Comments on: Monterey 2009: Jason Moran – “Feedback”

By: Debra

Debra — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:49:43 +0000

Loved the “Feedback” piece by J. Moran. Fresh, young, keeping jazz alive w/new ideas and risks yet a respect for tradition and those before him of whom to learn, regardless of genre. As I’m paraphrasing what a terrific jazz guitarist friend of mine wisely told me: “if the musician is good, he’s good, doesn’t matter what type of music he’s playin’.”

By: Coop

Coop — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:49:16 +0000

I sat incredulously through Moran’s travesty against music, and as a 49 year veteran of MJF, I cannot recall a less significant contribution to the jazz idiom. I endorse and support the avant garde, delight in Ornette Coleman, Don Byron, and the like, but after Moran’s catastrophe, I’d like to remind him that there’s a reason artists don’t drag microphones behind drumsticks attempting to “wound” cymbals. or use beer bottles instead of fingers on pianos: IT”S NOT MUSIC!!!

By: ph

ph — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:54:54 +0000

It was arty, pretentious crap. Arty and pretentious can be okay, if it’s not crap.

By: andrei starobin

andrei starobin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:59:49 +0000

I missed the Arena piece by Moran’s group, but from the comments sounds that the 9pm at the “night club” was similar.

the music they played bordered on unbearable during the dynamic crescendos. at these times, i could only feel the intensity. the bass, or piano lines were not discernible.

on every song the trio redeemed itself when they would bring it down and go into usually unexpected melodic, low tempo beauty.

all along I was thinking of Miroslav Vitous’s “Universal Syncopations II”. that whole album is sampled and MV plays over prerecorded orchestral and choir music

By: JP

JP — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:43:36 +0000

Interesting feedback on Moran’s commissioned piece, “Feedback.”

Three comments:

1. Jazz is and has always been, among many attempts to characterize it, an EXPERIMENT. That is why it is so unique and often a spontaneous experience for both the artist and the audience.

2. Louis Armstrong said it best when asked about what is good Jazz. His response went something like “If you like it, it’s good. If you don’t like it,…” Simple.

3. Jason Moran understood his piece would not resonate with everyone in the audience. He did it anyway. I feel that most Jazz audiences seek the unpredictable and a sound that challenges us.

By: jim47

jim47 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:36:35 +0000

People…this is jazz…free your mind.

I’m sure people called Miles & Ornette pretentious in their day.

It’s the old school thinking, that jazz has to sound and look a certain way, that keeps it in the dark.

The show, and level of playing was amazing. Creative. Outstanding. Especially his 9:00, non-arena show…over the top.

By: GorMar

GorMar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:55:15 +0000

I wasn’t impressed at all, musique concrete is an old idea, the composition dod nothing new and certainly did no justice to Jimi, the stage or MJF, pushing no limits and exploring nothing new… I found the whole thing to be a rather futile exercise in pompousness and pretentiousness. But, hey, not everything has to be good.

By: Forrest

Forrest — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:27:31 +0000

I took this more as a matter of inspiration than association, but it’s true that there wasn’t much Hendrix involved. The recorded feedback could have come from anywhere, but I still found it an interesting concept — a distant echo coming from the same physical space but a remote time — and I enjoyed what Moran did with it.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:51:23 +0000

I was there. I couldn’t help but feel cheated that Moran associated his piece with Jimi Hendrix.

By: Cipher

Cipher — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:38:06 +0000

Wish I could have been there.