Darcy James Argue wrote:
Substantial, specific criticism is not the same as knee-jerk dismissal.
Don devoted his life to playing uncompromising and person music in the
face of considerable hostility and hardship. Whether you like his music
or not, he's an influential figure in the evolution of the music and
deserves respect as such. It's ridiculous to say that the guy
responsible for teaching Dave Holland (who is in many respects a
modern-day Don Ellis figure) how to play complicated time signatures
"wasn't into meter," even in jest.
I mean, whatever you might think of, oh I don't know -- John Cage, let's
say -- it would be idiotic to say that "he was barely into composing."
I can accept that. But having heard Don Cherry perform live, I can say
that the assessment, at least from what I saw/heard, that he was 'barely
into playing the trumpet' was certainly a valid impression.
I would certainly not paint Ornette Coleman with the same brush, but Don
Cherry showed no concern for tone, no concern for intonation, no concern
for pitch, no concern for the audience, no concern for anything other
than standing on stage and playing anything he could get out, and then
presumably collecting his check and heading home after the performance.
And I've heard nothing of his on record which would change that assessment.
But then he's in the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz and I'm not (well,
actually I am but it's a different me), so obviously there are many
people who don't share my poor view of Don Cherry's trumpet playing ability.
--
David H. Bailey
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
