Hard to Listen to Partch

Dis-tune-guished ears,

Sometimes music that is hard to listen to is ultimately very rewarding. I
listened to Sun Ra's music for a year (on the advice of a friend) before I
"got" it. Some music is mostly valuable in its contribution to the
intellect.

Personally I find Ornette Colman and Partch to be mostly music that appeals
to musicians, good theorists but not something listened to often. This is
why I'm a big fan of Miles Davis. His music was intellectual and swinging
and those qualities together are where it's at. I don't mean that Coleman
or Partch are not important. Sun Ra said he never heard any music he didn't
enjoy, but Duke Ellington said "It don't mean a thing if it don't swing."
Some jazz guy said "To play jazz you have to learn the theory and develop
the chops and then forget them."

My epiphany came listening to the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The emotional
experience was so overwhelming it was life changing. It is why I am here,
hoping that this tuning thing will be the nest for the epiphanies of the
future.

A last quote (for Gary): Someone once asked a young Duke Ellington what
kind of music he was playing. Ellington replied "Its juss music man, juss
music." Juss became jass or jazz.

Doren
hyperpoodle@sisna.com
Los Angeles Mvsevm of the Modern Poodle



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