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 . . . .