AllenLowe

but as Freud once said, "sometimes a trumpet is just a trumpet..."

well, Frank recorded with Sweets Edison, a great swing-era trumpeter - and Nance was a great swing-era trumpeter - so there we have our connection -

and you haven't lived 'till you've been punched out by Jilly Rizzo -

my new set is actually different than the American Pop set - this new set goes with my semi-released book on Jazz history 1900-1950 - on a different note I would be wary of all these collections coming out - there's so much bad info and mastering that I would want to sample them first -

"I think what Lon is saying is that he has trouble getting past that pose." well, this speaks to an old issue, as in "why can't the artist I admire be a nicer guy?" But just as Ben Webster abused women and Bill Evans was a complete and utter mess personally, such arguments are irrelevant to the actual accomplishments of the artist. The point is that, for many performers, the only place in their lives that is under control and personally focused is the form of creation - music, or painting, or novels, etc etc. Frank was a complicated guy but the thing that worked for him was the music -

well, if you can wait - the CD box that's supposed to accompany my book is supposed to be out by the Fall (though I can't swear by that) - will be 36 CDs covering 1900-1950.

I would just like to add something here - I love jazz bios but I wish people would write them who know how to write bios - most of what I read (notable exception - Mikes book on Gryce) - reads like undigested research - other exceptions: Szwed on Miles and Sun Ra - biography is a special skill and discipline, and few who write in the field of pop/jazz seem to possess those - (must also mention Chris Albertson and Bessie Smith!) -

I actually found the guitar album disappointing - like most rock guitarists Zappa relies on patterns and scales in lieu of actual improvisation, and it's a little tiresome -

if it doesn't violate any rules, and I can find the damn thing, I'd be happy to make a CDR - I'll look around this weekend -

find the Boulez-conducted LP/CD of Zappa's compositions, as well - I saw this band in their prime (ca. 1969) and they were astounding - precise and wild, a real rock and roll show, in spite of Zappa's protestations - I always thought, though he professed contempt for the rock and roll audience, that Zappa was, in reality, very deeply ensconced in that tradition, along with the blues - listen to his early guitar playing in a T-Bone Walker vain- when I saw them they were nothing short of amazing. The highlight was Zappa's introduction of Sam the Sham, who was in the audience; he brought him on stage where they did a letter-perfect version fo Wooly Bully - greatest band I ever saw, jazz or otherwise -

that's the one - thanks!

now if only I can find that Buddy Bolden cylinder at the next yard sale...

hey Jazzbo - we do agree on one thing - I love Nance's playing and consider him to be the most soulful jazz violinist who ever lived -

wait - are you agreeing that he has a right to disagree, or that Frank sucks?

I would add a few things, which I hope are relevant and which you probably already know - work within your lmitations, don't necessarily compare yourself to other musicians - find what you do best and than do it. Doesn't necessarily have to be great technique or high notes or speed, but EXPRESSION- and than m, document your playing when you are ready -

Frank (only his friends can call him that) was the best pop singer of the 20th century, no question about it - if you can't hear that....well, than, we shall politely disagree vehemently - though you might ask Lester Young what HE thought -

just found this thread - don't think it's been mentioned but somewhere I have a copy of her country and western album - nice record, and when I spoke to her a few years ago she did not even own a copy herself -

you think the cover's bad, wait'll you hear the music -

"While the Tristano "influence" was certainly present, there was more rhythmic diversity" - a common misconception, I believe - the real Tristano stuff is quite rhythmically complex -

yeah, it's kinda flaccid -

and note that I did not say he was ONLY a follower, not a leader, but MORE a follower than a leader - check out, eg, Allan Holdsworth's 1968 British recordings -

oh, probably something he heard on the radio - at this point he was way behind the curve -

well, I would argue that the early Columbia years were the innovative ones - the fusion stuff was more Miles the follower than Miles the leader - now, everbody, yell at me -

well, this place can make you a little gun shy -

Spielberg's filmmaking in movies like this (and Sgt Ryan) reminds me of the comments a piano player friend made about a saxophonist years ago - the pianist described the saxophonist by saying"he swings but he has no brains," meaning he had few good musical ideas - well, Spielberg is a genius film maker but he does not have the intellect to match, IMHO -