fasstrack

Would you also advise not performing Shakespeare plays? After all, the definitive ones were performed 400 years ago! And even if we can't see those, we can always get copies of mid-20th C performances by the great actors of the time. Why bother putting them on now? I would advise not copying Shakespeare's style, but learning from it and acknowledging the influence while forcing oneself into the waters. That's what artists do, that and reaching people, especially if they perform in front of them. If you don't take that plunge you're a coward or a thief, plain as that. And, further addressing your comment, I play the standards. I'm proud that I know hundreds, if not thousands, of tunes. I said standards, meaning anything from Twinkle, Twinkle to Anniversary Waltz to Something to Once Upon a Summertime, etc. Bolivia is a hip tune, it's not a standard. (Not that anyone asked.....) Among jazz writers I lean toward Strayhorn, Ellington, Benny Carter, Fats Waller more than, say, Monk or the Blue Note stuff. Just my taste. I can't be satisfied with copying myself, but my influences are evident to me, and very strong. Personally, I don't waste a second worrying about this stuff. I'm very secure that way. I know my voice and don't have to force anything. But I let the mentors in. They're there either way, plus I obviously believe in them, if they influenced me that much....I also know my limitations and weaknesses and don't hide from them. What I do have big problems with is copycats making money off other people and acting all big, and, worse still, profiteers cashing in: unoriginal 'artists', bullshit 'tributes' which are only there as advertisements for players or a hook for the joint, etc. Shame, shame. It makes it hard for people trying to be themselves, be real, and make real and honest art.

I only met him recently through Jimmy, he's his guitar player at Roth's Steakhouse on Saturdays. He's a great guy, though, and a bitch at pop rhythm guitar. Good jazz player, too. I hired him on a gig and he was a pro all the way. Can't answer the first question, then. But he lives in NJ now. Google him, I guess. Anyway, try the link now and hear him on the track. I'm playing on all the others, James Chirillo joins me on Topsy, and plays the first solo.

I fixed it. The confusing part is 'track 9'. It probably reads like part of the site address.

Don Sebesky. Thanks. I have to get that, it knocked me out, writing and playing both.

A lot of old-timers and people like (my acquaintence/friend) Stanley Crouch think Miles was a sell out for doing this and cannot forgive him. I disagree. I don't love every note, and can live without the wah-wah, etc. But he really sounded strong on a lot of those things and some of those grooves are fun to play over, especially after 25 years of ten minutes per tune playing the same changes with three solos every night. And making money is not a sin. Miles always sounds like Miles to me anyway, he just changes the trappings and cast. Where he lost me was the final comeback, and only because he wasn't sounding good. He improved on Star People, and I enjoyed that. It was a straight-up blues album. Tributes? Why bother? The originals are there, and the time, place, feelings in the air are spoken for. Musicians, you may make a little taste but it smells funny and you'll have to live with it the rest of your life on recordings and expectations of those who hire you. If you really believe in it, and it's from the heart that's something else. But take the high road. It's best for everyone, especially you.

Nice tribute. He seemed like he was happy to do his thing out of the spotlight. I loved that recording 'Portrait of the Artist'. I can't remember the writer, but Mariano with a big band and perhgaps strings. 85 years is a hell of a run, especially doing something as nuts as playing jazz.

No takers? Well, it's a holiday weekend.........

This is not out commercially yet, but here's a sneak preview. There will be many tracks added, I'm sure, and I have nothing to do with it. If this is the wrong place to post this, sorry. Please move it You're my Foundation www.soundclick.com/joelfass track 9 I wrote this with Jimmy Norman. He wrote with Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix before, and also lyrics to Time is on my Side, covered by the Stones. I wrote this 3 years ago and Jimmy wrote one verse (beautifully) and we collaborated on one. The melody is mine and the lyrics to the chorus. Sean Harkness, Jimmy's guitarist, wrote the special introductory verse (lyric by Jimmy) for a presentation at a Jazz Foundation loft party TBA. Sean plays on this, not me, BTW. I hear tracks with big shots will be added and it will no doubt be commercially available. It's a bit fast for me, not my exact melody or changes, and you have to imagine the choir and a slower tempo at the final modulation, but you get the idea, and I dug what they did. Comments please.

Well, I hope someone listened. I had the most enjoyable time ever as a radio guest. (Yes, I dug being on your show, Lazaro, naturally---but something clicked that got me in a different zone. Maybe at that insane hour I was just too damn tired to be nervous). Ibrahim does real interesting radio and knew just the questions to ask, plus we go way back. Nice chemistry. I felt relaxed. Besides the chat, we played some of my recordings and I played live solo guitar on I'm always Chasing Rainbows and Tomorrow. If anyone is interested, the shows are archived (for 2 weeks only) as downloadable mp3s. The download isn't up yet, but probably will be shortly: www.wbai.org go to archived shows and select In the Moment for last Friday, 6/12/09 3:30 AM

I think we'll be at Fat Cat in the fall, with the trombone player you heard, Britta Langshoen. No singers this trip, they don't like 'em there, though I do. Nice to meet you too, and thanks for the beer and making the haul.

....fishermen, etc. (no milkmen anymore, I hear....) Me and my trusty guitar will be guests on 'In the Moment with Ibrahim Gonzalez', this coming Friday morning 4-6 AM. In the greater NY area: WBAI FM 99.5 FM and also streaming into their site and archived for 90 days, I think. In other words I'd better do an impression of a good player and entertaining gentleman. Ibrahim is big---and it's on a high floor

Thanks for coming out, Peter. Nice to meet you and throw back a quaff. I thanked Russell too. It lifted my spirits.

