Down Beat 75th Anniversary issue

[John L]

I picked this up a few days ago and really enjoyed reading it. There are quite a number of highlights, including Soinny Rollins and Dave Brubeck reacting today to the critical reactions that they received at various times from Down Beat over the years. There are some rather amusing first crtitical reactions to soon-to-be-famous artists. How about this quote from none other than Louis Armstrong on the subject of a clarinet being a half tone off on his big band recording of Struttin' With Some Barbecue:

"Them cats know that a guy got to blow the way he feels and sometimes he hits them wrong. That's better than them young guys who won't blow for fear they'll be off."

A lot of wisdom there (IMO)

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for the reminder, John. I haven't even been in a Borders to look at a DB or JazzTimes in a long while, but I need to remember to pick this one up when I go get my haircut this weekend. I've really enjoyed the previous anniversary issues.

[Big Beat Steve]

As this issue had been discussed in another thread I had made a mental note to get this one and last Saturday finally managed to get a copy at a major newsagent at our central station. Agree all the way with John L (though I've only worked my way to the middle of the Goodman article so far and have only had a brief glance at the rest so far). This issue will find a welcome niche next to the 20th and 38th DB Anniversary issues as well as the the early DB yearbooks on my bookshelf.

Edited August 3, 2009 by Big Beat Steve

[thejazzchick3]

  John L said:

I picked this up a few days ago and really enjoyed reading it. There are quite a number of highlights, including Soinny Rollins and Dave Brubeck reacting today to the critical reactions that they received at various times from Down Beat over the years. There are some rather amusing first crtitical reactions to soon-to-be-famous artists. How about this quote from none other than Louis Armstrong on the subject of a clarinet being a half tone off on his big band recording of Struttin' With Some Barbecue:

"Them cats know that a guy got to blow the way he feels and sometimes he hits them wrong. That's better than them young guys who won't blow for fear they'll be off."

A lot of wisdom there (IMO)

As a woman, I can relate on a whole other level. I love that quote!

[mjzee]

Thanks for posting this. It prompted me to seek out the latest issue at a newsstand. I haven't read Down Beat for many years, and it was good to reconnect.