fasstrack

Bitchin' story, dude. You know how much intensity went into his playing and life within three notes. I'm sorry I never caught him live, kicking myself. All those times in the Vanguard in recent years.....Ah, well, at least there are the recordings. And I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but Like It Is w/Gil Noble (WABC TV, channel 7 here in NYC) replayed a great interview from last year, I believe. Gil and Jackie, two homies from kneepants days walking around the old 'hood (Sugar Hill, Harlem) and Jackie saying some incredibly wise things. He talked about the jazz life and people, of course, but also about how when Bird told him about the Rite of Spring he got off the bus, went to a music store, purchased it---and flipped f'ng out! He said 'this guy took rhythms from Africa, the Mideast, and melodies from Mars. That interview was deep. They also had a long tribute on WKCR FM here in NY where they played archived interviews that were mind-blowing in their wisdom, concern for the world, and brutal, naked honesty.

Bitchin' story, dude. You know how much intensity went into his playing and life within three notes. I'm sorry I never caught him live, kicking myself. All those times in the Vanguard in recent years.....Ah, well, at least there are the recordings. And I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but Like It Is w/Gil Noble (WABC TV, channel 7 here in NYC) replayed a great interview from last year, I believe. Gil and Jackie, two homies from kneepants days walking around the old 'hood (Sugar Hill, Harlem) and Jackie saying some incredibly wise things. He talked about the jazz life and people, of course, but also about how when Bird told him about the Rite of Spring he got off the bus, went to a music store, purchased it---and flipped f'ng out! He said 'this guy took rhythms from Africa, the Mideast, and melodies from Mars. That interview was deep. They also had a long tribute on WKCR FM here in NY where they played archived interviews that were mind-blowing in their wisdom, concern for the world, and brutal, naked honesty.

The hallowed ping of history....that's pretty durned good writing. Alliterative, too. I always liked Pareles' writing. Nothing ever lofty or grandiose. He really puts you in the picture instead.

Happy birthday. Sorry I missed you in Michigan last time I was in. Hope we can meet soon.

Beautiful thoughts coming out of that man. There are people out there with even lesser names trying to do what they believe in with people they believe in and to live by a code of inviolate ethics. Fame and 'success' are Loreleis hardly worth chasing---as long as you can live comfortably doing the above. There's the rub, though. It's a bitch to do that off of quality music. This world doesn't seem made for idealists, does it? But if Mullgrew can hang in and have work and respect I don't see why other quality musicians, big-league, local, or otherwise can't somewhere, somehow. That community thing is really crucial, too. Aside from Miller's point about folk music and such (which I agree with 100%), everybody needs good music in their lives and good performers to bring it to them.

You can have Julie London. She always looked like a $500 call girl to me. Give me the young Julie Andrews any day over London. Especially after seeing her in "The Americanization of Emily" I always wanted to melt that proper British veneer (that they all seem to have) and basically make her moan. And speak French :rsmile: .

I watched it after I read your thread. I had seen it before. What a man. What a player. What a life. The best tribute i could give is to say that though I never met the man I met a few of his students from Hartford. They all could play and they all could swing. Good work, Jackie Mac. And good looking out. Thanks for caring about the human race.

And the worse part is the poor MF can't sue anybody over it. No, seriously that's a sad story. But like you said he went out doing his thing like Caruso or that umpire John McSherry. Anybody remember that? he was calling a play on opening day maybe 9 years ago. Dropped dead on the field in front of like 40,000 onlookers. Aren't you all glad I dropped by to lift your spirits?

You guys missed Tom in great form this week w/Charles MacPherson, himself always a treat to hear. At Dizzy's in Lincoln Center. I went Wednesday and it was burnin', the whole thing: Tom playing his ass off and were his chops UP! Jimmy Cobb driving the band hard (and soloing and trading like a MF into his 70s) along with Ray Drummond and Ronnie Mathews. Bebop lives! It was billed as the music as Diz and Bird, and I guess in show biz you need a hook, but this band lived up to it and then some. A few originals were interspersed, like Tom's Sail Away, and one of Charles' tunes. I just ran into Joe Magnarelli, a trumpet player on the NY scene, tonight. I had emailed him Wed. when I got back and told him to get his ass down there forthwith. He said he went thursday and felt exactly the same as I did. They were doin' it. Finger poppin'!

