Soul Stream

Hey Jim, what do you think that box is on the side?

A friend of mine coincentally gave me a copy of the Lloyd from vinyl....without knowing anything about it, I thought the drummer was Billy Higgins (one of my favorites). Usually not a huge Tony Williams fan (I know I'm an idiot) but love what he plays on the Lloyd date.

Musicians I know just put CDs out themselves. For the most part, we're all just trying to sell CDs from the bandstand, a few in local record shops, CD Baby and a website. I think that's 99% of the "record industry" these days for most working musicians. Nothing wrong with that. However, there's a few things record companies can/did do that we can't...mainly tour support...money to buy ads....pay pr people to get those articles written...ect. Doin' it yourself is great, but limited imho. Tony Monaco had a good in depth interview in an online B3 players magazine where he describes sinking a ton of his own money paying a pr person to get articles written about him in all the major jazz magazines and it worked. He said, sadly, most independent musicians don't have that kind of cash to do that and he felt lucky. He said without it, he wouldn't have a career right now basically. It really jump-started it for him. Also, a local sax player friend of mine just did a CD himself, nothing special....but paid a lawyer in the music biz $2,000 (more than it cost to make the record) to promote it and now his band is going on a European tour. Go figure.

I love to see guys like Mark Elf and Tony Monaco taking matters into their own hands and putting out their own music. "Oh, no one else will put it out or give me a fair deal....screw it, I'll do it myself." It's a lot of hard work and there aren't too many musicians who are willing to put in that kind of commitment when it's not directly linked to their instrument. But, here's the news, it's directly linked to whether you'll have a career or not! Mark Elf rules, great player, great do-it-yourselfer-fuck-the-industry-guy.

I have no anwsers, except to say that's pretty freaky....one 12AU7 tube and that box on the side....never seen anything like it before. That said, these 122s get some pretty wild modifications over the years. My guess is that it has something to do with the footswitch being jammed in there. My advice would be to take just the amp (don't lug the whole thing down) to the local hammond repairman and ask him what's up....

Yeah, I'm ready for this guy to do an organ record. Although he is on an Eric Neimeir(sp?) record with Tony Monaco I think. And his first recording ever was "Live at Pauls Mall: Groove Holmes and Jimmy Mcgriff"

They'll find out where it is once they reinstate the draft.

Jim, percentage-wise how much of the direct sound of the organ do you suppose you used in the final mix of the Terry Gibbs live in the studio recording? Thanks for the responses!

Jim, I should have know you were involved in the Terry Gibbs live in the studio recording. Great sounding CD, one of my favorites of the last few years. You've got golden ears when it comes to the Hammond B3. Question: How "hands on" is Joey Defrancesco when it comes to getting his B3 sound in the studio. Seems like he would have pretty solid ideas about how he wants it done. True? And speaking of vibes....ever work with Bobby Hutcherson?

That's a good observation. I mean, you can fly around on the instrument, guys like Rosolino, Watrous, & Ray Anderson have proved that, and I dig Anderson big lots, Rosolino quite a bit, & Watrous I respect. But yeah, you gotta work harder on the bone to do what's already hard. There's definitely other ways to approach the instrument, ways that are more "intrinsic" to the nature of the instrument, and overall, it's the cats who hit it that way that I tend to gravitate towards. Just like I tend to prefer bass player who play a bass like a bass rather than a like a guitar. It's all good, ya'know, but I do have my personal preferences. Sue me. The thing I've always dug about Grachan's playing and writing is the high degree of specificity, the total lack of superfulousness. And that's not equating "high-density" with "lack of specificity" either. It just means that when your playing and writing is as totally devoid of "filler" as Moncur's has been over the years, you damn well better be able to say exactly what you want to say. With a few exceptions (notably some things from a few years ago where it sounded like his chops were pretty much gone), that's what he's done, and the clarity of communication of vision that's resulted has been something that I very much appreciate. No ambiguity of intent, no foo-foo, no licks to kill time waiting for a real idea to pop up. In short, no "diversion" from the core expression. "Shortest distance between two points" and all that. Yes Jim, I think you're exactly where I'm at on this. To me, the great Trombonists and Bassists are just some of the best MUSICIANS who are all about the music. That sounds like a ridiculous statement I know. No disrespect to Trane, Philly Joe, Bud Powell, Parker, Miles (you get the idea.) But one of my favorite musicians is Curtis Fuller (I even named my son's middle name after him) for these very reasons. Grachan (yes, tried to name my son that but my wife wouldn't have it) is another whose playing is seemingly pure honesty. Maybe it's the nature of the horn, to be clear and precise on the trombone is a clarion sound like no other. Also, like John Patton, Grachan composes the way he plays and vice versa...it's all the same thing. Improvisation sped up or slowed down.

