fasstrack

To get more insight on the German take on 'proper' music, CA 1930s-40s, read Josef Skvoreky's preface to his novella The Bass Saxophone (the point of which is to give the background against which he and both his real-life Czech friends and the story's fictional characters rebelled with swing dancing, playing jazz etc.). He cites strict Nazi-era rules re 'correct' dance tempos (which I believe even specified metronome markings) to be strictly adhered to by German dance band musicians. Any feeling at these tempos remotely evocative of swing is to be, of course, avoided. For musicians to disregard such directives or otherwise veer towards jazz/swing was to draw dangerously close to indulging in 'JudeoNegro Music' and, if memory serves, 'JudeoNegro caterwauling'. March tempos for military and other official bands are similarly delineated as to the permissible and the verboten. And I'm only remembering the tip of the iceberg, the list goes on and on and gets nuttier and funnier by the sentence. It really makes remarkable reading. Do yourselves a favor and pick up a copy. I also heartily recommend the novella itself. It's Skvoreky's finest hour IMO. At one point I owned this book. I'm not sure if it is in storage or I let it slip in one of my moves. I'll try to track it down again... I myself bought it at least twice, and would again in a heartbeat if it's not in storage. Aside from the great satirical nailing of petty officials in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, Skvorecky writes quite poetically and accurately about what music does and musicians do. Very amusing and potent general imagery also. He's well translated in English, and not speaking his native language I can only guess as to whether he's as good a writer in his native tongue as anyone ever was. I'm a reader, not a literary critic, but my instincts say 'yes'. After reading The Bass Saxophone I read everything available by him, starting with short stories which were thinly disguised accounts of growing up with his jazz-playing teen friends. I next progressed to a detective mystery of the type he was compelled to write under a pseudonym to survive after getting in trouble with the Czech government for writing The Heroes. The Heroes, naturally my next read, got him in hot water for his temerity in portraying the Soviet army liberators of WWII concentration camps as humans with human frailties, not the gods the Party was officially letting on about. He eventually emigrated to Canada, where he wrote as he wished and also enjoyed a career as a professor. I've heard of health problems in the past few years at what must be an advanced age. We can only all wish Josef Skvorecky the best for a lifetime of service as artist and conscience who spoke for many.

Spelling correction: Make that Josef Skvorecky.Hadn't looked at his name in some time, and I was going by memory exclusively.

To get more insight on the German take on 'proper' music, CA 1930s-40s, read Josef Skvoreky's preface to his novella The Bass Saxophone (the point of which is to give the background against which he and both his real-life Czech friends and the story's fictional characters rebelled with swing dancing, playing jazz etc.). He cites strict Nazi-era rules re 'correct' dance tempos (which I believe even specified metronome markings) to be strictly adhered to by German dance band musicians. Any feeling at these tempos remotely evocative of swing is to be, of course, avoided. For musicians to disregard such directives or otherwise veer towards jazz/swing was to draw dangerously close to indulging in 'JudeoNegro Music' and, if memory serves, 'JudeoNegro caterwauling'. March tempos for military and other official bands are similarly delineated as to the permissible and the verboten. And I'm only remembering the tip of the iceberg, the list goes on and on and gets nuttier and funnier by the sentence. It really makes remarkable reading. Do yourselves a favor and pick up a copy. I also heartily recommend the novella itself. It's Skvoreky's finest hour IMO.

They will. That's what makes this such a fun place to play. It's bomb-proof. Everybody's doing his thing and in a great mood. You'd have to be a world-class f#$k-up to ruin their evening. If they want to listen they come over and sit on the sofas. Or not. It's so relaxed it's the perfect place to break in a band.

It does. I messed up. Should have said 'cash bar'.............

Thanks, Peter. I think I got my foot in the door there, so there will be others. I really like this band, too. I'm glad we got a gig. I have plenty of material and am eager to hear what they do with it.

