It's not just me...:)

[7/4]

I have never gotten into Kenny G - need I be lobotomised maybe?

Play some of his early stuff!

[EKE BBB]

Miles 70's & 80's stuff bores me to death. And no, I can't get into Mr. Braxton.

[mikelz777]

I don't know Braxton at all so he wasn't a factor in my vote. Brubeck, for me, was more someone who didn't inspire sustained enjoyment. I have his 5-CD "For All Time" box but never even remotely felt a need to get anything beyond that. My interest in him was more for Paul Desmond than anything else. I have to be in a special mood for Brubeck and it hasn't come around in quite a while. A little bit of Mulligan goes a long way but that may mostly be due to the baritone sax which holds limited appeal for me. I dig Pops but I haven't listened to him in a while. My first vote was for Bud Powell. It's not so much his playing (which takes some warming up to) but it's his vocalizations. I HATE it when I can hear the performer vocalizing. I want to hear their music, not their grunting, groaning and moaning. My second vote was for the big daddy icon, Ellington. I recognize his talent and great contributions but he doesn't seem to have the kind of work that I seek out and enjoy listening to. I have 4 discs worth of his Blanton-Webster years and have maybe listened to them twice (in 10+ years) with no real desire to revisit them anytime soon. People here rave about him and some easily have dozens of his recordings but it's lost on me.

Edited March 11, 2009 by mikelz777

[clifford_thornton]

Amazingly enough, for all my wanton foolishness, NONE of these players would get my vote. I either like or LOVE the mentioned figures. Admittedly only passing with a little Armstrong so I may get the Mosaic. But there hasn't been any problem in getting the "whys" of his stature in this music.

Braxton is a great, though in criteria that differ from those used, probably, for other artists on this list.

[mikelz777]

Damn... I knew I forgot a few.... :wacko:

I LIKE them all, and LOVE all but Brubeck and Mulligan.

I wonder if anyone would have picked Bird or Duke, if they'd been on the list.

Ellington would be Duke, right?

[blajay]

Brubeck.

[Christiern]

First of all, they are not all "greats." That said, I never had difficulty getting into music of any of these guys. Let me, however, add that, as a reviewer working from a typewriter, Braxton's song titles gave me grief.

One question. How can anyone admire Wynton and not hear the greatness of Louis?

[7/4]

One question. How can anyone admire Wynton and not hear the greatness of Louis?

Two words.

ear wax.

[Hot Ptah]

One question. How can anyone admire Wynton and not hear the greatness of Louis?

Two words.

ear wax.

By the way, do you know the original source of your quotation at the bottom of your post, "If you got ears, you gotta listen?" I know that it is in the Gospel of Mark, 4:9, spoken by Jesus. Is there an earlier source for it?

Edited March 11, 2009 by Hot Ptah

[7/4]

By the way, do you know the original source of your quotation at the bottom of your post, "If you got ears, you gotta listen?" I know that it is in the Gospel of Mark, 4:9, spoken by Jesus. Is there an earlier source for it?

Beefheart.

I'm not very familiar with the Gospel, but a phrase like that has to be more than ancient.

[BillF]

Pleased to see Brubeck seems to be carrying off the STINKER prize so far: he's my nomination, tho' it would have been nice to see WM in there, too.

To turn this thing on its head, those from the list I'm most into (in list order) are Miles, Monk, Bud, Getz, Mulligan, tho' it would have been nice to see Bird in there, too.

[mikelz777]

By the way, do you know the original source of your quotation at the bottom of your post, "If you got ears, you gotta listen?" I know that it is in the Gospel of Mark, 4:9, spoken by Jesus. Is there an earlier source for it?

Beefheart.

I'm not very familiar with the Gospel, but a phrase like that has to be more than ancient.

And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Mark 4:9 (NKJV)

Jesus was referring to the parable of the sower, a very important teaching showing the difference between true and false converts.

[Hot Ptah]

By the way, do you know the original source of your quotation at the bottom of your post, "If you got ears, you gotta listen?" I know that it is in the Gospel of Mark, 4:9, spoken by Jesus. Is there an earlier source for it?

Beefheart.

I'm not very familiar with the Gospel, but a phrase like that has to be more than ancient.

I had read that phrase on the back of a Beefheart album--is it "Doc at the Radar Station"?. Years later, while a Gospel was read at church, I jolted up out of my relaxed attitude, as I heard it there. In the translation read at my church, the wording was much closer to "if you have ears, you must listen."

Edited March 11, 2009 by Hot Ptah

[7/4]

That's not even a trout he has in front of his face on Trout Mask Replica, it's a carp.

This could be a documentary on the History channel.

Edited March 11, 2009 by 7/4

[Dave James]

Well, first off, I try to draw conclusions based on music alone. For example, I know Getz was a serious jerk, but I love his sound. Same thing with Ben Webster. He could be a real yahoo, but how can you not like his music?

So, anhyhow, put me down in the Armstrong column. It's not that I don't appreciate what sprung from his loins and how important he was to the development of music in general, but, again, judging him solely on the basis of his music, I just hear too much of a traditional, even dixieland sound in what he does. I have the same reaction to Ory, Teagarden, Red Allen etc. etc., even though my respect for their musicianship is off the charts. I don't have a lot of Louis (The Hot Fives and Sevens and the original Mosaic) and I've tried to get into what he's doing, but it remains a struggle. I plan on getting the new Mosaic as well, as I think at some point with enough exposure, I'll finally get it. But, for now, it ain't happening.

