Tony Scott Two Tastes For A New Year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phUykaBNM3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWvATT8YOpE

Best Wishes For 2013

Pharoah Sanders' Kazuko (Peace Child)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOpmtFoZWjA

Christmas in a Cold Climate

Richard Robinson in his fine book, An Atheist’s Values,OUP1964, writes:

We often hear talk of ‘Christian values’. Those who use this phrase are confident that everybody knows what Christian values are. But I do not know what they are. For example, I am puzzled whether thrift is a Christian value in view of the fact that, whereas thrift is often praised by people calling themselves Christian, it is rejected by Jesus in the gospels. [4] 

I too am often puzzled by a lot of things that I have heard people calling themselves Christian say. But I am often even more puzzled by the actions of so-called Christians. What I have to say about Christians applies to other upholders of other religious doctrines also. But in the spirit of Christmas, and based on my childhood experiences with self-professed Christians - family members and others, I’ll stick with the thoughts, sayings, and actions of Christian brothers and sisters.

My atheism isn’t militant in any way. Years ago part of my job as a commercial loan officer involved my supervising loans that my bank had made to churches. In order to supervise these loans I had to go to church services. Some of the services were very moving in that the parishioners seemed to be quite moved emotionally and the music, as provided by the choir, soloists, and instrumentalists, was also very moving and pleasing. The sermons were usually unobjectionable and to some point or other. None of these proceedings bothered me in the least.

Now if I’m asked to partake in religious practices, if I’m asked to pray, for example; I won’t do it. I wouldn’t ask a Christian believer to engage in my non-militant atheist practices - I can’t imagine what said practices would be or what they would consist in; but for the sake of argument, let’s imagine that I participated in atheist practices.

In connection with my banking supervisory practices I was called upon to attend church functions - dinners &c. Often the question was put to me What religion are you, Mr. White? Being quite precise, I couldn’t say, I’m an atheist (note here, that’s “atheist” with a small “a”) - in my view my non-militant atheism isn’t a capital-letter religion at all. I just don’t believe that there are any gods (small “g”) at all. There were plenty of gods back in the day - Greek gods, for example; but we got rid of them. 

Rather than being totally misunderstood by my interlocutor regarding his or her What religion are you? question; I would answer something also the lines of I was raised in the Congregationalist church and I have been working my way back to it, etc. And this reply seemed to do the job.

It’s quite amazing that people I have known who called themselves Christian seem to know quite a lot about atheism, and, especially, what God (capital “G”) has in store for an atheist such as me - burning in God’s Hell, for example. There are quite substantial engineering problems involved in transporting a soul to Heaven or Hell - especially re-identifying the soul once it arrives in either non-spatial place. But surely the Christian’s God has a plan, so I won’t worry about the soul-technology. And of course people calling themselves Christian have a privileged and special relationship with their God, a relationship that doesn't obtain for the rest of us.

I'll grant that the existence of the universe, as we presume to know it, is strange and quite mysterious; but whatever problems we have in understanding its origin, persistence, and term prospects are not explained by postulating a Christian (or any other) God or gods.  

As a non-militant atheist, liberal, and philosophical anarchist I am particularly worried about cultural and political intolerance as practiced by people I know and have known who call themselves Christian - Christians who profess and practice racism, segregation, misogyny, class warfare, ethnic and religious hatred, Country Club Christians (CCC). Not only was I called upon to attend church services as a bank commercial loan officer, I was called upon to attend country club services - CCC services; so I know what I’m talking about. The segue from CCC services to Church services continues to be too easy. Again, I emphasize that intolerance such as I have noted is certainly to be found in other religious, social, and cultural groups and nations; but I am talking about what I know first hand - the under-reported news.

There’s wisdom to be found in Professor Robinson’s An Atheist’s Values. It’s available at no charge at the site linked below.

http://borici.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Atheist-Values.pdf

Merry Christmas to one and all.   

Charles Rosen (R.I.P.)

"Understanding music means feeling comfortable with it – taking pleasure in music is the most obvious sign of comprehension." Charles Rosen

Charles Rosen  - pianist and music, literary and fine arts scholar - died on 9 December 2012 at the age of 85. Since reading his The Classical Style in the summer of 1972, I have returned often to Mr Rosen's writings and recorded piano performances - his recordings of Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Carter and Boulez. I won't mention his other wonderful books, except to note that his last volume, Freedom and the Arts: Essays on Music and Literature, 2012, is providing me with expected knowledge and pleasure. 

  I think Michel de Montaigne - the original blogger - was one of Charles Rosen's favorite authors. And Mr Rosen's writing displays many of Montaigne's fine qualities. I particularly admire the feeling that I get when reading Rosen that I [the reader] am a colleague of Rosen's, involved with him in his search.

I've hesitated to blog on about the things that I love and the people I admire in light of the unspeakable Newtown Ct. tragedy. It makes me very sad to think that twenty young children and six caring and heroic adults were murdered by a young person bearing his parent's assault weapon and automatic pistols. Music and books  - feeling, interpretation, learning and understanding, the search thereof - human and humane pursuits seem to be beyond our reach. It was our hope that children armed with love, understanding, and knowledge as provided by caring adults and schools would be sufficient for their flourishing and well-being. It's not happening.      

