31 de maio de 2004

GIANLUCA PETRELLA no CCB - 4 de Junho

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O trombonista Gianluca Petrella actua pela primeira vez em Portugal, num concerto a realizar no CCB, no pequeno auditório, já no próximo dia 4 de Junho. Petrella vem acompanhado por Javier Edgardo Girotto (saxofones soprano, barítono, clarinete baixo), Paolino dalla Porta (contrabaixo) e Fabio Accardi (bateria).

De acordo com a informação oficial desta co-Produção entre o Instituto Italiano de Cultura de Lisboa e o CCB, a carreira deste trombonista é meteórica: nascido em Bari, Itália, em 1975, adquire notoriedade na última década depois de acompanhar o saxofonista Roberto Ottaviano. Mas, é ao lado do trompetista Enrico Rava de cujo grupo regular faz parte e com o qual acaba de editar um disco («Easy Listening» ECM 2004), o que o coloca em definitivo na categoria de novos talentos dos quais muito se espera.

Petrella tem tocado circunstancialmente com Carla Bley nas suas digressões europeias e também com Greg Osby, Steve Coleman ou Gianluigi Trovesi nas suas formações alargadas.

E se os festivais de jazz mais importantes da Europa e do Canadá já o acolheram com sucesso, chega agora a vez de Lisboa escutar e julgar o seu talento.

29 de maio de 2004

Também gosto de rock!

É verdade, também gosto de rock, assim como gosto de world music, etc.

Como qualquer jovem, cresci com o rock até chegar ao jazz, mas não o renego. É presença assídua no meu leitor de CD's sempre que o jazz não chega para criar as emoções ou os estados de espírito de um dado momento. E por vezes toca alto, bem, alto no rádio do carro. Porque sim. E porque não?

Por isso, e até para provar que «Jazz no País do Improviso!» não é sectário, lembrei-me de escolher alguns dos discos de rock em que reconheço qualidade musical ou emocional e que me marcaram e continuam a marcar:

Supertramp: Paris

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Led Zeppelin: IV

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Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains The Same

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Rober Plant e Jimmy Page: No Quarter

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U2 - Rattle and Hum

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Scorpions - World Wide Live

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The Verve - Urban Hymns

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Nirvana - Unplugged

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Queen - Live At Wembley

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Simply Red - Picture Book

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Sting and Gil Evans - Last Session

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R.E.M. - Automatic For The People

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Paul Simon - Graceland

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Deep Purple - In Rock

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AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It

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Pink Floyd - Final Cut

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Iron Maiden - Live After Death

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Black Sabbath - Live Evil

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Parece incrível mas foi este disco que me fez gostar pela primeira vez de jazz já que em 'War Pigs' a guitarra de Tommy Iommi sola com um feeling de swing.

Jazz in Rio

«Jazz no País do Improviso!» nada tem contra o Rock in Rio, antes pelo contrário. Reconhecemos a este festival uma mística e uma capacidade propagandística de Lisboa e por isso desejamos-lhe as melhores felicidades e casa cheia!

E o que é que isto tem a ver com jazz?

Tem alguma coisa.

Primeiro, porque os apoios da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa terão sido projectados em função de uma audiência média de 150 000 pessoas. Porém, ao que a comunicação social tem noticiado, este número está longe de ser uma realidade, tendo Paul McCartney ficado pelos cerca de 40 000. Ao que parece, estamos aqui perante alguns erros de casting. McCartney é uma figura lendária do rock mas a geração que o idolatra não é propriamente o público-alvo deste festival, habituada que está a concertos com lugares sentados e outras comodidades.

Segundo, porque a ser assim, a questão das audiências não pode ser nem deve ser primordial no apoio camarário aos projectos porque de facto ninguém consegue actualmente garantir casas cheias por antecipação.

Tudo isto para dizer que «Jazz no País do Improviso!» não percebe por que razão Lisboa continua sem ter um festival de jazz, como tantas outras capitais europeias. Um festival de jazz bem projectado, com prestígio e qualidade pode atrair para Lisboa um segmento de turistas com forte capacidade de investimento, resultando em mais valias para a hotelaria e restauração, ou, pelo menos, proporcionar a este segmento uma estadia mais enriquecedora e com maior opções para uma vida nocturna que não está pensada para pessoas acima dos 40 anos.

Mais, Lisboa tem espaços únicos e ideais para servir de cenário a bons concertos de jazz, nomeadamente à beira do Rio Tejo, e que estão totalmente desaproveitados. Cenários que permitiriam aos turistas desfrutar do património da cidade e do seu rio de outra forma e por outro prisma.

É caso para dizer, onde está o Roberto Medina do Jazz?

Se puder apareça, porque aqui por Lisboa ninguém parece conseguir motivar a CML para um projecto de qualidade.

É verdade que o Jazz não atrai tantos patrocinadores como o Rock In Rio: não vende tanta cerveja e outras coisas..., não pinta cabelos com as cores do Millenium (cruzes, credo!), não chama o jet set, não despacha tanto merchandising, etc. Ah, e não tem disc-jockeys a tocar! Mas, desde quando é que um disc-jockey toca o que quer que seja? Põe música e é quando o que põe é mesmo música...

Já agora, por que será que na tenda raízes jazz fora nada?

Para mim, Rock In Rio era Miles Davis versão eléctrica, a partir, ou a banda de Marcus Miller, sem concessões. Loud and heavy! E depois assim um Charles Lloyd, um Pat Metheny, um Garbarek. E para igualar o dinossauro McCartney podia vir Lou Donaldson ou Clark Terry.

Uma nota final para mostrar preocupação pelo caminho que a música leva, ainda a propósito dos disc jockeys. Parece-me que as novas gerações, ao idolatrar estas personagens, começam a 'matar' os músicos verdadeiros, preferindo o plástico ao real. E o real são músicos a tocar com os seus instrumentos, a criar canções novas, a fazer evoluir a música, a interagir com o público, a exprimir os seus sentimentos, emoções e preocupações. Podem ser os U2, os James, os Simply Red, os Supertramp, o Kravitz, o Sting ou outros quaisquer. Mas que sejam músicos, melhores ou piores, com mais ou menos sintetizadores, com mais ou menos ajudas para compor o produto final. Cada um, ao escrever e interpretar canções, está a comunicar. Os DJ limitam-se a regorgitar produtos e a falta de conhecimentos que têm de música raramente lhes permite acrescentar algo que seja verdadeiramente interessante. Estão para a música como certas instalações estão para a arte: todos achamos que faríamos igual ou melhor e só não fazemos porque não lhes reconhecemos qualquer ponto de interesse que valha a pena o tempo que teríamos de perder a instalar as ditas cujas.

27 de maio de 2004

Nem só de jazz vive o homem...

