Wonderful, thanks for that.
When I was studying drumming (approximately 1000 years ago) my teacher handed me Joe Morello's book "Rudimentary Drumming", wherein he adapts the 26 standard drum "rudiments" to jazz drumming. Some of the most challenging written music I ever tried to play, it required great hand/foot independence.
Also on the topic of Brubeck and his band, back in the 1970's (I think) Paul Desmond came to Toronto to record an album with guitarist Ed Bickert. A friend of my brother's was working in the studio that day, and everyone was expectant, waiting for the first meeting of these two master musicians, and wondering what they would talk about. Of course, they were also two of the most quiet and shy professional musicians you might meet. They walked into the studio, shook hands, said "Hello", sat down, played some songs, shook hands again, said "Goodbye", and left. The music was magic, but no conversational epiphanies!
I once accompanied my wife, when she covered the local music scene for the newspaper, to our one and only jazz club when Ed Bickert was playing, and she interviewed him. I had seen him play a few times (especially with Moe Koffman) and was always surprised that a jazz player used a Telecaster, so as the interview wore down I spoke up and asked him about it. The answer was that he had bought that Tele in a pawn shop for $20 a long time ago, and when he started touring he didn't want to take along his "good" guitars in case they were damaged or stolen. The more he played that guitar, the more he got used to it, and it sort of became his signature over the years, just because he was too cheap to take a "good" guitar to a gig!
One of my best Friend (and one of the best guitarist I know) do exactly the same. Even in studios.
He own in between some others a fantastic Gibson 335. He is touring with a Japanese guitar. When I asked-him why he was not using his 335 in studios, he answered-me: Anyway, the sound engineers will attempt to transform its sound in a Fender one. This way, i save their sweat.
There is an other reason why a guitarist can prefer Fender, their necks are finer, the strings closest to the touch: they are easier to play.
“So what?” was a reference to M.D. composition (free enough to use modality, closer to your liking, no?)
You are asking to what extend? Notice the comments of D.B. the most “conservative” of all.
Jazz was piutosto pericoloso political during that time (as if every form of art isn’t)
A series of steps led by the mix of Minnie and dated free…
Cab Calloway - Minnie The Moocher Lyrics | MetroLyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nknPYKw2QM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIae8TVETnU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6tW54kRfHs
(no telling where it might end up)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URcxM7s6zNE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJpOLG3wTsI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lai86ii8wP4
Thank you netzbleu for that post
George
Never liked jazz in any form, excpet for a few pieces I think everybody knows, like Dave Bruback's "Take 5". So called "fusion jazz" is death for my nervous system. Some people say Billy Cobham is a jazz artist, I do live his piece "Quadrant 4".
On the other hand, I have been blessed, I lived in a country which was the middle of the road from Europe to Asia Minor (ex Yugoslavia), so I had a lot opportunity to hear a lot of music from Italy, France, UK, Netherlands, even Germany, even rock bands from Eastern Europe, like from Hungary, they had a great band called Locomotive GT. That's when I got hung up on Gilbert Becaud, whom the French nicknamed "Monsieur 100.000 Volts", and later on other French artists, like Jacques Brel, even Demis Roussous and Nana Mouskouri, who were Greek, but lived and worked in France. And we followed a lot of Greek trends, which were generally rearranged traditional music (e.g. If I Was Rich - remember that, George?)
I still feel Waylon Jennings was a prime choice for US country, as was the one and only Johnny Cash. And I still listen to The Marshall Tucker Band.
With all that at my fingertips, there was no room left for jazz, and it was well neigh impossible to get locked into any particular genre. This made it easy to accept many an artist who was out of the usual, like Waldo de Los Rios, with his brilliant arrangements of the classics, or Hevia with his unique patented electronic bagpipes. Music still seems to me to be completely limitless, never a dull moment. It's easy to understand when you just open your ears and mind.
On the other hand, I have been blessed, I lived in a country which was the middle of the road from Europe to Asia Minor (ex Yugoslavia), so I had a lot opportunity to hear a lot of music from Italy, France, UK, Netherlands, even Germany, even rock bands from Eastern Europe, like from Hungary, they had a great band called Locomotive GT. That's when I got hung up on Gilbert Becaud, whom the French nicknamed "Monsieur 100.000 Volts", and later on other French artists, like Jacques Brel, even Demis Roussous and Nana Mouskouri, who were Greek, but lived and worked in France. And we followed a lot of Greek trends, which were generally rearranged traditional music (e.g. If I Was Rich - remember that, George?)
I still feel Waylon Jennings was a prime choice for US country, as was the one and only Johnny Cash. And I still listen to The Marshall Tucker Band.
With all that at my fingertips, there was no room left for jazz, and it was well neigh impossible to get locked into any particular genre. This made it easy to accept many an artist who was out of the usual, like Waldo de Los Rios, with his brilliant arrangements of the classics, or Hevia with his unique patented electronic bagpipes. Music still seems to me to be completely limitless, never a dull moment. It's easy to understand when you just open your ears and mind.
I've never got the 'mothball' approach to better playing/sounding instruments. My philosophy is, no matter whether studio or live or rehearsal, it's best to play the instrument you love to use - you become accustomed to it and its idiosyncrasies - and what you love ends up being what you choose to use and vica versa. Then I figure it's best to use even rare instruments if they do play and sound 'better', that's what they are for.
Besides, one never really owns a fine instrument, one just looks after it for the next player. Might as well play the thing, it's only on loan to you for a time.
Charles Mingus has some great quotes, and his musical legacy isn't bad either.
Besides, one never really owns a fine instrument, one just looks after it for the next player. Might as well play the thing, it's only on loan to you for a time.
Charles Mingus has some great quotes, and his musical legacy isn't bad either.
