M-Base

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As M-Base -Kollektiv saw themselves as of 1984 some young, African-American, New York-based musicians whose music is counted for Jazz ( Steve Coleman , Greg Osby , Cassandra Wilson , Robin Eubanks , Graham Haynes , James Weidman u. A.). They exchanged views, played with each other, and shared some basic beliefs that they called the "M-Base" concept.

After their music received greater attention, jazz critics took up the expression "M-Base" to name this music and classify it stylistically, which, however, contradicted the understanding of the musicians. Because they did not strive for a uniform style, but found a match in the basic orientation, which left the participants room for their own musical paths. A series of recordings from 1985 to the mid-1990s actually shows clear stylistic similarities, so that the term "M-Base" - in the absence of a more suitable one - remained in use for this genre despite the objection of the musicians.

The M-Base concept

The term "M-Base" comes from Steve Coleman and is on the one hand an abbreviation for "Macro Base" (large, wide, strong base) and on the other hand contains the word "Base" an abbreviation for "Basic Array of Structured Extemporizations" (basic Arrangement of structured improvisations). The aim of this concept was a - very broadly understood - common musical language with which one's own current experiences are to be expressed in a creative way and in which both improvisation and structuring are essential.

Elements of this orientation are:

  • Reference to the present
  • improvisation
  • structuring
  • Invigoration of creativity
  • ongoing intellectual development as a prerequisite for musical development
  • a view and expression that does not correspond to the “western” civilization, especially from African cultures
  • the influence of this “non-western” kind on the musical design, especially with regard to the development of rhythm (see also polyrhythm ) and melody
  • the connection of the outstanding achievements of jazz history over the ages through the meaning of these elements.

The M-Base concept thus points in a direction that suggests, for example, the creative energy in the creation of the " bebop ", the loose collective of musicians who were involved and also the type of musical forms of expression promoted at the time. This concept does not correspond to: a frozen continuation of the bebop style, a structureless "freely improvised music", a music in which improvisation plays no or only a minor role, or for whose design business aspects are decisive.

The musical direction called "M-Base"

A significant number of the musicians involved in the M-Base initiative recorded the CD “Anatomy of a Groove” in 1991 as the “M-Base Collective”, which was released on DIW Records . Most of them had already worked on CDs by the alto saxophonist Steve Coleman , whose creativity played a central role in this group of musicians. His friend Greg Osby , who also played the alto saxophone and whose style of playing was similar to that of Colemans, led the group "Strata-Institute" together with Coleman, of which two CDs were released (the second with Von Freeman as a further director). Starting in 1987, a series of CDs with their own character appeared under Osby's name, which helped shape the image of "M-Base" music. The tenor saxophonist and flautist Gary Thomas was not involved in the M-Base initiative, but his playing style was similar to the Osbys and Colemans. He can be heard on recordings by Coleman and Osby and his own CDs are also counted as M-Base "style". All three saxophonists played on the CD "Jump World" by the singer Cassandra Wilson .

Greg Osby and the saxophonist Courtney Pine named Gary Thomas as their most valued tenor saxophonist of the 1990s. Of Osby, said pianist Andrew Hill: "He has an incredible sense of rhythm and harmonic correctness and chooses the right notes with a precision that is unusual for people with his technical ability." Steve Coleman was even considered by clarinetist and composer Don Byron "Exceptional personality in American music history".

In addition to Coleman, Osby and Thomas, other musicians contributed to the importance and diversity of the M-Base scene, which remained open in many directions.

Characteristic

According to the M-Base concept, Coleman, Osby and Thomas built on the current Afro-American groove music (funk etc.) - comparable to Charlie Parker and John Coltrane , whose music was based on the blues and rhythm & blues of their time was founded. Similar to Parker and Coltrane, they increased the challenge of improvisation by structuring their music in a complex manner, especially in terms of rhythm. Especially Steve Coleman created - according to Ekkehard Jost - "circular and highly complex, polymetric patterns, which, however, despite their internal complexity and asymmetry retain the danceable character of popular radio rhythms". In summary, Jost wrote about Coleman's music around 1990: “All in all, this is very intelligent and demonstratively black music; music that is hip like no one has been in a long time and that processes a wide range of stylistic experiences without revealing its Afro-American identity. ”The outstanding musicians of the M-Base movement play“ big city grooves ”with a technical brilliance that the Jazz literature has been described as "almost terrifying".

The further development

The goals of the M-Base concept were only partially compatible with the demands of the music market. For many of those originally involved, the M-Base initiative remained a springboard that gave them employment in more conventional forms of the music business. Cassandra Wilson's blues and folk-like music was best suited to adapting to the tastes of a larger audience without significant loss of musical quality. Since 1993 she has had a contract with the relatively large CD company " Blue Note Records ". Two CDs by Gary Thomas were even awarded by the magazine Down Beat , but the interest in his rather dark, often angry, and ultimately melancholy music remained limited to a small audience. In 1997 he became director of jazz education at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, and has not released a CD since. Greg Osby has had a contract with “Blue Note” since 1990 and found his own way of walking a tightrope between a stronger reference to tradition and maintaining his musical standards. Steve Coleman has further developed his music in the spirit of the M-Base concept without compromise in many ways. He published his CDs on the small French company "Label Bleu" after his contractual relationship with the large company BMG ended in the late 1990s. In relation to his reputation and influence in music circles, his music receives little public attention (more in France, hardly in German-speaking countries).

The influence of the musical concepts of the M-Base music circle - especially Steve Colemans - is in the music of Josh Roseman ( Treats for the Nightwalker 2003), Stefon Harris and Steve Williamson , partly in that of Ravi Coltrane and the band Dapp theory around Andy Milne as well as parts of jazz rap and hip hop .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ --Kunzler, Jazz-Lexikon. Vol. 2. 2002 (p. 821)
  2. ^ Sources of quotations: Osby's statement: http://www.gregosby.com/interviews5.html ; Pines statement in: Martin Kunzler , Jazz-Lexikon, Vol. 2, 2002; Hill's statement: CD booklet for Osby's CD "The Invisible Hand"; Byron's statement in: Christian Broecking, The Marsalis Factor, 1995 (p. 120)
  3. ↑ E. Jost, Social History of Jazz, 2003, p. 377
  4. ↑ E. Jost, Social History of Jazz, 2003 (p. 377)
  5. ↑ Jazz Rough Guide, 1999, p. 426