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Midtown NYC

ziggy on 2003-10-14T22:19:24

I've been in a Jazzy mood this week, mostly listening to Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk, and McCoy Tyner (with some Django, Miles and Birdman thrown in for good measure).

It's amazing how Brubeck's sound so totally fits in NYC. It's like a really good soundtrack for the city. And it's somehow joyful at the same time. Maybe it's just some cosmic alignment for the feel of the city on a crisp, pleasant, bright, sunny Fall day.

Fifty-second street theme

rafael on 2003-10-15T19:21:50

I doubt that NYC is simple enough to be expressed by the music of a single musician :) I noted that, except Django, all musicians you listed began the significant part of their career in New York. / You might want to check out Phineas Newborn, Lennie Tristano and Cecil Taylor for pianists that carry the same kind of sound than Brubeck : complex and urgent.

jazz on the radio/internet

inkdroid on 2003-10-16T14:05:37

Thanks for name dropping, duly noted in Palm. Speaking of jazz, does anyone have a favorite jazz station to listen to on the Internet (English or otherwise). I listen to WDCB (DuPage,IL) which is all jazz, and is decent. Any other pointers would be appreciated. I really like listening to jazz, because most of it is sans-vocals, and lyrics tend to distract me when programming.

Re:Fifty-second street theme

ziggy on 2003-10-16T14:46:23

It's not so much that Brubeck captures the totality of New York. It's more that it just fits into the feel of midtown on a crisp fall day.

I think it was noteworthy because lots of music doesn't have any of that timeless resonance. Nirvana may have "fit" when Kurt Cobain was alive, but that moment has passed, and Smells Like Teen Spirit doesn't speak to the city (or this country) anymore. Dick Dale might be a great accompaniment when racing in a cab going uptown on 5th, but not when sitting in Central Park.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for those pianists. Thanks.