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E nem só de jazz vive e fala o «Jazz no País do Improviso!», sempre muito aberto aos projectos de fusão com música oriental e africana.

Tudo isto para dizer que no próximo dia 9 de Julho o guitarrista John Mclaughlin & Zakir Hussain actuam no Coliseu dos Recreios, em Lisboa. Um encontro de dois grandes músicos, eternizados no fabuloso «Making Music», disco absolutamente a não perder.

O efeito MediaMarkt

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Como já se esperava, a entrada em Portugal de um novo gigante da distribuição de discos e audiovisuais veio alterar o mercado.

Para já o efeito mais visível é a descida dos CD's em cerca de 15% em lojas como a FNAC e a Worten. Se dantes «The Girl In The Other Room» custava cerca de 16,50 euros, agora baixou para os 13,99. Já na Worten esta descida foi ainda mais acentuada, com o mesmo disco a custar 12,99 euros. O mesmo sucedeu com o novo disco de Norah Jones, já possível de adquirir na FNAC por cerca de 11.00 euros!

Ate há bem poucos dias estes preços eram impensáveis para as novidades discográficas.

Naturalmente, espera-se que o mercado se reajuste e não tardará a que se registe um aumento nos preços, sobretudo no jazz e na música clássica, área em que o catálogo da MediaMarkt é claramente deficitário.

Deus nos proteja!

Se a moda pega ainda chega ao jazz...

Refiro-me, evidentemente, a esta nova prática de invadir estúdios de televisão, campos de futebol, etc...

Como já aqui disse em tempos, não virá longe o dia em que alguém entre pelo palco de um concerto de jazz adentro e interrompa o concerto para pedir explicações ou mostrar um cartão vermelho a um músico que não foi do seu agrado!

Sobem as audiências, desce o nível. O que vale é que não existe nenhum programa de jazz na televisão. Pelo menos assim não só não corremos estes riscos como estamos ao abrigo de ter de difundir telelixo.

Anedotas de Jazz sobre bateristas (3)

Hoje as "vítimas" das anedotas sobre jazz são os os nossos amigos bateristas.

Claro que não perfilhamos todas as anedotas, mas há que ter sentido de humor.

Pena que não existam anedotas disponíveis sobre críticos de jazz porque «Jazz No País do Improviso!» seria o primeiro a dar a mão à palmatória!

DRUMMERS

What do you call people who hang out with jazz musicians?
Drummers!

How can you tell a drummer is walking behind you?
You can hear his knuckles dragging on the ground.

Why are orchestra intermissions limited to 20 minutes?
So they don't have to retrain the drummers.

I asked my drummer to spell "Mississippi"... He said, "the river or the state?"

Two drummers walk into a bar, which is actually kind of funny, because you would think that the second guy would have seen the first one do it.

What's the difference between a drummer and Dr. Scholl's foot pads?
Dr. Scholl's foot pads buck up the feet.

Why are drummers always losing their watches?
Everyone knows they have trouble keeping time.

There was this drummer who, due to limitations of chops, was constantly slowing things down and, as a result, always bumming out the people he played with...you know...getting dirty looks, etc. No matter how hard he tried to improve his time feel, he would still slow everything down. And so, one night after yet another disappointing gig and with more dirty looks and grumbles from the band, the despondent drummer went out and threw himself behind a train!

What would you call the smartest drummer in the world?
Mildly retarded.

What do you call 10 drummers sitting in a circle?
A dope ring.

How can you tell when a drummer has used your computer music notation programme?
Because of the white out all over the screen.

How can you tell a second drummer was at the computer after the first drummer? There is writing on the white out.

What's the difference between a drummer and the rear end of a horse?
I don't know either.

What is the difference between a drummer and a terrorist?
Terrorists have sympathizers.

Why does a drummer always stare intensely at a can of frozen orange juice?
Because it says 'concentrate'.

How do you stop a drummer drowning?
Why would you want to?

Conductor: Again from measure 5, if you please.
Drummer: But there are no measure numbers.

Why do drummers have a half ounce more brains than horses?
So they don't disgrace themselves at the parade.

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?
One, but only after asking "Why?" ("Oh, wow! Is it like dark, man?")

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?
None. They have a machine that does that now.

Guy walks into a shop. "You got one of them Marshall Hiwatt AC30 amplificatior thingies and a Gobson StratoBlaster geetar with a Fried Rose tremolo?" "You're a drummer, aren't you?" "Duh, yeah. How'd you know?" "This is a travel agen."

Did you hear about the drummer who was locked up in jail?
He asked for 8 bars in front!

Two drummers are standing outside a music store looking in the window. One says to the other: 'Don't tell anybody, but I've always wanted to play the accordion'.
'Look', says the other pointing to a notice on the window. 'There's a sale on this month, why don't you go in and buy one'?
'You know what people think about drummers', says the first. 'I'm just too ashamed to go into the shop and ask'.
The second drummer ponders over the problem for a while then he says: 'I've got an idea! You can go disguised as a business man. That way no one will know you are a drummer'.
Next day the drummer walks into the music shop dressed in a pin-stripe suit, a bowler hat and carrying a tightly rolled umbrella.
Assistant: Can I help you sir?
Drummer: Yes, I would like to buy an accordion.
Assistant: Certainly sir. Which one would you like?
Drummer: That one over there. The one against the wall.
Assistant: You are obviously a drummer.
Drummer (shocked): How can you tell?
Assistant: Because you are pointing to the radiator!

What is the difference between a frikandel (cheap Dutch sausage) and a drummer?
A frikandel has brains.

How many drummers does it take to paint a wall red?
It all depends how hard you throw them!

A drummer at Conservatory is taking his ear-training exam, which involves the teacher playing a series of chords on the piano and the student having to identify them.
Teacher (plays a simple three note C major triad on the piano): What is this?
Drummer: Wow, that's pretty hard. But I think if I hear it again I can tell you what it is.
Teacher (plays the chord again): So, what is it?
Drummer: It's very difficult, but I think if you play it just one more time I've got it..
Teacher (plays chord again): Well?
Drummer: I've got it! It's a piano!

How can you tell when the drummer in the band is Jewish?
There's no skin on the bass drum.

A drummer was asked by a journalist if he listened to anything else besides drums. 'Oh yeah', he replied, 'I like listening to Billie Holiday. I think he's great!'

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?
Ten. One to do it and nine to tell him they can do it faster.

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?
A hundred. One to do it and ninety nine to tell him that Buddy Rich could have done it better.

Understandably, drummers get a little paranoid about the jokes told about them. Here is a way of making the drummer believe the joke is going to be at the expense of the bass player (you can even conspire with the drummer beforehand thus raising his expectations) but at the last moment you turn the joke on him.

