Pictures

Someone: Why did you start bringing your camera to meals?
Me: Well, I thought I was going have to walk to campus, and so I brought my camera, to take pictures of pretty things in the snow.
kyree: Then we started a cult.

( No cults this time )

( Do not attempt to sleep in Hicks. I will catch you, and I will humiliate you )

On Jazz

I'm leaning strongly towards doing my music comps on a few Duke Ellington pieces from the mid-late '30s, and I think it would do me some good to write down my ideas about them. Why here? Why not?

Concerto for Cootie

The piece that started this whole project. Also the piece that, of the four, was written latest. The irregular phrases and mournful, muted melody of the head contrasts so nicely against the absolute joy of the B (it's sort of a ternary form). There's a reason why this is a classic.

Echoes of the Jungle

Cootie doesn't play the head. Clearly an older piece. Formally simple: AA' theme and variations, then some variation in the middle. Not really sure it belongs, the trumpet feature aspect is lacking. What it does show is some of the trumpet work that Cootie uses in Concerto, and has that same chunks of contrast form that the Concerto has, but I don't think it's as interesting a study.

Echoes of Harlem

Very much a trumpet feature. Also shows off the mute contrasts like Concerto. Much longer As, much shorter B than on Concerto. There's less to this one than Concerto, but it's a good contrast, and perhaps a good way to show what makes a classic and what doesn't, though this is very good as well.

Trumpet in Spades

The black sheep. Rex Steward instead of Cootie Williams on trumpet. Stylistically very different from the others. No jungle, no growls. The feature work is all Clarkies or something like the Carnival variations out of the Arban book. The authors in the Duke books I read were right - this is just an inferior piece.

I shouldn't post this frequently from Underhill

The person working the desk is playing Motown. To date, I've resisted the urge to play anything other than classical or jazz during my Friday morning shifts. We'll see how much longer this holds up - it'd be interesting to see how George and Micaela (who are both reliably here when I work) respond to bluegrass, or something of that ilk.

So many posts, so little time

Help! I think I'm turning into rose_garden.

Not really, but eegad! Have I ever posted 3 times in three hours? Or five times in 24? This can't be healthy.

I see your Chess, and I raise you a Tristan chord

"This has got to be one of the few times I'm actually eager to hear some Wagner"

-- think_too_much, in a sentiment I echo.

Take that Chess. Bring it on, nautiluspq and kyree. The power of Wagner compels you.

I don't believe I just wrote that.