fasstrack

Show me the person who wouldn't get a laugh out of it and I'll show you a corpse.

I gotta write this while it's fresh and before I die laughing. And I swear it's 100% true. I just heard it on the 11 o' clock news: The Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, had a fund-raiser for underprivileged kids. He has this fundraiser every year and I think it's called Child of Mis-fortune, because they have it in a Chinese restaurant and the wrap-up is that they give out fortune cookies at the end to put every one in a good mood, etc., right? But this year there was a fuckup. Everything went according to plan and Markowitz was looking forward to the highlight, the people opening their humorous fortune cookies----which, as usual, he proudly picked out. So a guest pulls him aside and says "Er, Marty. Did you see these fortune cookies?" "See them? I picked them!" So he looks at them, and they're all risque to dirty jokes in there. Shit like "you sexy thing. I can't wait". Turns out there was a mixup and Markowitz's party got cookies meant for a bachelor party. (Probably they got his). Needless to say, both had a shitty party. Markowitz, in the interview, was pretty good-humored, saying "Next year it's gonna be fresh fruit". But the part that had me doubled over and still does is when they mentioned the name of the party food company that fucked up (on my honor): THE HA HA FOOD COMPANY!!

Except Herbie on "Speak Like a Child" and "The Prisoner". And speaking of Herbie... ...how about Wayne for this thread?? The tunes he wrote for Miles sure are incredibly distinctive, as as nearly all of his other tunes (at least in the 60's - I'm less familiar with his tunes after about 1970). Same with Herbie, for that matter. I believe those charts were done not by Herbie but Thad Jones. Herbie's tunes, though. Correct me if I'm wrong. Don't think I am, though.

They took my debit card. And delivered in one day. BTW: I answered your query about Sam Brown earlier in the thread. Since you didn't comment I figure you missed it. Or not....

It's just $16, for chrissakes! And it came the next day! Luke Kaven delivered it himself, CD in mouth and tongue and tail wagging. OK, I made the last part up. (But let's face it, we're all friends here, a broke-ass indie label? it was like GEEZ. A CUSTOMER. I'M WETTING MYSELF!)). I'd turn that hunger to my advantage. Er,...wait a minute. I did.....

Tank-a-you fellas. Nice to know people care. To BirdandDizzy: I tried to answer your PM but it wouldn't send (speaking of aggravating websites So thank you also.

What he said. Hey Joe. Joel Fass here. I may get down to the upper peninsula this summer.

It's a sad story. I knew him a bit when I was just 'out the crib'. He was a tormented guy, though a nice, soulful one. Drugs and drink and then getting crossed signals from AA types who said no drugs and shrinks who gave him industrial strength Thorazine. He wound up offing himself in a way so gruesome I won't divulge it out of respect to his memory. A fucking classic nightmare. But he was a very original, soulful player. He did some things on nylon string guitar that were uniquely him. But the externals clouded/shut down his capabilities. Also, he's another guy on a million dates that never showed what he could do. I didn't know him as well as Eddie, but he was tight with another guitar player friend of mine and I heard him a bunch in the late 70s. We played once when I was a kid, too. The stuff with Keith Jarrett, the little I admittedly heard, don't make his case at all (though they're good records). I think one thing he did with the Dave Matthews big band came close to what he sounded like.

I am guessing JohnS meant this should be in the artists or new releases category versus album of the week. Anyway, thanks for the info - didn't he play on a Hank Mobley album in the late 60s? 1970. "Thinking of Home". He also worked (with the late Sam Brown also on guitar) and maybe recorded with Miriam Makeba. I'll ask him. There are some other nice dates that I think show Eddie off better than on that Hank record, although it's nice. I like an Al Haig record called "Manhattan Memories". Nice solo on Cedar Walton's "Something in Common" and Al featured him on "My Little Brown Book". That's probably next to impossible to find, but it really sounds like the Eddie I know---and we played together for like 20 years. There are also some McDuff things where he's buried and you can't tell what he can do. Eddie's a quiet player. I think the date that this thread is about is really his best. Hank and Mickey really read his mind and the little bit of trading with hank is really a lovely, swinging conversation among wise men. I know he's proud of it.

Did y'all hear Benny Golson's story about that tune? Probably, but it's pretty funny: He says so many times a melody came to him in a dream or while half asleep and he would say "That's good, I gotta write that down in the morning". Of course he would never remember it and it would be lost in the ether. So one day a melody came to him and he said "this time I'm writing it down. Now". He got up and went to his studio, jotted the tune down and went back to bed. Next morning he wakes up and goes to check it out. He had written down the verse to "Stardust"......

