Ted O'Reilly Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Clark Terry (who should be listed in the dictionary under "nice guy") I'm with you, Duaneiac... Can't believe it took this long to have CT's name turn up. I did a daily jazz radio gig for 37 years, and of course met and talked with hundreds of guys, the vast majority of whom were good to be with. Some, for their warmth, others for their smarts and wit (and sometimes even "meanness"), as we all like gossip... But the guy who was always welcome at my house was Clark, whom I remember best sitting on the floor with my two-year old daughter, talking about their imaginary friends: hers, 'Boobah', his, 'Pickles'. Clark did her the honour of letting Pickles stay at our house for vacations. I think he's still here, at least in her heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 (...) and should mention Jeff Crompton ... Here on Organissimo we tend to take our own for granted. Seconded. I met Jeff at the Pensacola jazz fest recently. A real Southern gentleman. And though I've not met Allen Lowe, he kindly made the effort to track down my phone number and then called me out of the blue when I was going through a nasty health issue to express his concern. A very kind gesture that places him squarely in the "nice guy' column. I haven't met a lot of musicians, but those I have I recall as being almost universally gracious. If you're interested in them or their music, they appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Two things I find difficult to understand; guys (really?) and it is left for me to post the obvious: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LWayne Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) William Parker Nels Cline Jason Adasiewicz Matt Wilson Michael Formanek Frank Kimbough Bill Frisell and a couple of legends (who have not been already mentioned): Randy Weston Jim Hall ...just to name a few. LWayne Edited June 1, 2014 by LWayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 (...) and should mention Jeff Crompton ... Here on Organissimo we tend to take our own for granted. Seconded. I met Jeff at the Pensacola jazz fest recently. A real Southern gentleman. Okay, this is just weird. I feel like I need to unleash a string of curses just to restore the balance of the universe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBop Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Two things I find difficult to understand; guys (really?) and it is left for me to post the obvious: (I know you're referring to the caption, but...) Unfortunately, I never saw/talked to the whole Ensemble. The first time I heard them was when Joseph Jarman was on hiatus (but Bowie was still playing); the second time was after Bowie passed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homefromtheforest Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I've met, talked to, and interviewed the following musicians over the last 20 years and all of them were very gracious and pleasant to deal with. If I had to pick one that overwhelmed me with warmth and down to earth friendliness it would be Eddie Prevost from AMM. So after Eddie it would be: Mats Gustafson Louis Sclavis John Butcher Wilbert DeJoode Han Bennink Peter Brotzmann Kenny Wheeler Barre Phillips Bobo Stenson Jon Christensen Terje Rypdal Tomasz Stanko Evan Parker Oh and a non-jazz friendly musician would be Mark Arm of Mudhoney/Green River who put me on the guest list of a sold out Mudhoney gig because he liked the vintage 1989 Mudhoney shirt I was wearing! I came up to him on the street and introduced myself and he was super cool...no "rock star" attitude whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinmce Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Lord, this thread is making me vaguely jealous. I've never really met a known musician before, or ever seen live jazz for that matter. That said, it's not really in my character to approach musicians anyways, so even if I were to catch a gig sometime, I doubt I'd say anything, or have anything to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) I assume the 'guys' of the title is used in the none-gender specific way that under 40s use the term today. Young teachers use the address 'O.K. guys, you need to quieten down now' or 'Excuse me guys but can you not dangle Stephanie out of that window, we are on the third floor.' Whether the audience are guys (in the old sense), gals or both. Having said that, I don't see many gals. Edited June 1, 2014 by A Lark Ascending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Robben Ford Eddie Higgins Louis Stewart Joshua Breakstone Royce Campbell Reg Schwager Howard Alden Joe Carter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) Over the years I met or talked to many jazz musicians who seemed to be really "nice guys". The warmest and friendliest of them all was Clifford Brown. Others who were very open and friendly were Pee Wee Russell, Henry Red Allen, Tommy Flanagan, Ray Bryant, Tommy Potter, Marian McPartland, Lee Konitz, Donald Byrd, Earl Warren, Sir Charles Thompson, Ralph Sutton, Johnny Guarnieri, Harry Sweets Edison, Johnny Griffin, Ralph Sutton, Jaki Byard, Buddy DeFranco, Sammy Price, Terry Gibbs, Scott Hamilton, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Oh, and I mustn't forget B.B.King who turned out to be not only a nice guy but a huge jazz fan. I met B.B. in a record store where he was buying everything from Louis Jordan to John Coltrane. I remember helping him find some fairly obscure Ellington albums. The only one I met from that list was Johnny Griffin and, yes, he was very easy to talk with. Nowadays it's Greg Abate who has become a good friend on his frequent visits to England. Others have also commented on what a nice guy he is. Of British musicians, Simon Spillett must take the nice guy prize for giving me a couple of albums (not by him) when I said I hadn't heard them! Edited June 1, 2014 by