fasstrack

V was even worse...

Couldn't make it through On the Road myself...

That picture made my toes curl...

Just finished Whisper Not, the autobiography of Benny Golson (with Jim Merod). Here are my observations:http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?/topic/79433-new-benny-golson-autobiography/#comment-1501948

I finished it. For the first 100 pages or so I didn't think I was going to get through the authors' dense forest of five dollar words and, frankly, often corny and over-stuffed prose. But I hung in, and I'm glad I did. The book is often quite thought-provoking---especially when Mr. Golson reflects on playing and writing. The man is quite the thinker, and gave me pause to think about my own work. It was worth reading for that alone. I confess I was a bit disappointed in the portraiture of great musicians (as people) that Mr. Golson has known in his many years. A bit one-dimensional, possibly because Benny Golson is such a gentle spirit (I have spoken with him, he is a complete sweetheart) that he doesn't find it in himself to write about anything but the good in people. It is an admirable quality for sure, but I would have liked to have seen these complex artistic personalities fleshed out more fully. It would have made for more interesting reading. Finally, like Captain Renault in Casablanca, I was shocked to learn that Mr. Golson is a Jehovah's Witness. The less said about that the better, but a person (in the USA, anyway) has the right to believe what he or she wishes. To his credit, he never proselytizes, and saves dropping this on us until a very brief last chapter. So I recommend it with reservations...

I have a Schertler.The model is Giulia. It weighs 11 pounds, has 50 watts, and I've used it in groups with drums. It has a 'warm' switch, which really is warm. On one gig it distorted when I played chords---maybe that was an aberration.(No battery capability). I recommend it. Link: http://www.schertler.com/en_US/shop/amplifiers I also have (and have had before) a Roland Microcube. It weighs next to nothing, and I can carry it long distances on my shoulder with a strap I improvised from a guitar strap. Sound is pretty good, though a little thin. Has reverb and effects (which I ignore) It mostly is indicated for outdoor playing (AC/DC), but could be easily used on solo or duo gigs. With drums is pushing it a bit. Very nice product for what it is. I get lots of use out of it. I don't recommend---and find overrated---AER amps. I bought one once, primarily b/c it had a switch for North European current, and I was moving to Holland. It's pretty portable, too. It sounded so sterile, though, that I really hated it. Unloaded it when I got back home (fortunately I recouped most of my $). Many would disagree, and I'm by no means saying it's a bad amp or product . That was just my experience.

Looks from the reviews, and what I've read elsewhere, like he was a gangster, or gangster wannabe. Oh well, in the words of the great bard Myron Cohen: 'Everybody gotta be somewhere'...

This book is wonderful! The author did a really comprehensive job in explaining Strayhorn's MO and musical devices. (It is unavoidably theoretical and technical at times). If you are a composer, player, student---or just someone curious about the inner workings of great minds, get it...

Thanks!

This volume by Walter van de Leur arrived yesterday. What I mainly was interested in it seems to deliver, and quite well: analysis and critique of the music. David Hajdu's Lush Life was very good on Strayhorn the man. This has the goods on the composer, starting with student compositions and through the Ellington years and beyond. Many examples, culled from Strayhorn's manuscripts, are provided. There is also discussion of Strayhorn's contribution to Ellington's book, specifically who actually wrote what. Probably this would be best appreciated by composer/songwriters or students---or Strayhorn completists. Thanks Larry Kart for making me aware of the book... Here's a link to purchase it on amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Live-Music-Billy-Strayhorn/dp/0195124480/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470251657&sr=1-1&keywords=something+to+live+for+the+music+of+billy+strayhorn

Just started Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Walter van de Leur). As the title implies, the volume delves into (and analyzes) Strayhorn's works. David Hajdu's biography Lush Life does not, though it gives tremendous insight into Strayhorn the man (and his complex relationship with Ellington)... https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=something+to+live+for+the+music+of+billy+strayhorn http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?/topic/79455-something-to-live-for/#comment-1501595

Re-reading Robin Kelleys Monk biography---for the 3rd time...

I re-read Kelley's biography of Monk, my 3rd time through. IMO it's way better than Lush Life---in fact the best biography of any musician I have read to date. Now I await the arrival of Something to Live For, and hope it has insights into Strayhorn's music that Lush Life did not...

Wasn't bad at all...

In that case, a brief word about Eat That Question (a Frank Zappa documentary, currently in theaters): It seems Zappa was uber-smart. (Pity to waste such brains and talent on Rock N' Roll---so call me an elitist). This comes through in this collection of interviews. He tolerated some really stupid queries from equally stupid inquisitors. I guess he was savvy enough to realize the value of media in promoting his various projects. He was also funny, putting a self-righteous congresswoman in her place by inviting her to 'come over the house and see' in response to a question about what kind of toys he bought his kids to play with (the hearing was supposed to be about proposed warning labels about lyrics on recordings). The film concluded with footage of rehearsals in Europe of Zappa's classical pieces. They seemed difficult as hell to play. Decent film. I hear another, better one is due out soon...

Thanks. I kinda figured as much, but could not recall which dates...

I gather from what I've seen that this thread is primarily for discussion of older films?

Has anyone read this yet? What did you think? I ordered it yesterday. (BTW: Golson's co-author is one Jim Merod)...

I used to have A. Didn't Wilson record with Jimmy other times? Jimmy told me Wilson was a 'great player'...

I heard he was narrow-minded. He once asked an old girlfriend of mine who approached him for advice or a possible deal if she thought she 'had any (musical) talent'. He was right, she didn't. He gave her $500, though, before basically telling her to scram. She wound up with a song on the album of a certain trumpet player trying to 'crossover' as her claim to fame...

MF...

Good point. Thanks... A musician (don't remember which one) once observed that the Ellington sax section was the only one that played in front of the beat. All the others played behind, said he. My comment on the latter observation is that the weight of the horns---particularly the slower-moving bari---(and they all had to sound like one) is the reason for playing behind in most orchestras.

I just can't help myself ....

Thank you, Larry! I never had heard of this. Will absolutely look into it. Thanks again... Just ordered it!

Wow! Thanks for your perspicacity and thoughtful, detailed response. I'll look into this after I finish re-reading Robin Kelley's Monk bio and the new Benny Golson/James Merod autobiog collaboration (which I ordered a minute ago). Thanks again!