fbpx
Wikipedia

Loft jazz

May 12, 2024

Loft jazz (or the loft scene or loft era) was a cultural phenomenon that occurred in New York City during the mid-1970s. Gary Giddins described it as follows: "[A] new coterie of avant-garde musicians took much of the jazz world by surprise... [T]hey interpreted the idea of freedom as the capacity to choose between all the realms of jazz, mixing and matching them not only with each other, but with old and new pop, R&B and rock, classical music and world music... [S]eemingly overnight new venues - in many instances, apartments or lofts (hence the phrase 'loft jazz') - opened shop to present their wares."[1] According to Michael Heller, "lofts were not an organization, nor a movement, nor an ideology, nor a genre, nor a neighborhood, nor a lineage of individuals. They were, instead, a meeting point, a locus for interaction."[2] Heller stated that "loft practices came to be defined by a number of key characteristics, including (1) low admission charges or suggested donations, (2) casual atmospheres that blurred the distinction between performer and audience, (3) ownership / administration by musicians, and (4) mixed-use spaces that combined both private living areas and public presentation space."[3] Regarding the music played in these venues, Michael J. Agovino wrote: "This was community music. Part of the point was that, free of the strictures of clubs, the music could be anything, go anywhere, go on for as long as it wanted."[4] David Such stated that "the cutting contests, personality cults, and vices that characterized the jazz scene of the 1940s and 1950s were mostly missing."[5] The scene was reviewed and documented by Giddins, Peter Occhiogrosso[6] of the SoHo Weekly News, Leroi Jones,[7] Robert Palmer,[8] and Stanley Crouch.[9]

Coinciding with this activity was an influx of musicians from outside New York. Newcomers from Chicago included a group associated with the AACM; these included Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Lester Bowie, Amina Claudine Myers, Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, Fred Hopkins, Chico Freeman, Malachi Thompson, and George E. Lewis. Various members of the Black Artists Group came from St. Louis, including Charles "Bobo" Shaw, Baikida Carroll, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Hamiet Bluiett, J. D. Parran, and Joseph Bowie. Members of Horace Tapscott's UGMAA, such as Arthur Blythe, David Murray, and Butch Morris, arrived from California. All of these, plus many local musicians, participated in the loft scene to some degree.[10]

Immediate predecessors to the loft scene were the establishment in the late 1960s of Ornette Coleman's Artist House, where he hosted musicians and dancers, and James DuBoise's Studio We.[11] However, the scene did not begin to flourish until 1972, when, in reaction to the relocation of the Newport Jazz Festival to New York, locally based musicians established a counter-festival called the New York Musicians' Jazz Festival (NYMJF), with music presented in parks, community centers, and lofts.[12] One of the most influential lofts during this time was Studio Rivbea, run by Sam Rivers and his wife Bea.[13] Other lofts included Rashied Ali's Studio 77, which became Ali's Alley, Studio Infinity, run by Stanley Crouch and David Murray, Environ, run by John Fischer, the Ladies' Fort, Studio WIS, Firehouse Theater, and Sunrise Studios.[14]

Musically, loft jazz was in many ways a continuation of the free jazz and avant-garde jazz traditions inaugurated by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Sun Ra. However, it didn't follow any one particular style or idiom. According to Scott Deveaux and Gary Giddins, "A critical byword of the Loft Era was 'eclecticism,' used to signal an enlightened approach to all styles of music."[15] Few loft jazz musicians played continuously atonal or arhythmic music in the style of Coltrane's legendary albums Ascension and Om. They often combined conventional melodic elements with free jazz; used instruments less familiar to jazz, such as the bass saxophone, oboe and cello; and combined instruments in nontraditional formats, like the World Saxophone Quartet, whose changing members used a variety of saxophones and flutes, usually without any rhythm section.[16][17] Not surprisingly, most of the musicians rejected the term "loft jazz" as too confining and not representative of their diversity.[18]

The loft scene began to decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, mainly due to a steady rise in rents.[19]

Recordings edit

A series of five LPs known as Wildflowers: The New York Loft Jazz Sessions was released on Casablanca Records in 1976, documenting sessions hosted by Sam Rivers at Studio Rivbea.[20] The recordings were reissued on CD in 1999.[21]