BillF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) Forgot to mention Kirk Lightsey, John Patitucci, Mike & Kate Westbrook and Alan Ganley. Wayne Shorter seemed friendly but didn't say a lot ! Bud Shank and Howard Rumsey were very amiable too. Never met Gerald Wilson but judging by his stage manner he must be a very nice person. Edited June 1, 2014 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 1960 Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Although I met only briefly with him, Kenny Barron seemed to be a very nice guy. Mark Feldman who runs Reservoir Records and recorded a couple of Kenny's albums assured me Kenny is a very nice guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Based on brief conversations I'd give the nod to The Bad Plus as they are all very approachable. David Berkman likewise is a genuinely nice guy. Hope he'll come to town again sometime soon. Oliver Lake and Lee Konitz were both generous with time and encourage to local musicians here. It's rare to come across grumpy guys in my experience . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) Not much of a hobnobber, even when I was writing about music on a regular basis, but I must mention the one name musician I've played with as an exceptionally nice guy: Perry Robinson and lots of local musicians here in Portland - Dover Weinberg, Carlton Jackson, Jack McMahon, Jackie from Smegma, Jennifer from Sound Sunday Pleasure, Jim Mesi, Steve Bradley, Dave Stewart, Paul Jones, Jan Celt, Peter Ford, etc.; and from the Twin Cities - Scot Fultz, Tim Duroach, all the guys from Straight No Filter and the Pettiford project. And from Saskatoon, Lee Kozak and Bill Richards (now in Edmonton). Edited June 1, 2014 by danasgoodstuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Mary Lou WIlliams, in my one brief conversation, was very relaxed and approachable. Dizzy, on the phone, once he realized I was not a complete idiot, was very open. Lenny Tristano scared the hell out of me. I was too afraid to say anything to Miles; plus, the pants he was wearing looked like a Persian rug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Based on brief conversations I'd give the nod to The Bad Plus as they are all very approachable. David Berkman likewise is a genuinely nice guy. Hope he'll come to town again sometime soon. Oliver Lake and Lee Konitz were both generous with time and encourage to local musicians here. It's rare to come across grumpy guys in my experience . Glad you mentioned David Berkman. Had a chat with him when he was in Southport with the New York Standards Quartet. A very nice guy and, what is more, he knew all about Tubby Hayes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I only remember the not-so-nice musicians, everybody else has been super cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Lenny Tristano scared the hell out of me. Was present when Lenny Tristano took a BBC interviewer to pieces. (It was Peter Ind who got me in.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Lenny Tristano scared the hell out of me. Was present when Lenny Tristano took a BBC interviewer to pieces. (It was Peter Ind who got me in.) Who was that Bill - Humph, Steve Race? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 (edited) Bob Cranshaw is a nice guy. Back in 1975, when I was head of my college's jazz concert commission, we booked Sonny Rollins. During the afternoon, after set-up and sound check, Bob asked if I wanted to take a walk with him and show him the campus. We walked and talked for maybe a half hour. He asked me questions about myself, told me about his family, said he lived on Long Island, and said I was always welcome to come visit him. He was really nice to me, a college sophomore, and I think it must extend to others. god, absolutely- met him twice many years apart, both times awesome. the recent time, i had a real complex question about "Rough 'n Tumble", i needed to know all about how he got an elec. fender bass on a blue note session, and why he didnt brick it back 3 mos later for "Hi Voltage". I also could tell by his other convo, that he is very proud of the work he did on Sesame St. Edited June 2, 2014 by chewy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gheorghe Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 I remember Horace Parlan as a very nice gentleman. And of course, James Moody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 I assume the 'guys' of the title is used in the none-gender specific way that under 40s use the term today. Young teachers use the address 'O.K. guys, you need to quieten down now' or 'Excuse me guys but can you not dangle Stephanie out of that window, we are on the third floor.' Whether the audience are guys (in the old sense), gals or both. Having said that, I don't see many gals. OK, then I feel I must mention Monday Michiru. I remember her as a very friendly and fun gal when we used to frequent the same small bar in the Roppongi area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 (edited) Lenny Tristano scared the hell out of me. Was present when Lenny Tristano took a BBC interviewer to pieces. (It was Peter Ind who got me in.) Who was that Bill - Humph, Steve Race? A bloke from BBC Yorkshire radio with an exaggerated RP accent (Lennie's laid-back hip snarl was a real contrast) and very square, as we used to say in those days. It was at the Harrogate Festival in the later 60s - one of Lennie's very rare visits to the UK. Peter Ind, who was teaching on the pioneer jazz course at Leeds College of Music, was behind the whole thing. One of my great jazz moments, I suppose. Thinking about it brings this to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uo1miqVbfE Edited June 2, 2014 by BillF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankin Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 Byard Lancaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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