I hear you. But it's exactly for the stupidity of the show, not engineered by Couric but tolerated and served up by her as she is a team player that she needs to move on. She just has so much more on the ball than the show as designed by ratings-hungry execs could let her use. I believe the morning TV audience mostly does not want stupidity or pablum but is being force-fed it by TV market researchers who misread this, take their wrong-headed conclusions and deliver them into the hands of their bosses who program accordingly. Now morning TV will lose one of its finest resources to the evening news and it will be their loss and evening news' gain. Watching Couric find clever ways to rise above the show's general inanity and in particular the almost every utterance of airhead partner Matt Lauer was for me the most entertainment offered by the Today Show. Now Katie will get to show what she's capable of in a forum she deserves and Today and Lauer will get the perky moron they deserve. Water truly does seek its own level sometimes.

Sorry. You're wrong. You've probably done some good work: some people require the drugs you prescribe to survive to avoid becoming physically violent, homeless, suicidal. Others ... you do them far more damage than good. And there's a rapidly growing community of therapists who are fighting against you and your fast-food drug solutions. How do I know better than you ? Because I am moderately bipolar. And I readily identify empathically , intuitively , with those who also are. You are not (as you stated). You are merely an empirical observer. Yeah, I went to college for a zillion years too. Doesn't help me in my job. Working for 20 years doesn't even help me with my job. I start with a blank piece of paper every day. Eliminating pharmaceuticals prescribed in 15 mins from over-busy couch docs was the smartest thing I ever did. Because then I could fight the real battle, not some blurred artificial dumbing-down of reality twisting my mind off in other damaging directions. You believe what you want. You keep on believing who you are , what you are , and your indisputable importance to society. I, and others, will ignore you and your money-fest bullshit. I say Harrell's music helped him a million times more than any drug ever will. Ever hear of "live and let live"? Give it up. The guy strikes me as sincere and a professional as you are. He doesn't come off as a pill-pusher to me---and i'm cynical as they come about doctors that write scrips to get you out of their faces. Anyway IMO it's not for you, me, or anyone to decice for anyone how to cope with their problems. People will work out their problems in their own ways. The weak feel they need drugs (there are all kinds of drugs, not just pharmecueticals anyway) and the drug companies are profiteers. But, again, judge not your brother til you've walked a mile in his/her moccasins. Even then it's a waste of energy, almost as big a waste as giving advice, as people will do or hear what they want when they want to.

And last time I'll try to separate two 'grownups' who wanna keep fighting....... Guess I forgot that people will do what they do and you can't stop 'em. Hey, Jazzshrink: is that forgetfulness a diagnosable illness? But just to put the coda on before the song ends: Lighten up guys. Life is short, music beautiful

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. So involved in defending your positions (not that I disagree with either of you) you wouldn't take a breath or a second to even look at the pearls I (Mr. Humility ) doled out. Please scroll up and see if anything I said makes sense to either of you (or anyone else here). I really am interested to know. And don't fight boys, play nice. We're all in this thing together, aren't we? Let's leave the sandbox. The adult world can be just as much fun when you take a step back and listen to each other before react and defend, react and defend kicks in. Just my 2 cents.

My own brother is 'bipolar', and unfortunately doesn't have a creative outlet as I do---not to mention the geniuses discussed here. The poor man suffers so, but, I strongly believe, has more self-control than he realizes. I tell him always that if he took a step back and thought before acting in some of the reactive ways he does he could avoid many of the pickles he finds himself in. Also he'd feel better about himself, having accomplished something on his own rather than feeling like he's watching his life play out as a tragedy---helplessly from the balcony. I love my brother. I don't know if this advice helps him, but am compelled to give it by said love and desire for him to be happy. He appreciates it and I believe in time can put a such plan into effect to improve his life. I like Sonny Rollins' comment: 'every day you're alive you get another chance'. I also believe he is less sick than he believes he is, though certainly he is ill. Mentally ill people tend to be smart, though, and can learn to 'trick' their illnesses into receding somewhat. The same brain 'smart' enough to twist itself into knots can also untwist itself. Thoughts on this, quorum?

