Jazz in the 70's

[brownie]

As a jazz fan from an older generation, I don't look back so fondly to the '70s.

This was the decade which saw the disappearance of Louis Armstrong, Albert Ayler,Duke Ellington, Lee Morgan, Gene Ammons and other giants.

Miles Davis was in pretty bad shape by then and disappeared for most of the decade

after going electric.

Blue Note also went electric. Frank Wolff died in 1971 and the label turned to jazzrock.

Most of their releases came from people like Alphonse Mouzon, Earl Klugh, Marlena Shaw,

Ronnie Foster. And barely no reissues.

Fortunately we still had people like Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Andrew Hill, Sonny Stitt,

Roland Kirk and others around. And the giants (Mingus, Cecil Taylor, Gil Evans) were still showing the way. The innovators (Sam Rivers, Sun Ra, the AEC, Braxton and others)

were breaking new grounds.

Without these people, the '70s would really have been a 'lost decade'.

[BFrank]

Let me add a few more.

Some up and comers in the 70's:

- Stanley Cowell

- Tolliver

- Chico Freeman

- Joe Farrell

- Hal Galper

- Abercrombie

- DeJohnette

Some standard bearers:

- Blakey

- Rollins

- Pharoah

- Bill Evans

- Betty Carter

I think the falacy that it was "lost" was because jazz wasn't generating much attention or money (outside of fusion & funk). The music was there!

[Late]

I was just playing Chico Freeman last night. Both Beyond the Rain ('77) and Destiny's Dance ('81), the latter title with a 20 year-old Wynton Marsalis on board. Chico's chops really shaped up in those four years, and I think I tend to play the '81 record more. Then I realized ... shame! I have no Von Freeman in my collection. Must -- be -- corrected.

[Dmitry]

Warning -

I think Richie Cole's albums mostly sucked.

I think it was a decade of saxophone solos less original than the 60s, many a times.

Even though I can name 200 awesome 70s sax solos.

But so many guys tried to do Coltrane[from all periods] and so many guys wanted to sound like John Klemmer..

There were some awesome records made too.

From Steve Marcus' "Count's Rock Band" in 71 to Anthony Davis & Jay Hoggard's "Under The Double Moon" and Tommy Flanagan's "Super-Session" in 1980,a decade later. And there was Hemphill !

Edited August 4, 2003 by Dmitry

[Simon Weil]

Talking about "lost decade" for Jazz. I think the 70s was when people in general got lost, Society got lost. All those upheavals in the 60s and then Watergate, the Oil embargo, stagflation - the 70s turned into this kind of morass of uncertainty. So, then, I think art reflects Society - and, in fusion, you got just the ideal form to reflect the 70s. Equivocal - not really knowing if it's coming or going, one thing or another, Jazz or Rock. A kind of irresolute form for an unresolved era.

And then you got the 80s and the "return to order" of the Conservatives and all their fatuous certainties.

And we're still subject to that...

Simon Weil

[Claude]

I agree with Ed's and brownie's comments. The 70's were not a lost decade, especially when compared with the 90's. It was a good decade for avantgarde and electric/fusion, but not for mainstream jazz. New styles were created, some of which stood the test of time.

I'm not into Weather Report (except the early stuff), Return to Forever or Mahavishnu Orchstra, but I like Miles's electric period a lot. This music is now - after more than 20 years - finally recognized by most critics.

Apart from the avantgarde artists already mentioned (Braxton, AECO), many other artists and labels which became important in the 80's (David Murray, the Black Saint label) started at the end of the 70's.

In my view, what will really be considered irrelevant in jazz history is the hardbop revival that followed the "electric/jazz-rock aberrations". I'm sure that Weather Report or Mahavishnu albums will still be reissued in the coming decades, but Wynton's and the many other "young lions"'s recorded music will be forgotten soon. Which does not mean that it is not enjoyable. But it is not important in the history of the development of jazz.

Edited August 4, 2003 by Claude

[JohnS]

As I recall the early 70's were deadly dull, fusion, electric everything then around 1976 it all took off with the first Black Saint recordings, David Murray's first recordings, Wildflowers etc etc. Boy! were we ready for it when it happened. For me it was like a rebirth. Most US labels at the time were, with some exceptions, were mired in mediocrity.

[Jazzmoose]

Talking about "lost decade" for Jazz. I think the 70s was when people in general got lost, Society got lost.

Good point. How else can one explain polyester leisure suits?

[Simon Weil]

Talking about "lost decade" for Jazz. I think the 70s was when people in general got lost, Society got lost.

Good point. How else can one explain polyester leisure suits?

Or polyester pop aka bubblegum music. Oh the joy of tack!

Simon Weil

[skeith]

I like a lot of what has already been mentioned.

But, I am surprised Keith Jarrett is not mentioned more in this thread. One could argue he was the dominant new jazz artist of the 70's with the Solo Concerts, and the American and European Quartets - whether you liked him or not, he was at or near the top. I think he made some great contributions.

[Noj]

The funk was really out of control in the 70s, so I'm not mad at that decade.

[Alexander]

I think the 70s, the early 70s in particular, were a good period for jazz. I would agree with the statement that the real "lost" decade was the 80s. For some reason, even recordings by good musicians (like Bobby Hutcherson on Landmark) sound a bit sterile to my ears. Must be the way they were miked. Things definately got back on track in the 90s. I think that the last few years have marked a real good period for jazz. I think people will look back on the early 21st century as a time of great diversity and creativity.

[John L]

And there was Hemphill !