tranemonk Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 so I just finished listening to Disc 6.... LOVED IT... and I finally pinned down why I had such a hard time deciding whether or not to buy this set... I LOVE Stitt on tenor but have very, very (not 5 very's but 2) mixed feelings about him on alto. It often seems to my non-musician ears that his alto playing is an acquired taste..... It feels like (to me) he often plays in a very high pitch (or very high notes) almost bordering occassionally on unpleasant.... It seems like its a very angular sound.... He doesn't do it on all tunes... just certain ones... I'm not explaining this very well... But here's a contrast... I consider Jackie McLean's playing very angular but NOT high pitched.... Does anyone else hear this? Am I correct that his alto playing takes an acquired taste??? But am I loving the set..... :tup Feedback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Yeah--3 "very's" would have been better, and 4 even better yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 No offense and I'm no musician but I don't get what you're saying. That's the essence of the alto. Sonny doesn't sound that far off from Bird (that's why Sonny stopped playing it for awhile). Are you saying Bird's sound is not pleasing to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 I don't hear it, I'm afraid. I bought Endgame Brilliance, threw it in the player, and was hooked on first spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Yeah, that's an incredible record, discussed here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 For consideration: I find the sound of the Roulette Stitt Mosaic can be pretty bright and brittle on some systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tranemonk Posted July 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 no offense taken... I love Bird... and I've heard a lot of alto... and love it... But as I said... it does seem like on a few tunes... Stitt sounds like he's playing in a really high pitch.... bordering on unpleasant.... Now... jazzbo may be right and it may be my system.... Don't get me wrong... I'm still loving this set... No offense and I'm no musician but I don't get what you're saying. That's the essence of the alto. Sonny doesn't sound that far off from Bird (that's why Sonny stopped playing it for awhile). Are you saying Bird's sound is not pleasing to you? ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 I think that piercing quality is in Stitt's playing. . . . I feel it and hear it too. It's at the core of his personal sound. . . . I've never heard it live but I bet it would be there strong. I just think that the remastering sometimes can also make the unpleasant piercing be prominent and hard to handle on bright systems. The sound of some of the discs on the Mosaic does mean I grab for them less than I might otherwise. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.A.W. Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 I think that piercing quality is in Stitt's playing. . . . I feel it and hear it too. It's at the core of his personal sound. . . . I've never heard it live but I bet it would be there strong. I just think that the remastering sometimes can also make the unpleasant piercing be prominent and hard to handle on bright systems. The sound of some of the discs on the Mosaic does mean I grab for them less than I might otherwise. . . . ← I agree that the sound on this Mosaic could have been tamed a little, though to my ears the overall mastering is good. On the other hand, taming Stitt's sometimes piercing sound might not have done it justice; I don't know, I've never heard him live either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tranemonk Posted July 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 thanks... Nice to know that I haven't lost my mind... (not on this topic anyway..) It's funny... since I don't recall having that reaction to any other altoist... (and it's not even all his alto playing... just select tunes...) I think that piercing quality is in Stitt's playing. . . . I feel it and hear it too. It's at the core of his personal sound. . . . I've never heard it live but I bet it would be there strong. I just think that the remastering sometimes can also make the unpleasant piercing be prominent and hard to handle on bright systems. The sound of some of the discs on the Mosaic does mean I grab for them less than I might otherwise. . . . ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 Hans. . . I think overall the remastering is very good on this set. And I'm not sure that one ought to shelve down that Stitt sound. . . . I do know that in a nearfield listening setup with your ear less than six feet from a tweeter. . . on some of the sessions one word: OUCH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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