Jazzy Potter

[fommes 153]

Hi,

Anybody heard of the following album?

http://www.soundtrack.net/soundtracks/data...tabase/?id=4122

Cheers!

[nightscape94 965]

No, but out of 8 votes, it has an average of 1 1/2 stars....

Yikes,

Tim

[Incanus 5,715]

Yeah the votes do not promise anything good and I had also a bad feeling about the album just by looking at the name "Harry Potter Jazz:The Sorcerer's Stone". Though I do not have the faintest clue how the jazz versions of Williams' themes would sound the voters (all 8 of them) seem to think they suck.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

It seems they bought the piano sheet music book and arranged it for themselves.

How pointless...

[Greg1138 3]

Done by the usually excellent Mark Kramer Trio - listen to some samples from Harry Potter Jazz here....

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Don't like it. Don't like it at all.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

How pointless...

Pointless? Why?

Marian - ?

[MrAsterisk 0]

Don't like it. Don't like it at all.

Indeed. I can't stand it.

[Romão 2,274]

This is an example how musical elitism can ruin great themes.

[Sixers 0]

no, but after seeing that it's received 1 and a half stars, i dont want to.....

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

i'm not sure about this (and the user votes). you also have to take into account how much the voters liked jazz i guess. btw, has anyone every listened to The Star Wars Trilogy by the Trotter Trio? Yup, star wars, in jazz. this could be something like that

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

How pointless...

Pointless? Why?

Marian - ?

They've taken music with such diverse feelings and emotion and made it all sound the same. What's the point in "Voldemort" if you lose all sinister or dark aspects of the music? "Family Portrait" is the same, it has none of the tenderness and emotion the theme and its harmonisation was written to have.

It may sound nice to some, but I find it pointless.

[Greg1138 3]

I think we are all missing the point.......

[nightscape94 965]

I think we are all missing the point.......

That...

Tim

[Incanus 5,715]

The jazzy versions do not sound all that great. The material is of course good but jazz variations do not work for the themes. To me it sounds hokey. I like jazz but the pieces I heard from Potter album are too pretentious.

[nightscape94 965]

Well, jazz music serves a different function then music in a "classicaly" writtent sense. If you took a bunch of Chopin waltzes and jazzed them up, you lose a lot of flavor and beat puncuations. If you do the same to a nocturne, you lose the smooth flow, almost like water through your body. So in that sense, yes, I don't think it makes the pieces better, but I don't have anything against trying to do something different. I would say it's the same if you take a popular jazz piece and flatten it into a classical pancake. It won't sound right. There's definitely an audience for this type of stuff though.

Tim

[Incanus 5,715]

You are quite right. I could articulate my thoughts about it but you did it better (not to mention faster than I). I share your sentiment.

[Greg1138 3]

It's called "Interpretation"......

.....and I don't tend to hear many people moan about Williams interpreting stuff.....

.....admittedly, that's somewhat different (and this is a Williams Fanpage after all....), but the principal is the same.....

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Sincerelly, I don't know what's the problem with people around here. This is quiet great stuff. Maybe not the best jazz in the world, but still a great listen -- believing on the samples.

The Trotter Trio disc is also a must. Love those variations on Star Wars tunes -- the best jazz variations on Williams music I've found.

For those concerned with the trasnfer of classical oriented music to the jazz idiom... even classic purists tend to like the Jacques Loussier jazzy interpretations of Bach music.

[fommes 153]

I'm with Miguel. I was prepared for the worst after your reactions, but this 'd make for a great listen on CD. If I come across it, it's definitely mine I have no problems whatsoever with this 'adaptation' to jazz. It's not your usual rerecording stuff, it's a new interpretation. It doesn't have to sound right in my opinion, you shouldn't actually compare it to the soundtracks, not because it would fail the comparison, but because it's specific in its own right.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

For those concerned with the trasnfer of classical oriented music to the jazz idiom... even classic purists tend to like the Jacques Loussier jazzy interpretations of Bach music.

I hate classical purists!

[Incanus 5,715]

For those concerned with the trasnfer of classical oriented music to the jazz idiom... even classic purists tend to like the Jacques Loussier jazzy interpretations of Bach music.

And they call themselves classic purists after that ? The nomenclature implies they do not enjoy anything outside classical presentrations of classical music. And then they enjoy Bach jazz interpretations? LOL

I for one enjoy jazz but these Potter pieces are what I call lounge jazz. THey are jazz but not there with the best not by a long shot. People can play this music and I think they should do it as it is a form of artistic expression and we all have a free will to do it but I do not have to like it.

The idea is the same as with many "classic" jazz pieces that take a well known piece of music and transform it to a jazz piece. For some pieces of music it works and others it does not. For me Potter jazz just does not work. Perhaps I simply can't accept Williams classic themes in jazz guise.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

They've taken music with such diverse feelings and emotion and made it all sound the same. What's the point in "Voldemort" if you lose all sinister or dark aspects of the music? "Family Portrait" is the same, it has none of the tenderness and emotion the theme and its harmonisation was written to have.

I don't know if you've heard clips or not (I haven't), but your comments seem to refer to the general idea of making jazz variations of orchestral music - which I find anything but pointless. For one thing, the whole point *is* to put them in a totally different context. That's what themes are about basically, too. It would be more pointless to just re-record the same thing the same way over and over again. Writing variations on them is a very interesting concept.

