jazzypaul

she would, ahem, look so much better on the arm of a certain pudgy jazz drummer from Chicago...

yeah, that's rough, having to play well written music. I hate that too.

don't worry, I'm all done. go ahead...

Yep, they bill themselves as the Deep Blue Organ Trio. The occasional Tuesday night when I can convince myself to do the Blue Line/Red Line/Red Line/Blue Line/70 Bus thing to get up there and back, I go, and it is always awesome. Chris Foreman, in the vernacular of today's youth, is the poop.

so, how was the show?

To answer Pete C, this is why it was great... People loved it. People connected to it. Why do people love Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughan, who were both terribly overated? Because people can feel a connection with them. And that's totally a solo for the masses. But a damn good solo for the masses...

For the last 50 years of composition, you can't just call Lennon/McCartney Rock writers. That was their form, but their music has obviously transcended the boundaries of just Rock. Look at the huge numbers of great jazz versions of Beatles tunes out there. And, Robert Walter's live version of Instant Karma is pretty damn well bad ass as well. Stevie Wonder's only gotten one mention. That's downright sad. Sangry once again proves his wisdom on this board. Stevie's use of harmony is at least as complex as about 95% of the jazzers of the world. And his songs are just downright excellent. While we're speaking of modern funk and R&B guys, how about Prince? Another monster songwriter, and most certainly deserving of more nod's than just mine. Wayne Shorter would get a definite nod. His string of Blue Note albums in the 60's produced nothing but future standards. Gotta love me some Wayne. Becker/Fagen? Absolutely great. Their worst songs trump most other songwriters' best works, and their best stuff deserves to be listed along with the absolute best of the best, no matter the time period. Paul Simon is another one. Just try naming one Paul Simon song that you can't hum. Radiohead, too. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then lately, at least in the jazz world, these guys are getting flattered (lol) left and right. Mehldau is certainly no slouch as a player and his choice of songs usually borders on the sublime. So seeing him record 3 or 4 radiohead tunes throughout his recorded career should say quite a bit. Okay, that's my $0.02...

Dan: Rocky Marciano DID indeed retire with a perfect record, and was still sharp as a tack in the last interview that I had seen of him. Joe Frazier has far more on the ball than people give him credit for. Not to mention, he practically invented a fighting style (the duck and weave...I've never seen anyone do it the way he did). The sad thing about Frazier is that it was Frazier who got Ali a career again, and then Ali did everything he could to destroy Joe. It was truly a sad situation, and Joe deserved better. Rocky Graziano was kinda the Forrest Gump of the boxing community. Nuff said. and both Sugar Rays were just absolutely the shit. I take it I'm in the minority here as a boxing enthusiast...

There are quite a few exceptions to this rule. But, make no mistake, it is the rule. That said... Rocky Marciano (the heavyweight) Rocky Grazziano (the middleweight) (sp?) Sugar Ray Leonard Sugar Ray Robinson Joe Frazier and quite a few others. Unfortunately, for every one of them, there's a hundred Ali's. His has to be the saddest story of all...

Be glad you don't have a VW. That's all I can add to this conversation. I love my VW, but I hate the fact that it spends more time in the shop than in my driveway. You do have it better than in Chicago, however. State sticker, city sticker and neighborhood sticker are all yearly expenses. I have to deal with this on two cars. Uggh...

Maybe it's the fact that I'm a drummer. Maybe it's the fact that my ears simply work. But, man, how dare you guys? Tony played louder. He did not bash. He still played traditional grip, and he still used his chops for the greater good. The albums with Holdsworth are kinda blah to my ears, but the quintet stuff of the 80's and 90's? That's phat. The last trio record? Amazing. The Tribute to Miles and the VSOP stuff? First rate. And Tony at his most musical in the 70's? Captain Marvel by Stan Getz. Just because there's a Rhodes doesn't make it bad. I promise.

yep. Mini-disc once again proves itself to be manna from God. you can make fairly decent recordings from the room, and you can hear enough to make value judgements. I figure stuff out all the time about how I play, and how to make it better.

no, it's all about the music. which is why he's a saint.

Hilariously, there are a slew of tambourine/shaker appearances by Garvin Masseaux on some of the earthier BN sessions of the 60's. And, yeah, Feelin' the Spirit is the bomb.

my company has a nice deal worked out with Joe where we can go for free on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the week. I'll be there every Wednesday for the next couple of months. I love the showcase. I love even more that it's only a train ride away.

I dunno. I have two drumsets. One Yamaha Maple Custom, that I got used because it was played on for 40 minutes by Yoron Israel at the Chicago Jazz Fest about 4 years ago. Very nice drumset indeed. The drums resonate like mad, they're built very well, they sound great, and they look beautiful. However. My favorite set, and the one that I play on gigs unless looks matter is my practice kit. A $230 drumset that was meant for smaller kids who needed smaller drums. Turns out that the smaller kit is a 18" bass drum, 14" floor tom, 10" rack and a 5x13 snare. I don't even know the brand name. The drums don't resonate, they're practically made out of particle board and they look like shit. But tuned correctly, I can get them to sound exactly like Bill Stewart's kit, they stay in tune, they're easy to set up and tear down, and every drummer that has ever played them absolutely loves them. So, does the instrument make the difference? Yes. Is the nicest or most expensive instrument always the one that you want to play? Nope.

