JSngry

Don the Beachcomber Luke the Drifter Harry the Hobo

I gotta tell ya, this conjures images of an entirely different type of anal fun...

It's a louder world than it used to be. "Loudness ≠ intensity" is a lesson not commonly learned these days. I've heard old bebop cats playing totally unamplified, swinging like hell with plenty of fire, but they were balanced within themselves, and the overall group volume was noticably lower than most younger groups playing the same music. I think it's a matter of "perception" within each player how loud they need to be to speak effectively. But if a horn player's blowing all out, and the drummer's playing a newer-style setup designed for volume & brightness, then the piano's gonna have to be miked, and then what choice does the bassist have? A vicious cycle, that's what it is. Then again, I've seen photos of old bands where the bass was miked, probably to run throught the house system. So using a pickup/amp was the next step, especially since horn players were being miked in clubs a long time ago. Mike one thing, pretty soon you gotta mike everything. Plus, bassists who play w/a lower action for increased speed sacrifice fatness of tone and have to compensate when playing in situations not geared towards that type of tone. Scott LaFaro would most likely have been inaudible in a 70s-era Elvin Jones group if he had played unamped. You gotta pull the sound out of a wood, and pulling is seldom compatable with running. I will say this - I've heard good results coming out of a little bass-specific amp called Contra. Used wisely, it reinforces the sound rather than just amping it up and (dis)color it. Of course, the better the bassist (and the better the bass), the less amplification you need, and the more you can use it simply for reinforcement.

Are you talking live. recorded, or both?

Chico Hamilton Trio on PJ (12" version) - Jim Hall/Howard Roberts paired w/Chico & George Duvivier. Sublime music.

Thunderbolt Greaseslapper KITT My Mother The Car

Art Buchwald Pierre Sallinger Kenny Clarke

Wait a sec - you guys are playing for dancers? Playing your shit and people are dancing? Congratulations! I'm envious. Seriously.

Laverne Baker Andrew Hill Lee Konitz

Well, there you go. The crisis of modern Western society in a nutshell.

Is that a "complete" set of that band's works, or a compilation?

Gilles Peterson is a name that keeps popping up whenever I see a jazz/dance music connection. Who the hell is he?

Now, who the hell is Ski Oakenfull? According to AMG http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll : This Gilles Peterson guy is a name I keep seeing whenever there's a jazz/dance music connection. I bet there's a story there....

Are those original yellow-label Milestone LPs they're frisbeeing at the end? Hey, it's got a good beat and I can dance to it. I'll give it an 87, Dick. Seriously, I read an interview w/Monday Michiru somewhere where she mentioned that the original was one of her favorite cuts to play when she was doing DJ work in Japanese dance clubs in the early 90s. People danced to it! It's possible that that's what planted the seed for this tune to get into the "dance underground"'s consciousness, finally resulting in this song/video from an artist on Sony France. America is waaaaay behind the curve. Surprise. I'm finding out that the dance underground has no problem relating to a lot of this type jazz, the "spiritual" type stuff, as Dusty Groove calls it. Food for thought, that...

The Man Who Fell To Earth Mother Earth Tracy Nelson

Sweet Jesus Sweet Emma A Taste Of Honey

I think so.

Radio Pacifica The Mutual Broadcasting System System Of A Down

Helene Curtis Maybelline Mother Maybelle

Maybe they need to design airplanes like they did Big Al's office.

Sounds like good advice. Thanks! The Nuyorican remix is nothing short of amazing, but that might well be because the source material was pretty damn strong to begin with. And yes, I did, and ordered it. You know it.

Archie Whitewater Sam Burtis Abe Fortas

Just curious, what's taken it's place? I'm nothing if not behind the curve here, being a jazz musician and all.

Chewbacca Luke Skywakka Max Apodaca

I've just heard his remix of Nuyorican Soul's ""It's Alright, I Feel It" (available on the Japan-only Nuyorican Soul - The Remixes cd), and I'm damn near speechless. This guy contructs a freakin' 13:15 total reconstruction that is damn near "symphonic" in scope. Wickedly grooving and intelligent, and like so much of this type stuff, a logical extension of On The Corner &Get Up With It. I'm not even remotely qualified to make music like this. But damned if I can't be moved by it. This is more than "dance music" - this is visionary stuff. Is he always this good?