There are certain tunes which would be almost criminal to do without the verse. "Spring can Really Hang You up the Most" comes to mind. The verse is such a strong setup for the story and the lyric, melody and changes are so perfect and perfectly interdependent that I've almost never heard it done without the verse (the one exception was Barbra Streisand on the Tonight Show, early 60s. But they were dealing with tight time restraints. On the other hand "My Foolish Heart" has a beautiful 8 bar verse that's practically never done. Tony Bennett did it with Bill Evans on their first collaboration. I think "Young and Foolish" gets short shrifted too, speaking of titles with 'foolish' in them (not to mention foolish acts).

Why not? Should I move it to another category? Help me out. I want people to get this CD, it's good.

I just wanted to put this out here because I know y'all are jazz listeners of discriminating tastes. Eddie Diehl, one of my oldest friends and a definite mentor on my instrument (guitar---and not just to me) at the ripe age of 69 finally has a date out under his name. Musicians in the know around NY have long known Eddie as one of the most relaxed and swinging guitarists. His style and ideas are his own, too, though right down Bebop Lane. He recorded as a sideman with Jack McDuff, Hank Mobley, and Al Haig among others. Well, at long last the recalcitrant Mr. Diehl (I used to call him the Garbo of jazz guitar) was corralled into studio and the results made me smile. With Hank Jones as senior partner (and John Webber, bass; Mickey Roker, drums) real, mature, swinging jazz is played here. Eddie is one of those players who burn on a low flame and speak, not scream, highly intelligent thoughts. Hank Jones is, well, Hank Jones. If you're looking for edgy, 'innovative' stuff maybe go to the next CD. But if you want to groove and feel some of life's special feelings get this. You won't be sorry and with more music like this in the world we might just stand a chance. Title: Eddie Diehl with Hank Jones: "Well, here it is" Order online at: www.lineagerecords.com

I don't know, I never got much out of books. I'm bandstand-educated like most musicians. Find better players who are also nice people to kick your ass and inspire you. I approached Chuck Wayne when I was like 20 and Jimmy Raney a few years later. I'm sure glad I did. Also played, almost daily in the beginning with Eddie Diehl for over 20 years. That's how I learned, and i absorbed some of those guys' concepts (especially Jimmy and Eddie---they were much more what I wanted in my own playing, though Chuck was absolutely beautiful with me, completely giving and generous, and one of the greatest guitarists to pick up the instrument. He was involved after years of study and thought with the guitar as an end in itself. I just wanted to get into music and never minded taking the hit from guitarists who thought my technique less than stellar. Hell, I agree). Now I'm becoming my own man, or trying anyway. It takes a long time. I'm almost 50. However, as pedagogical materials go, there are some fine ones out there. Johnny Smith's comprehensive method is just that. It's a very good way to learn get around the instrument and harmony, too. Also, he's one of the few players thoughful and bright enough to see the obvious: guitar's lowest note is a concert E one ledger line below the bass clef---and as such, guitar music makes much more sense written on two staves. Also, there are some intermediate Aebersolds that are OK. The blues one sounds just on the level you need. But I recommend much more practicing with records. If you look at it right it's almost like communing with the spirits of the greats. Get something with a burning rhythm section. Put on a Basie record and Freddie Green along with Freddie Green. Trade 4s with Bird. Comp for Carmen. Best yet, I repeat: there's no substitute for human bandstand interaction. Find some good players. Pick their brains. Ask to sit in-----ONLY in situations where it's cool. (in other words, be sensitive to what's happening and what the musicians may be going through, and how deep the water is). Musicians, by and large, are among the most giving and generous people on earth---especiallyif they see you're talented, or even sincere. Just be humble. Hope it helped some. All the best.

Hell, Nick looks like a geisha in that robe. A very confused geisha.