What do you need to make a bass player?
First you take a large piece of cow dung from a field, a very large piece of cow dung. But be careful not to use too much or it turns into a drummer! (this should be embellished and dragged out to produce the desired effect.)

How can you tell when the stage is perfectly level?
The saliva dribbles evenly from both sides of the drummers mouth.

A terrible drummer is murdering the beat and making life unbearable for a famous sax player. During the break the drummer comes slinking up to the table where the sax player and the rest of the band are relaxing over a few drinks in the company of attractive young ladies. Wanting to impress the girls he patronises the horn player:
Drummer (putting his arm on the sax players shoulder): Yeah man, too much baby! Say, when was the last time we played together?
Sax player: Tonight!

Did you hear about the bass player who lost his car keys?
It took three hours to get the drummer out of the car!

A bass player is surprised one day to see a piano being hoisted up to the top floor apartment of the drummer across the street. 'I see you've finally decided to learn a real instrument', he shouts across.
The next day he is even more surprised to see the piano being lowered down again. 'What's the matter have you given up already after just one day?'
'No', replied the drummer 'Don't be stupid, I'm going for my first lesson'.

Why do drummers smile when there is a thunderstorm?
Because they think someone is taking their photograph.

Band leader: We've had a request for 'Come Rain Or Come Shine'.
Drummer: So, which one are we going to play?

A few guys are sitting alone drinking at the bar. One turns to the person sitting next to him and says: 'You know I have an IQ of 180 and I'm very bored because I've got no-one to talk to'.
'What a coincidence', replies the other, 'I also have an IQ of 180. Would you like to talk about something with me? Nuclear physics perhaps, or Einstein's theory of relativity?'
Further down the bar another lonely drinker turns to his neighbour and says 'What a boring dump this is. I've got an IQ of 90 and no-one to talk to'.
'What a coincidence', replies the person sitting next to him 'I've also got an IQ of 90. What do you want to talk about, football, motorbikes, or girls?'
At the far end of the bar are sitting two drunken slobs. One turns to the other and says; 'I hate this bloody place. What a ****hole! Here am I with an IQ of 40 and nobody to talk to'.
'Would you believe it,' says the other drunk slobbering over the bar, 'I've got an IQ of 40 too'.
'What 42?' says the first.
'No, 40 too - 40 also,' replies the other.
'Oh, so what do you want to talk about then?' asks the first.
'Well, first off, what kind of sticks do you use?'

How do you get a drummer to play louder?
Ask him to use dynamics.

A big band leader, fed up with the drummer's lack of inspiration and his failure to observe any of the written dynamics, exclaimed in exasperation: 'Why don't you realise that you are not only the drummer of the band, you are the drama!'

A jazz big band drummer standing for the first time in front of the Niagara falls was heard to exclaim 'At last, fortissimo!'

What is the difference between a drummer and a computerised drum machine?
The drum machine has a memory.

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?
Twenty. Actually it only takes one, but he puts nineteen on the guest list.

Why is an electronic drum machine better to play with than a drummer?
Because with a drum machine you only have to punch in the information once.

A jazz quartet on tour in the middle east decides to go exploring and ends up getting lost in the middle of the desert. Without food or water, the four jazz musicians walk aimlessly under the blazing sun searching for some sign of civilisation. After walking for many hours and on the verge of collapse from thirst, they see the ruins of a small fort in the distance. Summoning up their last reserves of energy, they desperately try to reach the protection of the old fortress walls. Staggering through the shattered gate they collapse into the nearest shaded corner and lie there exhausted.
A little later the saxophone player looks around to examine the situation and is surprised to see a strange object gleaming in the rubble. He crawls towards the object to investigate: 'Hey guys,' he croaks 'I've found something - it looks like a lamp! The kind you rub and then a Genie comes out.'
'Hey man, what have we got to loose,' says the piano player. 'Give it a rub and see what happens.'
'Okay. Here goes!' and so saying the sax player rubs the lamp and.....whoosh! A huge Genie appears in a cloud of smoke.
'Cool baby!' says the Genie. 'I'm free and cookin' again! And it's all thanks to you. Man, I've been waitin' for a thousand years for this. So, come on you cool cats, lay the word on me. Hip me to where the action is around here. Oooh baby! Am I gonna boogie tonight!'
'Wait a minute,' says the sax player. 'Don't we get the traditional three wishes?'
'Hey man, there are four of you guys, I can't give you three wishes each. That would be against the regulations man.'
'Okay, let's make a deal. Give us just one wish each.'
'Cool baby, I can fix that, you got it. I am the genie of the lamp, what dost thou desire baby? Thy cool wish is my command.'
The saxophone player thought for a second. 'I wish I was back home, lying on my bed next to two sexy chicks with a crate of ice cold beer in the fridge.'
No sooner had he finished speaking than he disappeared in a puff of red smoke.
'And what is thy wish?' says the Genie to the piano player.
'I wish I was on a Caribbean island lying in the cool shade of a palm tree, drinking iced cocktails, surrounded by beautiful naked women.'
He too disappeared in a flash.
'And what dost thou desire?' says the Genie to the bass player.
'I wish I was back in my favourite jazz club, drinking litres of my favourite beer, surrounded by admiring and willing young ladies.'
In an instant he too was gone.
'And finally what is thy wish?' says the Genie turning to the drummer.
'Wow, that's a really tough question,' says the drummer anxiously. 'I need some time to think. Oh God I can't make up my mind. Gee, I wish the other three were back here to help me.'

What are a drummer's last words?
Hey guys, why don't we play one of my tunes?!

Female flute player (suggestively): Mmmmmm, I love to play the flute.
Drummer: Really? Can you play the piccolo as well?

The captain on a Roman galley makes an announcement to the slaves chained to the oars.
'I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you are going to receive a double ration of rum. The bad news is that today Buddy Rich is on the drums.

A big band drummer is sitting silent during a long ensemble passage where no drums are required. At that moment the club manager walks in sees the situation and goes straight up to the drummer.
'Why aren't you playing?' he asks.
'I've got Tacit.' replies the drummer.
'I don't care what you've got, we want to have a drummer in this club. Go to see a doctor about it and send a substitute.'

A quartet out on the town in Amsterdam winds up in the heart of the Red Light District, where the working girls sit in windows seductively displaying their wares.
The drummer of the band approaches one of the windows and knocks on the glass.
'How much?' he asks.
'50 guilders,' replies the girl.
'Really?' says the drummer looking surprised, 'that's pretty cheap for double glazing.'

How many dynamics can a big band drummer play?
Two: 'on' and 'off'!

