By Walter Price
What still bothers me as a jazz fan is how our modern jazz giants or
contributors are overlooked until they pass away or have grown to an age that
they can barely play their instruments. It still saddens me to no end the
death of Tony Williams. Once he did pass away, the accolades, the tributes,
the awards, and the dedications followed. I just think Tony didn't get his
due tributes while he was alive and there are others that should be honored
today before an unexpected death or a head full of gray hair.
Now I'm not trying to diminish the tributes to the jazz legends that are
continually getting their deserved props like Sonny Rollins, Tito Puente,
Elvin Jones, etc. Jazz and musical giants like them should be paid homage to
continuously. What I would like is that some contemporary jazz giants get
some honorary tribute while they are living and have a fair amount of chops
left in their musical bodies. The controversy and debate will be who
deserves such tribute as contemporary jazz masters or legends. Well of
course I have some ideas who some of these contemporary legends should be
which should bring out the collective ire, disgust, and "are you nuts" in my
e-mails.
First, the passing of Tony Williams brings to mind the classic quintet he
worked with in the 60s with Miles. Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie
Hancock are appreciated, but imagine if each one of these guys was to leave
us unexpectedly, then the jazz community would really appreciate their
greatness. These guys through, performance, song writing, immense musical
output have just been contemporary jazz "gods" in my book. Oh, I know they
have put out some less than notable albums, performed less than noteworthy on
nights, and have dabbled in other genres of music, but I think they should
start being super appreciated today than tomorrow in the jazz world.
Okay, that might not get your blood boiling, but how about if I suggest such
crossover, fusion, pop jazz bandits as David Sanborn, Stanley Clarke, Grover
Washington Jr., and Pat Metheny. Don't worry I'm not worried about the
slings and arrows of the cyber outrage of these picks, but I have good
reasons with little space to debate. I just feel that just because these
artists are basically known for their so called "smooth" or "pop" jazz output
doesn't mean these guys are not giants or monsters on their instruments and
their musical output. All the guys above could kill in acoustic or
electrical environments. They have all put out a body of work the past 3
decades either through albums, performance, or accompaniments that are
noteworthy and are distinguishably outstanding.
Two more jazz contemporaries I don't particularly care for because my
personal biases are Wynton Marsalis and Keith Jarrett. I think we should
give these guys their proper due like them or not, one cannot deny the
immense talent, musical output, and their continual keepers of the flame of
classical jazz. Nevertheless Wynton will probably be doing a Standard Time
Vol. 99, The Music of Wynton Marsalis dedicated to himself later this year
along with his 100 other CDs he is putting out.
I say we start doing this or we can just keep on with our tiring Duke,
Coltrane, Miles, Monk, Bird, Louis tributes until later generations 100 years
from now will be recognizing the Hancocks, Shorters, or Carters of our time!
Oh I forgot again, the Jazz industry can't make trends or transcend normalcy,
it must keep the status quo!
Feedback? Send your love letters to Walter Price.