Maybe that's what we should be talking about: how to milk that bad boy and get in on this and make some of those ducats. Hear that composers?javascript:emoticon('')

Yeah, those are all good points. At this stage I still have to make my name. In terms of jazz composition, there's one well-known Grammy winning saxophone player that has played some of my pieces (and those of a friend who's also a good writer)----but hasn't recorded anything (which, obviously would be a big help). And I'm not gonna push him. He's a big boy, and staying in his face will only annoy, or even make an enemy out of him. He's a hero and getting the time of day from this guy, let alone him even reading through my things is important personal validation. I'm thrilled to have it, needless to say. But until somebody like that records something it's not professional validation, and I don't have to tell you there's a big difference. Those recording credits come in handy (though still are no guarantee of work). They're positives. So the plan is to keep developing material for myself and becoming a good interpreter of it playing, while continuing to cast a net over the people I would like to have play the things. But this was a watershed year for me personally in that I really found my voice, and that's songwriting (as opposed to writing 'jazz ditties', though I'll continue to do that). I really want to pursue that. Writing tunes is something I've just always been able to do. I love doing it, more than arranging, to tell you the truth. Writing lyrics was a rude awakening---very humbling. I got into it recently and got my ass kicked. Well, I knew going in that you don't suddenly become a lyricist. It takes as many years as doing anything well does. But I want to take the ball and run with it now, find some singers looking for material, showcase, do whatever it takes. I also feel strongly that there's a need for good songs in life. So there is a spiritual component to it, too. If that sounds corny or pretentious I don't think it really is. Good songs make life at least more bearable, and at best do a great deal more than that. The payoff, if there is one, will be down the road. And I figure people will be led to the playing through the writing. And I may get lucky with a tune. All it takes is one. Know what I mean? That's my plan, anyway. But generally, people have to know what resources are available. When I mentioned ASCAP I was talking not about their possibly ignoble royalty collection, but the programs they have for writers. All of us, regardless of where we are in the business, would be fools not to take full advantage of whichever PROs we're members of. And I still put the question to anyone to please come forward with info on SESPAC or any of the others. Even if they mostly suck, we need to find whatever good there is and run with it. Self-sufficiency is the stuff of survival, and in a brutal racket like composing we need all the help we can get.

I'm a guitarist, actually. We've been known to accompany singers----though the lesser ones that are unfortunately in the majority on the work scene seem to think we're invisible on the stand when there's a piano player there. Regardless of the quality of said piano player. Such is life. As long as they pay me..... I don't think L.A. is for me. New York is tough enough. At least you can starve and play jazz here, though. If if moved it would be to a smaller city with less musicians where there's still a viable scene. People mention Portland a lot. I thought of Philly, Washington, or even Atlanta, since I'm an East Coaster. I guess I'll hunker down here for a while, though, and follow up on some things I've started. But here in NY ASCAP has a showcase for songwriters and you can go there and get stuff heard. They also have some other activities I want to look into, like a collaboration service (they find you lyricists). They distribute grant money, too---but within certain guidelines. I was curious if anyone was a member of SESPAC or any other performing arts assns.---and if they are worth joining. There's something called the Songwriter's guild that looks after royalties and also has a workshop. I tried it out and it wasn't for me, though I got some good constructive feedback. There's got to be a way people who are trying to write quality, non pop dreck music---that still has a market, even if small--- can help each other. I'm gonna keep hammering away at it on this thread and maybe eventually we will find each other.

I read your bio, Phil. It's good you played for good singers. Probably wrote for them too, no doubt. That's a whole other part of the business and in my estimation can separate the men from the boys. I'd like to play for a good singer again. Last one (of the caliber I'm talking about) was Hadda Brooks, from the West coast. She died a few years ago, and was wonderful. I'll remember the way she did "The Thrill is Gone" for the rest of my life. I know it seems like I got off my own topic, but actually singers are great people to write for. It's something I want to do more and more. They're often looking for new material, and if you write tunes and lyrics (or work with a good lyricist) you can get stuff sung and make money from it. You just have to hang in, like with anything else.

I'd watch out for #666, though. I heard he's a real pip.

