fasstrack

I got to play with Frank maybe 4 or 5 times, in sitting-in situations, in the last decade. I'm very lucky, b/c to experience a master first-hand, and to play unison melodies with him, wow! The thing that strikes me about Frank, and the other octogenarians out here now and playing great, is the utter smoothness. Frank has this creaminess in his sound and utter assurance in the way he deals notes off. It's more than control, it's ownership. I can hear his influences like Byas and others, but it's the mastery of control and the ease with which he executes beautiful ideas, things he's played hundreds of times but just slants a little this time. He's so relaxed. That's how to do it, and what I wanna be when I grow up. He's a national treasure.

Get anything solo by Chris Anderson. And prepare for a unique journey. Did anyone mention Hawk's Picasso? Well, I guess someone did now. Also Sonny Rollins, too many to mention. Aside from the great Mr. Pass, there has been outstanding solo work from many, and will always be, since the instrument is a natural for it. I won't even cite examples or names, as there are simply too many.

I think the earlier the Barney, the better. Like Jammin' the Blues. For me, he got progressively more heavy-handed and corny. I liked his chords---they leapt out and announced themselves---and his blues feel and his soloing when he copied Christian. I like the job he did on Julie London's Julie is Her Name. After that it falls apart for me. But he never was a bebopper. Jimmy Raney was the bebopper. Kessel was a real blues player and swing-era child of Charlie Christian. I doubt he was scared to play with Bird, though I wasn't in his head. He was a pro by then. He just didn't really exactly fit in, though he did a good job. I think the cats probably liked him well enough. Too bad Jimmy never recorded with Bird. He was the first guitar player to 'get it'. Interesting stuff there fasstrack, I suppose Barney never really was a bopper per say, just a really amazing musician. I think the amount of session work he ended up doing may have had something to do with the decline you're hearing, althought I must say, I don't really hear it myself. But he did work for both Brian Wilson and Phil Spector and that would probably end up hurting anyone's brain. :D I respect him, just don't always enjoy him, rest the dead. But some of that early stuff----very happening.

I think the earlier the Barney, the better. Like Jammin' the Blues. For me, he got progressively more heavy-handed and corny. I liked his chords---they leapt out and announced themselves---and his blues feel and his soloing when he copied Christian. I like the job he did on Julie London's Julie is Her Name. After that it falls apart for me. But he never was a bebopper. Jimmy Raney was the bebopper. Kessel was a real blues player and swing-era child of Charlie Christian. I doubt he was scared to play with Bird, though I wasn't in his head. He was a pro by then. He just didn't really exactly fit in, though he did a good job. I think the cats probably liked him well enough. Too bad Jimmy never recorded with Bird. He was the first guitar player to 'get it'. Wouldn't that have been something! He did sit in. Chris Anderson got to record (only b/c someone taped a gig). It was the thrill of both their lives, I'm sure. Jimmy was like 20 and already good enough.....I don't remember talking to either about it, but you can bet it was a thrill. I think Jimmy was quoted as saying 'to play with God'......... A guitar player that did a nice job with Bird on his last ill-fated Verve album of Cole Porter tunes was Jerome Darr. Billt Bauer was on some of it, too. It's nice to have guitar instead of trumpet sometimes, b/c guitar can go from ensembles to comping to solos. No slam on Barney, BTW. He was in there and hung. Just not my favorite----but I dug him back in the day a lot more.

I think the earlier the Barney, the better. Like Jammin' the Blues. For me, he got progressively more heavy-handed and corny. I liked his chords---they leapt out and announced themselves---and his blues feel and his soloing when he copied Christian. I like the job he did on Julie London's Julie is Her Name. After that it falls apart for me. But he never was a bebopper. Jimmy Raney was the bebopper. Kessel was a real blues player and swing-era child of Charlie Christian. I doubt he was scared to play with Bird, though I wasn't in his head. He was a pro by then. He just didn't really exactly fit in, though he did a good job. I think the cats probably liked him well enough. Too bad Jimmy never recorded with Bird. He was the first guitar player to 'get it'.

What an amazing guy. I don't agree with him being a shill for cancer drugs' corporate scions, but they did save him, I guess.

I had 2 x-500s and loved them, and 1 Artist Award and hated it. It was new and sounded like my ass. Attilla Zoller put his pickup in, but it was beyond help. Gave it back and got an old Epi, which I loved, but the neck kept moving faster than the gas needle on a Camaro, so, alas, au revoir. Anyway, they are things of beauty, but if it sounds and plays good it is good, and the converse. Beauty's only lamination-deep.

That's too unhealthy. High cholesterol. Couldn't we "SAUTE EM ALL"?

True. Your powers of observation best my own, oh (that thing David Carridine called people on Kung Fu, before my brain rotted)

I don't think it opens. If not, www.soundclick.com/joelfass and click on 'music' Now I'll go get a life.....

