a Hank question

[CJ Shearn]

since John Litweiler joined the board maybe he could answer this, or anyone else is welcome to take a shot. In Hank's '73 DB interview, he mentions how on the date that became Johnny Griffin's "A Blowin Session", he was uncomfortable with the up tune ("The Way You Look Tonight") but for the other tunes on the session he was able to put on his "heavy form" and pretty much do what he wanted there. Does anyone have an idea of what he meant by "heavy form"? Thanks.

[Guest ariceffron]

re- that interview i would like to inquire about that soundtrack session hank mentions about the albainian war w/ freddie and cedar that blue note never put out.

[JSngry]

I always took that "heavy form" comment to mean that Hank felt that he could best get his groove on at medium tempos, where he could really sink his claws into the beat and play with it anyway he wanted to. That's where he could really get heavy into his bag.

Although really fast tempos never shut him out, I do have to say that they left his vocabulary unnuanced, and with Hank, the nuances were often more the point than was the vocabulary. That's not in any way a slam or dis. It just is a recognition of the reality that some musicians have a zone in which they feel most at ease and free, and Hank's zone was not that of the uppermost tempos.

[CJ Shearn]

thanks Jim, that makes sense.

[Chuck Nessa]

Yup, I'm sure Jim nailed it.

[Big Al]

Nothing to add in answer to the original question, but I think Hank holds up well among the other fire-breathers on the session!

[BruceH]

Nothing to add in answer to the original question, but I think Hank holds up well among the other fire-breathers on the session!

Yes to that! B)