I bought Cubase in 1995 and never wound up using it. It wasn't very good back then as a dedicated scoring tool. You had to play things in and I just wanted to write lead sheets. Of all of them I like Sibelius best and will probably be getting that. I have to do something because my parts look less and less good the more I write and the tireder I get. Presentation is everything to me, playing or writing. If you hand someone a part that looks like crap they may play it like crap because they figure you don't care. But I'm much more interested in talking to composers about composing and songwriting itself, and which writers we admire and why. I've been more involved with writing tunes in recent years than pieces for larger ensembles (though I've been hearing music lately live that has been inspiring me to get off my ass and write for the big band after 15 or so years, and a friend has a nonet I'll probably write something for. They're such good players I can't resist). I love it and feel it's not easy to write good tunes. The world can't have too many. I think the good writers know who each other are and eventually find each other. That's what I was hoping to do here. I realize also it's a relatively small community. I also play (guitar) and take that as seriously, if not more, because you guys know what it's like to play----or not, and have your chops rot and your confidence head for a border town. Register this with the Bureau of the Obvious: Music is a lot of work. But I've been doing a bit of analysis lately of the great scribes of the last century, especially the great Broadway and film songwriters. I taped Oklahoma when it was on recently and really pulled apart Rodgers' use of delayed resolutions. For example, one of his favorite devices is writing a #5 against a major chord (let's say D# over a G chord) and waiting till the last possible second to resolve it to D against a D7, or whatever else he does. (This was also done to great effect in the tune "Ruby". I forget who wrote that one. Anybody?). An example of a #5 rubbing against a major chord from Oklahoma is "Out of my Dreams" (he really twists the intervals against the changes masterfully in that one). That tune is also a classic example of delayed resolution in the way he also uses a b5 and resolves to the 5th at the last half beat. (If anyone's interested, Alec Wilder discusses this tune in his chapter on Rodgers in the American Popular Song). Taken with lyrics this kind of thing creates suspense in the listener's ear. They don't realize it, but their ears are being bent and they're dying to hear how it turns out. That's what good writing is to me, getting the listener to go on your ride with you. And one way to do it is avoiding the obvious (delaying the inevitable?) like Rodgers does. You can say that this is tame stuff, and jazz or other type writers take it more out than a little alteration on a major chord, but to me that's not the point. Intervals have a pronounced psychological effect on listeners. I'm sure of this. In Baroque music Bach is master of this game. He'll have notes bumping into each other in counterpoint and you don't know what the hell is going on till it reckons out a few beats or a bar later. It's the kind of stuff that keeps me up nights! Anyway, those are the kinds of things I had in mind. Writing, writers, exchanging info on getting our stuff heard. Like that. Thanks for reading and participating.

I'd like to alert people to Brookmeyer's current activities: I watched him rehearse the Germany-based New Art Orchestra last Tuesday and heard them perform Sat. at the IAJE. They'll be hitting at the Vanguard in a few minutes. For me, as a composer, Brook's mastery of orchestral color, his surging swing figures, his pastel and slowly unfolding ballad writing, and so many more things (especially the low-key yet intensely focussed way he conducts and corrects) were a revelation and very inspiring. He tries and brings off so many things. And the guys are crackerjack, walking through demanding doubling as in a park. And Brook himself sounds like wine. His sound gets darker and deeper all the time and he still gets up for it. Naturally enough, he's one of the more compositional improvisors out there but also one of the best at wrapping his sound around a melody. If they should pass through your town, pounce. The guy's a visionary. At 72 (73?) he's one of the youngest people in music.

Bad bass player might be worse---though it's neck-in-neck for the lamest music-killer acievement awards. Bad drummers can bang all all the possiblity of music into a jerry-built coffin of cacophony (hey---that's not bad, alliteration and all!) and be pushy and leading without being 'asked' (by what's going on in the music), play busy or rush or drag. But they can't also screw up the harmony (except metaphorically speaking). Bass players overplaying and playing wrong chords or bad time---the geometric possibilities for ruining an evening are limitless. But whatever.

What's a Alby Cullaz? Never heard of "The Flip". Whazzat?

Well, 'a bass player is death' can be true----'cause the suckers cancel on you a lot! Ha! Yeah, it's murder when the fuckup is in the rhythm section. As was pointed out, you can bring along a bad singer or single note player. You can try to establish the time or hold someone back (or push them forward) by simply indicating it, but if someone won't listen all you get are ulcers. Also, unfortunately, overplaying goes together with rushing because nervous players do both. Sometimes if you feel out the person and they are cool and can take constructive criticism you can have a talk on break. Yelling at someone is no good and only hurts and creates resentment. But talking should be doable with reasonable people when it's to help the gig. I remember one time I was playing a gig and the bass player actually had to leave before the job ended. The drummer was bit of a nervous player who picked up tempos and played a lot of unnecessary things around the drums like triplets that weren't called for by the music. So the bass player split and since there was no piano I was playing bass on the guitar with chords. But this drummer didn't change his playing to the new situation, like a seasoned cat would. Left a big hole. Everything was top-heavy, no bottom to speak of. Just loud, rushy triplets from the drum chair. So I asked him politely if he wouldn't mind playing some simple time on the ride cymbal to work with me and center the thing. He did seem hurt, but he adjusted and it worked out OK. Sometimes you can straighten someone out the way you've been straightened out by better players than you when you're the one fucking up.