zphage
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Edited Dec 16, 2007, 16:46
Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 16:44
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US:
Allman Brothers with Duane
Greatful Dead
Santana (MkI,MkII, MKIII)
Zappa
Hendrix
UK:
Van DEr Graaf Generator
Gentle Giant
Cream
Yes
King Crimson
Others:
Art Zoyd
Univers Zero
Taj Mah travellers
Magma
Curlew
Skeleton Crew
Agitation Free
The Necks
This is no way meant to be exhaustive but merely a starting point. Mainly I tried to stick with acts that started from rock. From there they can incorporate all musics.
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Five
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Edited Dec 16, 2007, 18:28
Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 18:26
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at risk of getting myself typecast
I'd have to add
Phish
but only from 1992-1998
and I get a lot out of
Kawabata Makoto
Neil Hagerty
Frank Zappa
Sonic Youth
Neon Brown
Tim Buckley
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IanB
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Edited Dec 16, 2007, 19:15
Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 19:06
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Are we are distinguishing between group improvisation and creative soloing within a solid framework?
Personally I think of improvisation being mainly a jazz and folk thing and also coming somtimes from classically influenced players with a baroque rather than romantic foundation.
On that basis I'd probably take Yes and Gentle Giant out of that list. Not because I don't like them (I like them a lot) but because their music was very tightly arranged. A Steve Howe solo / cadenza would change from night to night but the material was stucturally more classical than jazz so overall quite predictable for players and audience alike.
I'd have to include Can in your list judging by their live recordings. And The Pop Group / Rip Rig & Panic / Slits collective.
Coming to the present day I'd also add Mars Volta as every show I've seen / heard has offered something different from common take-off points though I don''t know how they will fare without Jon Theodore. And in the same vein Mahavishnu Orchestra deserve a mention. As do the Fairports when Swarb and Richard Thompson were in their pomp and Mattacks was driving the thing with his unique jazz/ folk playing.
My final entrant would be the John Martyn trio with Danny Thompson and John Stevens. Live At Leeds has some amazing explorations. Space folk rock.
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zphage
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Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 19:08
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How about Hatfield And North, National Health, or Henry Cow?
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IanB
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Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 19:44
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Can't rightly say. I have some of their records but were never really my cuppa.
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sakedelic
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Edited Dec 16, 2007, 21:03
Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 21:01
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much as I love them, there ain't nothin' improvised in any Art Zoyd, Univers Zero or Magma that I've ever heard. That is all composition.
The Velvet Underground era '66-'68 were the most rocking improvising band there has ever been.
Henry Cow, and Fred Frith in particular, would be second rock improv-er(s) in my book.
Can would be the close third improv group. Crimson, when they improv'd, were also rockin' occasionally.
And how 'bout an honorable mention for Throbbing Gristle? They had no idea how to play their instruments, but managed to rock fiercely off the cuff anyway.
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zphage
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Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 21:03
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Good points re Art zoyd, and Univers.
Throbbing Gristle is someone I thought of.
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sakedelic
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Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 16, 2007, 21:13
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when I think about it, H. Cow didn't really rock so hard though they could improvise some fearsome noise. Frith rocked heavily w/ Massacre though.
so my revised heirarachy of rock improvers:
VU
Can
Massacre (w/ Frith 1st LP)
Crimson
Cow
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Five
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Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 17, 2007, 00:03
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amen to
CAN
and
VU
!!
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sakedelic
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Re: Rock's Greatest Improvisers
Dec 17, 2007, 04:24
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come to think of it, none of Skeleton Crew's stuff was really improvised either, despite Frith and Cora's 'improv' creds, all that stuff was meticulously written, rehearsed and 'choreographed'.
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