LOOK AND LISTEN

We all know the difference between a flesh-and-blood friend and a photo of that same friend. A photo can tell us many things about that person, but it cannot be that person, and none of us should confuse a human’s living presence with their mere representation.

So, too, neither a sound recording nor a video of an improvisation can be anything more than a media representation. When viewed or heard on a cell phone or the tiny speakers of a laptop computer, even the best recording will probably tell you more about the quality of the reproduction than about the art it’s supposed to be reproducing.

Please keep this in mind when you watch these videos and listen to these recordings. They can tell you no more about the real experience of a flesh-and-blood improvisation that a photograph does about your friend. And, while they are certainly useful, it’s always better to go to a concert and actually live the art.