I always thought Randy was tremendous and wanted to work with him. Hope that happens someday. His own projects, including the 'metaharmonic' stuff----whatever the hell that is---are very interesting and wide-ranging in scope. Even his guitar playing on NY Stories is pretty good. As for Scott Robinson, the same, though I did play at a private session with him, Joe Magnarelli, Walt Weiskopf, and others. He took out a new flugelhorn besides tenor, and was so tasty. I tried to get him on a tour once, but he was going to Brazil. I know Bob Brookmeyer is a big fan. One day, guys...

JOEL FASS'S LO-TECH a jazz quartet comprised of guitar, trombone, bass/cello, drums/percussion is appearing at: FAT CAT 75 Christopher Street NY, NY (212)675-6056 http://www.fatcatmusic.org FRIDAY, JUNE 10 7:00 PM-8:30 PM with JOEL FASS, guitar, composer-arranger BRITTA LANGSCHOEN, trombone SEAN SMITH, bass VANDERLEI PEREIRA, drums/percussion PLAYING ORIGINALS, ARRANGED STANDARDS AND POP TUNES, JAZZ FAVORITES Price: a ridiculously low $3! Open bar, pool, Ping Pong, chess all available! Please come by and say hello. This is a fun band featuring wonderful musicians but the only 'star' is the material. Read, hear, learn more at: http://www.myspace.com/joelfass

You're welcome, Paul. I wouldn't nessecarily blame Bart Thrall for 'narrowness' of questions. True, he was a bit over-the-top with the hagiography bit. But knowing Eddie since 1976, he is so damn multi-layered, and especially such a 'circumloquator' in conversation talking to him is usually like trying to catch raindrops in a bucket with holes. And, though he's mellowed a bit, those drops are still falling hard, intense, and seemingly incessantly. To his credit he really simplified his answers to Thrall's questions (such as they were), stayed on subject, and off the manic metaphysical/beatnik/Gary Null-ite Eddie-isms I know and love so well. I agree about the playing, BTW, but it's still good---and representative.

Nice, but not his best IMO. (I've told him that).* See if you can get Al Haig: Manhattan Memories. It never came out on CD, but side 2 of the LP features Eddie a lot. He's just as relaxed---one of his strong points, always, but stretches out more and has some nice spots on ballads like My Little Brown Book and Nuages. Also very nice playing on side one on a Cedar Walton tune (not sure of the name). The group was a working group, so right away it's better. I think Al sounds better here than back in the day. Jamil Nasser and Frank Gant are good, too, and I like the program. There's a bunch of tapes made by a guy whose name I don't have permission to reveal, among them Eddie and Red Mitchell, who hired him at Bradley's in 1989. They read each other's minds and Eddie is really at his best. But I don't think they'll ever be available b/c Red's widow won't allow it---according to a knowledgeable source. There's also a concert at Bard College produced by a then-student. It's with Bill Crow and Jimmy Cobb. I like it a lot, Eddie doesn't. It might be archived at the school if you want it that badly. *Don't get me wrong. It's a perfectly fine CD with good playing by all, but a bit polite and routine for my taste. A good, but not super-special jazz date. I really appreciate that Ilya (Lustak, who created Lineage Records, and a good guitar player himself) did this for Eddie.

There's a stand-alone clip, culled from the film, where he talks about Hank and that date. Go to youtube and put Eddie's name in the search line. Best to let him speak. The news is good, and the praise high, though.

Made by his friend Bart Thrall for entry in the Woodstock film festival. An hourlong documentary with interspersed performances about guitarist Eddie Diehl. Filmed mostly in his Poughkeepsie guitar repair shop and at duo performances with bassist Lou Pappas. Eddie talks about his life, recording with Hank Mobley and Hank Jones, the jazz scene in Harlem through the '70s, working at the Folklore Center from '72-'83, and how he acquired his '30s D'Angelica. A worthwhile hour with a complex guy and swinging, original player I've been friends with since 1976. If the film is too much to digest at once, there are smaller clips of the performances also on youtube. Punch in Eddie Diehl in the search box.

That's what I was referring to, the full interview. Thanks, I read it.

Get that! Tardo is one of the best anywhere. No way you can go wrong.

