Re: Coincidence?

["John P. Hill" <jphill@frank.mtsu.edu>]

Alan:

I believe the Bill Evans album in question was METAMORPHOSIS, but
I don't own that one, so I could be wrong.  I think you're right
about the introspective (reposeful?) nature of Evans' playing being
attractive to GG.

The more I ponder it, I just don't think Gould would have been
very attracted to Monk.  Not too much contrapuntal interest there,
a rather percussive approach to piano technique, lots of "dive-bomb"
descending whole-tone scales with varying degrees of eveness, etc...
Monk's harmonic voicings are intriguing (all the notes are there),
but the voice-leadings are...well...pretty unique.  Doesn't seem
like this would be Gould's cup-'o-java, but who knows?

As far as "swinging" things is concerned, GG seemed to be quite capable
in that regard.  I was pretty shocked to hear his rendition of
Contrapuctus 2 from the Art of Fugue on the new Sony disc; he swings
those dotted rhythms pretty hard!  Also, on the Goldberg vid, he makes
a comment to Samuel Carter (the producer) at one point during playback
that the take "sounds like Dixieland".....kind of a strange
juxtaposition, but as I listened along, I thought "yeah, I can feel
what he's talking about...".  Interesting stuff.

jh


On Tue, 8 Apr 1997, Alun Severn wrote:

> John:
> 
> >GG did make flattering references to both Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans,
> >if I recall correctly, but nothing to my knowledge on Thelonious Sphere.
> 
> I knew of the comments about Peterson, but not about Bill Evans, though I
> can imagine that Evans' introspection would have appealed to GG.
> 
> As regards Monk: I have this pet theory that GG was waiting in the studio,
> nodding to these strange melodies and fragile harmonies and thought: Hmm, I
> bet I could make Scarlatti *swing* like that and cut the K.13 sonata....but
> it *is* just a thought....
> 
> Regards,  Alun
> 
> 
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> ALUN SEVERN            snailmail:  1 Chestnut Rd, Oldbury B68 0AX England
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>                        email:                      alun@ukiah.demon.co.uk
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