Of course, I haven't heard these, and they might be poorly done. That still wouldn't make them pointless, IMHO, just poorly executed. I also have the Trotter Trio Star Wars CD and find it nice, but not that amazing (I admit I rarely listen to it). On the other hand, I have a CD of jazz arrangements of Bruckner symphonies, and those are absolutely amazing.

Marian - happy about everyone who attempts this kind of thing.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I have heard the clips. I didn't like it. That's all there is to it.

Incidentally, I love jazz music, I play it a lot. But I didn't like this.

[Romão 2,274]

I don't mind different interpretations at all, but the themes completly lose their ambinace. You can enjoy this from a technical musical point of view, but I can't as an uneducated (and far from being a Jazz lover). When Voldemort conveys the same kind of feel than Harry's wondrous World, something must no be quite right, but hey, maybe that's just me.

[Greg1138 3]

It's not meant to be the soundtrack to the movie....they are probably not supposed to convey the same kind of feel.....

[Romão 2,274]

Well, what do I know, I don't even like Jazz.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

I understand the points, regarding the change of feel. But if you put that aside, wouldn't you be able to enjoy this jazz variations? Just a thought...

Miguel, who will get Romão a copy of the Trotter Trio take on Star Wars, along with all that other stuff I've already promissed him

[scissorhands 16]

Being a John Williams, how can't you like jazz? It almost sounds like a contradiction.

The jazz influence is spreaded all over his scores.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm sorry but that just makes no sense at all.

Usually John Williams scores are performed by a big orchestra, not a jazz ensemble.

People who like orchestral music are not always gonna love Jazz.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

I guess that's quiet natural, him being american, and jazz being an american musical expression. Many of his works have a jazzy feel rooted deep inside them. I've been studying his Sinfonietta latelly, and there's lot os jazz influences in there, even if on early listens you can't ear them that much.

And then he has some all way jazz scores, like his early Checkmate, or his first film score, Daddy-O.

[Romão 2,274]

I love acessible Jazz. I don't draw any pleasure at all hearing an essemble making all sorts of improvisations and smilling to each other like they're making love.

[scissorhands 16]

Usually John Williams scores are performed by a big orchestra, not a jazz ensemble.

You mean a big orchestra can't play jazz?

[scissorhands 16]

It's OK, maybe my vision of Jazz is not limited to an ensamble.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Well, there are all kind of jazz... there is big orchestral one!

So everyone can enjoy his jazz. And most people I know around, who are classical music lovers, are for the msot part, jazz lovers.

But then again, they don't enjoy every kind of "classical" music, just as they don't love every kind of Jazz.

[Romão 2,274]

I admit: I have some unfair prejudices with Jazz. Maybe I simply haven't listened to the right stuff. I love John Zorn. I loved Catch me if You can and Checkmate. But I can't enjoy Patt Metheny, for instance. BUt I would never go as far as to say his music has no merit.

[scissorhands 16]

But then again, they don't enjoy every kind of "classical" music, just as they don't love every kind of Jazz.

Yeah, that's very true

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

loved Catch me if You can

I have more accessible jazz than that on CD.

Marian - who could never quite get into CMIYC.

[fommes 153]

I'm sorry but that just makes no sense at all.  

Usually John Williams scores are performed by a big orchestra, not a jazz ensemble.  

People who like orchestral music are not always gonna love Jazz.

I think he meant that Williams' chord progressions etc. share similarities to those that characterise jazz.

[scissorhands 16]

Thanks, Lotman. That's what I meant. Just need to hear "Schindler's List", for example.

Marian - who could never quite get into CMIYC.

I think the score sounds a little... artificial. Don't you think so?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well it's isn't true jazz.

Real jazz relies heavily on improvisation., which is something that is hard to combine with the requirements of a film score.

[Romão 2,274]

i'm not musically trained. All I know, is I enjoy Schindler's List more than any Jazz piece I've ever heard.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm sure I have enjoyed certain jazz pieces more then Schindlers List.

[Romão 2,274]

And I know this is a comment full of prejudices, but around where I live, there isn't a more pretentious or elitist group of people than the Jazz sub culture. Not the music's fault, really.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

And I know this is a comment full of prejudices, but around where I live, there isn't a more pretentious or elitist group of people than the Jazz sub culture. Not the music's fault, really.

I understand what you mean, and I guess everyone has faced that in someway -- music related or not. But you should try to see beyond that, beyond the people, and really try to focus on the music. I promisse you years of joy and musical excitment if you achieve that!

[Romão 2,274]

where to begin, then?

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Well, I'm hardly a Jazz buff, but if I remmeber correctly, the newspaper you read is publishing a quiet interesting collection of Jazz CDs. It seems to me that they present the who's who of Jazz.

There are some names that you can check out as they are Jazz legends, like Gillespie, Monk, Coltrane, guys like those.

And if your in a mood to know what Williams enjoyed himslef, check Art Tatum and Eric Dolphy -- he spoke highly of both of them and as even went on saying how they influenced his playing and composition.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Well this has turned a bit controversal!

I understand the points, regarding the change of feel. But if you put that aside, wouldn't you be able to enjoy this jazz variations? Just a thought...

Miguel makes a valid point. If I hadn't heard these themes in their proper form (if at all) before these versions, I'd enjoy it. I still like it, but having heard and played all of them on piano (they're the exact arrangements from the book) I enjoy it less. I should try and make the effort, and maybe even try find the album!

[Jeshopk 8]

I think it is a fun sounding little CD.

[HPFAN_2 0]

EEEWWW no. Next!