try to copy his performance if not perfectly, you can understand his idea and attitude toward playing. I believe that playing jazz is essentially different from playing European classical music, even though they both use the same instruments. In classical music, the composer carefully chooses notes in advance, and creates a melody and sub-melody with the melodies and harmonies determined as their logical development for the instrumentalists to reproduce faithfully, whereas a jazz player seems to start from the reality of a specific individual instrument itself. For example, when he plays a tenor-saxophone, he hits each and every note on the same basis across the whole register of the instrument, i.e. from the bottom A to the top F sharp, and tries to make every note sound as if it took on a distinctive character, just like he plays as if the instrument were an extension of his own body. Therefore, even if a note moves two octaves at a time within a bar, it could be established part of the melody if it sounds logical in the context of the solo. Such technique, or attitude may not be found in classical music. In terms of playing instrument, improvised jazz performance may be, in a sense, more physical than classical music performance that is not improvised, although both express dexterity of hands acquired through hard practice. For; jazz musicians seem to be struggling all the time to find a way to make their instruments sound more beautiful starting from the reality of the instrument itself.
Now, what do I mean when I say “Coltrane’s use of music language is rooted in the tradition of jazz” as I noted above? Needless to say, he got a direct influence from Charlie Parker. It’s not exaggeration to say that any musician after Be-Bop can be traced back to Parker. There may be no need to mention priggishly what is so obvious. Yet, now fifty years after Coltrane performed his 1958 Prestige recording, something comes to fore. Just as we cannot see the woods for the trees when we are in the woods, we saw Coltrane stand far above the others. But, after fifty years, once we are out of the woods, as it were, we see him ranking equally with such giants as Miles, Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons, etc. Even Coltrane, like other jazz giants, adheres to phrases based on a rhythmic point in an ensemble, syncopation placed at English consonants, and intonation; generated from Yoruban language of West Africa, all these constituting the jazz tradition.
This is just an aside but I have been listening to jazz for more than forty years. Music has been ringing in my ears since then, and I often find myself humming phrases. Since two years ago when I became conscious that phrases in jazz improvisation are based on consonants of English language, the phrases ringing in my ears seem to have slightly changed. This may be attributable to the fact that I began to play in my bar (drinking place), as I listen to Coltrane. With better understanding the logic behind each phrase, I am now able to listen to Coltrane with more discerning ears. Whatever is the case, it seems to me that I can now get myself cool-headed enough to put Coltrane in the context of tranditionn of jazz, from a historical vantage point of view as noted above.
Nevertheless, Coltrane is still overwhelming as a musician I adore as well as a great mentor I follow. What is it that distinguishes Coltrane from other giants? This is where a forty-year-longstanding question needs to be asked: Whether or not did Trane’s music have a political message? Well actually there is no knowing about it as I wrote in the postscript that it was of “something only God knows”, when I translated his biography three years ago. Now, taking into consideration what I discussed above, I would like to further examine this issue despite the repeated same attempts I have made in the past.
As far as political aspect of Trane’s music is concerned even if it is extremely abstract, there seems to be nothing to go on but the circumstantial evidence that his musical style was perpetually changing. For he left no trace at all of the political comments he made or answer if any. “He was far away from such mundane world, and in much higher state of mind”, as Sonny Rollins puts it. The bottom line is that this may be true. But; we need to go further to consider the background against which he kept changing his style almost every several months ever since he joined the Miles group.
America during fifties and sixties was experiencing what Richard Wright described as “Heated Racism” raging across the nation. It is today difficult to imagine what the term really means. “Heated Racism” could be defined as a situation where brutality and death is just around the corner, forcing you be on your own, surrounded with enemies on all sides. This unearthly and blood curdling world was described in detail by Richard Write in his novel. This situation gave various influences on the mentality of black people. Return to Africa, exodus to Europe, conversion to Islam, turning to Marxism or Freudianism, resorting to violence, taking to the street, going on a strike, or joining a civil riot, all culminating in the Civil Rights Movements on a large scale. It was the situation that everything was in chaos. It all started at the end of the Second World War when black people, who were lucky to be back home alive; after they had fought at the risk of their own life, dreamed of a non-racist society. But the reality was just to the contrary. American whites subjected them to even harsher racism than they did in the pre-war days. They confiscated houses from black people for no proper reason. Or, just because they were “Negro”, black people were group-lynched. Such was the absurd situation the post-war black American found themselves in. It was quite beyond our imagination how black people got disillusioned, disappointed and despaired. This situation gave rise to several streams in the society, some blacks trying to resort to violence, some trying to get better of white philosophically, and others trying to engage the white patiently toward mutual understanding and reconciliation.
Coltrane’s music has evolved out of such a social condition. It is hard to believe that Coltrane was detached from the situation in which he found himself, while he was working out like no other musician and reading books so extensively. We have further circumstantial evidence that indicates this. It is a tune titled “Alabama”. I was once foolish enough to convince myself that this tune was made based on an imagination on bucolic countryside of Alabama. Gosh! I put my foot in my mouth! According to his biography, it is the tune composed as a memorial to the tragic incident in which four girls were killed in an white terrorist explosion during the mass at a church in Alabama. The serene motif of this tune is a sublimation of hatred and anger, filled with deep and sacred sorrow.
According to a Japanese novelist, Kenji Nakagami, Albert Ayler said “Rise up!” Even though Albert Ayler might not have actually said “Rise in revolt”, he clearly showed his political stance against whites. Not only did those Coltranean artists; but also members of Black-Panther Party; who were clearly working toward a violent revolution against whites; look upon Coltrane as their hero. I think that this is also one of the circumstantial evidence, that there was intrinsically something political to Coltrane’s music. His music has often been characterized as “vertical”, meaning he hits as many notes possible like arpeggio either from lower or upper register within a space of one beat. On the other hand, horizontal solo means prolong one note within a code with such notes connected horizontally to constitute a solo. Many musicians except Coltrane are horizontal type; one way or other. You could perceive more an elaborate logic and an imminent feeling in a vertical solo than in a horizontal one. Needless to say, music is an abstract product. I donot think it is wide of the mark to describe playing jazz as a process of abstracting the English language. If that’s what it is, I am led to believe that Albert Ayler and Black Panther members must have felt the same way I feel now about whatever is expressed by the idioms found in Coltrane’s music and his attitude toward playing. What I feel coming out of his music is whatever he wanted to express any way he could such as his persistent objection to the violence and naked discrimination that was becoming the order of the day, irreconcilable situation where he felt torn apart unable to do anything about the reality, the tragic discrepancy between perception of the reality and his existence, etc. Listeners must be touched by such an attitude. Again you should be reminded music is an abstract product, therefore, I cannot prove that what I said above is true. Coltrane said that his music is a “humble offering to God”. He must be true to himself and honest. But he plays in great agony, coming across to me as protesting against the reality that is so absurd. With the circumstantial pieces of evidence I presented above, I cannot but come to this conclusion.
K’s Case Ogata
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jazz Bar K's Case 更新情報
-
最新のアンケート
-
まだ何もありません
-