Great! Thanks so much for this, both as a guitarist and a jazz musician. Christian got me out of my musical diapers at around age 17, when I first heard him. There was no turning back, and R&R would never again be taken seriously. I'm still working on what I got from Charlie Christian. Can you forward this to the guy? Or show me where you found it and I will.

There used to be a gig in the late '90s with Morris Edwards on bass, myself on guitar, and 'The Worm'. The leader was a 'saxophonist' who is actually a very good AM radio sportscaster with a speaking voice of gold. He couldn't play or sing either and knew maybe three tunes, but he had this gig every month at the loft of an artist well-known in Eastern Europe: Lalo. The gig was only a $50 hit, but Lalo fed and boozed us until we were almost blind----way past 'needing glasses'. He loved us. And Morris, Worm, and me ignored the leader---thankfully a saxophone can't do the damage a bad drummer, bassist, or painist can---and had a ball on that gig. Jimmy and Morris go waaaay back.

With Sir Charles Thompson, Ruby Braff, et. al.----and wonderful. Check out that smooth rhythm. Basie would have been proud.

I followed the link. Thanks. I always wanted to see that little film. The music was good. He always had a natural feel for blues, played pretty much in the moment, took chances, and (not always, but here) built something compositionally. Even the quirky double-time things---that everyone, including the man himself, seems to think is a 'Coltrane influence' but sounds not the least like Trane to my ears ---fit. And they didn't always in this period to me. But the minute I hear that paranoid, narcissistic (sp?), romantic junkie-outlaw rap I get turned off. Not residing in the man's brain or soul, I don't know how much of this Pepper actually believed or how much was 'legend pimping'. (yeah, I read the book.....many times. I like dark Snickers bars, too.....). I think I'll stick with the playing. It's the only Art Pepper story really worth hearing.

I met her one time at St. Peter's Church here in NY. I forgot the event but she was very nice and very warm, and we exchanged info. I knew her only as an organist, and she was one of the better ones, so I was delightfully surprised at how much I liked her piano playing that day. She had a lot of depth and dimension and sounded like herself. Very individual player. I had the same experience with Jane Jarvis, another underappreciated pianist. She, like Trudy Pitts, was the 'mccoy'.

It was nice, especially the 2nd set. Amazing house for a Monday and that inspired me. The 1st set my nerves got the better of me on some tunes, speeding up (when you hear that as you play it's uncomfortable and you just have to go with it). I was making mistakes and forgetting things, too. Also nerves. And I'm not hard on myself. This was the first gig back after quite some time, so I was brave! I kept taking chances and digging in and before long it settled down and swung. The ballads came off well, I thought, and it was not easy listening for them (or me) b/c I will play from a whisper to a roar, and when it's really quiet you can hear the talking cutting through. But ballads, by the end of them, calm a crowd down, too. All this is very therapeutic and makes you focus more. Last night kept getting better and better. I had a singer, Maryanne Sollivan, and a keyboard player, Brian Charette play the last two tunes and that worked well for relative strangers, and was well-received. The crowd was enormous by then. On to the next one. I really feel like playing and performing now.

Or as my friend the late Morris Edwards told a guy about to go on: 'Break your leg!' Thanks for the good vibes. Looking forward to it. Could use more sleep, though. Oh, well.....

Bump. Tonight. Wish me luck.... Nah, no luck needed, just enjoyment and that's a no-brainer.....

Thanks a bunch to both of you. And you can move to the head of the class. I said it's OK.....

Yesterday on WKCR in NY among other treasures played on Ellington's birthday was a concert at the Chicago Civic Opera House with Django Reinhardt as featured performer. I know this is well-known material but I don't own it. What, if anything, is the CD configuration? Also, does anyone know if the other concert with Duke/Django at Carnegie Hall----where Django supposedly missed most of the show b/c he told the cabbie to take him to East 57th Street---was recorded? Maybe this should be moved to 'Offering and Looking For'---but I don't know what I'm looking for yet.

I'll be the bald little Jew. Wait, everybody will be a bald little Jew....