Great. Please do. I'm on pins and needles. A lot I want to accomplish on short rehearsal, short money. Thanks, man.

I taught as a sub in NYC schools in Brooklyn in the 90s. I had a kid one day who was Pres, I swear. Same face, same mien. A saxophone player I knew named George Kelly said there was another George Kelly, also a tenor player. (I knew this guy, too. He used to prowl Local 802 like a refugee from one of Dante's circles. Long red hair and clothes older than the Wailing Wall. Fat, huge, useless. He asked me once what instrument I played. 'Guitar?! I hate that instrument'.). The 2nd George Kelly said about the first (who could play and was in the Savoy Sultans) 'The colored guy? That's bad for my image, that there's another one'. When told, good George said 'Yeah. I heard him play once. I decided it's bad for my image....'

I knew what you meant JSngry.. and didn't assume you were necessarily referring to me - but even if you were, I can understand why I could be viewed that way. After all... I did pretty much bull moose my way in here all locked and loaded. But seriously.. I don't want to be the SG Rumor Police! I would just like to believe that folks might consider what they put in writing as people can and do get scalded. And I might add, It really isn't my 'job' to live down his reputation! But some stories just cross the line. I'm considering having a tube of Crazy Glue next to my PC to glue my hands together behind me for the next time I see something, somewhere! He played beautiful, that's why he's being discussed. How 'nice' was Beethoven? Bird? Picasso? Can we grow up? Next........

Bump. A lot of people are home today and tomorrow............ We now return you to your regularly scheduled neuroses.......

How did they develop? Were certain things, er, 'overexposed'? It seemed cool last I looked.

Smalls 183 W. 10th St. www.smallsjazzclub.com 7:30 & 9 PM Joel Fass, guitar, songwriter Tim Givens, bass, cello Vanderlai Pereira, drums guest players and vocalists new music unveiled, old favorites performed. If you're in the NY area please come out and listen and say hi. $20 and a dream gets admission to all shows after mine, and also into Fat Cat, also with live music and all kinds of cool games. Hope to see you there. I understand there is a stream on the site for those not local. Thank you, Joel

Not bad. I saw it and immediately forgot it. No impact. But that's me. It was more an excuse to get together with my friend, who makes anything enjoyable by showing up. She already had that in the works. But it was OK and diverting, no more.

Start with the basics: Christian, Django, Eddie Durham (he started amplified playing, even before Christian who popularized it), Eddie Lang (acoustic player, and excellent) duets with Lonnie Johnson are good. Then go to the players that came out of them, in each era. There are too many to mention.

Get anything with Tonhinho Horta's name on it. A world class talent. Try Moonstone, or the trio with Billy Higgins/Gary Peacock. Once I loved? I think. Or his debut album in the early 70s. Or get anything where he played guitar for Nacsimento.

Oh, hear comes another Wynton-slamming fest. Quell jejune. I was standing looking out at the most magnificent view of Central Park West from the JALC yesterday. All I can say is he made that amazing achievement happen, not any of you wiseasses (in advance to the gush of comments surely to come). Plus, contrary to popular ignorance----at least in the 2 encounters I've had with Wynton, and I surely don't claim to know the man----he could not have been cooler or nicer. Jealousy is so easy and cheap. Ditto Internet 'bravery'. Go home practice instead. Master your instrument and become a world-wide advocate for jazz/talent scout. Then get back to us...................

I like his writing. His political views are his own affair. I read Ralph Ampersad's (sp?) bio, which was excellent. In it, he describes a scene during the hight of athe black power movement where Ellison was getting an award or something, anyway a public gathering, and a militant came up and really trashed him. Called him an Uncle Tom. Then the guy, according to the story, took off into the night on a Harley or something. Ellison was very upset according to the bio (who wouldn't be) and was about in tears repeating 'I'm not an Uncle Tom'. I only know his writing and won't defend or detract, but will say he was only a man with human frailties like us all, and also anyone with that good a mind and the soul and imagination to write Invisible Man must've come to his positions after a lot of thought, soul-searching and also in reaction to personal experience---also like us all. Yeah, Invisible Man is still my favorite book. It's Arnold Rampersad. I read the bio too. It's great. It got me really excited for the upcoming release of the full manuscript of Ellison's second novel that Adam Bradley and John Callahan have been working on. Is that what they were calling 'Juneteenth'?

Sad, sad, sad. Was he in Oakland? I was just listening to him with Wes and Monk yesterday. Well, at least I got to play with him a few times in '91 when he played the Parker Meridian for a while. I can verify what the other guy said, he was very nice. What a great family. Well, they did their thing and won't be forgotten. Bye, Buddy. i'm SO grateful i got to enjoy all three brothers over the years!! i think Buddy was around the Simi Valley area with family. not sure. We played a duet on Autumn Leaves---like a mambo, I think. I was following him. My hand got tired playing bass and I was about to drop tempo and Buddy jumped right in with his left hand for the rest of the tune. Right then he gave me a look like 'Yeah, I dig what's happening'. The first time I went there I got a buzz on the amp somehow and I was drug. I drove him back to Jersey where he was staying (no, the hotel didn't spring for a room) and I was complaining, apologizing about the glitch. He said 'you're as bad as my brother' (meaning Wes). That about broke me up. A great guy with great ears.

Sad, sad, sad. Was he in Oakland? I was just listening to him with Wes and Monk yesterday. Well, at least I got to play with him a few times in '91 when he played the Parker Meridian for a while. I can verify what the other guy said, he was very nice. What a great family. Well, they did their thing and won't be forgotten. Bye, Buddy.