the moment is all
Wynton Marsalis - Black Codes From The Underground
“it all comes down to knowing and wanting to know, to study and experience, to rebellion against the bondage of ignorance. And no major art can subsist on luck or on natural talent that is never put to the head-slapping test of discipline. So there is never a point at which learning and knowing don’t come together for the best expression of talent. The objective is mastery, which is always born of sophistication. In jazz, mastery has to do with an unavoidable velocity because the improvisor must work in a context where the moment is all. Where the recipe for shape, continuity, and form has to be conceived, mixed, cooked, and served immediately. As with all art, the more you know, the more you can do. And when everything is focused by integrity, you hear the emotion of idealism boiling over the top, spanning moods from the bristling to the frail tenderness of a vulnerable lover’s whisper.”
- Stanley Crouch (Black Codes From The Underground liner notes)
For fear of getting caught in the crossfires of the debate over jazz and it’s cultural identity, preservation or expansion, I will gloss over a million subtleties that exist in the cultural history of jazz but also comment on a couple things.
“People who equate ignorance with soulfulness — definitely black codes”
- Wynton Marsalis
This is classic Wynton. It’s a hot take (I think it’s pretty straight forward actually), but I think it’s something I’d like to discuss with more people. Wynton has been at the center of the jazz identity discourse since early in his career, and he specifically says “people” in his quote, not merely “equating ignorance with soulfulness”. I imagine he is calling out his critics. Furthermore, the social context here is thick but here is a primer: jazz is a Black American art form, and black codes are racist laws from before and after the civil war enacted to suppress the influence of free Black Americans.
I agree with Wynton, and I think this quote extends even beyond Black Americans. To say that ignorance equates with soulfulness is saying that if you’re soulful you’re ignorant. That’s crazy right? Stanley Crouch echoes Wynton in the liner notes, and paints a compelling picture. I have chosen to be a lifelong student, I identify as a learner, so these words are inspiring!
Moving on…
Wynton is one of my favorite trumpet soloists. He is undeniably melodic and groovy. He plays like a singer AND a drummer! These elements make for some very compelling music for me. This ensemble does a great job of working with the raw material of “the moment” and every time I listen, the “unavoidable velocity” is palpable.
listened: June’22
saved; January’21
released: 1985
Above are the notes from the listening session for this album. I am deeply saddened that I don’t remember what “Mingus modulation” is. Perhaps it’s referring to the change of feels in Black Codes? The colors in “For Wee Folks” are just gorgeous (who doesn’t love a jazz ballad?) The energy in “Chambers of Tain” is incredible.
Check out this sax solo snippet:
Charnett Moffett is pushing like 1000 horsepower and Tain is doing the Elvin ride cymbal thing where he’s really exaggerating 2 + and 4 + of the swing pattern. It pushes so hard and I love this feeling!
Here is another awesome moment in “Blues”:
Wynton is oscillating the vibrato rhythmically! His triplets are the most accurate in the last several bars, but to me it has triplet-like bounce the whole time. I feel like he is embodying his singer/drummer within, holding out a really long melody note, which doesn’t necessarily have rhythm or pulse, and layering that rhythmic information on top. So cool!
Happy listening!