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/10/charles-rosen

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/arts/music/charles-rosen-pianist-polymath-and-author-dies-at-85.html?pagewanted=all

http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/the-gate-is-open.html

Guitar Notions Revisited

Since the Mary Halvorson Quintet's performance last Sunday [see my previous post], I've been thinking about the music that I heard on that occasion, about my negative reaction to Halvorson's music, and my guitar-aversion (what back in the days would have been called a guitar hangup).
  So, I decided to spend most of my day listening to guitarists of the moment - Derek Bailey(2000), with Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Calvin Weston; Anthony Braxton and Fred Frith (2005); Joe Morris (1999), with Karen Borca, Rob Brown, and Andrea Parkins; James Blood Ulmer (1991), with David Murray, Amin Ali, and Cornell W. Rochester; Kevin O'Neil, with Anthony Braxton's "Standards" Group.
  Halvorson's music was not avant-guarde in any way. At best it was retrograde music. Call it New York New Music-Scene or whatever; but it was not avant-anything, nor was it modern. Gil Mellé's 1956 music with Joe Cinderella on guitar is modern. Ornette Coleman's 1975 Body Meta with Tacuma, Ellerbee and Nix on guitars is avant-guarde. Herbie Mann and Sam Most with Joe Puma on guitar is modern. Roy Eldridge with Ronnie Ball on piano is modern. Etc. Music labels are for marketing products and mis-leading consumers. If the music is well-played, it may be worthy of one's attention. Tip-toeing around one's instrument, playing uninteresting scales, fidgeting with technical gadgets doesn't result in creative music or an interesting performance.
  I heard Ornette's Body Meta group in Ann Arbor - exciting, propulsive, extremely well-played music. These good-making characteristics are also evident the guitar-featured music that I listened to today, especially Blood Ulmer's recording - "As Serious as Your Life", as Val Wilmer's title goes. Pat Metheny and Ornette burned together too. By the way Jamaaladeen Tacuma is an outstanding bass guitarist and composer. Fred Frith (noted above) I heard in solo performance at the Guelph Jazz Festival this year. His Cagean messing about was uninteresting to me. Joe Morris's Many Rings CD is very interesting because of the instrumentation - accordion, bassoon, alto & flute - and musicianship; it is very well-played chamber music.
  As I noted in my earlier Halvorson posting, the Quintet's performance took place at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio. The next three Jazz ensembles booked by the Wexner Center incorporate guitars. My music interests require neither a piano nor guitar - unless they're happening, no tip-toeing, scales or tricks. Except for guitar-economics and portability the guitar preference perplexes me from an aesthetic point of view. Is it because there are so many guitars around? because everyone plays 'air-guitar'? because late-night TV shows feature bands with guitars? because audiences think that they understand guitar-based music? Whenever I see three guitars without Ornette Coleman I shudder.
  It must be my guitar hangup. Oh well, I can hang with Blood Ulmer and Murray: three guitars and Ornette: Morris & company; Mann, Most & Puma; Mellé & Cinderella . . . .  

Dave Brubeck (R.I.P.)

Dave Brubeck has passed away at the age of 91 years. His music was very important to me during my formative years. One of my early vinyl purchases was a 10 inch red Fantasy recording of the Brubeck Octet. I return often to his creative music - Jazz Goes to College, Jazz at Oberlin and College of the Pacific. "Balcony Rock", "These Foolish Things", and "All the Things You Are" still knock me out. Brubeck was both a creative music innovator and a decent human being. Mingus admired his music. Miles made disparaging remarks about his music, but managed to record Brubeck's "The Duke".
  Guardian obituary:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/05/dave-brubeck

Taylor Ho Bynum New Yorker tribute:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/12/the-brilliance-of-dave-brubeck.html 

Pepper Adams - Detroit Years: 1930 - 1958

The late baritone saxophone master Pepper Adams' website contains a fascinating description of, among other things, the creative music scene in Detroit (and Highland Park). It shows who was gigging with whom and where the music action was happening. Take an envious look:

http://www.pepperadams.com/Chronology/EarlyYears.html

Mary Halvorson Quintet - Guitar Notion

I first heard Mary Halvorson in 2007 with Anthony Braxton’s Diamond Wall Trio at the Guelph Jazz Festival. This wonderful trio included the fabulous Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet. 

  On Sunday, 1 December 2012 my wife, a friend and I heard Halvorson’s quintet at the Wexner Center on The Ohio State University campus. The quintet consisted of Halvorson, guitar; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet; Jon Irabagon, alto saxophone, John Hébert, bass; and Ches Smith, drums. The bassist and drummer, we are told, form the nucleus of Halvorson’s groups. Of the quintet that I heard on Sunday, only the acoustic bass of Hébert invited appreciation and admiration. I suspect the other musicians are quite competent. But I found Halvorson’s guitar in the way of the music most of the time. A drummer can often provide the rhythmic glue to even the most disparate musical elements and desperate aspirations of the musicians and their audience. But Ches Smith’s percussion aspirations weren’t up to the task. The trumpet and alto saxophone never had a proper chance to make music.

  Mary Halvoson is reported to be a conscientious composer. Her charts were much on display on stage. Indeed, it appeared to me, at least, that what the audience was subjected to was a futile sight-reading exercise or music exorcism.

 There’s no need to pursue this line any further. I thought the music was awful. Halvorson’s ‘compostions‘ were full of off-putting gimmicks and visual tricks. I quite dislike guitar-notions such as Halvorson’s. I prefer not being a citizen of any guitar nation.