Theatrics

I had a vision , a theatrical vision of a presentation as it might be presented . Thinking about this idea I realized that the occurrence had already happened without the theatrics . In 1972 the New York Free Jazz Festival had "Happenings" at all the major parks where there might be sixty men on the central stage playing at once . The free idea and cacophony were there but there was no direction . As a bassist in the sixties at jazz sessions with tunes that went on for days it seemed , I thought to myself , "These horn players are coming out of the woodwork ," as my fingers bled on the strings and my hands got cramps . Horns are really wonderful instruments that represent each individual clearly yet they often stand or sit in a row , moving together in big bands , moving rhythmically in soul or pop bands . In the free atmosphere I can see horn players draped across the stage , standing on a spiral staircase stage right , hanging one foot off the stage ,stage center , sitting at a stool at a bar ,stage left , hanging around the drum set and the bassist near the center backstage and all playing different ,floating free parts .

The Coltrane recording called "Ascension" is a similar sound , also the Ornette piece "Free Jazz" has that feeling yet both also have a desperate quality to them that isn't necessary . Players can play free without screaming to get attention and they should be directed theatrically in a presentation instead of being fenced in to positions that inhibit instead of freeing their minds and attitudes. The picture of the tenor player blowing upward in an approximation of response to his own music is theatrical as is the trumpet player playing with his horn raised into the air . In this day of extensive miking and amplification , the projection of the sound isn't necessary yet the theatrics get passed over except by the front man who actually gets more attention because of his theatrics .

The "air guitar" has actually become a modern computer game . People are perfecting their theatrics without even learning how to play the instrument at all . This does say something about the importance of theatrical presentation and how much attention it demands . Chuck Berry managed to play his blues and still "Duck-walk" and this was a stage act that brought him more attention . The continuation of guitar theatrics with Peter Townsend and his eventual theatrical destruction of his instrument brought excitement to the audience almost like a wrestling event . Jimi Hendrix also capitalized on "Real" guitar theatrics with his sensational burning of his instrument and even masturbatory movements . The current game abut rock guitar ,using a simulated instrument uses the choreography of these actual performers to bring the illusion of performance to an amateur gamer.

Louis Jordan used his horn to amplify points during his show . Louis Armstrong also used his own version of theatrics to cover his loose improvisational skills . Sam Butera had a classic line for his solos with the "Louis Prima Show". The point of bringing up all these "Louies" is that theatrics are missing in most serious jazz presentations . Free jazz ,generally, isn't given any direction at all .

The vision I had was of cyber friends , at a distance , contributing to my own free music . Recently , playing loose and leaving space , I could imagine everyone adding parts by recording with one of my cuts and sending me a MP3 to mix into the whole . The more I thought of it , the more I could see Noah Howard hanging a foot offstage , John Desalm . leaning against a wall with his horn up , Marshall Keys blowing center , right stage ,looking directly at the audience , Pete Barembregge leaning on a bar stool ,stage left , Doc Holbert playing his trumpet ,looking toward the second row center , Vince McCool playing with his horn down next to the drummer and bass player . Larry Guggenheim is playing his guitar next to his amp looking toward the drums .The vision is of music being played separately yet together , freely , yet choreographed for this production . I know that the individual calling of the musicians , some big band , some soul bands, some free jazz , and some rock , are diverse yet I still insist that they play together freely , whatever comes will be . The picture of the event is also part of the event much as noise can be part of modern music . There is no life without airplanes , trains, cars , and the cacophony of people talking , one man whistling a different tune than you , a radio in a car going by , the sound of wheels traveling from one direction to the next in the rain covered surface of the road . This is modern sound and music , the fuzz tone guitar with a phase shifter is a jet going by high above .

The cacophony of noise , of different musics are the music of free jazz , of ears opened to the possibilities of the future sounds and what the future will bring . I still would like to bring forth an event of this nature yet , in a way , I am afraid to present the idea . I know that in this machine there are different worlds in every person . The aesthetic idea is hard to present in a serious context to other serious musicians who are involved in their own worlds . We must remember that once there was a time when we all were inspired with music and not in our little boxes that became "Jobs" . Perhaps this is also the state of modern man , that is isolation in the face of such intense communications . Cell phones , computers , telephone answering machines , and music yet this takes us apart as well as much as it brings us together . The irony of the music of our times , not "Theo-phony" as in hurricanes , earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions ,but "Theo-Funny" as God laughs at our futile attempts to find reason in all this . Musical ideas can only be written about for so long because it has to be played and listened and experienced . The painting is still in my minds eye waiting to be brought to fruition .