マイルス・デイヴィスによるライブアルバムの司会とメンバー紹介についての記事。1954年、マイルスは曲名を知らない聴衆のために曲名の発表をやめることを決定し、それ以前はステージ上で曲名を紹介していた。さらに、アート・ブレイキーやソニー・ローリンズのライブアルバムにおけるメンバー紹介やアナウンスについての内容も紹介されており、その人の個性や音楽との関係が示唆されている。ジャズ愛好家の著者が解説した興味深い内容。
Author: Shinji Ikegami
Previously (
I believe that music is more important than the title of a song, so I will refrain from announcing it this time. If the audience already knows the title of a song, there is no need to announce it. I thought they came to listen to music, not to hear me talk, so I stopped speaking to the customers. Many people think I am a cold person, and that’s true.
『Miles Davis Autobiography』By Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe, translated by Yasuki Nakayama, published by Shinko Music Entertainment
That was in 1954. In his recollections from 1949 (5 years earlier), he mentioned, “When I was in Paris…there was even a time when I introduced the titles of my songs in French.” Miles had a cool image for a long time, standing outside the stage with his back to the audience, but it was different before 1954. Before that, it was common (even for Miles) to introduce the titles of songs on stage. Miles performed live in Paris with the Tadd Dameron Quintet, recorded radio sound sources, which were later included in the album (“Paris International Music Festival”) [Columbia]. During the performance, you can hear not only the French-speaking radio DJ but also the musicians on stage introducing the titles of the songs, which were revealed to be written by Miles himself (in English, however). It was his normal voice before he became famous for his raspy voice, so when I first found out about it, I was confused by the difference in image.
Although the introduction was long, I think the fact that the musicians themselves acted as hosts for live albums had a significant impact on the album’s image.
Let’s take a look at some live albums that feature impressive announcements from the musicians themselves.
Blue Note provides very detailed member introductions by Art Blakey (actually the band leader). Blakey should be serious. The “youngest, finest” Doug Watkins, the “rising star of modern jazz” Hank Mobley, and the “co-star with Charlie Parker” Kenny Dorham all exuded confidence in introducing the band members. It is also a valuable record that allows us to understand the atmosphere back then.
In Kenny Dorham’s “Kenny Dorham (Midnight at the Bohemian Cafe)” (CD/Blue Note), Dorham sings “Good Evening, Ladies” and introduces the members in order starting from “The Gentlemen.” Responding to the applause, he gives a very polite announcement at the end, saying “Thank you very much, everyone,” before the song begins. I think he inherited this from his boss Blakey. The chill of the ballad “Autumn in New York,” which starts after this announcement, owes a lot to the gentle impression created by this narration.
Sonny Rollins’ Blue Note gives a completely different impression. In this full-length CD, you can hear a lot of Rollins’ own announcements, starting with “Boys and Girls” instead of “Ladies and Gentlemen” to evoke laughter, and there is a lot of conversation during the intro. His voice volume and pitch are similar to that of a dynamic saxophonist. When listening to such live albums, the individual’s personality is reflected in the way they speak, but in fact, there is a lot of their music in that as well. I’ve begun to think that it’s not just the person themselves that can’t be separated from it.
(The information provided is in line with the CD, but depending on the product version, some parts may not be included.)
Author: Shinji Ikegami
Freelance editor and writer specializing in jazz. He has published an e-book series titled “Learning Jazz History through Subscription” as a writer. As an editor, his works include “Masahiro Goto/Jazz Vocal Masterpieces 500” (Shogakukan New Book), “Ryuo Ogawa/Miles Davis Encyclopedia” (New Light Music Entertainment), and “Goto Supervised Yohon/Understanding from Zero” (World Culture). He is also the monthly personality of the jazz program “The World Wants Jazz” on Kamakura FM.