🎧 Ska Horns & Madonna Melodies (Strong Songs)

In a Q&A episode, Kirk Hamilton addresses the question of why jazz soloists never repeat their solos when playing a track live, whereas rock artists do. He explains that it is about the intent of the performance. Jazz solos are usually a part of a conversation with the rest of the group, whereas rock solos like Stairway to Heaven, Sweet Child of Mine and Comfortably Numb are carved out expressions. It is therefore less about the genre than it is about the intent. As Hamilton explains, “you do not turn up to a dinner party and read off a page.” It is for this reason that you will find some rocks artists who do actually improvise.

This reminds me of a conversation between Annie Clark and the late Andy Gill about structured music and free-form music. I am also reminded of my experience of seeing Aphex Twin and the misconstrued expectation that there would be any semblance of the familiar. I guess if you want a particular sound, go listen to the historical record, whereas if you would like a conversation, see the performance?