A jazz trio is playing at a society gig in the fifties when jazz was considered the 'in' music to have at high class parties, despite the fact that nobody took any notice of the music. Very soon the members of the trio are extremely bored with the gig and, to make matters worse, no one is getting any drinks for the band.
Finally, the piano player leans towards the bass player and tells him to take a bass solo while he goes to get some drinks. Fifteen minutes pass and the piano player has still not returned to the stand. At this point the bass player tells the drummer to take a solo while he goes to find the piano player. The drummer starts up a furious solo. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes he plays and there is still no sign of either the pianist or the bass player.
Eventually, just as the drummer has reached the limit of his endurance, a very snobbish lady comes up to the stage: 'Excuse me' she says to the sweating drummer, 'could you play the Autumn Leaves please?'
'What the hell do you think I was playing!' replied the drummer.

What's the difference between a drummer and a bass player?
Half a beat.

A theory teacher has been asked to give a class of drummers a lesson in harmony. He walks in, looks around the crowded classroom and declares: 'So many drummers, and so little time!'

How can you tell when a drummer is knocking at your door?
It gets faster.

Turkish drummer has had a lifelong ambition to visit America to study jazz drumming with his idols. In order to earn enough money for the venture he has joined 'Abdul Ahmed's club date band', which specialises in Turkish folk music and is much renowned in the circuit of well paid society gigs. After saving up enough money he leaves the band and moves to New York where he takes private lessons from his favourite drummers, Steve Gadd and Elvin Jones.
After two years of hard study and penniless, he returns to Turkey, where necessity once again forces him to join the famous Abdul Ahmed.
Eager to show off his recently acquired jazz licks, the drummer crams every available space in the arrangements with fills and breaks of astonishing complexity, displaying all of his breath-taking technique.
After enduring an hour of deafening pyrotechnics, Abdul Ahmed approaches the drummer during the intermission and takes him to one side. 'You know, I think what you are doing is very nice. Very, very nice.' he says smiling patiently, 'but for this kind of music all I want from you is a simple offbeat on seven and nineteen'.

Two drummers jump out of a 15 storey window at exactly the same time. Which one of them hits the ground first?
Who cares?

What is the difference between a drummer and junk food?
Junk food has taste.

After having been praised by his teacher for playing an energetic and interesting drum solo, the drummer complained to the teacher: 'The trouble is when I play like that I make a lot of mistakes.'
'Don't worry,' replied the teacher. 'A drum solo is one gigantic mistake.'

A drummer comes rushing excitedly on to the stage exclaiming 'I did it! I did it! And it only took me six months!'
'You did what in just six months?' asks one of the band.
'I finished the jigsaw puzzle man. I completely finished the jigsaw puzzle!'
'So what's the big deal about finishing a jigsaw puzzle in six months?' asks a band member.
'Hey man, on the box it says 'from 3 to 5 years.'

A patient due to have a brain transplant is being shown a price list by the doctor. On the list he reads that a teacher's brain costs one thousand dollars. A professor's brain ten thousand dollars, and a drummer's brain one million dollars.
'Why is the drummer's brain so expensive?' he asks the doctor.
'It's never been used!'

Good - better - best.
Big - bigger - biggest.
Dumb - dumber - drummer.

A quartet are travelling by plane on an overseas tour. Travelling by the cheapest fare they are sitting at the back of the plane where they have been trying in vain to attract the attention of the stewardess.
'Man, I've got to have a drink,' says the saxophone player. 'Isn't there any way of getting her attention?'
'Well, I've brought my parrot with me,' replies the piano player 'this parrot used to belong to an army general and he can order anybody to do anything'.
'Too much,' says the saxophone player cheering up 'can you get it to order me a whisky on the rocks?'
'Sure thing.' says the piano player and so saying he takes the parrot out of its box and places it on his shoulder.
'Napoleon, tell that stewardess to bring a whisky on the rocks'.
The parrott lets out a squawk of delight and proceeds to speak in an authoritarian army voice.
'Hey bitch! Get your fat ass over here and bring a whisky on the rocks. Fast!'
The band is astonished to see the stewardess immediately drop everything and rush to the back with the requested drink on a tray.
'Here is the drink you requested sir. I hope it is to your liking.' After elegantly serving the drink the stewardess smiles sweetly to the band and wiggles her way back down the aisle.
'Hey man, that's great!' says the bass player recovering from the shock, 'could you ask the parrott to order me a gin and tonic?'
'Sure thing', says the piano player. 'Napoleon, tell the stewardess to bring a gin and tonic'.
Once again the parrott screeches with delight and speaks in a commanding voice.
'Hey bitch! Get your big fat ass over here and bring a gin and tonic. On the double!'
Again the stewardess drops everything and comes scurrying up to the back with the drink on a tray.
'Here is the drink you requested sir. The ice is in the ice bucket and help yourself to the salted nuts.'
The drummer, who is sitting accross the aisle by himself, has been watching the whole proceedings and thinks to himself "If a stupid parrott can do it, I can do it too.'
'Hey you dumb bitch!' he shouts at the top of his voice 'get your big, fat, flabby ass over here and bring a glass of vodka on the rocks. That's an order you dumb blonde!'
At that moment, in answer to complaints from passengers about the use of foul language, the pilot and co-pilot are watching through the open communications door to see where the insults are coming from. Spotting the culprit the co-pilot, who happens to be the boy friend of the stewardess, and who also happens to be very powerfully built, comes charging angrilly down the aisle and in one swift movement picks up the drummer, opens the emergency exit, and throws him out of the plane.
After a few moments of stunned silence, the parrott turns to the piano player. 'Man,' he says, 'for someone who can't fly, that guy sure had a big mouth!'

What do you get when you cross a drummer with a Gorilla?
A very stupid Gorilla.

What do you call a drummer with only half a brain?
Gifted.

Musician's slogan:
Don't kick ass, kick drummers!

Two cowboys were waiting in their fort for the Indians to attack. They listened to the distant pounding war drums. One cowboy muttered to the other, "I don't like the sound of them drums." Just then, a distant voice came over the hill, "It's not our usual drummer!"

25 de maio de 2004

Se Miles Davis fosse vivo...

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Se Miles Davis fosse vivo, faria amanhã, dia 26 de Maio, 78 anos.

Se Miles Davis fosse vivo, o mundo da música e das artes seria mais rico e o mundo do jazz mais polémico.

Mas não é.

Morreu em 28 de Setembro de 1991.

Felizmente deixou muitos e bons discos, atênticas ex-libris do jazz, nomeadamente:

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24 de maio de 2004

Anedotas de Jazz sobre cantoras (2)

Desta vez as anedotas são sobre cantores e cantoras.

No próximo post vamos dedicar-nos aos bateristas...

:)


SINGERS

How do you know there's a girl singer as a patient on the intensive care unit?
She's the only one that asks for more echo on the monitor.

