Herb Geller RIP

[sgcim]

I just got back from the most intense jam session I ever had in my life, and the pianist said he had a video from Italy with Herb playing a concert with Bill Evans(!). BE's little seen GF, Elaine was in it. it can only be played on an all region VCR, which I don't have, so I guess i'll have to wait for next time. My pianist friend freaked when he heard Herb had passed...

Edited December 24, 2013 by sgcim

[uli]

There are 3 parts to this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvsS7U3tG0s

[Leeway]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I thought Herb was a more interesting saxophonist than Art Pepper.

And I'm sawing away at that limb. BTW, Geller said in an interview somewhere that Pepper in his mid-to-late-'50s prime was no great shakes in his opinion, although I don't recall whether Geller also said that he himself was a much better player. Don't get me wrong, I like Geller, although his solos do seem rather same-y after a while; and when it comes to rhythmic variety, tonal flexibility, long-range logic of construction, you name it, prime Pepper was in another realm altogether.

Also, BTW, check out if you can Gene Quill's solo on "I Feel Pretty" on Manny Albam's "West Side Story" album. Remarkably loose, wild, and fluid.

I wonder if he ever said that to Art directly? Somehow I doubt it.

[AllenLowe]

I didn't mean that being a "natural" would preclude him from being able to play complicated parts; it would, however, affect the way other musicians viewed him, likely. I have seem this a lot in my own travels, with players who are incredible individuals yet sometimes are viewed with a kind of jealousy by third parties who think they are not "schooled enough." And a lot of the beboppers had fairly orthodox ideas about "playing right," about tone and harmony. And I have a sense that Herb was very analytical in his approach. Plus it's a little bit like the way Jack Sheldon used to say in mock frustration how Chet Baker never practiced but then just showed up and played incredibly well.

on a smaller scale, I have seen this in action when less interesting players get called for gigs because they play 'all the right notes' in the right way, while more individual players don't get called because they are more unpredictable. And as I said, a lot of the beboppers were very orthodox in their opinions.

and don't discount what may have been un-said personal issues; junkies could be pretty callous in their treatment of people. Though Art was a very sweet and almost innocent-sounding guy on a personal level (the one day I spent with him was quite interesting; and I was lucky enough to drive him around Boston while he looked for a connection), first things first.

Edited December 24, 2013 by AllenLowe

[sgcim]

There are 3 parts to this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvsS7U3tG0s

Thanks so much Uli! Jazz piccolo and I guess that was either alto or bass flute.

I enjoyed that more than the LPs with Herbie Mann and Jeremy Steig. I knew Herb played the flute, but I didn't know he was that good.

Was that ever released as an LP?

[sidewinder]

Guardian obituary here..

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/29/herb-geller

[Peter Friedman]

Can't recall the specific words, but in Miles Autobiography he said far more nasty things about Jackie McLean than anything Herb Geller said about Art Pepper.

Miles also putdown the playing of pianist Duke Jordan which amazed me.

Personally I find Duke Jordan's playing to be vastly more interesting than that of Red Garland who Miles clearly must have liked.

[fasstrack]

Can't recall the specific words, but in Miles Autobiography he said far more nasty things about Jackie McLean than anything Herb Geller said about Art Pepper.

Miles also putdown the playing of pianist Duke Jordan which amazed me.

Personally I find Duke Jordan's playing to be vastly more interesting than that of Red Garland who Miles clearly must have liked.

What he had to say about Jackie weren't put downs but citations of what he felt was immaturity. If you recall after he put McLean through his paces for not knowing the tune Yesterdays when Duke Ellington was sitting in the audience he sometime later said 'but by now he was a master and could play anything'.

The comments about Duke Jordan are something else entirely.

[flat5]

I'll just jump in here and say that Art Pepper was a superb saxophone player.

Listen to his 40s-60s recordings and try to find examples of bad time, phrasing, intonation, tone, taste, articulation, section blending.

What else is there to criticize about his sax playing?

Probably was a good reader too.

Art Pepper was a first rate jazz musician & saxophonist.