Musical instrument tones that grate on you

[Brownian Motion]

My by-no-means-all-inclusive list:

Saxophones: Jan Garbarek, David Sanborn, Hilton Jefferson

Trumpets: Taft Jordan, Charlie Shavers, Miles Davis

Trombones: Bill Harris, Kid Ory

[A Lark Ascending]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Not keen on the sound of Stefan Grappelli. In fact, with a few exceptions, violins in jazz don't work for me.

[Brownian Motion]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Not keen on the sound of Stefan Grappelli. In fact, with a few exceptions, violins in jazz don't work for me.

I've come to accept the violin, though not the harmonica. But, as a rule, I don't like pipe organs, even when played by Fats Waller. And squeeze-boxes should be banned.

[J.A.W.]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Same here. There's some harmonica stuff on the Art Ensemble box Chuck put out and I didn't like it at all.

Not keen on the sound of Stefan Grappelli. In fact, with a few exceptions, violins in jazz don't work for me.

Not fond of violin in jazz either, though I don't mind Venuti's playing on the Lang/Venuti Mosaic and Grappelli's playing on the Reinhardt Mosaic. Stuff Smith, on the other hand... I really disliked his Mosaic.

Guitar playing on jazz albums that sounds like rock guitar and organ in jazz aren't my cup of tea either.

Edited December 4, 2008 by J.A.W.

[danasgoodstuff]

Sorry to be a hairsplitter here, but are we talking 'bout instrumental prejudices here or particular players whose tone we don't like? I'd like to think I don't have any of the former, plenty of the latter...

[ejp626]

Not fond of violin in jazz either, though I don't mind Venuti's playing on the Lang/Venuti Mosaic and Grappelli's playing on the Reinhardt Mosaic. Stuff Smith, on the other hand... I really disliked his Mosaic.

Guitar playing on jazz albums that sounds like rock guitar and organ in jazz aren't my cup of tea either.

Not to be too nosy, but if you aren't keen on jazz violin, why would you spring for the Stuff Smith Mosaic?

[J.A.W.]

Not fond of violin in jazz either, though I don't mind Venuti's playing on the Lang/Venuti Mosaic and Grappelli's playing on the Reinhardt Mosaic. Stuff Smith, on the other hand... I really disliked his Mosaic.

Guitar playing on jazz albums that sounds like rock guitar and organ in jazz aren't my cup of tea either.

Not to be too nosy, but if you aren't keen on jazz violin, why would you spring for the Stuff Smith Mosaic?

A friend of mine, who co-owns a record/CD store here, got a used copy relatively cheaply and offered it to me. I listened to it several times, with the result mentioned earlier...

Edited December 4, 2008 by J.A.W.

[Brownian Motion]

Sorry to be a hairsplitter here, but are we talking 'bout instrumental prejudices here or particular players whose tone we don't like? I'd like to think I don't have any of the former, plenty of the latter...

Both.

[Larry Kart]

Garbarek (gargling with holy water), Joe Lovano (though not always, and there are redeeming qualities at times), Ken Peplowski (sounds like a guy with a fat ass, which I believe is the case), post-1958 Phil Woods ("jazzy"), Charles Tolliver (he sounds like a nanny goat, someone once said), George Barnes (cheesy), Harry Allen (they used to call it "hotel tenor") -- probably will think of more.

[Shawn]

The only thing I can think of is that sometimes the Harmon mute (sp?) that Miles uses gets on my nerves after awhile (and my cat runs from the room). Harpsichords should be banned from all non-classical music.

and I don't like celeste...but a thread search should prove that.

[Shawn]

Guitar playing on jazz albums that sounds like rock guitar and organ in jazz aren't my cup of tea either.

That's interesting, as I actually think there's not enough "rock style guitarists" (as least as far as tone) in jazz, the sound of the guitar has changed since Charlie Christian, but many players never noticed. If you have an instrument that can create an almost endless variety of tones...USE THEM ALL!

Edited December 4, 2008 by Shawn

[Chuck Nessa]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Same here. There's some harmonica stuff on the Art Ensemble box Chuck put out and I didn't like it at all.

You must be thinking of Roscoe's "sound" on Delmark. I did produce that session but think the harmonica sound last less than 20 seconds.

U R a tuff crowd.

I like many "mouth-organ"/harmonica performances. Both "Sonny Boys" are high on my list.

[GregK]

Vibes.

[7/4]

Guitar playing on jazz albums that sounds like rock guitar and organ in jazz aren't my cup of tea either.

I think it depends on who is playing that guitar and what the rock tone is. There's a lot of guitar players out there.

Organ???

[7/4]

Mike Stern's tone. Too much chorus...I think I've mentioned this before.

dB

[Chuck Nessa]

Vibes.

I'm sure you know he is a member here. This attack is silly.

IMO, vibes can add color not available from other instruments.

Just noticed vibes or marimbas were part of about a third of my catalog. Not my choice, but the leader.

[J.A.W.]

Harpsichords should be banned from all non-classical music.

and I don't like celeste...but a thread search should prove that.

I fully agree. Forgot to mention them in my post above

[BruceH]

Vibes.

Just ignore him, Bags.

[BruceH]

post-1958 Phil Woods

Got to reluctantly agree with you there, for the most part...

[Chuck Nessa]

post-1958 Phil Woods

Got to reluctantly agree with you there, for the most part...

Cut date might be a bit late.

[Larry Kart]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Same here. There's some harmonica stuff on the Art Ensemble box Chuck put out and I didn't like it at all.

You must be thinking of Roscoe's "sound" on Delmark. I did produce that session but think the harmonica sound last less than 20 seconds.

U R a tuff crowd.

I like many "mouth-organ"/harmonica performances. Both "Sonny Boys" are high on my list.

Hammie Nixon, too -- the "Sonny Rollins of the mouth harp," as I think John Litweiler once wrote. The harmonica bits on "The Little Suite" from "Sound" are razor-sharp witty in themselves and a good cue to what's going on there overall. In effect, Roscoe was counting on the harmonica's associations to make his point.

[BruceH]

post-1958 Phil Woods

Got to reluctantly agree with you there, for the most part...

Cut date might be a bit late.

Ouch!

[J.A.W.]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Same here. There's some harmonica stuff on the Art Ensemble box Chuck put out and I didn't like it at all.

You must be thinking of Roscoe's "sound" on Delmark. I did produce that session but think the harmonica sound last less than 20 seconds.

U R a tuff crowd.

If I remember correctly - but my memory could be playing tricks with me, it's not getting any better - there is some repeated harmonica on the Art Ensemble box. I don't have it anymore, so I can't check.

[BruceH]

The bloody mouth-organ played in jazz - Toots is prime suspect!

Same here. There's some harmonica stuff on the Art Ensemble box Chuck put out and I didn't like it at all.

Not keen on the sound of Stefan Grappelli. In fact, with a few exceptions, violins in jazz don't work for me.

Not fond of violin in jazz either, though I don't mind Venuti's playing on the Lang/Venuti Mosaic and Grappelli's playing on the Reinhardt Mosaic. Stuff Smith, on the other hand... I really disliked his Mosaic.

I love Stuff Smith!

He and Joe Venuti pretty much justify the violin in jazz. For ME, anyway!

[papsrus]

I can get into electronic sampling if it's done with some degree of restraint, and if it's used as a supporting voice in the music. But over-indulgent, multi-layered, wall-of-sound noise sampling whose sole purpose seems to be to interrupt rather than integrate, will land any CD in the "never-to-be-played-again" file pretty quickly.