A chick singer is always calling tunes in strange keys. One day during a rehearsal the piano player in the band has had enough:
Pianist: Why the heck do you want to sing the tune in D? Why not take it up a semitone and do it in Eb?
Singer: Eb? Isn't that faster?

What is the difference between a chick singer and a Porsche?
Most musicians have never been inside a Porsche.

What's the inscription on dead blues-singers tombstones?
"Didn't wake up dis mornin'....."

How does a singer change a light bulb?
She stands on a chair, takes hold of the bulb, and waits for the whole world to revolve around her.

What are ten thousand chick singers at the bottom of the ocean?
A start.

A genie appears to a big band leader and offers him one wish.
Band leader: 'I must use this wish for the good of humanity. I wish for peace on Earth.'
Genie: 'That's a tough one. Can't you think of something a little easier? Something for yourself perhaps.'
Band leader: 'Well, for myself, I wish that the singer in my big band would sing in tune for once.'
Genie: 'On second thoughts, let's settle for peace on Earth.'

Why is the ideal chick singer only three feet tall?
Because she is the perfect height for the band to rest their beer glasses on top of her head.

What is the chick singer's motto?
Wherever ego, I go.

Band leader: 'Can you sing from sheet music?'
Singer: 'Of course, but not the first time.'

What is the difference between a vocalist and a terrorist?
You can negotiate with a terrorist.

What do a vocalist and a terrorist have in common?
They both blow bridges.

How can you tell when it's a chick singer knocking at your door?
Because she can't find the key, and she doesn't know how to come in.

Why is a bad singer like a bomb?
Because when you hear it it's too late.

One night you walk into a jazz club where there is a terrible group performing on stage. The pianist is playing all the wrong changes, the bass player is way out of tune and the drummer has no sense of time. However, you are very surprised to hear that the singer is really quite good. You are armed with a gun but you only have two bullets in the magazine.
Which members of the band do you shoot?
You shoot the singer - twice!

Did you hear about the Irish chick singer? She married the arranger.

There are a hundred chick singers buried up to their necks in sand. Why?
There wasn't enough sand!

A jazz musician goes to heaven and is delighted to see that paradise is full of jazz musicians. All the greatest jazz players are to be found there. But to his surprise he notices that everybody is looking extremely miserable. Curious, he approaches one of the musicians and asks him what the problem is.
'Everybody is depressed because the jam session is about to start', he replied.
'Are you serious?' asks the new arrival in astonishment, 'You've got the greatest players in the history of jazz up here and you guys are depressed because the jam session is about to start. you've got to be kidding'.
'Man, it's obvious you're a new cat up here and you haven't heard the bad news yet.'
'Bad news? In heaven? What bad news?' asks the newcomer.
The musician gave a sigh, 'God's girlfriend is a singer!' he groaned.

Why do singers never say anything bad about musicians?
Because they're too busy talking about themselves.

How many singers does it take to sing 'My Funny Valentine'?
Probably all of them.

A piano player is rehearsing the female singer of the band:
Pianist: In this tune you will sing seven bars of the first verse and then go immediately to the second ending. You will then sing four bars of the second verse a semitone higher and only half of the first ending before going to the bridge. After six bars of the bridge you will give me a five bar solo then come back in with the first six bars of the last verse followed by half of the coda. You will repeat the coda five times before finally ending on the root a semitone higher.
Singer: But that's impossible.
Pianist: No it isn't. That's what you do every tune.

How do you know there's a girl singer as a patient on the intensive care unit?
She's the only one that asks for more echo on the monitor.

How does Michael Jackson pick his nose?
From a catalogue.

Musician: How's your singing career coming on?
Singer: Great! Lately I've been concentrating on songs from the Southern states of America. My audience seems to prefer them.
Musician: How do you know they prefer songs from the South?
Singer: They're always putting cotton in their ears!

How many country and western singers does it take to change a light bulb?
Ten. One to do it, and nine to sing about how good the old one was.

What is the difference between a big band leader and a baby?
A baby sucks his fingers.

Singer: So, what do you think of my singing?
Band leader: It could be worse.
Singer: That's not a very nice thing to say.
Band leader: Okay, it couldn't be worse.

A female singer about to do an audition is suffering from an acute attack of nerves. She has just been tipped off by one of the club waiters that if she wants to get the job she must sing 'Misty', the club owner's favourite song. Unfortunately she can't remember all the words and there is no time to look them up. In a panic she decides to confide in the house band.
'Don't worry' says the piano player in a kindly tone of voice, 'If you get into trouble just look at me and I'll help you out'.
Reassured, but still apprehensive, the terrified vocalist gets up on stage and begins to sing: 'Look at me.....'.
No sooner has she sung the first phrase than her mind goes completely blank. With a look of abject terror she turns to the piano player for assistance.
'Bb minor seven' came the whispered prompt.

What do you say when a chick singer reaches the stage?
The chain is too long.

An American band leader met a Romanian jazz singer while on tour in Eastern Europe and took her back to the U.S. where they married. The inevitable consequence was that every performance of the band now included a feature spot for the female vocalist. However, having only a scant knowledge of the English language, she would frequently mispronounce and misunderstand the lyrics. For example, when singing 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' she would begin with the line: 'Mister Saturday dance...'
This tendency to misinterpret the lyrics, together with a very strong accent, often resulted in the band writhing in contortions of suppressed laughter.
One night they could contain themselves no longer. A regular customer requested his favourite tune 'The Lady is a Tramp'. After the customary eight bar intro. the enthusiastic singer came bursting in with: 'Tickets to Hungary for dinner at eight...'
At which the band fell about in hysterics.

Why do chick singers always leave all the doors open?
So they can come in when they like.

What is the difference between a singer and a grand piano?
About a semitone.

In the middle of a square room there is a large pot of gold. In the four corners of the room equidistant from the pot of gold are a lead trumpet player who can hit stratospheric high notes, a female vocalist who can scat sing, Santa Claus, and the Fairy Queen.
Which one of them gets the pot of gold?
The lead trumpet player. The other three don't exist!

What do you call a female singer with two brain cells?
Pregnant.

What do you do when a singer comes begging on her knees?
Shoot her again.

What does a singer do when she opens the fridge in the morning?
She takes a bow.

A band leader tells a chick singer 'Don't believe people when they tell you that you can't sing shit, because you can.'

What's the difference between a soprano and a pirhana?
Lipstick.

What's the difference between a soprano and a pit bull?
Jewelry.

What's the difference between a puppy and a singer-songwriter?
Eventually the puppy stops whining.

What's the difference between a Wagnerian soprano and an average all-pro offensive lineman?
Stage makeup.

During a break between sets a chick singer is sitting at the bar next to a male customer.
Singer: So, which record company are you from?
Man: Actually I'm not from any record company.
Singer: In that case, get your hands out of my pants!

