ABC ABC Jazz

One other point relevant to this issue, Warne Marsh apparently was born on the West Coast, but as I understand it, only spent a very limited time there.

Hello K.C.Marsh and thankyou for your interesting insights regarding Warne Marsh.
I agree with many of your comments including the fact that he certainly did have a passion to be a great improvisor, which he certainly was whilst employing a heavenly sound. Yes, he could swing too, but to me and a few others with whom I've discussed this issue, he was frequently pretty cerebral as were his esteemed cohorts including Lennie Tristano. Their sound itself was 'cool' too in comparison to other greats of that day including Coltrane and Rollins - whether Tristano and co were influenced by 'cool' as such remains open to question as like all top musicians, their ears would have been wide open to anything.
I agree Lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh weren't from the West Coast, nor did I say so in my comment.
You may be interested in checking out what Richard Cook says about Warne Marsh in his Jazz Encyclopedia.(Penguin Books; 2005.)
Quote:
"He played long, intensely relaxed lines in a buffed grey tenor tone which deliberately eschewed any kind of extravagance of timbre or rhythmical idiosyncrasy : it was a paradigm of 'linear' improvisation, nothing on show for its own sake and every potential emotional outburst suppressed in favour of a coolly effective whole."
I welcome and respect your opinions K.C. - jazz is a highly democratic art form - but my views are more akin to those of Richard Cook. Best wishes re your documentary work - hope to see it upon completion.

I love the comments but have to make one annotation: Warne Marsh had nothing to do with the Cool School other than he lived on the West coast for a time and may have, from time to time, played with someone who was associated with that. Lennie Tristano was not from the West Coast and not influenced by "Cool" at all.

I'm currently working on a documentary about Warne and this is one of the biggest misconceptions. Warne was one of the most dedicated and talented improvisers on the Tenor saxophone ever. Most who are intimately familiar with his music over the years put him up there with Lester, Coltrane and Parker. He was never cerebral and always swung. His tone was unique and I theorize, because it was not a copy of any of the other greats on tenor, people looked at his pedigree and said, "that must be the Cool sound". For the most part Warne was not concerned about tone and especially like sounding like anyone. His deepest passion was to be a truly great improviser. To that end the instrument was merely the tool he used. If you're looking to associate him with anyone it should be Lester Young and Charlie Parker. Not because he sounds like them, but because it was their musical legacy and the incredible teachings of Lennie Tristano that formed him into the musician he was.

Certainly if you listen to all of his recordings what you'd come away with was an often incredibly sensual, beautiful, swinging sound with the occasional and momentary moments of dissonance that come from an improviser who's improvisational vocabulary was far and beyond what most musicians were capable of, musically and rhythmically.

Amazing!!!!

Warne Marsh and the "Cool School" brigade were certainly a group of intriguing musicians. Their take on improvisation hasn't always appealed to everybody - it could be pretty cerebral - yet Marsh, Tristano and their like certainly provided a fascinating contrast stylistically with other more gritty, emotional improvisers of the day. I for one, adore the sound of Lee Konitz's alto. I strongly recommend all jazz lovers give this music a fair hearing and decide for themselves. I'll be tuning in for sure!