I've seen this before. Oscar Peterson is also on this, and his group, if I'm not mistaken. I'm a big Getz fan but he looks (operative word looks, not sounds) like he didn't know what hit him on this. A Trane hit him. To his credit, he never yielded to temptations of trends or popularity, just stayed Getz to the end and got deeper, more muscular, more emotional.

This one what? We can see it's a guitar. Who made it?

They ain't got me yet. The trick: don't leave a paper trail. (No letters, just don't answer). However, I feel eventually, like Huck Finn, I'll be run to ground.......

top 50 at soundclick. (sorry for the mean teaser). I know this is very self-absorbed and crass, but I really need cheering up right now with a lot bad that's going on. I'm proud, though it doesn't earn me a penny, etc., that FWIW people took the time to listen, enjoy, vote. #37 out of 29,000 ain't too shabby. Also, every song received 5 stars. I try to write songs about hope. This gives me hope when I need some. Now that my old friend is Biden's chief economics honcho, I guess that gig at the White House can't be far off. Oh, er, wait a sec. The White Castle, that's what he said..... http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=645953

Go to the Museum ot Television and Radio in NY or LA. There all there for the price od admission. You go to a private booth. I've seen Pres, Billie, Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, and many others (my memory is failing) I will do that. I never of thought to do that. While you're there ask for library assistance. It will blow your mind what they have for viewing. Ask about 'A Contemporary Memorial', which was a tribute to RFK after the assassination, and featured Duke, Horace Silver with Randy Brecker and Fathead, Bill Evans and symphony orchestra, Grady Tate with Richard Wyands, Joe Williams----on and on. It's in 2 parts, make sure to ask for both. This was never commercially available, to my knowledge.

Go to the Museum ot Television and Radio in NY or LA. There all there for the price od admission. You go to a private booth. I've seen Pres, Billie, Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, and many others (my memory is failing)

Absolutely picture perfect afternoon here in Greenwich Village. Can't wait for the fireworks. Happy 4th, all.

Please, no time soon...I couldn't take the wall-to-wall "heartfelt farewells". Or did you just mean canned? If you can get someone to do the job...... Can they at least whack his hair?

I didn't read every post, so sorry if this has already been said. But, once again the morning shows show what whorish putzes they are by filling every second with this. Fuck them, they could care less about Michael Jackson, his fans, or anything else besides ratings, despite crocodile tears. When will Matt Lauer be done away with? When will this country grow up and have respect for themselves and their own icons even?

It's a pretty famous record, isn't it?

I hear the passion and the cry. Sorry you don't, but it's OK. I'm gonna duck out of this part of the discussion. No point in going in circles.

Exactly. Thank you.....

My old friend the late Sam Furnace was in that band, too, on reeds. Probably it was better live. I saw them live and enjoyed it. I think I checked out a rehearsal too. Sam invited me. A lot of times you don't realize the pressure cats are under from labels (back when they even had labels) to stay current, cater to this or that, 'or else.' What're you gonna do? Change professions? I really don't blame guys trying to survive, crossover, whatever. This shit is just too hard and anything you get is a miricle in itself.

I don't think he 'coasted', nor do I much like that notion. There are great players that have a storehouse of licks. They can mix them up when inspired or get inspiration from other great players. That's what it's sort of about. On guitar you could say Grant Green and Jimmy Raney (Grant's a bigger name, Raney a much greater player to me, even Green idolized him, but Grant is cool too, nice feel and sound and a good story-teller, just a bit over-rated IMO) 'recycled'. But to me, Raney grew because that foundation is like money in the bank. It's there to be built on. Raney got more emotional, more spatial, absorbed classical influences like Bartok, and got back to Django even, to my ears---while being himself, and a deeper, more mature self. Grant Green was a natural for blues and pop projects, he had that kind of feel, voice, and concept. He did well with it. Jimmy did not want to go there and wasn't really a blues player, his blues and playing generally was much more 'subtle'. In the case of Art Pepper he allowed himself to be honest emotionally when he changed and it wasn't neccesarily a pretty picture but it was genuine and real art, like Bird trying to do that Cole Porter project when he was in bad shape. The music was great in a way it couldn't have been if he was 'in shape'. If players like Stitt or Oscar Peterson 'go to the bank' to achieve the amazing consistency they did good for them. You need glue to hold your thing together b/c inspiration cannot be manufactured. I would no more put down this type of great player----and I've played with many, they are exciting as hell---than I would call Jim Hall a bore for choosing to express himself in a low-key way or not playing 'fast'. All types are welcome to me and command different responses, but equal respect and admiration. Quality, skill, veracity is what it's about for me. The idea is to be spontaneously creative, but you need that 'money'. No coasting there IMO. Please don't be so hard on cats.