Jimmy Heath talks about storytelling in jazz, and in ballads especially. What a great storyteller himself...
"Storytelling is gathered information from life, the way you live and what's going on with your life - you try to tell that story. So, say if for example, if I tell a student, say, ok now you're playing Ram Ramirez' song called Lover man. And I say, ok, the lyric says 'I don't know why, but I'm feelilng so sad', so if you play that (sings just the notes), you're not saying anyting! But if you say 'I don't know why, but I'm feeling sooo sad...' (sings as if spoken), you're putting in the emotional part of the lyric - you're interpreting the lyric... for what it says.
Yeah, Ben Webster, the great saxophonist, said he never played a song if he didn't know the words - as far as ballad is concerned. So, he was one of the greatest ballad players of all times - he sang the song to the people..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9LmNNnwMJo
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