Jim Baker is a brilliant jazz pianist you've probably never heard of, unless you live in Chicago or you're a pretty rabid fan of free jazz. My own appetite for free jazz is pretty limited, but Jim just knocked me out the first time I heard him. He's very intense, which is a lot of his appeal for me. I love to see people completely absorbed in their creative process, even if I don't have a clue what the hell they're doing. It's as if the soul becomes visible for as long as the trance lasts. Dave, who knew Jim during our Chicago years, sent me a link to a video interview with Jim that gives you a real sense of his passionate obsession with music, and his sense of humor about it. Click here to go to a page where you can download the interview in your choice of Quicktime or Windows Media.
This Youtube vid is from a performance at the Velvet Lounge in Chicago in 1999. Jim's playing is a lot more straight-ahead here:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment