fasstrack

If you're responding to what I said, specifically, I wasn't defending him or his actions here, just lamenting the childish bickering and name-calling I see on all web forums and mostly ignore. For the record, though I myself like and get along with Chris, I thought the way he split probably wasn't the classiest. If, on the other hand, you were not responding to me specifically, I've already saved you the trouble and gone and f%^ed myself

But I thought at least one of his predecessors, Steve Allen, had lots of jazz guests. Do you mean his two followers? yeah, they are too much into rock and not into exploring anything else. My slip. Branford Marsalis tried featuring players leading up to and coming back from commercials, but Leno's manager killed that. Is that the same as Museum of Television and Radio in NY? B/c they have a hell of an archive of jazz. You have to know how to search, though. Yes that's the place. Jazz on TV almost every week up to the mid 70s. Sad that this is no longer the norm. They have two sites: NY and LA. If the LA is as good as NY I couldn't recommend either more highly.

One word: spoiled. They drove me to using organ once, but I finally relented. And found a bass player who plays what i like and is so easy to get along with. Good things come to those who....complain

How in the Sam Hill do you sign in? Or don't you?

You guys (some of you, anyway) are giving a golden example of why Chris probably split. Can't anyone at least disagree without name-calling? It's like everyone came from broken, f&*ed-up homes and can only communicate by arguing. Music fans especially ought to know better. Now I'll check out Chris's site.

Those are my favorite Horace albums. Especially Silver 'N' Strings. Killing Tom Harrell, great band, great writing. Voices is nice too, except for Horace's embarrassing attempts at writing lyrics. He almost ruined some great tunes. Anyway, I don't think they ever came out on CD. I wish they would. Funny, the entire Xanadu catalog, far less popular though often wonderful musically, is available. Go figure....

Funny, and apropos of this, I think: I got a myspace friend request from a classical composer named Dary John Mizelle. Listening to his music now. Interesting stuff. Usually I never bother, not wanting to be disappointed. But this guy knows what he's doing. Here's his web page: http://www.myspace.com/mizellemusic I'm sure the poor guy does what everyone else has to to survive: teach (not that it's a bad thing). Probably he has to go into hock to get his music played.

Jimmy Raney is maybe one of my ten favorite jazz musicians, regardless of instrument, and I agree with what you say about him, up to a point. That unforced security of voice he had was a beautiful, bottomlessly deep thing. But I'm not sure that Raney really flows that well into your "ultimately 'usefulness', and maybe advancing ther common language and goals, is a test." In his own relatively quiet way, Raney IMO was about a fairly radical form of risk -- the risk of sustaining a living line through time, with "living" (as I believe he understood and felt that) being the kicker. That is, a living line for Raney was one that not only flowed but also flowed amidst, and responded to, acknowledged pressures -- the pressures of time as realized in/outlined by the given harmonic framework. But this also worked the other way around at the same time; the given harmonic framework was often being pressed AGAINST by Raney, not accepted as a given, and the ways he pressed against -- so subtle, so novel, so personal -- were deeply original, albeit not flamboyantly so. Another aspect of this perhaps -- Raney's lovely sense of swing was not IMO typically generated by, or in terms of, accenting but by his harmonic choices, the way his lines tugged against the harmonic framework's gravitational field, the way he would place "up" against "down" and vice versa to create a linear byplay of striving and hoped-for release. It was like Bach. The "test" for Raney was the life of the line amid stress or stresses -- a stress that his lines, if you will, brought to life. If pressed, I'd even go so far to say that his art was tragic in its acceptance, its necessary understanding that while the flight of time's arrow dreams of the horizontal infinite, it and we will eventually curve downwards to earth. I knew Jimmy. Just a little, but enough so it had a real impact on me. I studied with and hung out with him in '79-80. I recently got back in touch with his son Jon, actually by starting a thread about Jimmy on this board. He remains one of my major influences----even though I myself had to break away long ago and find my own voice. Yes, he was a giant in melodic thinking, first absorbing and personalizing the language of Bird (one of the first, and for my money the best---guitarists to do this on a very tough jazz instrument and at an early age) and having the extraordinary technical skill to bring it off. He contributed as a composer, too, from an early age, and developed his own style through the years, never really changing. Jimmy chose to live as an artist. But, speaking of reality, as distasteful as playing commercial music may have been to him----or life in the mean Apple, he always did have an out: he could go home to Louisville---his mom always welcomed him. I mention this b/c it may be to our benefit that he never had to really 'sell out', but most musicians are not in that position, having someone get their back when it's too tough. That's why I try really hard not to put any musician down for playing any kind of music. If you can make a living playing an instrument, more power to you. BTW Jon, if you're reading this by all means jump in and correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not trying to make short shrift of your analysis, which I don't disagree with. I think Pres was a big influence on him, and approached melody and time similarly.

It's just one of my pet peeves----or dark observations. It's tough being a weirdo, especially in America. (Tolerance is better in Europe, it seems). I realize my viewpoint on everything is in the minority, but, for one example, my ears and nerves are so sensitive when people jabber loud on cell phones in public places it pisses me off that they are so stupid and unobservant of anyone but themselves. I'm talking about adults, not kids now. I'm not one to bite my tongue either, so I find myself in more unpleasant conversations just sticking up for my basic right not to be harrassed by idiots than I care to be in. Probably I should let it slide, me being the one getting hurt, not the morons in question.

Branford Marsalis tried featuring players leading up to and coming back from commercials, but Leno's manager killed that. Is that the same as Museum of Television and Radio in NY? B/c they have a hell of an archive of jazz. You have to know how to search, though.