On jazz gigs: Hauling gear. everything else, I can deal with. If people aren't listening, it's a chance to play all the weird shit that you never get to play for attentive crowds. Always wanted to play all of the tunes off of Journey to Sandina--blah blah blah? (you know, the Alice Coltrane record with Joe and Pharaoh) Play all of that stuff when you know nobody cares! Loud drunks? A chance to turn up. Freebird requests? Play 'em, and play 'em so outside that you freak people out. (My trio actually does this. If you're willing to suggest Freebird to a Tenor/Bass/Drums duo, you have it coming...) Jobbing dates: lead singers who can't sing in tune lead singers who call awful tunes lead singers who sing awful tunes out of key dance band pianists who insist on playing on every quarter note hotels that won't let you mingle with the audience. hotels that won't let the band drink. hotels that won't let the band use the fucking bathroom. unpaid overtime Playing Celebration Playing Celebration with a horn section that tries to swing it that's just what I can think of in the first minute or so...

Completely agreed. One of the highlights of VW ownership (this is my sixth, my last, and my second to be nothing but trouble...) is that when your car is in the shop and they call enterprise, you get to drive all sorts of different cars all the time!!! Actually, that wasn't so bad once. My car got wrecked. Insurance sent me to Enterprise. All they had in the lot (it was a friday afternoon) was a Jaguar X-Type, which I got to drive for 2 months. Never has an experience with a car been so unique, and cool, even if the new Jags do look like Tauruses. Thanks, VW!!!!

Dude, Elton, back in the day was a badass. Even now, every once in a while, he can knock one out of the park. Cat Stevens, on the other hand, never did it for me. And, he did put out two albums since his conversion: one was a kids record, and the other one was just voice and percussion. So, there ya go.

the best things about gigging? Locking in with the tenor player on a figure you've never heard him play before. Hearing the bass player say, "hey, let's try playing Nardis in 7" and nailing it. Seeing people get out on the dance floor when things get funky. Seeing metalheads recognize For Whom The Bell tolls, even as we play it at 180. Seeing the metalheads stick around for the Joe Henderson tunes. Getting applause for originals. Overtime Pay. getting lost in the moment and realizing you've just played something that you couldn't nail in the practice room. Seeing old bandmates' jaws drop when the new band plays something infinitely better than the old band did. Getting paid for doing what you love at the end of the night. Hearing complete strangers say nice things to you. The list goes on and on, my friends...

Stitt & Patterson Turrentine & Scott Turrentine & Smith Larry Young & Elvin Jones Jack McDuff & George Benson Ron Carter & Tony Williams Wynton & Branford (gotta give it up for Black Codes...) Larry Goldings & Bill Stewart Chris Potter & Bill Stewart John Scofield & Bill Stewart Joe Williams & Norman Simmons Jackie & Grachan okay, I'm done. All of this talk of Peanut Butter and Jelly and Milk and Cookies has made me hungry. Now, for alcoholic combinations that sound gross but really aren't... Mountain Dew and Southern Comfort Tequila and Grenadine okay, all done.

All I know is that I am drooling like a dog over a bone over the idea of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. So far, my biggest issue with the Hybrids is that they've been too small to be practical for a drummer (this is why I love my '72 MB...even if it only gets 9 mpg). But with the idea of a Highlander Hybrid, well, suddenly it seems like a fantastic idea. Toyota build quality, SUV space and height and 50 mpg? Hell, where do I sign up? Greg, get off the "I only buy America" kick. It's people like you that allow the big 3 to keep making crappy cars. I'll gladly go American when they can make a product as well as Toyota or Honda, or make a car with as much personality as a VW. Until then, I'll loudly proclaim my love for poorly built german econoboxes and gargantuan antiques.

The vocalist's timing is off. Sorry, I'm a drummer, I notice these things. Damn hippies, can't go anywhere without being high.

re: Night of the Cookers... Man, I've always loved those two records, and I picked up the CD's when I found them at some point. Like a dumbass, I sold 'em, under the auspices of, "well, I just don't have the time to listen to four 20 minute tracks..." Little did I realize that I would eventually move within the city limits of Chicago, and now have at least 40 minutes on the road during my commute with which to listen to some truly fiery playing from Freddie and Lee. And they are great. Don't listen to the reviews, or the people that inexplicably don't like this session. It's a bad, bad mutha.

How about opening notes to a solo? Les McCann's first four bars on his solo for Cold Duck Time always brings a smile to my face whenever I hear it.