Ethan Iverson interviews Bob Cranshaw.

[AllenLowe]

greetings Ethan; I did say nice things about you, as a matter of fact I recently posted a clip of you playing Charleston (beautifully) on Facebook.

but I hate Oscar Peterson, always have and always will; since 1968, to my credit. He was evil.

[Peter Friedman]

Funny to me that it was Fred Hersch putting down Corea and Oscar. My opinions on Corea are mixed as they are on Hersch.

Most recordings by both Hersch and Corea are not to my taste, though there are a small number with each of them that I do like.

The playing of both Fred and Chick has in general become less and less interesting to me over the years. Some of their early work is what I prefer by them.

It may be "politically correct" in some circles to be negative and even hostile toward the playing of Oscar Peterson.

But for me, his playing is most enjoyable. I am pleased to say that I have a large number of CDs by Oscar.

He would not be one of my very favorite jazz piano players, but his playing has given me a great amount of pleasure over many many decades.

[medjuck]

I found it interesting that he does not see himself primarily as a soloist. I saw a Sonny Rollins concert in Kansas City at which pianist Stephen Scott was delayed in the St. Louis airport (which is quite possible) and missed the first set. Bob Cranshaw was called upon to fill in with bass solos, for all of Scott's missing piano solos. It was the only time I have heard Cranshaw solo at length, often.

I seem to have missed this. Could you indicate where in the interview it comes up.

[Hot Ptah]

I found it interesting that he does not see himself primarily as a soloist. I saw a Sonny Rollins concert in Kansas City at which pianist Stephen Scott was delayed in the St. Louis airport (which is quite possible) and missed the first set. Bob Cranshaw was called upon to fill in with bass solos, for all of Scott's missing piano solos. It was the only time I have heard Cranshaw solo at length, often.

I seem to have missed this. Could you indicate where in the interview it comes up.

The question starts with "When you say Walter Perkins...." it's early in the interview, before he talks about playing with Sonny Rollins.

[AllenLowe]

I don't really think it's P.C. to put down Oscar Peterson; after all the guy was one of the most popular jazz musicians ever. Once again, we can't just disagree, we must imply certain motivations. Some of my best friends like him.

Edited May 31, 2014 by AllenLowe

[Ethan Iverson]

Hi again. Thanks for kind words etc.

Over the years I've become aware that DTM is seen by some as an attempt to "take control" in certain ways. That was never my intention, which is why I responded strongly to a few commentators here who were so happy that some of my interviewees dug musicians I have publicly questioned. My guess is that those commentators see me as Mechagodzilla. I'm not!!!

In the postmodern age it seems like everything is quite fragmented, and my work both at the piano and on the blog was never intended to be more than one of those fragments.The minute you put something in print it comes across as very strong. I've learned that the hard way. I'm trying to be tempered, and comments from others have helped me work on it.

Anyway, I won't be hanging out here too much. Please feel free to comment negatively about my music or whatever, I'm not going to be jumping in. I know very well that TBP and my music in general is controversial, and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.

More relevant perhaps, to Organissimo: Today Ben Street played me some blues from Tina Brooks THE WAITING GAME with an incredible Johnny Coles solo and utterly marvelous Kenny Drew comping. I'll be getting that one for sure, and I'm sure everyone here would dig it, too.

signing off:

ei

[readyrudy30315]

I found the passage about Duke Pearson not being at the piano amusing.

dd. Now that's kinda funny.Where else would Duke Pearson be,? Even though he played other instruments and wore many different hats.I cant see or want to see him anywhere but the piano.Churning out those slick and soft melodies of his. Edited July 19, 2014 by readyrudy

[Larry Kart]

I found the passage about Duke Pearson not being at the piano amusing.

dd. Now that's kinda funny.Where else would Duke Pearson be,? Even though he played other instruments and wore many different hats.I cant see or want to see him anywhere but the piano.Churning out those slick and soft melodies of his.

I think you missed the word "not" in what I wrote. Of, course, one would expect Pearson either to be at the piano during performances or in front of the band, conducting. What Cranshaw said in the interview was that Pearson often was not at the keyboard during performances but elsewhere in the room, chatting up female fans of the band. That's what I found amusing.

