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Oscar Peterson -- further thoughts


Larry Kart

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2 hours ago, mjzee said:

(This is not referring to HutchFan's comments about Kenton, which posted before I finished writing this.)

Which is why I'm happy about the relatively dispassionate tone of this thread.  As a non-musician but avid listener, I "know" the differences I hear amongst musicians, and I know what I like and don't like.  The "why" will probably always remain mysterious, being bound up in personality, attractions, and other quasi-mystical realms.  But the "how" can be discussed here.  Peterson plays a lot of notes.  So did Tatum.  But how did they differ, so that someone can like Tatum but dislike OP?  Basie played few notes; so did John Lewis.  How does Basie sound coherent, appropriate and propulsive, but Lewis (to these ears) sound simplistic and obvious?  Sonny Clark played complex chords that he'd interject at odd times; so does Herbie Hancock.  So how, in what he played, did Clark spice up a tune and help a soloist play better, while Hancock (to my ears) sound turgid and uninvolved?  Some of this can be analyzed in choice of notes, areas of emphasis, and playing style, and I like reading about that.  These are obviously areas where musicians might have a deeper understanding than listeners, and might be able to communicate those concepts more clearly.

However, I firmly believe that mere listeners can express as valid an opinion on the music as musicians.  Indeed, there is no music industry without the mere mortals buying the music, attending concerts, and expressing enthusiasms.  And musicians make better music when they play for audiences, rather than just for fellow musicians.  The audiences keep the music real.

Here's a comparison by Ray Charles and some other guy:

 

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On 3/17/2017 at 11:11 PM, medjuck said:

Yes. But I wouldn't go around telling other people not to cast them.  I'd rather spend my energy promoting art I like than putting down art I don't get. 

actually I do get OP. I just don't like it. But I understand your point.

 

by the way I love Kenton, but his daughter's allegations about sexual abuse are more than a little bit troubling.

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11 hours ago, AllenLowe said:

by the way I love Kenton, but his daughter's allegations about sexual abuse are more than a little bit troubling.

Sorry, but as this subject came up, it should be said that Recovered Memory Therapies, upon which his daughter's allegations are based, are today viewed with considerable suspicion. Families have been destroyed by such allegations and subsequent legal actions have resulted in penalties against some of the doctors concerned.

Kenton's daughter's psychiatrist, Dr. Joyce Martin, worked with RD Laing and others in London in the 60's, treating patients (including Leslie Kenton) with small doses of LSD to recover suppressed memories.

Dr. Martin has also published research (available online) claiming to have successfully cured men of homosexuality using LSD based therapies.

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (1997):

Psychiatrists are advised to avoid engaging in any "memory recovery techniques" which are based upon the expectation of past sexual abuse of which the patient has no memory. Such...techniques may include drug-mediated interviews ["truth serum"], hypnosis, regression therapies, guided imagery, "body memories," literal dream interpretation, and journaling. There is no evidence that the use of consciousness-altering techniques, such as drug-mediated interviews or hypnosis, can reveal or accurately elaborate factual information about any past experiences, including sexual abuse ...

The Science of False Memory: An Integrative Approach C. J. Brainerd, V. F. Reyna (Oxford University Press) P. 363

Q.

 

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