Free For All

Some of my favorite Benny- "Jazz Giant" - a great side; I originally picked this up because of Frank Rosolino. Came for Frank, stayed for the rest. Also "Further Definitions" He was such a classy cat- every time I saw him he was STYLIN'. He was a real gentleman, and the least we can do is try to spread the word of the correct bridge to "When Lights Are Low"! I've always wondered why Miles didn't just do another take. I'm glad to have the one we do, but I'm surprised Miles let the wrong bridge get out. Did he think he was playing "Good Bait" or what? I'm curious, what's the general opinion of his big band writing- like "Kansas City Suite"? What would YOU say were his major contributions to the music? Obviously his longevity makes him part of an elite list that includes Doc Cheatham, Jay McShann et al. Kind of a "Bob Hope" of jazz in that respect, but Benny never seemed to lose a step in his later years. Many (including me) considered him to be musically conservative, although his playing to me always communicated dignity, charm and good taste. He did witness (and contribute to) much of the history of jazz! There are SO many stories of premature demise (whether self-inflicted or by fate) in the jazz world, it's always nice to see someone make it to old age! Hope you enjoyed the ride, Mr. Carter............

Gee, Mike, I hope you're not coming down with something!

Eric, are you out there? You're a KC person, right? You want in on this?

Al Foster is amazingly versatile- just think about the contrast between the Joe trios and his playing on something like "We Want Miles"!

"You talkin' to me?" Count me in, Rooster!

I also had the opportunity to see Al with Ron Carter and Joe Henderson (around the time of those "State of the Tenor" sides- mid 80's) at the Vanguard. Got there early enough to sit up front- it was so good we went back the next night.

Some great Al Foster can be found on Dave Liebman's "Pendulum". I don't think it's ever been out on CD yet, at least in the US. It burns! A great version of "Footprints" with a long Al Foster solo that will impress you even if you don't normally like drum solos. W/Randy Brecker, Richie Beirach, I think Frank Tusa and some great 70's looking attire on the album photos.

Due to excessive wear and mistreatment my Real Book only goes from about D to T. "Brainville", hmmm....................I don't know if my solo would work over those changes.

I think that's the best approach- no rules. It's important to be able to read the audience/situation and be flexible enough to "audible". I've given up on the specific set list 'cause I never stick with it. I just keep a list of tunes separated by styles (med. swing, ballads, etc.); usually I have an opener and closer in mind, but otherwise all bets are off.

In many clubs it seems that if you intend to play any ballads, you have to do it early, like during the first set. As the crowd gets increasingly "medicated" and loose the whole point of playing a ballad seems to become moot (now, I must also say I've seen many players who were able to quiet a noisy room musically, I mean w/o yelling "SHUT UP!" on the mic, just by playing with conviction and finesse). Some clubs have "quiet" policies which can help, and certainly in a "concert hall" situation rowdiness is not as much of an issue, but the funky and noisy clubs seem to necessitate a slightly different type of programming. That being said, they're also often some of the best places to play as far as audience energy is concerned. For the most part, I prefer the funky weekend crowd to the "museum" audience that seems to be in a collective coma. It all depends on what kind of group it is- music that's highly "detailed" and uses a lot of space (that ought not to be filled by blenders and drunks) often fares better in a quiet environment. Funky, grooving, dare I say "greazy" music often thrives from the drone of the room. Just my opinion.

"Bluesnik"; obviously a great session. Has this one been remastered? I look forward to a version w/ the alt. takes at the end. I know, I can reprogram the order, but I'm often too lazy to do that. Is it slated to be redone?

"Like Someone In Love" is an excellent session (w/some great Shorter tunes) that doesn't seem to get mentioned a lot. Also the two volumes from the early 70's, "Mission Eternal" and "Child's Dance" have some nice moments- one of my favorite is Woody Shaw's rendition of "I Can't Get Started". One of my favorites, though, will always be "Big Beat"- Lee's solo on "Dat Dere" is a clinic in swing. Oh yeah, Free For All's not bad either!

Another one I really like is "An Invisible Orchard" from '61.

Of course for anyone from Chicago, The Blues Brothers was full of familiar places. I still can't believe they were allowed to drive through Daley Plaza (around the Picasso) like they did. Another movie with lots of great Chicago shots was Only The Lonely w/John Candy and Maureen O'Hara. I remember Freebie and the Bean! James Caan and Alan Arkin, right? I remember seeing that in high school- kind of dark and pretty funny. One of my favorite San Francisco movies is Bullitt- maybe the best chase scene of all time. I wanted that Mustang bad! I worked as a projectionist in a movie theatre all through high school. It was a great job even though I had to see movies like "Benji" a million times.

Triplet with an eighth pickup.

I was just cable-surfing and came across the movie "Prelude To A Kiss". I had forgotten that some scenes were filmed in the Green Mill, a well-known club in Chicago. In fact, there's a long scene between Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin in the club where you can clearly see the owner, Dave Jemilo in the background. Not a great movie, but it's fun to see familiar places like that. If I remember correctly there are at least a couple other movies that used the Mill; "V.I. Warchowski" (ugh) and an older one one, I think it was called "The Thief" w/James Caan. I think they actually "blew up" the club in that one. I also have seen many musician friends in movies, usually in the background (For The Boys, Finding Forrester). So, anyone have any "brush with greatness" or "famliar locales in movies" stories?

"TENORGAN"-issimo?

......and thank you! BTW, are you familiar w/that Thad tune? It's really interesting.

By the way, Jim, as a new guy I'd like to say thanks for the new home. I've been a lurker since way back into the BNBB, and this space you've created is infinitely more comfortable, and I think the spirit of the posts generally reflects this. Although I think it's funny that Hardbop won't set foot in here, is that because you chose not to play the alto?

Ah, a good son. That certainly counts for a lot in the big picture. God Bless Mom. I tell ya, having the right teacher at the formative stage can make all the difference. But it seems to me that "b3-er" has a better ring to it than "Selmer Mark VI-er", though I think Sangrey might disagree. I often wish I played a second instrument, although I most feel that trying to keep my shit together on ONE axe is PLENTY enough.

Michael, I sure enjoy your posts. You really know your shit! So, where can I find a recording of Gryce's "Satellite"? I'd like to check it out. I know, I could do a search, but I thought first I'd see if you had it on the tip of your tongue.

At least you didn't have to play in the marching band.

Hopefully Mr. G will be attended to by brilliant coroners.

I know, I'm not claiming exclusive credit- I saw a couple of these elsewhere too, but I did add several of my own, including my personal favorite "Crap Is Cool With Kenny".

There's a tune on Pepper Adams' recording "Encounter" that Thad wrote called "Elusive" that has a very interesting form. It's just like something Thad would do, an extended blues that's a little left of center. Anyone familiar w/this one? Anyone play this tune? Anyone else like this recording? (W/Zoot, Elvin, Ron Carter and Tommy Flanagan) It's nice to come across a tune that breaks the usual 8 bar phrase routine. That's one reason I never get tired of tunes like Alone Together (nice 14 bar A section) or Infant Eyes (9 bar phrases) among others. I must say I'm totally impressed and humbled by the knowledge represented on this board. So, can I borrow $20?