Gheorghe Posted March 6, 2013 Report Posted March 6, 2013 Just finished that great book about the great Paul Chambers. Great reading. The author reviews almost every recording with the bassist and gives us some informations about his personal live. Quote
BillF Posted March 6, 2013 Report Posted March 6, 2013 Just so long as the book carries an apology for those bowed bass solos! Quote
bertrand Posted March 6, 2013 Report Posted March 6, 2013 Do we have a title and an author? Bertrand. Quote
Gheorghe Posted March 7, 2013 Author Report Posted March 7, 2013 Do we have a title and an author? Bertrand. Title and author? I thought, the title of my thread is the title of the book and the name of the author ?! "Mr P.C. "the live and music of Paul Chambers" !! @BillF: apology for those bowed bass solos? How apology, Paul Chambers was the greatest when it came to bowed solos. Actually he was the first bassman I really heard, he was almost a reason why I became a jazz fan. Never in my life I had heard something like that before, that you can "blow" solos on the bass fiddle, that speak the language of Bird or Diz. I remember, that Ron Carter also tried a bowed solo on "Autumn Leaves" on the Miles at Antibes album, but it´s much weaker than Paul. Great as Ron is, he couldn´t solo like Paul. I wouldn´t say now, that a bowed bass solo is so important to me, but anyway, the Milestones album was the first I got when still a kid, and the thing that appealed most to me was the walking bass line of Paul. A reason for me to become a lifelong jazzfan. I even purchased a bass fiddle when I was 16 or 17, and after 3 years of self study and above all - listening to what Paul did, what Mingus did - , I was good enough and could fill in, when no bass player was available. I also liked to solo because I thought like the piano player I was. But I didn´t have a bow. Once I borrowed a bow from some classic dude, but it was a cello-bow, and when I tried it, it sounded like bees flyin´ around. Eventually I "forgot" about bass playin´ and stuck to the piano.... Quote
marcello Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) Edited March 7, 2013 by marcello Quote
sidewinder Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Looks like Northway Books are really on a roll of late. After I've finished the Jackie McLean bio they put out, I'll be tempted with this one.Just so long as the book carries an apology for those bowed bass solos! Oh dear.. Quote
Gheorghe Posted March 7, 2013 Author Report Posted March 7, 2013 Though that "apologize for his bowed solos" is still an enigma to me, maybe it´s a question of taste, like Monk stated that he doesn´t like the bow... But, with just 4 strings and a bow, Paul Chambers could blow better that some pianists with 88 keys. Brings memories back to a speech Benny Golson made to the audience, when I caught him on stage with Curtis Fuller: "look at my axe, a lot of keys on it........, and.....look at Mr. Fuller´s trombone.......no keys.....just a ......slide. And with just that slide he blows more than me with all my keys...... " In the book, he makes a similar statement about Paul Chambers. Anyway: Since Paul Chambers was born in 1935, there are more musicians still alive or even active, who could tell about him in the book, not to forget the contributions by his widow an one of his sons . Quote
brownie Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Will be on the lookout for this book. PC was a Master! His presence on any album is a bonus (I also happen to love his work on arco!) Quote
BillF Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Though that "apologize for his bowed solos" is still an enigma to me, maybe it´s a question of taste, like Monk stated that he doesn´t like the bow... I'm in agreement with Monk. I've never heard a piano successfully bowed. Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Though that "apologize for his bowed solos" is still an enigma to me, maybe it´s a question of taste, like Monk stated that he doesn´t like the bow...I'm in agreement with Monk. I've never heard a piano successfully bowed. Quote
BillF Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Though that "apologize for his bowed solos" is still an enigma to me, maybe it´s a question of taste, like Monk stated that he doesn´t like the bow... I'm in agreement with Monk. I've never heard a piano successfully bowed. Wouldn't buy the album. Quote
bertrand Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 There's a Jackie McLean bio out??? Where have I been. About to check Amazon... Bertrand. Quote
JSngry Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 Did not know about either, either. Ordered the PC book right away, will see how it is before considering the J-Mac. All I really know about Paul Chambers is that he started early, died just as early, got caught up in the same "personal problems" that a lot of his peers did, was one helluva great player and played on two helluva lot of records, none of them which even remotely suck, at least not because of his contributions. And that he was from Detroit. Hopefully this book will leave me knowing significantly more than that. And I think his bowing improved, at some point becoming very good, actually. so no matter how many other problems he had, finding time to practice his bowing was not among them. Quote
bertrand Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 Ordered the Jackie. I could not not buy a book on Jackie McLean. Bertrand. Quote
Gheorghe Posted March 8, 2013 Author Report Posted March 8, 2013 1) I got the Jackie McLean-book also. It seems, that there are many biographies about great musicians now. When I was young, there was one Miles Davis bio, written by Bill Cole I think, about 1973. That´s the first bio I read. And "Bird Lives" of course...... Now just in the last few years, I got books about Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Johnny Griffin, Fats Navarro, Tadd Dameron (2 books), Bud Powell, Wayne Shorter..... 2) about your comment of "never heard a piano successfully bowed".....maybe it should be a joke......, well the only thing I wanted to say is, that I remember Monk once asked his bass player (it may have been Ron McLure, it was around 1972....) not to use the bow, because he doesn´t like the sound. Maybe I can´t express myself well enough, and above all....... all I can think about here and in this context, is the music and the musicians who create and play it, and ...."bowed pianos" .... well maybe I´m too serious about the music and I don´t know enough people who would share that love with me. Quote
sidewinder Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 The Derek Ansell Jackie McLean bio will probably bedisappointing I think to a fair number on this board - although it is very readable and does though provide quite a good overview of the recordings right through his career, quoting from sleeve notes and obscure Jazz Monthly/Jazz Journal articles on occasion and with some inputs from Jackie's wife Dollie. You could say I guess that it is a bit of a 'British fan' perspective. I would have liked a bit more detail and less quotes from sleeve liners, a bit less repetition in places - also more coverage of McLean's touring/gig reports and key sideman dates. Also, things like the circumstances of 'Monuments' are hardly given a mention. As an overview though its OK and what does come across loud and clear is Jackie's devotion to his family, devotion to life-long learning and his great professionalism. Quote
Steve Reynolds Posted March 9, 2013 Report Posted March 9, 2013 Though that "apologize for his bowed solos" is still an enigma to me, maybe it´s a question of taste, like Monk stated that he doesn´t like the bow... I'm in agreement with Monk. I've never heard a piano successfully bowed. Of course not You got ears you gotta listen. Irene Schweitzer and Kris Davis say hello Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.