by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)
Happy Music Monday, you all. As promised a couple of weeks ago, this collection is devoted to live jazz performances.
April is also Jazz Appreciation Month, so this playlist is arriving not a moment too soon. For many of us, live jazz is the best way to enjoy jazz. The unbridled spontaneity of top-notch musicians at the very top of the game, improvising and spurring each other on to greater creative heights is the essence of the art form.
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I’ve gathered performances from nearly 100 years of jazz music. Big band, Be-Bop, Avant Garde, Soul Jazz, and so many other styles are present. There are recordings from Massey Hall, the Village Vanguard, the Newport Jazz Festival, Birdland, and many other iconic venues.
Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, Geri Allen, and dozens of other greats are included in this over 13-hour collection of stunning performances. While the sound quality in some venues isn’t as good as that of a state-of-the-art recording studio, and post-production is not on the table, the improvisatory nature of jazz makes live performance the quintessential way to experience the music. Do enjoy!
And as always, stay sane, safe, and kind. “See” ya next week.
PS: This is another one to set that crossfade, on Spotify, at 12 seconds if you are listening on a computer.
