Kenny Werner

[Joe G]

The other new CD I got the same day as this one is Kenny Werner's Naked in the Cosmos. I'm a bit more excited about that one at the moment. Some cool stuff there!

I really enjoy the Werner side. There is some very creative ensemble writing, great playing and the recording sounds very good IMHO. How'd you happen on to that one Joe? I just ordered his latest ("Lawn Chair Society") w/Scott Colley, Brain Blade, Dave Douglas and Chris Potter. I think it's about time for Kenny to have a thread. He's a great player (and thinker).

Sorry, off topic. I do plan to get the M/M ASAP. I really liked the first one.

So here it is.

I got Naked in the Cosmos from Kenny's ArtistShare website. It came as part of the "Composer" participant offer, along with some downloadable composition lessons. I found the lessons to be very helpful, and I plan to find ways to adapt the processes he demonstrates.

Lawn Chair Society looks good, too. In one of the downloads from the above mentioned offer, he shows how the opening track was created. That was very interesting, too, in that it came about almost in the reverse order that you might guess.

I think I've studied Kenny's writings and lectures (which are sooo on point IMO) more than his music, but that's starting to shift. He's said somewhere that this is common: he's give a concert and the place would be half full. He'd give a lecture and the place would be packed.

What I've heard of Naked in the Cosmos is excellent, and the two trio albums I have are also good. I saw Kenny in a quartet w/Joe Lovano, and it was one great concert.

http://www.kennywerner.com/

Discuss!

[jlhoots]

I just ordered Lawn Chair Society yesterday.

I've seen Werner live in a number of different settings.

He's never been less than excellent.

[Free For All]

Great thread Joe!

There is much to discuss regarding Kenny- his solo and trio playing, his arranging/composing for various ensembles, his ideology about playing, his recent loss of his daughter. His latest CD (Lawn Chair Society, mentioned above) just arrived in the mail today, and the project is dedicated to his daughter Katheryn and has some very nice pictures of her and Kenny in the liners.

It would be hard to have a Kenny Werner thread without getting into a discussion of his philosophical ideas. I have really enjoyed his book Effortless Mastery- he takes a very Zen-like approach to playing, especially in the area of self-judgement and all the potential negative effects that process can have. I've learned about dealing with life as well as music from reading this book and others along the same lines (like Inner Game of Tennis, for one).

Anyone else checked this out?

[sal]

Great thread Joe!

There is much to discuss regarding Kenny- his solo and trio playing, his arranging/composing for various ensembles, his ideology about playing, his recent loss of his daughter. His latest CD (Lawn Chair Society, mentioned above) just arrived in the mail today, and the project is dedicated to his daughter Katheryn and has some very nice pictures of her and Kenny in the liners.

It would be hard to have a Kenny Werner thread without getting into a discussion of his philosophical ideas. I have really enjoyed his book Effortless Mastery- he takes a very Zen-like approach to playing, especially in the area of self-judgement and all the potential negative effects that process can have. I've learned about dealing with life as well as music from reading this book and others along the same lines (like Inner Game of Tennis, for one).

Anyone else checked this out?

I bought that book at a time when I was really focusing on becoming a better drummer and was finding myself endlessly frustrated. Never got around to reading it though. I will one of these days.

[Joe G]

That book is full of humor and clarity. I know when I first read it, on just about every page there was something I needed to hear. And it's the kind of thing I can return to later on and get something more from it. Just a few months ago I rededicated myself to practicing with this approach.

[Robert J]

odd synchronicty - I just browsed through this book at a bookstore during my lunch-time. It's been on my (neverending) book list of what to read next. Maybe in the next month?

what is on the CD? - I know they are meditations.

[Free For All]

That book is full of humor and clarity. I know when I first read it, on just about every page there was something I needed to hear. And it's the kind of thing I can return to later on and get something more from it. Just a few months ago I rededicated myself to practicing with this approach.

Like we were discussing, Joe, it's an approach to dealing not just w/music but also with life.

[Free For All]

Another good book along similar lines.....