Experimental jazz is a natural evolution of a classic genre of music
that initially found its roots in African-American strife and the blues. In a
postmodern context, experimental jazz fits into the niche of postmodern art for
its reevaluation of “formal” musical structure and its lack of predictable
patterns; furthermore; it draws from its roots in traditional genres and
conventions, like blues, in order to make alterations to those genres and,
ultimately, question convention.
(be wary - it's the entire 2-hour
performance!)
Peter Furlan - saxophones -- Neil
Alexander - keyboards, samples
In his article “Jazz Improvisation and Organizing:Once More from the Top,” Michael Zack discusses how jazz improvisations and
musical experimentation are formed in the context of musical tradition. Are the
improvisations merely altering the pre-existing styles or are they establishing
a new style? Is the music breaking musical traditions or advancing them to the modern
times? He questions if they are indeed outside previously existing forms in
music or if they are alterations within those same forms: “While improvisation
is grounded in forms and memory... each improviser must determine to what
extent they want to improvise-within those forms, with those forms, or outside
those forms?” Through innovation, it is possible for experimental jazz music to
establish itself as a new form, while also paying homage to its roots.
One group that embodies the modern age of innovation is Le Jazz Electronique,
the collaboration of Neil Alexander, pianist, and Peter Furlan,
saxophone. Alexander also specializes in using a Moog synthesizer to
incorporate unexpected samples of hip/hop beats, progressive rock guitar riffs,
and vocals by other artists. The duo focuses on incorporating jazz music with
other music genres such as Hip/Hop, Electronic music, Progressive Rock, Reggae,
and even opera music (00:56:00) as well as their own original improvisations.
Le Jazz Electronique perform electronic jazz that also seems to be
fearlessly experimental with its forms – not only are they innovative in their
original melodies and harmonies, but they incorporate a wide range of forms
with jazz in their renditions of other pieces. For instance, at one point Neil
Alexander introduces a rendition of an opera piece that he chose to alter and
play as a Reggae song, which is not only innovative but experimental with a
form outside of jazz. Yet, towards the end of the set, they played their
version of Miles Davis' "In a Silent Way"(1:43:00) - centering the
performance back to its jazz roots, but in their own unique style.
In addition, Barry Wallenstein published “Poetry and Jazz:A Twentieth-Century
Wedding” in the Black American Literature Forum’s Literature
of Jazz Issue in 1991. His analytic explication of the creative impulse behind
the creation of jazz illuminates the analogous creative impulses of poetry and
the oral performances of poetry, since “Tone, rhythm, and cadence, and
lyricism, too, are all the property of both. It is the music inside the poet’s
head that determines the meter and often the mood of the words as they fall to
the page” (Wallenstein 142). In the twenty-first century, Wallenstein’s
Jazz-Poetry theory is more relevant and proving truer today than ever before;
in fact, it is one of the foundations for with the freedom of expression that
is emerging with experimental jazz music.
Wallenstein highlights the spontaneity of ideas allowed through
improvisation, which only serves to enhance artistic expression. Thus, the
proliferation of improvisation in music is a benefit to the world of art
itself. Modern experimental Jazz music, according to Wallenstein, can serve as
“the open-ended, random, improvised, indeterminate poem, whatever its length,
concluding usually with inconclusion” (596).
On improvisations, Barry Wallenstein also
states:
“The ingredient of improvisation is central
both to jazz and poetry. Improvisation, or the act of inventing on the spur of
the moment, has more or less defined modern jazz and the effect has been
endlessly innovative music. Likewise, the movement of the poem is its internal
performance, the way in which it gets to where it finally
ends. The way lines release other lines, the leaps of emotions or emotions
along these releases, the flow of ideas along stanza breaks and ellipses, is
the real performance of poetry – and of jazz” (Wallenstein 143)
The small, darkened stage at Nyack Village
Theater, draped in black, highlighted the imagery shown behind Alexander and
Furlan as they performed a variety of pieces. The scenic images of nature shown
in the background contributed to the simple ambiance rather than detracted from
it. The most engaging aspect of the performance was the lack of a lead
instrument, or even a single style, since the samples of different types of
music allowed the saxophone and the piano to alternate roles often,
whether accompaniment or melody, free rhythm or poly-rhythmic. The variety
of pieces kept the audience engaged with a mix of quick tempos and more
contemplative slow ones, technical melodies and simple ones comparable to a
lullaby. The rich sound of the Furlan's saxophone (around 10:40 in the video)
playing a melody over Alexander's accompaniment on piano and the sample music
was particularly impressive. I appreciated the many changes of mood during the
performance, which consequently felt more like a full musical experience as an
audience member.
NOTE:
For more information about the connection
between jazz music and poetry, including interviews and clips from jazz
musicians and collaborating poets, this 2010 video clip introduces a
documentary on such a subject: The Jazz-Poetry Connection -
Promotional Video
