Composers

Well, I'm back in school... Luckily, that means I've started composing again. Needless to say, this has had an obvious effect on my listening habits. This time, though, I'm not listening to Maria Schnieder or Charles Mingus. This time I've fallen in love with Gil Evans and Thad Jones. They're just fucking amazing.
I revisited Sketches of Spain for the first time in practically a year and I have to admit I haven't had a listening experience such as this in quite a while. First of all, I think Miles plays wonderfully, but not in the way im used to. I've always respected Miles for his voice. Too few musicians have developed a voice in the same way he has. This record is different, though. I respect Miles on Sketches of Spain because he fits himself into the music in a completely unobtrusive way. More often than not I think, "I love what the Trumpet just played...oh yeah, that was Miles."
Gil Evans is a genius. I just can't say that any other composer is a better technician. Any time I listen to his music I get the impression that every idea was exactly what he wanted to say. Every time I work on one of my own compositions and find myself unable to voice the music thought that I'm having I understand the brilliance of Gil Evans.
We are playing Thad Jones' Three and One. Check it out. The melody is a juxtapostion of a beautiful bass, flugel, and trombone melody and biting harmonic line the rest of the band plays. It's about as hip as you can get. The next CD I buy will prolly be one Thad Jones'

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Christina is freaking amazing. I don't deserve this. I'm an asshole (dont even think about commenting on that that).