What advice does a chick singer give her teenage daughter?
If you're not in bed by midnight come straight back home!

A chick singer goes into a studio to do an overdub.
?Where is the drummer??, she asks.
?Don?t worry?, says the sound technician, ?it?s all here on tape?.
?But where is the bass player,? she asks, getting more perplexed.
?Don?t worry, it?s okay, it?s all in the can.?
?But where is the piano player?? she asks, now almost in tears.
?I said, it?s okay they?re all on tape.?
?But if they?re all on tape, which one is going to take me home with him??

How does a chick singer commit suicide?
She jumps from the great height of her ego and crashes to the depths of her I.Q.

23 de maio de 2004

Jazz no Mezzo

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O destaque desta semana da programação do canal Mezzo vai para Duke Ellington e para os programas realizados em torno dos 30 anos da sua morte (29/04/1899 - 24/05/1974).

Domingo - 23 de Maio de 2004

00:25 Mezzo Archive - Live At New Morning 2002; Billy Cobham Group
01:30 Paul Plimley & Lisle Ellis - Free Jazz, Lyrical & Logical

2a. Feira - 24 de Maio de 2004

00:00 Mezzo Archive - Willy De Ville New Morning's Live 2003
01:10 Shirley Horn Live At Marciac 2002
01:50 Chet by Claxton
19:50 Classic Jazz - Soirée Spéciale Autour Des Trente Ans De La Mort De Duke Ellington; Parte 1
21:00 Soirée Spéciale Autour Des Trente Ans De La Mort De Duke Ellington Parte 2
21:50 Jazz Clubbin:' - Avant-Garde & Mainstream; François Bourassa & André Leroux
22:50 André Ceccarelli, Au Coeur Battant

3a. Feira - 25 de Maio de 2004

21:50 Jazz Clubbin:' - This Is Our Music
22:50 Charles Lloyd - Jazz at Marciac 2002

4a. Feira - 26 de Maio de 2004

01:00 The Bad Plus - Live at New Morning 2003
21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Jon Ballantyne & John Nuget; Mainstream & Modern
22:50 Live At New Morning 2002 - Billy Cobham Group

5a. Feira - 27 de Maio de 2004

14:00 Classic Jazz - Les Victoires Du Jazz 2004
21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Willy De Ville New Morning's Live 2003

6a. Feira - 28 de Maio de 2004

01:50 Sandra Hall - Blues Session 1
09:25 La Clef Des Champs - Antibes Et Le Jazz
21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Interceltique de Lorient; Orchestra Baobab

Sábado - 29 de Maio de 2004

17:00 Classic Jazz - Soirée Spéciale Autour Des Trente Ans De La Mort De Duke Ellington; Parte 1
18:05 Soirée Spéciale Autour Des Trente Ans De La Mort De Duke Ellington - Parte 2

20 de maio de 2004

A casa de Charlie Parker

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Continuamos hoje a visitar as casas dos mais famosos músicos de jazz norte-americanos.

Desta vez o escolhido é Charlie Parker, saxofonista natural de Kansas City que viria a fixar residência na Big Apple, ocupando, entre 1950 e 1954, o rés-do-chão desta casa sitada na l5l Avenue B.

A casa de Charlie Parker Residence foi classificada em 1994 no National Register of Historic Places e em l999 a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission considerou-a um marco histórico da cidade.

Situada ao pé do Thompkins Square Park (n.º 15 do mapa), todos os anos aí se realiza o Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.

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Anedotas com Jazz! (1)

Umas com menos outras com mais swing, aqui ficam algumas anedotas em que o jazz é personagem principal, para variar.

MÚSICOS DE JAZZ E $$$

How does a jazz musician end up with a million dollars?
By starting out with two million dollars.

A jazz musician who won a million dollars on the national lottery is interviewed by a newspaper reporter.
Reporter: Congratulations on winning the first prize. By the way, what do you do for a living?
Musician: I'm a jazz musician.
Reporter: Now that you have a million dollars, what are you going to do with all that money?
Musician: I guess I'll carry on working until the money runs out.

Two attractive young ladies walking down a country lane are startled by a frog jumping out of the bushes on to the road. They are even more surprised when the frog assumes a theatrical pose and begins to speak:
Frog (in Shakespearean tones): O ye fair damsels, what ye see before ye is not really an ugly frog, but a jazz musician that was transformed into a frog by the evil spell of a wicked witch. But, if one of ye beautiful maidens is brave enough to kiss me, the evil spell will be broken, and I will be transformed back into a great jazz musician. For, before the witch's spell turned me into a slimy frog, I was the greatest jazz musician that ever lived!
For a moment the two young ladies are dumbfounded and stand staring at the frog in amazement. Suddenly, one of the girls quickly snatches up the frog and puts it in her pocket.
'Well, aren't you going to kiss it then?' asks her friend.
'Are you kidding?' says the first, 'A talking frog is worth a hell of a lot more than a jazz musician'.

St. Peter in Heaven is checking ID's. He asks a man, "What did you do on Earth?"
The man says, "I was a doctor."
St. Peter says, "Ok, go right through those pearly gates. Next! What did you
do on Earth?"
"I was a school teacher."
"Go right through those pearly gates. Next! And what did you do on Earth?"
"I was a musician."
"Go around the side, up the freight elevator, through the kitchen....."

What's the difference between a jazz musician and an extra large pizza?
The pizza can feed a family of four.


A patient goes to the doctor and complains that he has not been able to evacuate his bowels for over a month. The astonished doctor gives him some very strong laxative telling him to come back the next day.
The following day the patient returns saying that he took the medicine, but was still not been able to relieve himself. The doctor is amazed and takes him to the surgery toilet, where he gives him an injection of a very powerful laxative guaranteed to have an immediate effect. However, after half an hour of much straining on the toilet, the treatment fails to produce any result.
Doctor: This is unbelievable! Please come into my office, you obviously have a psychological problem. I shall have to ask you some questions: firstly, what do you do for a living?
Patient: I'm a jazz musician.
Doctor: Well, why didn't you say so in the first place!? (takes money out of his wallet) Here, go and get yourself something to eat!

What do you call a jazz musician without a girlfriend?
Homeless.

What is the difference between a jazz musician and an insurance policy?
An insurance policy eventually matures and makes money.

Two jazz musicians who haven't seen each other for some time meet late one night in a jazz club. 'Hey man,' says one, 'I hear you recorded a c.d.'
'Yeah, that's right man,' replies the other, 'It was released a few months ago.'
'How much did you sell?' asks the first.
'Oh, just the house and the car.'

A jazz musician goes to the doctor to hear the results of a physical check up.
Doctor: I'm afraid I've got some bad news. You only have three weeks to live.
Musician: On what?