Ok, you can simplify psychology all you want. Maybe some people will believe you. Narrow categorization serves the psychological community and the giant pharmaceuticals quite nicely. You can't treat it unless you can define it. And you can't make money off it unless you can treat it. Are you bipolar? (Mild bipolar doesn't count ... as in most of the "example famous people" you mention.) The number of mildly bipolar people is quite high. SSRIs are like candy. Prozac is the most prescribed drug in the world (above any painkiller.) If you're not bipolar yourself, or don't have a severely bipolar family member dependent on you, I doubt you can empathically identify the disorder. Yes, that's right, I doubt you ... even you're probably a therapist or a psychologist/psychiatrist. I've seen Harrell quite a number of times over 25 years ... he is definitely severely bipolar. He can tilt from harmonious calm into massive depression in seconds. What it feels like is wave after massive wave of intense sadness physically slamming against your body. It can literally drop you to the floor. You have to get away , anywhere , immediately. You have a point, but before this turns into an 'am not', 'are so' tiff and you two nice gents have to be pulled out of the sandbox by your noses, I'd like to throw in a word of my own re Tom: Special. It's not my word, it was uttered by a musician pretty special himself, a very unique pianist named Chris Anderson. To put Chris' insight and empathy in perspective, he is blind, has a clubfoot, and bones so brittle he may have spent as much as 1/3 of his life either in hospitals or housebound---but hears more than most people and can do with a song what most never will. I was talking to Chris a long time ago and brought up Tom and how much I loved his work . Chris said 'I understand he's kinda special'. To which I rejoined by recounting all of Tom's various maladies, etc. 'That's what I mean. He's special'. I think Chris's answer deserves the last word in what promises to become a hair-split fest. no offense to either of you well-meaning gents. I do hear your intent, though, John. Lotta cashing in these days. Have problem, see doctor, he rattles off a 'disease' name, and ka-ching! the cash register rings and the coffers of Azta-Zeneca (sp?) or whoever get fatter. The doctor also goes home happy, because he does what most these days do: writes a scrip, gets you out of his face and cries "Next!" (In fairness, these guys do have an insane workload in today's stressed-out world, and have to move it along somehow or they'd be spending their lives in the office. Some would call that scenario dedication, others obsession, to use more shrinkspeak ). Still, truly mentally ill people can be helped by psychotropics. Let's not forget that either.

The interview you describe sounds like the one that ran in Esquire in '98, with Jonathan Eig. He couldn't get any more out of Tom than the hyper-aggressive airhead Charlie Rose (rumored to have jumped the desk a few times and eaten a few guests ). Speaking of interviews with Mr. Harrell, a particularly low note was struck some time ago (In Jazz Times? not sure) by Bill Milkowski, who for reasons only he understands seems to think himself clever and spent an opening paragraph reducing Tom to a cartoon-like stereotype just to show us the big words he knows. I was so disgusted I wrote to the editor. Tom for his part rose above such disrespect (obviously the teaser was written after the interview's completion) with some very meaningful comments on music and life. Tom opened up and spoke very fluidly and with sincerity and passion to Gene Santoro in the nation in '95, if you care to dig it up. There are also DB interviews from '85 and '97 that are quite good. The man can speak very well and has a great sense of humor---including about himself and his 'condition'. As long as clueless idiots like Rose don't do the asking. (Rose doubtless never would've been assigned the piece by the Great Minds at 60 minutes II if Tom wasn't a 'famous schizophrenic'. The piece was called 'a beautiful note' Oy gevalt. Naturally it totally short-shrifted the music and these geniuses would never think to interview, say, Phil Woods, Horace Silver, or so many others Tom worked for about why he's so loved by musicians. They did interview his wife and sister and I give them credit for that. Otherwise it was a bullshit piece and Tom did not come off looking like the speaker I have heard him be). An NPR piece from '90 that is in their archives was an excellent profile and Tom communicated beautifully about his life and music, interspersed with comments by Ray Drummond and Joe Lovano. Mssrs. Rose, Milkowski, and some other knuckleheads I've read: Tom Harrell is NOT a freak show. If you lack the skills to draw him out and let him speak for himself as he is very capable of or if you understand little about music (Mr. Rose) get out of the way and give the job to someone more qualified.

Beacause you have to have the last word----and I can see your hands moving while doing so. Or maybe the giveaway was that piquant yet succinct title of your other tome: "Jewboy: The Larry Kart Story"

as long as you're paying, go ahead..... Or maybe I should say 'be my guest'

He's both a master of technique and creativity, not to mention passion---soul. I've heard him since the '70s and he never had chops problems until perhaps the '90s. In the '70s my one criticism was that he could execute so well there was a glibness at times, but far more often he was incredibly musical and lyrical. General the '70s is considered his peak on trumpet. But Tom will kick the shit out of that theory right now. He can still play as much horn as anyone on the planet when the body and mind cooperate and he's relaxed. He's put a lot of work in the instrument and still does everyday. People focus on his chops problems that, when they are present, are probably caused by medication plus natural aging in brass players (Tom will be 60 in June) but I heard him last night and there was nothing the man couldn't do on the horn. Exactness, high notes, great fast-tempo playing, and (of course way more important) endless and thrilling creativity. It was scary how on he was. He gave Charles Macpherson a run for his money. It was some of the most hair-raising playing i've heard in a while, and not just Tom, the whole group. Also, I think what Sal perhaps meant was when the chops are less responsive and he does have to compensate, Tom paces himself and dips into a range of dynamic and melodic approaches. He can adjust his approach to where his chops are on any given night. You just hear different sides of this genius according to where his head and body are.

