DownBeat December 1990 [antikvár]

on the beatMUSICAL HARVEST, 1990by John EphlandThe year in music gave us a few surprises, a few confirmations, and 365 days in which tradition and innovation shared the mainstage.When music historians look back, 1990 could become known as the year the"Marsalis revolution" came to fruition. Major labels responded in a big way to the youthful zest for acoustic trad jazz spawned by pied-piper Wynton. The Harper Brothers, Marcus Roberts, Joey DeFrancesco, and Harry Connick, Jr., among many others, caught the ear of the jazz worid and found crossover audiences as well. The surge of interest in these young artists suggests a trend not only toward fresh faces with chops to spare, but a renewed interest in the roots of jazz. AsOxford swings and sings!M((T M( ATiin hflPV'SNew jazz books in paperbackMEET ME AT JIM ANDY'S Jazz Musicians and Their World GENE LEES"Like his lyrics, Lees' essays here make his readers iee\."Jazziz "Should make many more friends for Gene Lees I recommend this book wholeheartedly."John Lucas, Jazztimes In a vivid series of portraits, Lees introduces the clientele of Jim & Andy's, one of the most popular New York musicians' haunts in the sixties. This unforgettable gallery of individualists included Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Art Farmer, Billy Taylor, Gerry Mulligan, and Paul Desmond among many others. 288 pp. paper $8.95AMERICAN SINGERS Twenty*Seven Portraits In Song Expanded Edition WHITNEY BALLIETT"Like a skilled painter, working in bold colors with spontaneous strokes, Balliett's brief biographies project a true vision of his subjects .A first-rate compendium by the dean of jazz writers. It warrants a place in any fan's library."Floyd Levin "The quintessential Whitney Balliett, the cream of the cream, a collection that leaves no doubt about his strength." Bruce Cook, The New Leader "Balliett's fine eye for detail and love for music are apparent in these portraits of popular singers For anyone interested in American popular song/Ar77er/can Singers will be worthwhile."r/ie New York Times Book Review 256 pp. paper $9.95At better bookstores or directly fromOXFORD PAPERBACKSOxford University Press 200 Madison Avenue New York New York 10016AQiericanSin^rs2Z Portraits in SongWHmvjEY BALLIETTa result, such pioneers as Jackie Mclean, Randy Weston, and Red Rodney also took center stage with new albums and inspiring performances.This movement within jazz was not without cost. A number of strong and slightly older players like Bobby Watson, Ralph Moore, James Williams, Tom Harrell, Joe lovano, and Mulgrew Miller helped pave the way for younger artists. Unfortunately, the jazz baby boom found them too old to be young and too young to be old. Over time, we hope these players and their important contributions to jazz will get proper recognition.Jazz didn't corner the market on a return to roots and tradition, though. 1990 saw a bona fide resurgence of the blues, with Bonnie Raitt's r&b-ish Nick Of Time serving as the surprise hit of the year. It was also fijeled by John Lee Hooker's "comeback," along with such legends as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Ruth Brown, and blues-rocker Eric Clapton. For blues and jazz alike, there were, for example, the movies. Hooker, Miles Davis, and others provided the music for The Hot Spot, Spike Lee's father BUI went straightahead for the Mo' Better Blues soundtrack, and Harry Connick Jr.'s music for When Harry Met Sally. . . was classic Sinatra.As our Readers Poll suggests, it was also a year when musical boundaries were not only expanded but totally disregarded. The implications are staggering as the Eastern Bloc Ivo Papasov and His Bulgarian Wedding Band go out over the airwaves with its mind-boggling approach to polyphony and rhythm; as Astor Piazzolla's South American bandoneon provides a mesmerizing "new" sound; as Zydeco, cajun, and Tex-Mex kick out the jams; as Johnny Clegg & Savuka tear up the landscape with their mbaqanga Afropop.And then there's rap, stoking the most heated debate since the birth of rock & roll. Starting with Quincy Jones' Back Ott The Block, 1990 saw the commercial explosion of a genuinely new music form. In 30 years, will rap music go the way of rock, or will it be seen as merely a fad similar to the '50s doo-wop craze? M.C. Hammer, Young M.C., Queen Latifah, and Tone-Loc (who made the cover of Newsweek) topped this year's pop charts. So did the controversial 2 Live Crew. The Crew's adolescent brand of rap brought cries of censorship and gave them an undeserved level of notoriety. More significant, we hope, were the positive anti-drug and stay-in-school messages of other rappers. Our inclusion of a rap category in this year's Polls brought a range of responses, from "What's this crap?" to "\^o cares?" to "It's the greatest thing since Chariie Parker!"hi all. the year proNided an interesting musical harvest.i)B6 DOWN BEAT DECEMBER 1990