Today's jazz revivalism takes a new route

[Tom Storer]

Ominous but logical development

There's nothing to be alarmed about, Larry. It's the same phenomenon as Elvis impersonators, only more middle-brow.

[Jazzmoose]

That sounds very alarming to me. What's next? Am I at risk of being surrounded by Caruso impersonators in the near future?

[AllenLowe]

I read that too fast and thought you said CASTRO impersonators -

of course, we'll probably get those, too, after he dies -

[Aggie87]

What's next?

What's next? Mini KISS.

[clifford_thornton]

Bill Dixon once said this to me about "imitators" of Charlie Parker and their addiction to heroin: "did they think that Charlie Parker wanted to live like Charlie Parker?"

[Larry Kart]

Bill Dixon once said this to me about "imitators" of Charlie Parker and their addiction to heroin: "did they think that Charlie Parker wanted to live like Charlie Parker?"

Probably. Or rather, "If not, then like what?" By many accounts the man's appetites in many areas were immense -- beyond the bounds of any real-world frameworks known to him or to us. So one either alters those needs, drives, what have you -- an immense, probably undoable task in itself and one that heroin use may have "managed" to some extent, plus who can separate the immensity of those appetites from the nature of his art? -- or one somehow creates a world where a man of Bird's' appetites is seldom if ever blocked or frustrated. Good luck with that.

[John Tapscott]

Just received the new Sackville newsletter in the mail and FWIW here's John Norris' take on Dave Bennett's playing on the Arbors disc

( for me John's opinions are worth a lot!).

John writes, "Dave Bennett is into Benny Goodman but much of his playing is overwrought and repetitive."

I have not heard Dave Bennett but somehow this comes as no great surprise.

[jazztrain]

I heard a bit of the CD earlier this week while checking in new releases at the station.

Based on what I heard, I can't argue with the assessment offered by John Norris. Bennett is fairly young, so perhaps he'll find his own voice in time.

Just received the new Sackville newsletter in the mail and FWIW here's John Norris' take on Dave Bennett's playing on the Arbors disc

( for me John's opinions are worth a lot!).

John writes, "Dave Bennett is into Benny Goodman but much of his playing is overwrought and repetitive."

I have not heard Dave Bennett but somehow this comes as no great surprise.

[AllenLowe]

I'm with Larry on Bird, depending upon which part of the life you are referring to - but I do think those guys really liked getting high, at least at first. It may have been that the maintenance of the lifestyle, in terms of the law, was the problem, at least for them -

[Larry Kart]

Listened to the Bennett album. He can play the instrument, but he's very bland, especially rhythmically -- "dorky" might be the right word. In a way it's an interesting reminder of how much rhythmic edge (plus a meaningfully varied sense of attack on most every note, no matter what the tempo) there usually was to BG's playing.

Took me a fairly long time before I began to get BG the player, but I'm glad I finally did. I think it was that RCA set of the small groups with Wilson, Hampton, and Krupa that really turned the light on.

[Peter Friedman]

Took me a fairly long time before I began to get BG the player, but I'm glad I finally did. I think it was that RCA set of the small groups with Wilson, Hampton, and Krupa that really turned the light on.

That RCA small group set is terrific. It definitely contains my favorite recordings by Benny Goodman.

[Ted O'Reilly]

Well, yeah, Peter and Larry, but BG couldn't hold a candle to "Shoeless" John Jackson, right????

[jazzbo]