You have won the war of attrition. I'm buying your damn book---not a priority, such as rent, finishing my CD on my nickel, leg waxing (OK, I lied about that last one) but I promise I will. I like your persistence. You got the fire in your belly and the Fasstrack can relate. Call it one crazed Yid recognizing another . It better be good, though, or I'm comin' to look for you

I was joking with you, Larry (about the mooching part). Certainly an astute observer like yourself can recognize sarcasm without a rubric or red arrows pointing to it. But in case you didn't get it, the joke was my chutzpah in asking for a free book after lighting into you the way I did. Which is not unlike the old one about the guy who murders both his parents then asks the court for leniency because he's an orphan . If I see it in a bookstore and like it I will purchase it.

Alright already. I said I was sorry. Let it go, will you? Yeah, Brook definitely did his share of dishing it out on his late Jazz Corner site. Particularly obsessed with Wynton. That old devil jealousy, I guess, in part. But he did have some points, at least until he beat it into the ground and wouldn't stop. I emailed him and politely asked him to please shut the fuck up and write some more great music. He basically agreed. He's a great artist with a great big mouth. I guess that's his privilege. He's a big boy. But if you dish it out......Personally, I think it's pretty classless to spend time on your own website trashing good players. That's indefensible to me, and stinks whatever 'justification' given. Writing is like playing to me. Give your best from your heart and don't bore the people with your personal BS. They didn't pay to hear that or surf in to read it neither. On the other hand, there are things that need a gadfly to expose, so he did some good too---every so often.

Charles MacPherson, Tom Harrell & co. at Dizzy's club.... Go. If you live in NY. If not, get on Amtrack, jump a turnstile, jack a car, promise someone the moon for a ride. For upon arrival in Dizzy's you will hear 5 masters playing real jazz. Real bebop. The two co-leaders plus Ronnie Matthews, Jimmy Cobb, Ray Drummond. Best word to describe what I heard tonight: therapeutic. As in curative, good for what ails you. Also exciting, like live jazz still can be---these days mostly when when the few guys like this still around play it. Charles and Tom were individually at the top of their games and together breathing fire and finishing each other's sentences. Anybody that thinks Tom can't play anymore or isn't the player he was will be cured of that misperception from note # one. Burning. Charles is really a personality, he represents Charles Macpherson. Jimmy, bless his soul, still got it. His solos were really exciting and he drove the band right along with Ray and Ronnie. The music of Bird and Diz, it was billed and for once the billing wasn't a con. Played some originals, too. Again, go. Through Sat.

Guess you should be careful in life what you ask for..... That review was longer than the dead Sea Scrolls. Hurt my finger just t scroll through it. But if I see it around I'll leaf through. If I like it I'll.......try to mooch a copy from you. What the hell, I've done so much for you already you owe me that much, don't you?

And that book would be? The best critics were musicians that were jealous 'cause other guys they think they're better than have gigs. Jazz musicians who are working---and i interviewed all 6---don't have time for that stuff. Maybe they'll make a crack about a guy they have to play with who really does suck. Or maybe a prick like Stan Getz was reported to be saying certain things. You feel a story coming on, you say? Right you are!! Speaking of Jimmy, I did know him. I was a young man and approached him to study. The following summer ('80) he was staying in Brooklyn with a coulple of young guys from his hometown, Louiseville. (He was in for a re-unite w/Getz and Al Haig for the Newport Festival or whatever it was called by then). Raney's observation of the apartment's decor was to intone in his Kentucky twang: "You know I've seen furniture on the street, but it always looked better than this". So he called Stan from the place. After they talked he kind of chuckled. Then he told us Stan hated playing with Walter Bishop Jr., calling his playing "hard and glassy". "Um, Stan, are you sure you don't mean Walter DavisJr.?" "Same thing" Oops, funny story, faulty premise. I thought he said the best critics were musicians, not non-musicians. What I wrote is still true though, at least to me.