FREE JAZZ/INSTANT COMPOSING – WHAT, WHY, HOW

Master saxophonist and free jazz guru, Christian Kyhl, from Denmark, will be providing an introduction into the world of instant composing at JZ School on Sunday April 25th at 4pm.

Christian has been a player in the free jazz movement in Northern Europe for 40 years, he was a side man to John Tchicai on the seminal album "Afrodisiaca".

Afrodisiaca  stands, nearly forty years later, as a masterpiece that blends Afro-rhythms and harmonic conceits with improvisation of the freest kind, near-classical microtonalism and innovative sonic experimentation. Its reach as an underground classic is so broad that it's even considered by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore to be "beautiful, baby, BEAUTIFUL!"

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=30051

THE PROGRAM:

Brief introduction of jazz and the historical development of free jazz.

Improvisation/innovation, Why and when?

Stable/unstable cultures, poor/surplus cultures

Roles of the instruments: Soloists, accompanying, hierarchy

The idea of ”Art”:

Traditional African /European

”Normal” behavior, craftsmanship (the ”master/pupil”), the ”artist”, the ”genius”

Tradition, evolution/revolution, ”being”

Learning by looking/hearing:

Skills of the ”pupil”: Technical, mental

“Playing”:

Playing/working

Right/left sides of the brain (short and popular explanation):

The ”I” and the ”Me” – who decides?

Mental states, right/left hemispheres of the brain (briefly)

Free-jazz/improvised music/instant composing/whatever:

Information/redundancy

Rhythm/pulse/swing/rubato

Convergent/divergent, Cybernetics. Exploring. To what end?

Seen as ”playing” (as opposed to working). Using the mistakes.

Seen as ”conversation” (not one-way)

Language: What can be told?

What to do/not to do, what is meant by conversation. Concentration