Up over and out.

[robviti]

it strikes me as odd that the original poster asked what artist you have difficulty "getting into," which i took to mean the listener is having trouble understanding and/or appreciating the artist. however, in many people's replies there is a direct or implied criticism of the artist for this lack of appreciation. in effect, "it's braxton's fault i don't like him," or "brubeck doesn't deserve my understanding or appreciation." it's one thing to "not get it" and another thing "not to want it." if the former is true, the door's still open, as long as your ears and your mind are too. in the case of the latter, it seems rather silly or petty to say someone's not great because you lack the understanding or appreciation that others enjoy.

one more thing - wynton sucks!

Edited March 11, 2009 by robviti

[RDK]

I'm not sure if there's any on that list I "can't get into" as I can find at least aspects in all of their work that I enjoy. But I listen to. for example, Brubeck and Braxton for different things. From that list, I'd say that Braxton might be the "hardest" to get into, but the challenge is part of it and while much of his work I really dislike, there's some that I do enjoy and admire.

As for Armstrong, I'll admit to perhaps not really "getting" and/or enjoying his early Hot 5 stuff as much as I probably should. I much prefer Armstrong in the 50s, even when he's merely covering his old material.

Artists I don't "get" given their prominence? Maybe Erroll Gardner, Teddy Wilson (his Mosaic bores me), Oscar Petterson, and to a lesser extent even Art Tatum. Another is Basie, at least when compared to Duke, Woody Herman, or Hamp's big band.

[AllenLowe]

for Armstrong, try his version of Sweethearts on Parade, and listen only to the trumpet - that's the first bebop record -

[Hot Ptah]

Well, first off, I try to draw conclusions based on music alone. For example, I know Getz was a serious jerk, but I love his sound. Same thing with Ben Webster. He could be a real yahoo, but how can you not like his music?

So, anhyhow, put me down in the Armstrong column. It's not that I don't appreciate what sprung from his loins and how important he was to the development of music in general, but, again, judging him solely on the basis of his music, I just hear too much of a traditional, even dixieland sound in what he does. I have the same reaction to Ory, Teagarden, Red Allen etc. etc., even though my respect for their musicianship is off the charts. I don't have a lot of Louis (The Hot Fives and Sevens and the original Mosaic) and I've tried to get into what he's doing, but it remains a struggle. I plan on getting the new Mosaic as well, as I think at some point with enough exposure, I'll finally get it. But, for now, it ain't happening.

Up over and out.

I think that you will find that the music on this particular Armstrong Mosaic is not of the Dixieland style.

[Hot Ptah]

That's not even a trout he has in front of his face on Trout Mask Replica, it's a carp.

This could be a documentary on the History channel.

I can imagine it now, as the History channel draws links between Jesus and Captain Beefheart, with overly dramatic narration and inappropriately excited music, with little actual content but many overheated teasers before and after the innumerable commercials.

[Hot Ptah]

it strikes me as odd that the original poster asked what artist you have difficulty "getting into," which i took to mean the listener is having trouble understanding and/or appreciating the artist. however, in many people's replies there is a direct or implied criticism of the artist for this lack of appreciation. in effect, "it's braxton's fault i don't like him," or "brubeck doesn't deserve my understanding or appreciation." it's one thing to "not get it" and another thing "not to want it." if the former is true, the door's still open, as long as your ears and your mind are too. in the case of the latter, it seems rather silly or petty to say someone's not great because you lack the understanding or appreciation that others enjoy.

Excellent points. Just because you don't "get" someone, it doesn't mean that there is nothing there to "get".

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

[Stereojack]

Excellent points. Just because you don't "get" someone, it doesn't mean that there is nothing there to "get".

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

Well put! I voted for Braxton, simply because his music just doesn't speak to me. However, I know many people, whose opinions I respect, hold him in high esteem, so I'm not gonna condemn him.

I used to ridicule Brubeck, but over the years I have come to terms with him and his music. There's a lot going on there, even if his attempts to "swing" are corny. Of course, I especially like the Desmond years, and have recently come to like the period when he was touring with Gerry Mulliagn.

All of the others on the list are tops in my book.

[Aggie87]

That's not even a trout he has in front of his face on Trout Mask Replica, it's a carp.

[mikelz777]

By the way, do you know the original source of your quotation at the bottom of your post, "If you got ears, you gotta listen?" I know that it is in the Gospel of Mark, 4:9, spoken by Jesus. Is there an earlier source for it?

Beefheart.

I'm not very familiar with the Gospel, but a phrase like that has to be more than ancient.

I had read that phrase on the back of a Beefheart album--is it "Doc at the Radar Station"?. Years later, while a Gospel was read at church, I jolted up out of my relaxed attitude, as I heard it there. In the translation read at my church, the wording was much closer to "if you have ears, you must listen."

It was probably the New Living Translation, more of a dynamic equivalent rather than a literal translation.

Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Mark 4:9 (NLT)

[7/4]

Braxton: anyone with ears should dig him. - DB