There is a queue of souls waiting outside the Pearly Gates where St. Peter is busy explaining the new procedure for admission to Heaven.
'Times change and even Heaven must change with them.' explains St. Peter. 'Before entering new arrivals are now required to answer a questionnaire for the administrative records of our celestial computer bank.'
He turns to the first new arrival.
'Firstly, what was your annual income on earth?'
'350,000 dollars a year.' came the reply'
'Which profession were you in?'
'I was a bank manager.'
'Thank you,' says St. Peter, 'you may enter.'
The next soul approaches.
'What was your annual income?'
'100,000 dollars a year.'
'And your profession?'
'I was a doctor.'
'Thank you,' says St. Peter, 'you may enter.'
A third soul approaches the pearly gates.
'What was your annual income on earth?' enquires St. Peter.
'6,000 dollars a year,'
'So,' says St. Peter, 'which band did you play in?'

Whenever he found himself in financial distress a philosophical jazz musician would exclaim, "Money isn't a problem. LACK of money, that's a problem."

What do you say to a jazz musician with a steady job?
Two Big Macs and a large order of fries.

E agora para algo completamente diferente!

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Nem só de jazz vive o mentor deste blog. Também se vão escrevendo e vendendo uns livros sobre Comunicação Empresarial e Relações Públicas.

Isto, claro, enquanto não sai o livro sobre a história do jazz.

O livro na imagem é o meu primeiro e está esgotado. "Ensina" a fazer jornais, revistas e newsletters de empresas e tem um historial deste tipo de publicações desde o Séc XIX até 1992. Se alguém tiver interesse pode enviar pedido para o meu e-mail. Preço: 10,00 euros.

Entretanto, em Junho deve sair o «Inconfidências de Incomunicação», um livro humorístico e ilustrado com cartoons e que trata das estórias mais surreais que vivi enquanto director de comunicação de várias empresas.

Em casa de Louis Armstrong!

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A casa mais famosa não é a do Big Brother, pelo menos para os fans do jazz. É, sim, a casa onde Louis Armstrong viveu desde 1943 até morrer.

Localizada em Queens, a casa está aberta ao público desde 2003 e apresenta várias exposições e apresentações, bem como objectos pessoais de Armstrong. Anualmente, realiza-se nos jardins um concerto para crianças, com a Louis Armstrong Legacy Band.

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No site oficial desta casa é possível fazer um tour ao que ela era antes de ser convertida em museu, em 2002.

A fibra de Elvin Jones!

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Elvin Jones tocou jazz até morrer, bem se podia dizer e escrever sobre este baterista.

De acordo com o site da revista «JazzTimes», apesar do seu débil estado de saúde nos últimos tempos, Elvin Jones continuou a tocar em público, ainda que ligado a uma botija de oxigénio!

Eu até me atrevia a dizer que Elvin, mesmo neste estado, devia superar em muito muitos bateristas de plena saúde...

19 de maio de 2004

Jazz no Governo Civil

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Ontem aconteceu-me uma surpresa agradável, diria mesmo, duplamente agradável.

Primeiro, encontrei e consultei no Governo Civil a pasta do Hot Club de Portugal, com dados extraordinariamente interessantes para o meu livro.

Segundo, consultei esta pasta, cujos elementos remontam aos anos 40, ao som de jazz... dos anos 40. Curioso em saber de onde provinha tão boa e imprevista música, deparei com uma funcionária que ouvia no seu PC um CD com selecção musical de José Duarte. «É a minha música preferida», disse a nossa amiga sobre o jazz».

E esta, hã?!

Goodbye Elvin Jones!

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Elvin Jones, baterista que se notabilizou no Quarteto de John Coltrane (1960-1965), morreu terça-feira, dia 18 de Maio, em Nova Iorque, aos 76 anos de idade, na sequência de problemas cardíacos, deixando o mundo do jazz mais pobre.

Considerado um dos maiores bateristas de jazz de sempre, Elvin era o mais novo de uma notável irmandade de músicos do som da surpresa, a qual inclui os não menos prestigiados Hank Jones (piano) e Thad Jones (trompetista, arranjador e compositor).

A carreira do baterista teve início na cidade de Detroit, no princípio dos anos 50, mas viria a ganhar real importância e projecção com a mudança de Elvin Jones para Nova Iorque, em 1955. Na Big Apple, Jones trabalhou com Teddy Charles e o Trio de Bud Powell, gravando com Miles Davis e Sonny Rollins. Sucederam-se outras colaborações e parcerias importantes com músicos como J.J. Johnson (1956-57), Donald Byrd (1958), Tyreen Glenn e Harry "Sweets" Edison.

O grande impulso da sua carreira ocorreria, porém, a partir do momento em que Jones se cruzou com John Coltrane e combinou o seu swing e batida com a genialidade deste saxofonista. Juntamente com McCoy Tyner (paino) e Jimmy Garrison (contrabaixo), este quarteto produziu alguns dos melhores registos do jazz moderno, nomeadamente «Coltrane Plays the Blues», «Coltrane's Sound», «My Favorite Things», «Olé Coltrane», «Africa/Brass», «John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman», «Crescent» e, claro, «Love Supreme», «Impressions» e «Live At The Village Vanguard».

Depois de Coltrane, do qual Jones se separou quando este decidiu introduzir no grupo um segundo baterista (Rashied Ali), Elvin Jones acompanhou Duke Ellington numa tournée pela Europa, fundando posteriormente o seu próprio combo, baptizado nos anos 90 como Elvin Jones's Jazz Machine. Neste grupo, Jones contou com alguns dos mais notáveis sidemen, nomeadamente Frank Foster, Joe Farrell, George Coleman, Pepper Adams, Dave Liebman, Pat LaBarbera, Steve Grossman, Andrew White, Ravi Coltrane e Sonny Fortune, Nicholas Payton, Dollar Brand e Willie Pickens, Jan Hammer eRichard Davis, Jimmy Garrison, Wilbur Little e Gene Perla.

A carreira de Elvin Jones passou também por Portugal, tendo tocado em Cascais, em 1972, acompanhado de Dave Liebman e Steve Grossman, e em Lisboa, no Coliseu, já nos anos 90 (1992), num tributo a John Coltrane.

16 de maio de 2004

Por aqui ouve-se Dee Dee

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Nunca lhe liguei muito até há uns meses atrás, mas eis senão quando ouvi os discos certos e zzt!

Agora não quero mais nada e tenho ouvido «à ganância», como diz o meu amigo Duarte Mendonça, CD's e DVD de Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Recomendo vivamente os álbuns...

«Dear Ella»

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«Love and Peace - A tribute to Horace Silver»

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E o DVD...

