[blogforlovxr]

Just found this while looking at some old issues of Down Beat. Musicians seemed to express their opinions and views much more frankly than today where everybody seems to be afraid of stepping on toes and offending people. Here is Maestro Andre Previn's reaction to Coltrane's "Dahomey Dance" in a Leonard Feather 'Blindfold Test' done in the Spring of 1963. Dahomey Dance is on the Atlantic disc called "Ole" and features Trane, Eric Dolphy (alto), Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Art Davis and Reggie Workman(basses), Elvin Jones. Previn, even back in 1963 was a musican of great stature who loved and understood Jazz and was recognized as a first class Jazz pianist. Coltrane, has been given the same status as God today but in 1963 was at a new level of creativity and deservedly was the most influential musican in Jazz. Here is Previn's reaction to the record:

"I'll tell you what, Leonard, from now on I'll take any saxophone player's word for it that he can play 6,000,000 notes per bar, have the fashionable unbearably ugly sound, play what they call superimposed changes, which in plain English means wrong and make tracks that are never any shorter than 10 minutes.
There is no tune that I can detect, but, I'm sure, in keeping with the fashions today it's possibly called 'The Key to the Absolute' or 'Let's See How Long We Can Play on G'............
This is purely personal, you understand, but the saxophonist is just this side of unbearable. The trumpet player played some very nice things and I think the bass player was first rate. But the thing goes on so long that in the rhythm section, they sounded as if they were starting to look at their watch between beats.
I can't make head or tale of this. I think it's annoying and horrible. No stars."

There you have it.....the blindfoldees were asked to give ratings to what they hear in the form of stars.....5 being the maximum.
This was from the May 9, 1963 issue of Down Beat. Sometimes it's fun to look back.

[Arkadiyas]

I guess "My Fair Lady" was more his thing.

Don't know that I'd call Previn a first class jazz pianist, exactly.

[Nashhlkq]

Those are fun to look back at. Especially the snarky ones.

Here's Ray Bryant talking about Cecil Taylor in a blindfold test from 1960:

"You don't have to play this all the way through, you can take it off . . . That must have been Cecil Taylor. I don't have any comments. No stars"

And here's Miles Davis talking about Cecil Taylor and Jimmy Lyons from 1964:

"Take it off! That's some sad ----, man. In the first place, I hear some Charlie Parker clichés. . . . They don't even fit. Is that what the critics are digging? If there ain't nothing to listen to, they might as well admit it. Just to take something like that and say it's great, because there ain't nothing to listen to, that's like going out and getting a prostitute.
Leonard Feather: This man said he was influenced by Duke Ellington.
Davis: I don't give a ----! It must be Cecil Taylor. Right? I don't care who he's inspired by. That ---- ain't nothing. In the first place he don't have the... you know, the way you touch a piano. He doesn't have the touch that would make the sound of whatever he thinks of come off.
I can tell he's influenced by Duke, but to put the loud pedal on the piano and make a run is very old-fashioned to me. And when the alto player sits up there and plays without no tone . . . That's the reason I don't buy any records."

And here's Shelly Manne talking about Albert Ayler:

"It's a shuck. It's easy to play that way, because you don't have to worry about swinging, don't have to create melody, don't have to adhere to any form, don't have to do anything except squawk on the horns; and anything goes. It seems a shame to me that musicians would practice that long, with this as the end result. It doesn't make any sense; there's no joy, no beauty, no nothing.
I realize maybe they are so angry that they don't see any joy or any beauty. If they don't, then I'm sorry for them. I hope some day they will be able to.
You can get the same results from sticking a microphone in the midst of all that humanity in Times Square on New Year's Eve -- scream, rant, rave, blow horns, honk -- the effect would be the same for me.
It may be another kind of music that I don't want to have anything to do with, but it's not jazz. Not in any way, shape or form."

[Arkadiyas]

musicians are so stupid . . . sheeeit!

[fajerdoksdsaaker]

ya, miles was a real dunce.....

different strokes man.

I tend to agree with some of what they were talking about.

does that now make me stupid...?

[Arkadiyas]

sorry . . . i forgot to add the smilie .

or the winky