[readyrudy30315]

(Duke Pearson) Mentioned The Bob Cranshaw Interview. I so enjoyed this.Wonderful stories.I must say I ejoyed the story of Duke Pearson yhe most.Because he was my un.My mother's only brother.And I have spoken to Cranshaw often about uncle Duke being a ladies man.Uncle Duke used to say that he was in the,audience because he could hear the band better.And Cranshaw was right.Him not playing the piano made the band,stronger.But uncle Duke was always chasing number.And said that the ladies was always chasing him. Cranshaw have told me many likewise stories when he,Mickey Roker and uncle Duke were younger And some of the goodtimes they had.Most if them will remain private.But they were all great friends as well,as musical peers.Uncle Duke use to say,also.That Cranshaw was his right hand.And Roker was his left.That they,always seemed to know where he was going even before he played it.I have,a picture if uncle Duke,Cranshaw and Ella at,Club Jamaica.When she came to hear the band once as,Cranshaw stated.It's priceless to me.Great Great Interview.

[Guy Berger]

I'm a big fan of Ethan's interviews; I've found that I've learned a lot about jazz from reading them. (I also like his playing!)

And while I can't say I've agreed with him about every musical opinion he's ever expressed, I was more or less on the same page as him regarding Corea and Peterson.

I don't really think it's P.C. to put down Oscar Peterson; after all the guy was one of the most popular jazz musicians ever. Once again, we can't just disagree, we must imply certain motivations. Some of my best friends like him.

I guess, without "implying certain motivations", it's fair to say that it's a relatively popular (but not universal) opinion around here. Whereas I think if you talked to a lot of non-hard-core jazz fans, they'd probably be surprised that some people don't like him.

[paul secor]

Great interview. Missed it when it was posted, but glad I caught it now. Bob Cranshaw seems like a true down to earth guy.

[paul secor]

How to say something without actually saying it:

BC: Thank you. How did you get it?

EI: There are collectors. You know?

BC: Oh, bootlegs.

EI: They trade tapes and that sort of thing. I don’t know how you feel about that.

BC: I know they’re there.

[MomsMobley]

I LOL-ed at this:

...because Sonny can do some things. Sonny can play, and he’s playing in and out of things, but it can become confusing. So, if a guy didn’t know him, he’d say, “Where the fuck are we? Where are we in this tune? Where is he?”

Sonny, the way he can play time in and out of phrases…

Sometimes I’ve heard him with other bass players or other drummers, and they were confused. You hear something; is he really in that place or is he someplace else? My thing was, because I’m really into trying to play the changes in the bottom, I usually stay where I am. I can hear him if he’s in another place. I talk about that with guys in the band, drummers especially: Sonny turned the time around. I’ve seen him turn the time around. Now, where do you go? Do you go with where he is, or do you stay where you are? Sometimes you’re in that position because he’s playing so much stuff until you’re saying, “Should I be there, or should I be there?” Usually, I’m locked down. I’m going. I’m straight ahead. If I hear something else happening, I hear it, so I can go there. If I have to jump into the next bar, or go back, I hear it. It’s coming through me.

...because I witnessed an example of that, Sonny going in between the time so much that the end result was "like" levitating in time, like you started out in one place, then went up into the air and then came back down to earth in the spot where you were supposed to be, but...how did you get there, it was not a linear path, it was like...I don't know, levitation is the best word I can think of for it.

And because I was kind of like, WHOA, WTF was THAT????? I started looking around, and I saw Cranshaw just kind of shake his head, shift his body, and get back to normal, like, ok, yeah, he just did that to us, and I look around at the people in the seats, and many of them are doing the same thing, perhaps consciously, perhaps not, who knows, but yeah, Sonny can indeed "do some things".

Also, fwiw, this was done on one of those "funk" type tunes, not on a standard, so the myth that Sonny didn't really have his heart into any of "that" stuff...that's not the right argument to have, I'd say.

In the last year or two there was a good long interview with Clifton Anderson on WKCR... And we can nearly all say we don't listen for the trombone solos but obviously Clifron knows a thing or three about Sonny and is himself a fine musician... Worth looking for in the underground.

re: OP, he may not be among the top 50 most interesting jazz pianists but he performed certain functions very well; Hersch, at best, is a footnote and Jarrett, both in both gospel ostinato and inane 'standards' blather is insufferable. I used to tolerate the idea that his banal success lets ECM do this/that more interesting, vastly more worthy but...

[JSngry]

On 10/14/2014 at 10:01 AM, MomsMobley said:

 

 

 

 

.ore than a little late seeing this...holy shit.