Why the trombone? Also, I wonder if the trombone is a good match for composing in the sense that it's a thoughtful instrument (you can't really just fly around on it like a sax or trumpet...you got to place the notes in the right place. Flash doesn't really count)

Can you clean records with Windex?

That is him.

I contacted Mosaic yesterday...they said Hard Bop hadn't made it to them yet, but should in a couple of days.

I know Patton and Grachun were good friends that taught together out of a teaching facility in Newark or East Orange....it would be a good thing to ask him about, that facility...what he did there, ect. I would ask him about working with Jackie McLean, both initially and when they reunited at the Iridium.

Jimmy McGriff - "The last minute". Don't know for sure whether it was overdubbed, though. He might have been playing piano and organ at the same time. MG Yeah, that's definately overdubbed piano on The Last Minute. That did come to my mind, however I guess I was thinking more of organ overdubbed on organ....just something I've never heard on an old traditional Prestige or Blue Note organ jazz recording.

So I'm a CD man. O.K. I'm into easy...ect. However, I have a pretty good jazz vinyl collection mainly from before much of this stuff was on CD. Don't hardly every listen to vinyl....o,k....really nearly never. Until about 2 weeks ago. Cleared out my music room to where I could get to my vinyl easily. Alot I don't have on CD I've realized... and even those I do. I've become a vinyl junkie again. Nothing like putting on a big ol' slam of vinyl. Maybe it keeps my ADD down...can't skip tracks as easily...I find myself listening more to things I might not of otherwise....

I pulled out my vinyl copy of Jack McDuff's "Soul Circle" on Prestige tonight. On "You'd Be So Easy To Love," I realized Jack had overdubbed himself answering in a "call and response" type fashion on the head, and is doing fills behind the tenor and soloing, ect. Really interesting that he did this. I can't think of another instance where a jazz organist did this in the 60's. Sounds great.... now if we can just get find a "Jack McDuff: Conversations With Myself" in the Prestige vault.

What do you mean exactly by hutslers and hustling? Are you talking about other musicians hustling for gigs? If so, that's just part of the landscape. The best way to deal with it is to.... 1. be a very good musician 2. be easy to work with 3. don't dump out on a gig on a leader, the the week of a gig, for better gig. 4. don't bitch about money 5. don't talk shit about other musicians Of course, you can skip all these if you're the best in town. You'll get hired anyway.

Great idea Chuck! Spoken like a true man who knows how to get things done. I've already checked Craigslist and found a few ripe choices...

Yeah, you're right about that. Can't really afford a grand for this. Of Course, what's the gas and 4 nights hotels gonna add up to if I drive up and back myself (plus, throw in the 130 bucks I spent on a one way airline ticket already). Anyway, I've got to figure there's gotta be a way that's cheaper.... maybe I'm dreaming.

I'm flying to NYC in a couple of weeks to pick up an a Hammond B3 and Leslie. I'd planned on renting a van or truck and hauling it back to Texas. However, now that I've got my cheap airline ticket...I've searched and found Vans and Trucks going one-way are freakin' outrageously priced. Even the smallest U=Haul trailer (without even a car!) is over a grand one-way. Anyway....any ideas? I have planned on a few hundred dollars to rent something for 3 days for the drive back. I'm trying to avoid driving my own car and trailer all the way there and back...that's a long haul round trip and I don't have that many days to spare even if I wanted to.... Help.

Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll take off 2 years again pretty soon.

I've never heard this album, or the notion that Patton's on it. I'll have to get it and listen.

Well, I hope it is understood that the essence of the story is in no way intending to say one is better than the other. I love both Martino and Albert King's music. The great part of the story is Martino was probably 15-16 years old at the time, and the notion that Albert King would actually be pissed! Yes, it was all in good fun Noj. And as much as I use to love Albert (sure, and still do)....I'm more of a Martino man myself these days. Also, the idea the Albert would be pissed...from what I understand that was kind of a state of mind for the man.