Modernistic

Jason Moran | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 17, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B00006F2WQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,517 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No description available.
Genre: Jazz Music
Rating:
Release Date: 0000-00-00
Media Type: Compact Disk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moran shines on his first solo album, December 12, 2002

By 

G. M. Jenkins "musician, music teacher, and m... (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modernistic (Audio CD)

Jason Moran is one of a kind. He is equally influenced by classical music such as Schumann, whose "Auf Einer Burg/In A Fortress" is interpreted on this album. Moran was mentored by a handful of amazing pianists including Muhal Richard Abrams, Jaki Byard (one of my personal favorites), and Andrew Hill. But of course, he has come into his own and definitively showed his musical identity on this album.
I own his previous three albums which are all excellent, and to be honest, i was disappointed when i first got this album. I found it hard to get into, and didn't really listen to it much. I guess it just wasn't what i expected. Of course, one day i just picked it up after a few weeks and listened to it on my headphones by myself in my room, and i just got it. This is definitely a headphone album and may take time to truly appreciate.
This album, being a solo work by Moran, is unlike his other albums, but is a logical extension of them. It opens with a cover of James P. Johnson's "You've Got To Be Modernistic" which is still my favorite track on the album as Moran shows a mastery of old styles and an ability to expand on them in logical and interesting ways. The next track is "Body And Soul" which of course, everyone has heard a million times, but Moran makes it his own. He then goes into a strange but catchy rendition of Afrika Bambataa's "Planet Rock." This will grow on you. Moran also includes two new versions of his "Gangsterism" series and they are both really great. These are definitely something to look forward from album to album. There is also a song he does on mini-piano i believe called "Moran Tonk Circa 1936" which is Moran writing a stride-ish piece of his own. The other originals are very nice as well.
This is an album of great beauty. Most artists these days are capable of understatement, but Moran does this extremely well. He is not one to overwhelm the listener with his vision and knows that each note counts. Thankfully, he does not drag any of these songs on as the longest song is under six minutes, which is quite short for any jazz album. If you are not familiar with Moran, i would say that you are in for a treat. He is at all times avant-garde, accessible, virtuosic, eclectic, and just plain excellent.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant Performance, March 25, 2007

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modernistic (Audio CD)

I picked this CD up @ a sale without previous knowledge of Moran. The price was right & the label was Blue Note; so I bumped for the buck. I enjoy piano. To me, it's such an expressive instrument, capable of such shades of emotion. I am greatly pleased with "Modernistic." Moran's solo piano set is quite a personal explosion. He fuses so many elements from Ravel to rap in an exciting mix that is quite unlike the mainstream. Yet, I find this music both accessible and exciting. "Ruf Einer Burg/It's a Fortress" is a quiet Robert Schumann piece that touches elements of strength & sadness for me. The title track is by James P. Johnson who was a splendid 1920s jazz musician that taught Fats Waller and accompanied Bessie Smith. Moran's piano races like a sprite across the keyboards on this vibrant performance. On his own "Planet Rock" Moran has electronic playbacks in a piece that sounds part tango, part tease. "Moran Tonk Circa 1936" is a joyful glance back as it sounds like something that could have been pulled off a recording from that era. "Modernistic" is a unique & delightful CD. Enjoy!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Descriptive Title, November 3, 2003

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modernistic (Audio CD)

The title says it all. These days traditional jazz is attracting very few young listeners, for whom "standards" from the "Great American Songbook" may as well be anthems played at baseball games. Jason Moran, like Brad Mehldau, has met the challenge by combining impressive chops and jazz savvy with music likely to connect with newer listeners who don't always respond to the material favored by Art Tatum, Bud Powell and Bill Evans. If the preference for "programmatic" music and the reliance on descriptive and narrative themes suggest "new age" music, the similarity ends with Moran's executions, which are inventive, frequently cerebral and even complex. And when he does take on a genuine standard, Johnny Green's "Body and Soul," he alters it just enough to insure it's accessibility. This album isn't my cup of tea, but Moran's pianism commands your respect along with his awareness of the need--for any artist who hopes to survive-- to adapt a tradition to a changing culture and listening population.