Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:37 am Post subject: BLOOM
Bluelobster wrote:
Next in line for the Bloomfield book.
Delivered on first basis.
Rule#1 Read it all
Rule#2 Swear to pass it along in the Robben Board
Rule#3 Stay humble
Rule#4 Pass along knowledge to young guns.
Rule#5 Love life
Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Oceanside, CA
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 7:22 am Post subject: "In Memory of Michael Bloomfield" CD
I just received my copy of "In Memory of Michael Bloomfield" by The Ford Blues Band and wanted everyone who doesn't have it to know what a great piece of music it is. Wonderful, faithful recreations of Mike's playing by Robben & Chris Cain. The band is superb, songs well chosen, & the 5 short interview clips with Mike really add to the entire "feel" of the CD.
I got mine from Patrick Ford's Blue Rockit' records:
http://www.bluerockit.com/home.shtml
If you don't own a copy, definitely order one, if you're a MB fan.
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:04 pm Post subject: Bloomfield ~ Coltrane influence
It's been a few years since I read the Bloomfield book, but I don't remember reading anything about John Coltrane in it. So I was surprised by this excerpt from the book I'm reading now, "The Language of the Blues":
"The musician with the most jamming stamina ever may have been jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, who would jam all night and keep going while he signed autographs, while he was in the dressing room, and even while he was in the club's bathroom.
"The first blues musician to tap into Coltrane's concept of super-extended improvisational soloing was Michael Bloomfield... The Butterfield Blues Band's 1966 recording of "East/West" by Nick Gravenites lasted twelve minutes and was the first lengthy improvisation recorded by a non-jazz ensemble. Live, the group would sometimes extend the piece up to forty-five minutes...
"'East/West is all Coltrane/Indian raga-feel/acid experience awakening, and the blues -- the real thing ..."
There's hardly any threads on this forum about Coltrane. Any thoughts on Coltrane's influence on Bloomfield and other Blues players, including Robben Ford? Anyone who has seen a Robben Ford concert knows how Robben can jam
Also, if you had to pick one Coltrane CD, what CD would've given Bloomfield the inspiration to apply extended improvisation to the Blues? _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:38 am Post subject:
I remember reading an interview with Robben around the time of Talk To Your Daughter - probably the Guitar Player cover story? - where Robben said that, in the '70s through the Yellowjackets years, Coltrane was his biggest influence but that recently (at the time of the interview) he had been moving more towards Miles' sense of economy and space.
Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 289 Location: Baltimore, Md
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 9:24 am Post subject: Trane
RWFTB wrote:
Quote:
Any thoughts on Coltrane's influence on Bloomfield and other Blues players, including Robben Ford?
Also, if you had to pick one Coltrane CD, what CD would've given Bloomfield the inspiration to apply extended improvisation to the Blues
I think it's important to remember that Trane started as one of Dizzy sidemen, during the heyday of be-bop, a style based upon re-harmonizations of "standard" tunes...so some exposure/appreciation of be-bop is probably necessary to fully appreciate Trane...I would think that Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon were two of Trane's most direct influences (along with Bird, of course.)
That aside, my favorite Trane music is the stuff from mid-50s the early 60s. All the stuff with Miles' quintet is great...also "Blue Trane" "Soultrane" and "Traneing In" are good ones...these latter LPs are mostly blues-based tunes and ballads, very listenable stuff.
Any of the Village Vanguard recordings will feature extended blowing by Trane, but a lot of it is not "easy listening." Perhaps this is stuff that Robben and Bloomfield were listening too...this is the music I listened to when I puposely "turned away" from the whole Hendrix/rock vibe of the early 70s...I was 13 or 14 years old when I first bought "Traneing In" and "Soultrane" and there was no turning back.
Trane got more into modal and Eastern influences later in his life, and this music is very difficult to listen to, IMHO...but it IS Trane, the culmination of his music, his life and spirit.
To answer your question, there is no "one" Coltrane CD to listen to...but "Giant Steps" is a good starting point.
Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 289 Location: Baltimore, Md
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject: deja-vu all over again?
Wow...conincidence, or what?
What an incredible evening of drive-time jazz I was treated to this evening...plenty of Trane...Trane and Monk...Trane and Kenny Burrell...and Trane on his own...
