Giant Steps

Courtesy of Stick. Enjoy the insanity. My favorite part of this record is how Tommy Flanagan, the pianist, basically just gives up on trying to solo over the changes and Coltrane has to bail him out.

27 Responses to “Giant Steps”


  1. 1 1 Zack

    Ah, Jazz…..so catchy and fun.

    *throws up in mouth a little bit*

  2. 2 2 michael lee

    Don’t flaunt your lack of refined taste, Zack. It’s embarrassing.

  3. 3 3 sharolyn

    In. Credible.
    LOVE IT.

  4. 4 4 Zack

    Just like Sex And The City, Republicans, Microsoft, and Harry Potter books, I just don’t “get” Jazz. There’s only a certain amount of polyphony my ears can handle…

    Recently, I had a client insist on using Miles Davis’ “Well You Needn’t” for a wedding edit. In my opinion, it completely ruined the overall feel of the piece. Obviously, the video was a completely subjective medium susceptible to tarnish by any poorly chosen song. But I’m still in awe that people listen to Jazz for enjoyment.

  5. 5 5 PortcullisChain

    That’s pretty cool, but you haven’t heard anything until you’ve heard it on the original harpsichord and pan-flute. This reminds me of something I blogged about a couple months ago which reminded me of our esteemed host.
    -PC
    http://www.portcullischain.com/2008/02/harmonica-master.html

  6. 6 6 michael lee

    I share deep kinship with anyone who is that passionate about anything, who takes their craft seriously, and themselves with a dose of good humor.

    That’s good people.

  7. 7 7 sharolyn

    It bugs me when two toys emit songs at the same time, or when the TV is on with the radio. But jazz (at least good jazz) is the opposite of everyone trying to be heard at once - getting along is a requirement. Either the musician is expressing out of freedom, or supporting/submitting to someone else’s freedom (even if that means not playing, or playing sparsely). To me they are more actively *doing the same thing* than any other genre of music.

  8. 8 8 michael lee

    What is this “playing sparsely” of which you speak? I’m unfamiliar with the concept.

  9. 9 9 June

    PC, that is Buddy Greene, of Nashville fame. About 13 years ago, I designed an entire identity line of printed pieces for him.

    Cheers to six degrees.

  10. 10 10 sharolyn

    Wow, June! You are making all kinds of connections an Addison Road.

    Mike, you are a comedian today. :)

    Zack, what’s funny to me is that “Well You Needn’t” isn’t really a wedding-y song.

  11. 11 11 zack

    believe me sharolyn, that was the least of the horrible music these idiots chose….

  12. 12 12 michael lee


    You’re talkin’ so sweet well you needn’t
    You say you won’t cheat well you needn’t
    You’re tappin’ your feet well you needn’t
    It’s over now, it’s over now

    You’re dressin’ with class well you needn’t
    You’re holdin’ your sass well you needn’t
    You think you’re a gas well you needn’t
    It’s over now, it’s over now

    It’s over now, it’s over now
    You’ve had your fun, so take a bow
    You oughta know, you lost the glow, the beat is slow, the shadows grow,
    the lights are low, it’s time to go, let’s close the show down

  13. 13 13 michael lee

    Best. Wedding Song. Ever.

  14. 14 14 PortcullisChain

    Actually, I believe the best song (at a reception….totally OT) is when the DJ brings up “Celebration” and the wedding sluts kick off their shoes, down another shot and give the best reception footage a videographer could ask for.
    -PC

  15. 15 15 zack

    whoa there, PC……

  16. 16 16 michael lee

    stay classy, Camarillo.

  17. 17 17 PortcullisChain

    Oh come on….you tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about. Every wedding I shot, there was always that person who was there to party like no tomorrow. It was usually a friend(s) of the bride who had too much to drink and too little inhibition. The only thing usually missing was the stripper pole. And no….they weren’t always female. Makes great video.
    -PC

  18. 18 18 michael lee

    we know what you’re talking about, we were just all too polite to mention it in public. But, by all means, party on Garth.

  19. 19 19 PortcullisChain

    party on wayne.

  20. 20 20 Leo

    Haha - I’ve seen Tommy Flanagan play Giant Steps beautifully with a trio - someone who knew him personally said that Tommy was rather upset about that recording because he wasn’t familiar with the changes…which is normally not a problem - but Giant Steps is THE hardest song to solo over…it’s relentless… But taking that into account - Flanagan was awesome.

    Anyway - just stumbled on this blog somehow. Cheers!

  21. 21 21 michael lee

    I mean no disrespect - Flanagan is 50x the jazz pianist I’ll ever be. I can understand how he’d be frustrated by that recording, though.

  22. 22 22 michael lee

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PukuQPUKfyU

    McCoy Tyner on the same tune. Rosy and I went to see Tyner and his trio perform at Catalina’s once, and it was the most exhausting listener experience I’ve ever had. For 50 minutes, he and the trio just put out a wall of harmonic awesomeness.

  23. 23 23 sharolyn

    (a little jealous… okay, a lot jealous)

  24. 24 24 Paul Reisser

    While I would say that Vivaldi is definitely more my cup of musical tea, watching this piece unfold on paper made me marvel at the neurophysiology involved — it’s sort of an unlikely but convincing proof of the existence of God.

  25. 25 25 michael lee

    Cue Phil to step in and present his firmly held believe that nothing in human experience is as demanding on the entire person, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, as an improvised jazz solo.

  26. 26 26 Chad

    Leo -

    You’re planting a church in NYC? That immediately makes you an Addison Roadie, as far as I’m concerned. Tell us about yourself.

  27. 27 27 Leo

    Hey Chad - thanks for the welcome… I think my first conversion was to bebop - Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans, Miles (pretty much in that order) gave me something to care about other than “me” - a beauty that had nothing practical to offer but was good in itself, and worth serving in some way…

    During college, I found something even better…in God — not the “salvation” I had heard about concerning Christianity (…of not going to hell) - but a beauty that could make even Hell itself heaven if we could just meditate on it and hear of it, think about it… So fast forward a decade or so and we’re trying to make that God-song louder with our church so that maybe other people can hear it too.

    We’re really small - meet in a rented loft near Union Square, (that’s in Manhattan, for anyone who hasn’t been)… And probably doing everything wrong from a church planting perspective - but most of our folks have never really been to church, so they don’t any better :) We’re lucky to have lots of good churches around us tho in NY… If you’re ever in our neighborhood - drop by, or drop me a note and we’ll get coffee!

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