References edit

  1. ^ Giddins, Gary (2004). Weather Bird: Jazz at the Dawn of its Second Century. Oxford University Press. pp. 307–308.
  2. ^ Heller, Michael (2016). Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. University of California Press. p. 125.
  3. ^ Heller, Michael (2016). Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. University of California Press. p. 54.
  4. ^ Agovino, Michael J. (December 27, 2016). "'Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s' Explores a Vital Chapter in Downtown History". VillageVoice.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Such, David (1993). Avant-Garde Jazz Musicians: Performing 'Out There'. University Of Iowa Press. pp. 81–82.
  6. ^ "Peter Occhiogrosso: About". PeterOcchiogrosso.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Jones, Leroi (2010). Black Music. AkashiClassics. pp. 90–96.
  8. ^ Palmer, Robert (June 3, 1977). "A Jazz Festival in the Lofts". NYTimes.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  9. ^ Crouch, Stanley (April 17, 1977). "Jazz Lofts: A Walk Through the Wild Sounds". NYTimes.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. ^ Lewis, George E. (2004). "Experimental Music in Black and White: The AACM in New York, 1970–1985". In O'Meally, Robert G.; Edwards, Brent Hayes; Griffin, Farah Jasmine (eds.). Uptown Conversation: The New Jazz Studies. Columbia University Press. pp. 65–70.
  11. ^ Heller, Michael (2016). Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. University of California Press. pp. 34–40.
  12. ^ Heller, Michael (2016). Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. University of California Press. pp. 40–45.
  13. ^ Litweiler, John (1984). The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958. Da Capo. pp. 292–3.
  14. ^ Heller, Michael (2016). Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. University of California Press. pp. 49–54.
  15. ^ Deveaux, Scott; Giddins, Gary (2009). Jazz. W. W. Norton. p. 432.
  16. ^ Lewis, George E. (2004). "Experimental Music in Black and White: The AACM in New York, 1970–1985". In O'Meally, Robert G.; Edwards, Brent Hayes; Griffin, Farah Jasmine (eds.). Uptown Conversation: The New Jazz Studies. Columbia University Press. pp. 50–101.
  17. ^ Lewis, George E. (2008). A Power Greater Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music. University of Chicago Press. pp. 338–339.
  18. ^ Lewis, George E. (2008). A Power Greater Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music. University of Chicago Press. pp. 351–352.
  19. ^ Heller, Michael (2016). Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. University of California Press. p. 57.
  20. ^ "Wildflowers: The New York Loft Jazz Sessions". Discogs.com. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  21. ^ "Wildflowers: The New York Loft Jazz Sessions - Complete". Discogs. Retrieved 19 February 2020.