...along with Nina Simone...Stan Getz...Wynton Marsalis...Sarah Vaughan...Chick Corea...and the US Army Field Band doing a
cover of the Brooklyn Bridge's, "More Today Than Yesterday."
I was glued to the radio from 3:30 pm until 6:00 pm...although I
managed to get to the kitchen to fix myself a couple of drinks...
Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 289 Location: Baltimore, Md
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:44 am Post subject:
Ok, guys...sorry I hijacked this thread.
Let me get it back on topic...
I took a listen to "East/West" this morning...interesting tune, starts with Bishop jamming in a minor, eastern-sounding mode, along with a vamping bass line that vaguely reminded me of "A Love Supreme." Ironic.
Butterfield took an extended solo, then the character of the piece changed completely, as Bloomfield jammed pentatonically in a major key, with kind of a bouncing, lilting rhythm behind him.
Overall impression of the tune was sorta, "Allman Bros meet Sun Ra"
Then for comparison I listened to Coltrane's "Spiritual" from "Live at the Village Vanguard."
Elvin Jones swings MUCH harder than Sam Lay, even in this pedal-bass, droning, dirge-like tune.
But there are some similarities: Coltrane blows an extended solo in a minor key (Cmi I think) then Eric Dolphy (bass clarinet) plays his long solo in the major key equivalent. Coltrane then reprises back in the minor...there is no rhythm shift as in "East/West."
So, perhaps it was the form or format of this type of extended piece that the Butterfield was going for...maybe if Elvin Bishop is lurking he can fill us in !!!
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:15 am Post subject: Cambridge, USA
Hi Andy, Thanks for your feedback -- great stuff !
I was reading "If You Love These Blues" again last night and Mark Naftalin's quotes on pages 115-118 may reveal the truest inspiration for the extended solos on "East-West": LSD
I didn't find any direct references to John Coltrane in the book, but Naftalin says they were hanging out in Cambridge, listening to a wide range of music, including the music of Ravi Shankar, when they began perfoming the improvisation, "The Raga," which was later renamed "East-West".
I was also reading on the net about "East-West Live," which includes three live recordings of "East-West" taped by Mark Naftalin in 1966-1967. This is a great description of the CD:
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:38 am Post subject: wow
Andy don't stop hijackin' , you're doing pretty well.......... & Road thanks for all the input.
Now if nobody wants that book i'll be happy to keep it for my bookshelves
but i made a promise to J the Z ..........................................................
I received mine from Bill, thanks Billy Boy. To all European members I can recommend this book not only for blues interests but also as a social study on American society which seems so much different from our origin, very interesting. GET THAT BOOK
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:26 pm Post subject: Re: wow
Bluelobster wrote:
Andy don't stop hijackin' , you're doing pretty well.......... & Road thanks for all the input.
Now if nobody wants that book i'll be happy to keep it for my bookshelves
but i made a promise to J the Z ..........................................................
God Bless Albert Hoffman and his bicycle.
I'm not much of a Bloomfield fan - Albert's Shuffle off Super Session is great, though - but I'd be interested in reading the book, Blob. I'll do my best to follow the rules. Should I PM you?
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:09 am Post subject:
I received the book today. Thanks very much, Blob. And thanks to JZ in the first place. I'll post again when I've finished it, so if anyone would like it next please let me know. Hope you're not in too much of a hurry, though. I'm a slow reader...
I'm still reading, I'm slow in reading English, esp. the American issue of that language. I still like it, very interesting. Tell me about your impression Uncle
Ed
Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 1504 Location: Methuen, MA
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject:
UncleSalty wrote:
I received the book today. Thanks very much, Blob. And thanks to JZ in the first place. I'll post again when I've finished it, so if anyone would like it next please let me know. Hope you're not in too much of a hurry, though. I'm a slow reader...
Cheers
Salty
Hey Saltman, glad you were next in line for this book. I should've thought of this before, but everyone receiving this particular book should sign it. Ten years from now, the book may be a bit ratty, but having dozens of signatures would be very awesome. And, in order to do that, we need to get in back in the hands of the original owner, Bluerunner, then me and Blobby...
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