The nice thing about this stuff is that Sinatra stayed Sinatra. He knew he's no Brazilian and just sang Jobim as Sinatra, while helping make Jobim famous in American.There has been a lot of grumbling by Brazilian musicians about Americans not getting the phrasing. They are right, it's very hard and you sort of have to be a native. The way they approach the beat is very unique, relaxed, but ahead sometimes and very subtle. And the English lyrics pale next to the Portugese. But everyone loves it and wants to try it. Sinatra did great, bringing out the songs and holding up way better than Gene Lees' lyrics. I love Ogerman's arrangement's though. He had a lot to do with this. It's a great study in self-knowledge and confidence on Sinatra's part and mainly it's great music.

Hi, this is the IRS. We just have a few questions, wont take but a second

I don't want to say too much b/c I may wind up on the bandstand with Lou and it'll get back to him. Which is my point, and I'll speak in general terms: everything you do or say comes back on you. I've heard many musicians run afoul of decency, manners, and just plain make fools of themselves in public with this routine. I'll give names privately if wanted, but you get the idea. It's also a real turn-off to young people, b/c it's tantamount to saying 'your heros suck and you don't know anything'. Great way to build a jazz audience and buikd up the confidence of young musicians. Nice going, geniuses. Your best opinion should come from what you play.

+1... as usual. It's relative to the things around it, otherwise we'd all live in a bubble. Which a lot of people do, a big problem with life. Hey, screw the guitar. I'm putting all this stuff in fortune cookies and I'll clean up.

Dress for success. Nothing wrong with what Ramsey said. Dressing shows that you take the music, gig, and audience seriously. I always try to dress because i hate looking like a shlump and people appreciate it. It has no effect on the music at all, but if one person will pay more attention if he sees me taking it seriously............Jaki Byard chewed my ass out in the 80s for showing up at the one gig the band had out of the JCT in sneakers (he called them 'tennis shoes' and me the same 10 years later) I swore I didn't hear him say 'dress tomorrow' and made everyone look bad. Humiliation is a good teacher. As far as Ramsey's 'unusual pairings' gambit: potential trouble there. Whenever they do that at George Wein's events----well, if it looks like a gimmick, and smells like a gimmick.....Worse yet, musical incompatability would spell a real nightmare. On the other hand, with real listeners and responders on the stand (I call people like this 'musicians') it could bring out the best in both, or at least another side than the usual trappings would.

Shit. I knew him. Great guy. He was at the West End all the time when I started out. I used to see him doing a duo gig at Augie's in the 80s. Well, he had a long, great life. Can't ask for more than that.

If the guitar playing Grant Green got that kind of money to sign that would be a good thing.

Shit! They got old; I thought it was just me... Saw a special on the History Channel last night called Woodstock: Now and Then that featured a segment on this couple...and yes they got old! Wavy Gravy looked like a white-tressed toothless fairy in that show.

Yes, they were there. They were on the program and if memory serves they were the first band I saw the first day.

I knew that f%$ing avatar of yours would cause trouble eventually. Don't tell me. He threw the hat................

Whose post?

Right. No perfection desired here, but I wanted what I was trying for with the band and tunes to come off, that's all. I settled for a traditional trio mostly, but with good players anyway. Was there a webcast? Is that archived? I'm such a techno-moron. And thanks.

http://www.smallsjazzclub.com/index.cfm?eventId=1595 I didn't cringe too much when I just just heard this...........(but it's early yet). So I guess it isn't too bad. Personnel: Joel Fass, guitar; Vanderlai Pereira, drums, Tim Givens, bass/cello 2nd set, add: Britta Langschoen, trombone, erin Roberts, vocal (Not a bad November), Sue Maskaleris, piano The idea was to present a group I like and then, 2nd set, some songs I recently wrote. We didn't have much rehearsal time, and I can't bring myself to listen to the 2nd set yet, b/c I know it was ragged with the lack of rehearsal. But, anyway, no excuses. Here's what we sounded like.

To sort of merge this with an earlier dicussion on education, b/c the two are closely linked: I'm temporarily holed up in a jazz desert: W. Palm Beach, Fla. Been going to the one jam session in town just to get out and meet people. There are young players here (and I mean young), either already in university or about to go. I guess it's either U. of Miami or a local college. But two disturbing things I see: first, these sincere young people----some of whom can play a bit already (it's a different standard, I think, the students in NY seem way advanced)---go back very little to the roots of their respective influences. It's normal for young people to do this, I realize, but copying copycats is not a way to get to the real goodies and find oneself. The other, more disturbing thing: there is no work for these people. I spoke to a young guitar player who wants very much to do this (his father is a drummer who, I'm sure, encourages him) but he says there's nowhere to play. To play, not gig. He was asking me how I learned and I said I bugged people who knew more than me and tried to sit in, etc. I wanted to be encouraging, hating people who shoot down dreams. But I also wanted this young man to have a realistic view. I told him and his dad he's gonna have to get out of W. Palm Beach to learn anything and to hang in. If he comes, say, to NY ironically, he may well wind up being part of the problem that made it so hard on me and other older pros: kids competing for the same jobs and underselling or doing it for nothing for the experience/exposure. I think these schools, along with teaching the work of popular players (I understand it's a business and asses need to be in seats) should teach their predecessors (sp?) to let these kids know what's happening. I'm sure the good teachers do, despite what I saw last night. But the main thing is: what does the future hold for these kids after they leave the nest? What innovative people will provide money and programs to make this a viable pursuit for people just starting?

Not sure. But he lives where I am, W. Palm Beach, now. Showster guitars, they were called. Never heard of them before. I remember them. body like a car fender from the late '50s. Ha ha. Not sure what it sounds like, but I figure it could be used to keep cars running forever in Cuba.