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Jazz no sofá

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Ou seja, Jazz no Mezzo. Aqui fica, como de costume, e sem o patrocínio da TV Cabo, mais uma semana de programação.

E o destaque vai para... Charles Lloyd [na foto], pois claro! É vê-lo e ouvi-lo na 6a. Feira - 21, às 21h50.

2a. Feira - 17 de Maio de 2004

00:00 Mezzo Archive - André Ceccarelli, Au Coeur Battant
19:50 Classic Jazz - Les Victoires Du Jazz 2004
21:00 Chet by Claxton
21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Live At New Morning 2002; Billy Cobham Group
22:50 The Bad Plus - Live at New Morning 2003

3a. Feira - 18 de Maio de 2004

21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Willy De Ville New Morning's Live 2003
22:50 Sandra Hall

4a. Feira - 19 de Maio de 2004

21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Paul Plimley & Lisle Ellis; Free jazz, Lyrical & Logical
22:50 Kevin Breit et Russel Boswell - Bluesgrass Jazz

5a. Feira - 20 de Maio de 2004

01:10 André Ceccarelli, Au Coeur Battant
02:15 Chet by Claxton
14:00 Classic Jazz - Les Grands Du Jazz Vus Par Guy Le Querrec
15:05 Chet by Claxton
21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - André Ceccarelli, Au Coeur Battant
22:50 Live At New Morning 2002 - Billy Cobham Group

6a. Feira - 21 de Maio de 2004

01:10 Jeanne Lee Live At Marciac 2000
01:50 Shirley Horn Live At Marciac 2002
21:50 Jazz Clubbin' - Charles Lloyd; Jazz at Marciac 2002
22:50 Les Victoires Du Jazz 2004

Sábado - 22 de Maio de 2004

17:00 Classic Jazz - Les Victoires Du Jazz 2004
18:05 Chet by Claxton

15 de maio de 2004

Comandante Garbarek!

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Palavras para quê? Garbarek entrou mudo e saíu calado mas disse musicalmente tudo, ou quase tudo, o que havia para dizer e foi fácil reconhecer no seu discurso o mesmo fraseado que o caracteriza desde os anos 70/80. Aquele fraseado que o torna inconfundível e que nos faz sonhar e remeter para um lado mais espiritual e meditativo.

É assim a sua música.

CCB cheio até ao tecto, aquele som amplo do saxofone a ecoar pela sala, enquadrado por um cenário tão simples mas tão esteticamente eficaz e sedutor, mais quatro projectores para quatro músicos. Atrever-me-ia a dizer: inesquecível e mesmo que jamais outro músico ecoou tão bem naquele grande auditório.

Garbarek como músico europeu de "jazz" faz todo o sentido. Não se limitou a seguir a tradição, criou o seu próprio idioma, o seu próprio estilo e por isso é hoje quem é. E como europeu que é cruzou a sua música com outras músicas de outros mundos, embora se lhe reconheça uma base sólida na música céltica e no folclore, como ficou evidente no concerto de ontem à noite.

Quanto a mim, vê-lo ao vivo foi a realização de um sonho e gostei mais de o ouvir quando dedilhou o saxofone soprano. Só faltou mesmo um dos meus temas preferidos, o célebre "Singsong", do álbum «Wayfarer». O mesmo se aplica a Eberhard Weber, um contrabaixista que admiro desde que o vi (em vídeo) ao lado de Garbarek no Jazz em Agosto, em 1984. Quanto a Marylin Mazur foi uma agradável surpresa, eu que navego mais nos timbres e ritmos de Trilok Gurtu ou Naná Vasconcelos.

Nem tudo foi, porém, perfeito... É que sendo Garbarek um músico tão polivalente, é impossível encaixar tudo num só concerto. Eu, por exemplo, só ficaria plenamente satisfeito se o tivesse ouvido nas suas fusões com a música paquistanesa (álbum «Ragas & Sagas) ou com a música indiana (álbum «Making Music»).

Mas, enfim, a perfeição não existe e ontem já se andou bem perto dela.

Uma última nota para dizer que ontem também se fez história na curta história dos blogs em Portugal. É que pela primeira vez um blog foi reconhecido como meio de comunicação social pela organização de um espectáculo, merecendo dois bilhetes para assistir ao mesmo. «Jazz No País do Improviso!» agradece a Rui Neves, mais uma vez visionário, desta feita a perceber para onde vai o futuro em termos de comunicação. Já agora, foi também Rui Neves que trouxe Garbarek ao Jazz em Agosto em 1984 (salvo erro), antevendo o que seriam as novas tendências musicais do futuro. 20 anos depois, o presente dá-lhe razão e nós agradecemos.

Obrigado!

«Jazz no País do Improviso!» acaba de atingir as 5000 visitas, uma efeméride que justifica um pequeno post para agradecer a todos e todas que têm visitado este blog, à média de 600 logins por mês.

13 de maio de 2004

Antever Garbarek

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Para quem queira antever um pouco o ambiente do concerto de Garbarek no CCB, amanhã, dia 14, recomenda-se a audição do disco RITES, o qual conta com a mesma formação que acompanha o saxofonista a Lisboa.

12 de maio de 2004

Agitação no mercado discográfico

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O mercado discográfico anda agitado nos últimos tempos.

As editoras multinacionais presentes em Portugal vão despedindo quadros em resultado da quebra das vendas (ao que parece, por causa da pirataria; ou será que a pirataria é apenas uma consequência dos elevados preços e estes do IVA?) e outras transformam-se em subsidiárias de Madrid.

Agora, chegou-me a notícia da abertura de uma megastore alemã do disco que vai ficar instalada no Estádio da Luz. São 3000 m2 de discos a preços imbatíveis. A concorrência está inquieta...

E até este blog jã não é o que era! Onde é que eu alguma vez pensei abrir um post com uma imagem do Estádio da Luz!! Não que seja de outro club, mas sim porque acho que este país do improviso tem futebol a mais e democracia a menos.

Onde estaríamos se se publicassem tantos livros sobre música e jazz como os que vão nascendo como cogumelos sobre o Euro, os cromos da bola, os estádios da Euro e até, pasme-se, um dicionário com todas as estatísticas dos jogos da selecção! Na torrente de estatística só falta mesmo saber quantas vezes os jogadores cuspiram para o relvado...

Finalizando, é caso para dizer que a partir de agora «Ser Benfiquista é comprar jazz». É que assim, por cada CD vendido, o SLB sempre encaixa uns euros de comissão. Ora, ao preço que os CD de jazz estão... daqui a um ano o Benfica é campeão!

Por outro lado, tendo Eusébio assistido ao concerto de Duke e Ella nos anos 60 e Dizzy presenciado um jogo do SLB na velha 'catedral', os fans do clube têm mais uma razão para comprar jazz.


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