Abstract Utility as Art

[Balladeer]

Last Saturday night I took my wife out to an intimate jazz club where a noteworthy, local, young sax player was playing with piano, bass and drums. The sax player had graduated from N. Texas and, armed with a doctorate in music, now teaches at one of the universities here.

We listened for 30 minutes and left at the first break. It wasn't the musicianship or the environment - both were perfect. It was the severe lack of recognition in the melody. In other words, the music was too abstract. Yes the rythmn was apparent (though often too busy) and the chord structure was discernible. It was just the abscence of melody.

For me, the visual arts effect me the same way. I prefer to see a well-painted bowl of fruit, landscape, or life form(s) rather than some abstract mumbo-jumbo that could be visual white noise.

Most of the music and musicians discussed on SOTW have recorded music that is recognizable to my ear. Why do some artists believe that their art will be appreciated without understandable and recognizable thematic features? Sometimes I find that music based on modalities takes on a quality that is abstract yet generic sounding. By generic, I mean that the same pattern of notes and time works equally well in multiple contexts. When music sounds that way, to me, it becomes a utility. Having it be a more complex or abstract utility by itself does not raise it to the level of artistry. Come on people, communicate with your audience!

[Thomas]

Just a few thoughts none of which are meant to be accusative nor insultory;
Are you a jazz player-if you are do you come from a classical background
do you consider yourself a muscian or a sax player

are you firmly ensconsed in traditional western theory-have you investigated musics of other cultures

possibly you're suffering from what I call muscian's boredom-I do-there's l ittle you haven't heard before and you can probably do it as well or better

and if you were planning to enjoy yourself--why did you bring your wife?

Art is subjective and if you choose not to or cannot go where the artist is it's difficult to get it. regardless of what your experience is.
There are as many colors of music as there are colors of fruit in the well painted bowl you enjoy.

[hannibal]

My ex is an abstract visual artist. She drug me around to most of the major contemporary art museums in Europe and the USA. At first, my reaction was- why on earth is this worth countless millions- I Could paint like that. But after a period of time (several months) my mind began to catch on to what the artist was trying to achieve. I can now really appreciate the abstract stuff, simply because my mind had time to get used to looking at art in a different way.

Music is similar. If you are used to hearing a rock solid beat and standards played 'head solo solo head out' you are going to have a hard time adjusting to Ornette Coleman or even Dave Liebman. It's a different listening experience.

I feel now that excellent abstract art or jazz is truly excellent. But unfortunately too many artists can't do it well enough to pull it off, and it comes across as it is: fumbling shite.

You may never actually grow to like this stuff, but it doesn't mean that artist is to blame.

By the way- have you checked out the painter Wassily Kandisky? He was way into jazz of the 1920's and felt a connection between jazz improvisation and his paintings. You can actually se it in the swirls and colours of his work. Very cool indeed.