Musical instrument tones that grate on you

[Alexander]

I'm good on most instruments, including steel drums, harmonicas, accordians, and bagpipes (I LOVE me some good bagpipes). My only real dealbreaker is that tinny early-80s Casio keyboard sound.

[carnivore]

Ornette Coleman and everything that sprang from that dreadful epic of critical treachery on the part of Martin Williams et al.

[Brownian Motion]

Ornette Coleman and everything that sprang from that dreadful epic of critical treachery on the part of Martin Williams et al.

[carnivore]

[Neal Pomea]

Something about the tone of the sax on the Jackie McLean albums from the 50s on Prestige. Was he using a cheap instrument or something?

[AllenLowe]

all saxophones, trombones, pianos, guitars, trumpets, clarinets, flutes, basses, and drums -

did I leave anybody out?

[Hot Ptah]

I must be weird. I like everything that has been condemned here. In fact, I can't think of a musical instrument that I don't like the sound of. They all add a different flavor to the stew.

I have read the negative comments about Phil Woods before on this board. I have listened to his pre-1957 and post-1957 albums. There is something lacking in my powers of discrimination, because I like "Musique du Bois" and "Live at the Showboat", and find some of his other post-1957 albums to be pretty good. If I had not read the comments of Org members whose opinions I respect highly, it would not have occurred to me that there was something wrong with his playing.

They are not playing "instruments", but so far I have been unable to penetrate the appeal of the Swingle Singers. When they are played on a jazz radio show, that is the only time I will switch the station after a short time.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Hot Ptah

[Hot Ptah]

all saxophones, trombones, pianos, guitars, trumpets, clarinets, flutes, basses, and drums -

did I leave anybody out?

Saw, conch shell, ocarina, celeste, clavinet, cello, French Horn, violin, glockenspiel, oboe, bassoon, rocksichord....

[7/4]

all saxophones, trombones, pianos, guitars, trumpets, clarinets, flutes, basses, and drums -

did I leave anybody out?

Saw, conch shell, ocarina, celeste, clavinet, cello, French Horn, violin, glockenspiel, oboe, bassoon, rocksichord....

Cowbell.

[Shawn]

Cowbell.

There is no such thing as too much cowbell, every song should have cowbell.

[Joe G]

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.

I prefer the sound of guitarists like Tal Farlow, Sal Salvador and the like. The rock-influenced sounds make me run in the opposite direction

Being a guitar player, I'm really picky. That thin nasally pre-amp tube tone, I'm not too thrilled about. Big warm power amp tone is a different story - I like that. But still, it depends on the player.

I generally dig a nice Jazz tone...

Adam Rogers gets a great rock tone. Serious player, too. It can be hard to nail down a good distorted tone on guitar, but what else are you gonna do when you're in the Chris Potter Underground?

I didn't very much like the Tal Farlow youtube videos that were posted in the guitar thread recently, but I think it was the way he was playing as much as the tone.

I'm with 7/4 on Stern. What really drives me crazy is when he "whispers".

[Hot Ptah]

Cowbell.

There is no such thing as too much cowbell, every song should have cowbell.

The cowbell is the symbol of unbridled passion.

(Frank Zappa, on "Bebop Tango", on the "Roxy and Elsewhere" album)

[7/4]

Cowbell.

There is no such thing as too much cowbell, every song should have cowbell.

The cowbell is the symbol of unbridled passion.

(Frank Zappa, on "Bebop Tango", on the "Roxy and Elsewhere" album)

How could I forget?

Triangle. Imagine Mississippi Queen with a triangle.

[Hot Ptah]

Also, Allen, you left out the Ancient Egyptian Infinity Drum, played by James Jacson with what always looked to me like a pair of hockey sticks.

Or maybe you specifically meant to include it under your listing of "drums".

[Brownian Motion]

Something about the tone of the sax on the Jackie McLean albums from the 50s on Prestige. Was he using a cheap instrument or something?

I thought of posting something along this line also, but I decided I didn't want to risk being tarred and feathered and run out of big O on a rail.

[BillF]

Funny, a lot of the instruments mentioned here are interesting to me. If there were band with tuba, violin, bass clarinet, soprano sax, accordion and harmonica, I'd be curious enough based on the instrumentation alone to want to listen to it.

But you couldn't accommodate bagpipes, eh?

[BillF]

Larry, I love the "hotel tenor" description and I agree about Harry Allen.

I've always felt that Buddy Rich's excellent albums, Swingin' New Big Band and Big Swing Face are spoilt by the extent to which Jay Corre is featured as soloist. I just don't like his sound. I don't know if this is what is meant by "hotel tenor", but the name seems to fit!

[Royal Oak]

Eric Dolphy on alto - I can't stand it - that horrible yelping sound. "Plays like someone is standing on his foot" as Miles said.

[A Lark Ascending]

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.

I like it in other contexts - like those you mention. But not in jazz - gets all a bit Larry Adler.

[Larry Kart]

About "hotel tenor," the godfather probably was Freddy Martin, dubbed "Mr. Silvertone" by Johnny Hodges. Check out any track here:

http://www.rhapsody.com/freddy-martin

While that became the literal tenor sax sound that was required in bands that played in hotels for dining and dancing, I was thinking more of what became of that '30s sound later on when I stuck that label on Harry Allen. That is, tons of guys who were a generation or two or more younger than Freddy Martin, and who were aware of Stan Getz in particular, tried to find some middle-ground between the Martin sound and something that was a bit airier and with a less glassy vibrato -- this without disrupting (especially in rhythmic terms) the essential complacency, the sense that all was foreordained. Harry Allen reminds me of those guys.

[carnivore]

I think you have to be a tenor player to get Freddy Martin. My first love is Prez, then Chu - but after years of, like everyone else, sneering at the Martin sound I now find I am moved - and fascinated by it - and I wish I could do it. Eddie Miller, who normally couldn't have sounded less like Freddy could turn it on at will - dig the Bob Crosby recording of San Antonio Rose. The Martin recording of Flamingo is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Bird - only an occasional tenorist, loved Fred too.

[Neal Pomea]

Slap tongue technique on clarinet a la Wilbur Sweatman and other early players also gets to me.

[Peter Friedman]

Interesting thread.

I disagree with about 85% of the comments.

I like Jackie McLean's Prestige tone, Harry Allen, Stuff Smith, Stephane Grapelli, jazz organ, Red Mitchell, Bob Magnusson, harmonica(especially blues harmonica),Ken Peplowski, Gene Quill,Phil Woods- even his recent playing!

I don't like rock sounding guitar in jazz, electric piano, electric bass, varitone electronics on saxophone or other horns, Bill Frisell's guitar sound.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Peter Friedman

[Teasing the Korean]

all saxophones, trombones, pianos, guitars, trumpets, clarinets, flutes, basses, and drums -

did I leave anybody out?

You forgot the french Horns and the entire string section. Otherwise, pretty thorough.

[Teasing the Korean]

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but the soprano saxophone sounds to me like a duck farting through a kazoo...

Your comparison is an insult to farting ducks the world over.