When the great Peter Mulvey was here for a quick informal recording session in my library, he was talking about the relation between the instrument and the player. He felt that the songs were in the guitar, and all he did was let them out. My response was that, if this is true, I have two of the lousiest guitars in the world.
Easy, because that big band stuff became boring beyond belief.
We had a music journalist/writer here, with a tendency to finish an article by squealing about his most (only) beloved big band.
(embrace the freedom, it's characterised by cultural/personal differences. hail to the prince of darkness)
It seems to me that it has nothing to do with big band or little trios. Just an attempt to destroy all the used harmonic structures in music. Like abstract art in painting. The same phenomena had touched classical music as well, with the dodecaphonic or "musique sérielle" attemps: (Schönberg, Stockhausen, Boulez, Barraqué, Luigi Nono, Milton Babbitt, Józef Koffler…).
Bad weather for flies. And obviously, for music, a failure in terms of art history ?
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There was an awfully lot of great music from some of the people you quote above. No failure at all, unless you fail to appreciate it. One of the effects of recorded music is to allow the public to stagnate and not move with the times. I don't necessarily like some of the music either (and I detest much of Wagner), but some of it is undeniably excellent and extraordinary, including some of the works I don't like much. The second (or third) Viennese school (most of the composers you cited) may have committed many sins, but there was some truly excellent music that come out of it.
Music is always technical/social/cultural/political. As any art form, throughout the ages. (the lit. history teacher I had was an ace)
Yes I fail. But, as I said, I don't consider myself like an arbiter of style ;-)
Go figure, I love Debussy, I don't like so much Ravel and cannot understand how can somebody put them together on the same record as editors often do.
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That sounds backward to me. Fenders have a longer scale length than a Gibson (25-1/2" vs 24-3/4"), which increases tension for the same gauge strings tuned to the same pitches. Fenders also tend to have smaller frets, especially the older ones. Having worked for years at a Fender and Gibson retailer, I've played literally hundreds of each as well as Paul Reed Smith, Martin, Taylor, and basically every other major brand you can think of. All else being equal, a reasonably well-fettled 335, LP, SG, etc. will generally be an easier guitar to play than any Fender due to scale length differences.
I'm curious - do you play?
I'm not a guitarist. But as a sound engeneer, i had many friends that are, some building their own guitars and listen to what they said, that the fretboard of the fenders are more agreeable.
So, please, take my words with a pince of salt.
You are true on the scale length. Is this not compensated by the fact that most of the gibson players prefer stronger gauges for their strings, because they like the deep bluesy sound of Humbucker mics, while fender's players prefer often brilliant sounds, means lighter gauge ? And the fretboard is wider on 335.
About frets, don't a thinner fret requires less finger pressure ?
I have no real experience by myself, and always admire the easy way, looking like effortless, guitarists are able to play, when it asks so much physical efforts from me ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwGHaKbnoL8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOn4AsqQSP0
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A great guitar player will have his favorite guitar and many times will have those that have a specific tone they like modified to their liking. Lowering the strings is done often on guitars, obviously you can only go so low before the strings will start to buzz but it is done all the time. New frets can be installed and shaved. Electric guitarist change the pickups to what they like, it goes on to whatever level you want.
It is funny to hear people say they don't like jazz music and then they will sight some rock bands. Well some of the very popular bands used jazz horn players and others to get those sounds. Go back and listen to Jethro Tull, The Band, Blood Sweet & Tears, it goes on and on. Without the sound of those jazz players much of this music wouldn't exist. I know some of the jazz is harder to listen to, or actually takes real listening and not just listening to the beat but it just appears that jazz can be to complex for some, it isn't something you lightly listen to as it can be quit complex and take some real attention. I love Brazilian jazz though I often have no idea what the signers may be singing, it just sounds right. Big bands had their sounds and some of the early jazz was some of the best. Freeform jazz can be good, great or sometimes just a freeway crash of sounds that are just disjointed, but even there it is not usually without a direction. Some is truly just noise, but that would be the outlier for most of this music.
It is funny to hear people say they don't like jazz music and then they will sight some rock bands. Well some of the very popular bands used jazz horn players and others to get those sounds. Go back and listen to Jethro Tull, The Band, Blood Sweet & Tears, it goes on and on. Without the sound of those jazz players much of this music wouldn't exist. I know some of the jazz is harder to listen to, or actually takes real listening and not just listening to the beat but it just appears that jazz can be to complex for some, it isn't something you lightly listen to as it can be quit complex and take some real attention. I love Brazilian jazz though I often have no idea what the signers may be singing, it just sounds right. Big bands had their sounds and some of the early jazz was some of the best. Freeform jazz can be good, great or sometimes just a freeway crash of sounds that are just disjointed, but even there it is not usually without a direction. Some is truly just noise, but that would be the outlier for most of this music.
Is it not something strange with its neck , comparing with original 335 ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iQzIznn3fw
About what you said about rock'n roll and Jazz bands, i am with you. Never made such a difference or understud why some are classified in one category instead of the other. Carlton, Brecker Brothers are in near all the west coast albums. All my friends musicians around love to listen and play any kind of music. And all love to play the blues.
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Fenders are relatively easy to play. I got my Fender Stratocaster (used) in 1958, and played it in a rock and roll band while in high school. I also had a Vega guitar that was beautifully made in the '30's but it was harder to play, much for the same reasons Esperado mentioned. I sold both in the early 60's, and always missed the Strat since. The 'sound' of a guitar was always important to me, and I have played a number of 'disappointments' both classical, 12 string, and electric. Two of my best guitars were stolen from me, and one (Martin) was destroyed in the firestorm of 1991. I never could replace a really good sounding guitar, and pretty much gave up trying after the firestorm.
(Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer slings at jazz, or arm against it, it's the coke pusher of contemporary crackheads)
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