The Loaded Gun List

[Face of the Bass]

Inspired from an exchange in another thread, I think it would be revealing for posters here to do the following exercise:

You are sitting in your living room with your best friend in the entire world. A large man breaks in your front door, marches into your living room, pulls out a gun, and then asks the following question:

"If you could only save all the recordings of ONE artist in your jazz collection, which artist would you save?"

Taken aback by the shocking crudity of this question, you say, "Of course, that is an impossible question. I could no sooner choose one artist's recordings over another than I could choose one child over..."

Before you are able to get out another word, the man walks over to your best friend, puts the gun to his head, and pulls the trigger. Your friend's brains are splattered all over your carpet, all over your couch, all over the walls.

Now he puts the gun to YOUR head. "Which artist?" he shouts. As you shake with fear and struggle to maintain control over your bodily functions, you give your answer.

What is your answer? If you could only save all the recordings of one artist in your collection, with all your other recordings being taken away from you forever, which body of work would you save first?

I would save the following artists, in the order listed:

1. Miles Davis

2. Sun Ra

3. John Coltrane

4. Ornette Coleman

5. Cecil Taylor

6. Charlie Parker

7. Steve Lacy

8. Thelonious Monk

9. Anthony Braxton

10. Pharoah Sanders

If he denied me any of those ten, I'd tell him to just go ahead and pull the trigger.

[Chuck Nessa]

Duke

He was my way in and will be my way out.

[jeffcrom]

I don't know what I'd say if I thought about it, but the first name that popped into my head when I read this was Sidney Bechet, much to my surprise.

[Free For All]

I just hope my friend's brains didn't get all over my records. I hate when that happens.

[JSngry]

See, this is why it's ok to own a gun.

[Don Brown]

Ellington.

[BFrank]

GUNther Schuller

[JSngry]

[kenny weir]

Pops - no question.

Edited August 14, 2011 by kenny weir

[GA Russell]

I would say Miles because I have so many more of him than anyone else. Also because his style changed so often it would be like having more than one artist.

[Late]

I would say Miles because I have so many more of him than anyone else. Also because his style changed so often it would be like having more than one artist.

Agreed. And same.

Though, based on solos alone, it would have to be Sonny Rollins.

[papsrus]

Agreed. And same.

Though, based on solos alone, it would have to be Sonny Rollins.

BANG!

[AllenLowe]

Fess Manetta (perhaps only Jeff and Kenny will understand) -

if that doesn't work, a karate kick to the nuts, a flying Matrix leap, two Bruce Lee waves, and one AK47 (thank god this country lets me buy one of those).

[RDK]

If limited to jazz artists, it would have to be Duke, Mingus, or Monk. Which one in particular is harder to say.

[NIS]

I would have saved my friend's life and answered right away - Walt Dickerson.

Now, if pressed for a number 2, after some thought probably Michael Moore.

Edited August 14, 2011 by NIS

[Larry Kart]

Pres

[paul secor]

Louis

[johnlitweiler]

Pres or Jelly Roll Morton

[jazzbo]

Duke.

But I'd probably make a play for the gun, fatal mistake that may be.

Edited August 14, 2011 by jazzbo

[Swinging Swede]

Cannon. 'Cause cannon trumps gun.

[Chuck Nessa]

Cannon. 'Cause cannon trumps gun.

Not when someone yells "Behind you!"

[AllenLowe]

I'd go get Bird's axe and whup that guy.

[.:.impossible]

He's going to kill you anyway. You just witnessed an execution style murder. This kind of thing doesn't end well, regardless of your taste in good music.

[Face of the Bass]

He's going to kill you anyway. You just witnessed an execution style murder. This kind of thing doesn't end well, regardless of your taste in good music.

Right! But if I'm going to go, I want to go at least touting some good music.

[kenny weir]

Fess Manetta

The more I play it, the more Longhair I hear.