Re: Recordings

[KRosser414@aol.com]

>What does a good player do with an ostinato in an improv situation: =

While we're waiting for a good player to answer I think I'll throw in my 
own
$.02...

>- variing a part here and there, maybe creating harmonic tension briefly

Well, I'd take out the "maybe" and the "briefly".

This suggestion is, to me, what makes ostinatos a desirable thing at all.
That is, the opportunity to apply varying degrees of harmonic tensions 
against
a static background.  I wish more 'electronica' (for lack of a better term)
took advantage of this, but it seems like most that I've checked out has 
been
all about rhythm and texture primarily (if not exclusivley).  Last week I 
saw
Mark Isham's new 'electronica' band (from what I could tell, I counted 
three
Jam Men, one Obie and one EH 16-sec delay and at least as many other
'standard' delays) and they did a few things that had some harmonic meat to
them, and certainly Mark's playing exhibited a good amount harmonic
imagination in improvising over ostinatos so I found that pretty enjoyable,
but I think he's bringing more to the table in terms of overall 
musicianship
than the rank and file electronica guys I hear.  They recorded these 
shows, I
hope they're considering releasing them, they were quite good.

In the "Recording" thread there were recent posts listing Frisell's 
"Songs, We
Know" and Emmylou Harris' "Spyboy" which I couldn't list yet but since I 
just
got them this morning I would easily add them to my list, these are both
great.  Jim Hall's newest is a pretty standard good performance from Jim 
but
is as problematic to me as his other "+ special guests" format records he's
done for Tel Arc the last few years on the whole.  Nothing quite as 
inspiring
happens as the show I saw last week here in LA - Jim playing duo with Dave
Holland - which proved to me he's still one of the most open-minded and
fearless improvisors around given the right setting.

Ken R