In a Silent Way: Bob Gluck at the American Jazz Museum

I’m ashamed to admit that last Thursday’s presentation by Bob Gluck was the first of the Riffing on the Repertoire author talks I’ve attended at the American Jazz Museum in 2016.  I’m not the only person who’s been missing out.  Only 12 people heard Gluck speak. 

Gluck’s illuminating lecture was based on his new book The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles.  A detailed analysis of a two-minute snippet of a 1967 bootleg documenting a jam between Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams deepened my appreciation of Davis’ aptitude for assembling talent.

Revelations included anecdotes about the initial resistance of Hancock and (later) Chick Corea to comply with Davis’ insistence that they plug in and Davis’ duplicitous dismissal of Ornette Coleman.  Gluck illustrated a few of his points at a keyboard and spoke of giants like Anthony Braxton in an appropriately reverent tone.  I would have gladly listened to Gluck rap all night.

The year’s Riffing on the Repertoire series concludes November 17 with Ted Gioia’s presentation about his latest effort How to Listen to Jazz.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)