Prog goes Jazz.

[caddyman]

In a little late today as I had to wait for the postman. He duly arrived with my new CD purchases from Play.com, and now I just want to clear off home again and listen to them. Still, it’s a Thursday, which is games night, which means I leave early. Hurrah!

The CDs awaiting my attention are, in order of priority, King Crimson Songbook Vol. 1 by the Crimson Jazz Trio, an occasional outfit founded by ex-Crimson and sometime 21st Century Schizoid Band drummer, Ian Wallace. Eight Crimso tracks given the jazz treatment:

21st Century Schizoid Man
Three Of A Perfect Pair
Catfood
Starless
Ladies Of The Road
I Talk To The Wind
Red
Matte Kudasai

Of that lot, Red is the one I’m having most difficulty imagining, being the heaviest track on the heaviest album made by the 1972-74 line up. The other tracks (pace perhaps Starless) contain jazz riffs to varying degrees in their original forms anyway. But Red?

The other CD is The Jewel by Pendragon a semi-orchestral electric prog outfit about whom I know approximately nothing, save the fact that a friend of mine played me a couple of tracks a while back and they were bloody magnificent.

I tell you all this by way of a public service announcement. I am full aware, that with three or four honourable exceptions, many of the people on my friends list have the most appalling musical taste.

Comments

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

I dare say you have come across them already, but have you heard anything by Rasputina

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I have one, perhaps two tracks of theirs on MP3, but nothing substantial, and I wouldn't claim to be really familiar with their style. They seem OK but I'd want to hear more before deciding on a final opinion.

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

If I master the technology, I'll try and punt you some sounds.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Ta very glad.

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

CJT rock moderately hard... in a jazz kind of way.

I tried to resist but...

[agentinfinity.livejournal.com]

I feel that I should inform you, sir, following your disclosure, that I have decided to auction my ears on Ebay.

Re: I tried to resist but...

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

That should save you, Ma'am, from a great many things.

taste

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

I know everyone will tell you this, as everyone thinks they have good taste in music, as well as in clothes, TV progs, ice-cream flavours, partners, etc, but while I have dated some utter harridans in my time, and unintentionally dress to resemble a small unmade bed, I do indeed have the most exquisite taste in music.

Everyone else's is anywhere between "a bit questionable here and there" to "bloody HELL, go and stand in a busy street".

Re: taste

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Silly twisted boy.

Your musical tastes are of course, generally top notch, but still second to mine own.

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't publicly admit to owning any Pendragon if I were you. I might have some, but only cos squeezypaws was throwing it out. You can have it if you want, but it's on vinyl.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Vinyl?

How 20th century... ;-p

I'm afraid I don't even have a turntable to play my own small vinyl collection which is gathering dust in Shropshire...

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

I have to say that the icon you used for this post is jolly good, Bwy. It makes you look like the coolest cat around - and you appear to have lost weight!

I heard a bit of 20th Century Schizoid Man by CJT a while ago, and admit to being a bit disappointed: it's a bit light, none of the menace of the original, especially of the classic riff (so I'd probably feel the same if I heard their version of my favourite, Red - though as the intro is in 5/4 [or is it 5/8?] they could playfully make reference to the kind of trippy, purely jazzy, rhythm found in D Brubeck's Take Five).

Ah, I'm such a muzic snob.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I haven't had chance to listen to the album yet, but I must admit that just having an accoustic trio (piano, double B and drums)does make me wonder how they will be able to carry off the heavier tracks.

The Schizoid Band do them very well live, with a great deal of jazz-like improvisation (which Crimso were always susceptible to anyway), and a different instrument set to the classic KC.

I'm willing to forgive a lot as these are clearly intended to be alternative explorations, rather than slavish copies.

Cripes, that sounds pretentious, doesn't it?

Glad you like the icon - sadly it's the miracle of technology, not weight loss...