External links edit

  • Sam Rivers/Studio RivBea Website

May 12, 2024
loft, jazz, loft, scene, loft, cultural, phenomenon, that, occurred, york, city, during, 1970s, gary, giddins, described, follows, coterie, avant, garde, musicians, took, much, jazz, world, surprise, interpreted, idea, freedom, capacity, choose, between, realm. Loft jazz or the loft scene or loft era was a cultural phenomenon that occurred in New York City during the mid 1970s Gary Giddins described it as follows A new coterie of avant garde musicians took much of the jazz world by surprise T hey interpreted the idea of freedom as the capacity to choose between all the realms of jazz mixing and matching them not only with each other but with old and new pop R amp B and rock classical music and world music S eemingly overnight new venues in many instances apartments or lofts hence the phrase loft jazz opened shop to present their wares 1 According to Michael Heller lofts were not an organization nor a movement nor an ideology nor a genre nor a neighborhood nor a lineage of individuals They were instead a meeting point a locus for interaction 2 Heller stated that loft practices came to be defined by a number of key characteristics including 1 low admission charges or suggested donations 2 casual atmospheres that blurred the distinction between performer and audience 3 ownership administration by musicians and 4 mixed use spaces that combined both private living areas and public presentation space 3 Regarding the music played in these venues Michael J Agovino wrote This was community music Part of the point was that free of the strictures of clubs the music could be anything go anywhere go on for as long as it wanted 4 David Such stated that the cutting contests personality cults and vices that characterized the jazz scene of the 1940s and 1950s were mostly missing 5 The scene was reviewed and documented by Giddins Peter Occhiogrosso 6 of the SoHo Weekly News Leroi Jones 7 Robert Palmer 8 and Stanley Crouch 9 Coinciding with this activity was an influx of musicians from outside New York Newcomers from Chicago included a group associated with the AACM these included Muhal Richard Abrams Anthony Braxton Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre Lester Bowie Amina Claudine Myers Henry Threadgill Steve McCall Fred Hopkins Chico Freeman Malachi Thompson and George E Lewis Various members of the Black Artists Group came from St Louis including Charles Bobo Shaw Baikida Carroll Oliver Lake Julius Hemphill Hamiet Bluiett J D Parran and Joseph Bowie Members of Horace Tapscott s UGMAA such as Arthur Blythe David Murray and Butch Morris arrived from California All of these plus many local musicians participated in the loft scene to some degree 10 Immediate predecessors to the loft scene were the establishment in the late 1960s of Ornette Coleman s Artist House where he hosted musicians and dancers and James DuBoise s Studio We 11 However the scene did not begin to flourish until 1972 when in reaction to the relocation of the Newport Jazz Festival to New York locally based musicians established a counter festival called the New York Musicians Jazz Festival NYMJF with music presented in parks community centers and lofts 12 One of the most influential lofts during this time was Studio Rivbea run by Sam Rivers and his wife Bea 13 Other lofts included Rashied Ali s Studio 77 which became Ali s Alley Studio Infinity run by Stanley Crouch and David Murray Environ run by John Fischer the Ladies Fort Studio WIS Firehouse Theater and Sunrise Studios 14 Musically loft jazz was in many ways a continuation of the free jazz and avant garde jazz traditions inaugurated by John Coltrane Ornette Coleman Albert Ayler Pharoah Sanders Archie Shepp and Sun Ra However it didn t follow any one particular style or idiom According to Scott Deveaux and Gary Giddins A critical byword of the Loft Era was eclecticism used to signal an enlightened approach to all styles of music 15 Few loft jazz musicians played continuously atonal or arhythmic music in the style of Coltrane s legendary albums Ascension and Om They often combined conventional melodic elements with free jazz used instruments less familiar to jazz such as the bass saxophone oboe and cello and combined instruments in nontraditional formats like the World Saxophone Quartet whose changing members used a variety of saxophones and flutes usually without any rhythm section 16 17 Not surprisingly most of the musicians rejected the term loft jazz as too confining and not representative of their diversity 18 The loft scene began to decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s mainly due to a steady rise in rents 19 Recordings editA series of five LPs known as Wildflowers The New York Loft Jazz Sessions was released on Casablanca Records in 1976 documenting sessions hosted by Sam Rivers at Studio Rivbea 20 The recordings were reissued on CD in 1999 21 References edit Giddins Gary 2004 Weather Bird Jazz at the Dawn of its Second Century Oxford University Press pp 307 308 Heller Michael 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s University of California Press p 125 Heller Michael 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s University of California Press p 54 Agovino Michael J December 27 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s Explores a Vital Chapter in Downtown History VillageVoice com Retrieved July 1 2020 Such David 1993 Avant Garde Jazz Musicians Performing Out There University Of Iowa Press pp 81 82 Peter Occhiogrosso About PeterOcchiogrosso com Retrieved July 1 2020 Jones Leroi 2010 Black Music AkashiClassics pp 90 96 Palmer Robert June 3 1977 A Jazz Festival in the Lofts NYTimes com Retrieved July 1 2020 Crouch Stanley April 17 1977 Jazz Lofts A Walk Through the Wild Sounds NYTimes com Retrieved July 1 2020 Lewis George E 2004 Experimental Music in Black and White The AACM in New York 1970 1985 In O Meally Robert G Edwards Brent Hayes Griffin Farah Jasmine eds Uptown Conversation The New Jazz Studies Columbia University Press pp 65 70 Heller Michael 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s University of California Press pp 34 40 Heller Michael 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s University of California Press pp 40 45 Litweiler John 1984 The Freedom Principle Jazz After 1958 Da Capo pp 292 3 Heller Michael 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s University of California Press pp 49 54 Deveaux Scott Giddins Gary 2009 Jazz W W Norton p 432 Lewis George E 2004 Experimental Music in Black and White The AACM in New York 1970 1985 In O Meally Robert G Edwards Brent Hayes Griffin Farah Jasmine eds Uptown Conversation The New Jazz Studies Columbia University Press pp 50 101 Lewis George E 2008 A Power Greater Than Itself The AACM and American Experimental Music University of Chicago Press pp 338 339 Lewis George E 2008 A Power Greater Than Itself The AACM and American Experimental Music University of Chicago Press pp 351 352 Heller Michael 2016 Loft Jazz Improvising New York in the 1970s University of California Press p 57 Wildflowers The New York Loft Jazz Sessions Discogs com Retrieved 19 February 2020 Wildflowers The New York Loft Jazz Sessions Complete Discogs Retrieved 19 February 2020 External links editSam Rivers Studio RivBea Website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Loft jazz amp oldid 1213128358, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.