The (improviser) confronting his Great Original must find the fault that is not there, and at the heart of all but the highest imaginative virtue. The lover is beguiled to the heart of loss, but is found, as he finds, within mutual illusion, the (improvisation) that is not there. "When two people fall in love," says Kierkegaard, "and begin to feel that they are made for one another, then it is time for them to break off, for by going on they have everything to lose and nothing to gain." When the ephebe, or figure of the youth as virile improviser, is found by his Great Original, then it is time to go on, for he has everything to gain, and his precursor nothing to lose; if the fully written poets are indeed beyond loss.

Bloom, Anxiety of Influence, p. 31-32,

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"then it is time to go on for he has everything to gain"

which is to say that if the improviser does not go on, he has everything to lose.

I was sent a link to this blog: Thus Blogged the J Man. This particular post deals with a movie called Grandma's Boy. In his post The J Man makes this astute and well turned observation:

From there, I somehow found myself here, reading about the latest offerings from MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Ken Vandermark. Among the

"herculean Alchemia, a 12-CD set on Not Two Records documenting the band’s stay at the club in Cracow, Poland,"

and the

"double clarinet quartet called 'bridge 61'"

and the

two drummer Sound In Action trio

and the

duet recording with percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love

and the

Vandermark 5's Discontinuous Line

and the

Ken Vandermark's Ideas

and the

Free Music Ensemble's Montage

Mr. Vandermark has also found time to honor Sonny Rollins and Rahsaan Roland Kirk with Free Jazz Classics, Vol. 3 & 4.

Is there anything left to add to 'The Bridge' that Sonny Rollins did not include? Did Mr. Rollins not adequately conceptualize or execute 'East Broadway Rundown? Does Tim Daisy have insights into the realization of 'East Broadway Rundown' that that Elvin Jones did not? How about Kent Kessler--did Jimmy Garrison leave something unattended?

Does Ken Vandermark put a number of horns in his mouth at once for the Kirk CD? Is the Kirk CD recorded in one entire circular breath?

Has Vandermark, Kessler or Daisy found the (improvisation) that was not there?

I haven't heard the recordings, so I'm asking.

Like the Alvin and the Chipmunks singing Christmas carols, like a bear riding a bicycle, Free Jazz Classics is for the purpose of amusement. Very popular, very lucrative and as the J-Man pointed out a cornerstone of our 'civilization' .

Is it understood, however, that as improviser, Vandermark (the ephebe) has everything to lose and nothing to gain? Is it understood that in this situation, Rollins and Kirk are "beyond loss?"

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Hey--here's a funny question: Is This Music Art or is This Music entertainment?

copyright,  © 2007 Stanley Zappa

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