Jamie Branch

[Larry Kart]

Having heard Jamie again last night with Nick Mazzarella and friends and been very impressed, as is usual for me, I'm trying to guess at what Allen Lowe and Jim Sangrey dont like/don't get about her. As for Allen, I'm pretty sure I know -- it has to do in part with his own stance between  (if "between" is  the right term for his sense of where he stands) "free" and more traditional ways of playing and his feeling that a lot of today's generation of would-be "free" players are just blowing off steam/don't know what they're doing, etc. As for Jim, I just don't know. But for them and anyone else who's curious, here's some more and  perhaps somewhat different evidence  -- Jamie in action, from a Dec. 2017 performance. "Orthodox" it's not, but I don't see how anyone who responds at all positively to, say, Peter Evans or Tyler Ho Bynum wouldn't find it worthwhile. 

 

[clifford_thornton]

I thought their disinterest was due to her LP, which is quite different than this.

The record is excellent but I'd rather hear her live in this format (bass and drums) any day.

[mjazzg]

Maybe they feel the same about Evans and TBH too

Count me a Branch fan so thanks for posting the above

[Larry Kart]

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Maybe they feel the same about Evans and TBH too

 

Certainly possible that they do, but that's one of the things I'm curious about. If they like Evans and TBH at all, what do they find off-putting about Branch?

[Clunky]

Thanks for this. Not someone i was aware of , although I may have seen her name on end-of-year polls. I like what i hear here.

[Larry Kart]

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

2 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

I thought their disinterest was due to her LP, which is quite different than this.

The record is excellent but I'd rather hear her live in this format (bass and drums) any day.

Yes, but on the album Allen Lowe found evidence of amatuerishness, and Sangrey, unless I misunderstand his brief remark, seemed to agree that her trumpet playing  was nada.

[JSngry]

All I know is the Flight Or Die record, and like Allen said, I didn't hear any real depth of ideas or skills, just "trumpet-y" floo-faw. I've heard enough of that over the years, thank you. "Nada" is perhaps too strong, but, you know, every instrument has it's easy tricks that sound harder than they are, and that's what I heard - on that record.

THB has been fine with me, haven't been paying attention to Peter Evans, and am certainly willing to recognize that Branch has more/different than is on that record. I would hope so!

[Larry Kart]

Thanks, Jim -- I don't agree, but 'just "trumpet-y" floo-faw' makes what you're hearing from Branch quite clear. 

[JSngry]

I cut a wide berth as far as "technique" goes...if I hear coherence, logic, development, then ok, we're good. But that's not what I heard from Branch on the record. I heard basic "effects" playing. Which does not necessarily imply a lack of technique (although lord knows it sometimes sure enough does...), just a decision - at that time -to play trumpet in a way that sounds "free", but really isn't. "Free" is not a "style", just as "licks" are not "language".

Can't access YouTube here at work, but will have a look at that clip and hopefully hear something different than that.

[clifford_thornton]

hot and cold on THB myself. Depends on the situation, I guess. Evans I like almost always.

[jlhoots]

I like Fly Or Die - in fact I wish it was longer!

[JSngry]

2 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

hot and cold on THB myself. Depends on the situation, I guess.

These days, I get irritated easily by music. Anybody who doesn't irritate me, then situational consideration can begin.

[JSngry]

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

Can't access YouTube here at work, but will have a look at that clip and hopefully hear something different than that.

I like the rhythm section a lot!

[Chuck Nessa]

I have known her for years and heard her in a number of situations, I'm a fan and her technique is just fine. Last year she played in Grand Rapids and Randy Marsh (randissimo) said "I bet she could play the shit out of bebop"!

[AllenLowe]

this is better, but I remain not real interested. Listen at 19:20 or so; plays a simple major scale; doesn't get to me. "Effects" playing, as Jim says. You might be surprised at how easy it is to play like this.

I remain troubled by musicians who confuse gimmicks with ideas, mannerisms with with style. And that's how I hear this.

[king ubu]

I like the album quite some.

It's "Jaimie" btw, and usually all in small caps - maybe the thread title could be fixed?

[uli]

19 hours ago, JSngry said:

I like the rhythm section a lot!

Me too. But I like the rhythm section of the album even more. I also like Jaimie and it's the group's playing that make the record a success for me

 

Edited January 4, 2018 by uli

[Justin V]

This is just a random observation, but I had literally never before seen a trumpeter mainly play with two fingers while having their ring finger tucked to the side; I found myself staring at her hand to see when she would use her ring finger.  As for the music, I tend to listen to free music more often live than on record, and I am pretty surprised that the local promoters haven't brought her to Cleveland yet.  I'd check her out live to see what she's about.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Justin V