Sunday, February 24, 2013

Henry Butler @ The Stone 2/20/13

Henry drew my attention to Don Pullen, who I hadn't heard of previously.  He mentioned he played in the same show as Don at Prospect Park once.  Apparently, he was inspired to do a solo project with his music.  I liked what I heard and what I read subsequently.  Henry also did one of his pieces for Mardi Gras.  It was all instrumental and all awesome.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/24/obituaries/don-pullen-pianist-53-dies-distinctive-improviser-in-jazz.html
Mr. Pullen was one of the most percussive pianists in jazz. His improvisations brimmed with splashed clusters, hammered notes and large two-handed chords. His solos often started out traditionally, with single note lines articulating a composition's harmony, then grew richer with bright explosions of tones. Mr. Pullen used the backs of his hands, or occasionally an elbow; he managed to take techniques from the modern European classical repertory and use them in his music without ever losing a jazz sensibility. Mr. Pullen's importance lies in part in his ability to synthesize so many different forms of expression.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Pullen

Henry Butler—The Ghost Of Don Pullen Henry Butler (piano)

No comments: