Date:	14-May-1998 12:03:11
From:	MARIO ORTEGA (costasur@codetel.net.do)
	A great Jazz Composition involves an attractive, original and simple melody lines. A melody that people can to repeat with no difficulty and remember easily. Examples are DUKE, MONK and SILVER. They were not virtuoso but original and easy. A great jazz Performance envolves the virtuosity and inspiration of the performer. A man than can to do listenable a obscure or no special composition. Examples are OSCAR PETERSON, JIMMY SMITH, FREDDY HUBBARD, BEN WEBSTER.

 

Date:	05-Sep-1998 12:20:36
From:	COLIN HOPKINS
	For me this is an odd question. What essentially is the difference between composition and performance anyway? Surely in each case the basic objective is the same - to disolve the ego and allow the mind, body and soul to act in perfect unison forming the most direct channel possible to God. (By God I mean the natural vibration of the universe, not the bearded one!!!) This 'channeling' is the key to the creation of any truly great composition. Performance, especially in a jazz/improvising context, is simply instantaneous composition - all the great classical composers could do this to some extent. As a performer and composer myself I have drawn great inspiration from the book 'Zen In The Art Of Archery' which beautifully describes the process of discovering the power of the selfless self and trust in the workings of 'It'(read 'God' if necessary).

 

Date:	24-Oct-1998 16:11:44
From:	Judson O. MaynardI
	I believe it was Frank Zappa who said, and I will attempt to paraphrase since I don,t remember the quote exactly, but essentially he said that composers were the only true musicians that players were just people who were hired to play what the composer had created. I don,t agree with this but it might make for an interesting discussion.

 

Date:	13-Apr-1999 21:15:36
From:	Edo
	There is no any VS. in relation between composition and performance in jazz. It's impossible imagine one without another.

 

Date:	23-May-1999 16:30:58
From:	John Karr (ijohnno@alphalink.com.au)
	Perf. V comp. Being a muso and having had an accident on my motor bike when 17 I am no longer able to play to the same standard as i once was. So I find composing Jazz esp. A great way to express myself musically. I still play but not as good as I was so while I fill my brain with things like parker etc I can't play them as good as I like, therefore my way to express myself is by writing charts and having them played by musos who can play well. SO for me I enjoy composing more than playing even though I do play, alas, not as well as I once could. Thank you

 

Date:	23-May-1999 16:32:19
From:	John Karr (ijohnno@alphalink.com.au)
	Perf. V comp. Being a muso and having had an accident on my motor bike when 17 I am no longer able to play to the same standard as i once was. So I find composing Jazz esp. A great way to express myself musically. I still play but not as good as I was so while I fill my brain with things like parker etc I can't play them as good as I like, therefore my way to express myself is by writing charts and having them played by musos who can play well. SO for me I enjoy composing more than playing even though I do play, alas, not as well as I once could. Thank you

 

Date:	27-Mar-2000 14:01:24
From:	frankiepop (shrine@pionet.net)
	a great composition can be one or many of a number of things, but mostly it is merely an idea that is worked out. great performances are often the result of great composition. A good player under the direction of somebody who can organize music well gives the a more likely chance to have an interesting result. examples would be most notably, ellington or davis. Others include mingus and cecil taylor. now you can look back to hear exciting performances by any number of musicians with them. yet, many of these same musicians never really triumphed elsewhere at nearly the same level.

 

Date:	18-Oct-2000 14:55:48
From:	James (jazzjames@altavista.com)
	Performance is Composition. It is just conceived in a much more rapid manner. The performance "composition" is in many ways enhanced by the overall composition of the vehicle or tune. But in this way each plays an important part in what we as jazz listeners hear. I go to jazz performances because I want to hear how well the improvisers compose over a given set of changes. This instantaneous composition is why I'm here but when a particularly nice set of changes are being improvised over, magic takes place.

 

Date:	27-Jan-2001 01:42:20
From:	El Diablo
	While it is easy to say that composition being original and all that is the difficult bit, one should also look at some of the great cover versions to appreciate performance. SRV's version of Little Wing (originally by Hendrix) and GN'R's version of "knockin' on heaven's door" (originally by Dylan) are two cases in point. i think interpretation of a time-tested classic is every bit as difficult as composing the original. Look at some of the blues as played by Clapton and compare them to their original. peace to all

 

Date:	14-May-2001 17:47:18
From:	big baller (420 doja@hotmail.com)
	if you got skills, yo shit will represent to tthe fullest. if you is wack you be weak. black bitchs always got fat ass booties. there tities are uwsually small though. but brasilians got the best. get some puusy.......puuuzzzzzleee

 

Date:	15-May-2001 07:57:34
From:	MR MONK
	Composition is talent. Performance is luck.

 

Date:	15-Jun-2001 22:29:26
From:	David Burnett (david@thejazzarchives.com)
	Hi, My name is David Burnett and I am the editor of the soon to be up site, thejazzarchives.com. I am looking for potential columnists. All I ask is that you have an e-mail address, you can write, and you know your jazz. If you are interested, please drop me a line. david@thejazzarchives.com Tell me what you'd be interested in writing. Thanks.

 

Date:	14-Aug-2001 18:06:11
From:	Johan
	A very subjective question A great Jazz composition can sound rotten because of bad jazz performance A rotten Jazz composition can sound great because of great jazz performance. A rotten Jazz composition can sound great after a rotten day. A great Jazz composition can sound rotten after a rotten day. And so on. What I do find is that a great composition needs a great jazz performance. A better question would have been: Does Jazz need the advanced technical skills on an instrument. A good performance requires great ability and skills. A good composition requires talent. A good improvisation requires ability and skills and talent. But it also needs the right moment.