[Dixielandjazz] MARSALIS AT THE PROMS

Wed, 7 Aug 2002 02:20:32 EDT

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In a message dated 8/6/02 2:44:29 PM Central Daylight Time, 
charliehooks@earthlink.net writes:

> > For many, I think, it
> > is the Blues that eludes them. You need to understand Blues to play the
> > older styles of jazz.
> 
>     You know, John, I think that's a very important point.  In April of 
> 1942
> I had just turned 13 and wanted to play jazz with the older guys who were
> playing in the clubs.  We had just gotten into the war, and so many draft
> age guys were leaving or already gone that it was indeed possible for a 13
> year old to get hired in a Texas beer joint.
> 
>     Advice I got: learn to play the twelve bar blues.  Learn the chords so
> you just hear them automatically, so you don't have to think where you are,
> so you just know where you are without needing to think about it.  Simple
> now, isn't it.  We all do that.  Naturally.
> 
>     Back then it was not natural at all: I remember blowing on the alto and
> having my father count beats silently to see whether I ended where I
> intended to end.  Knowing where the next chord would take me didn't happen
> until I began playing piano; then I could hear it.
> 
>     I learned hundreds of tunes in the early forties, but learning to
> IMPROVISE came from playing the blues.  There wasn't any melody--not
> usually. You had to invent something. And it wasn't modes.  It wasn't
> scales. It was Ideas. Ideas succeeding one another, connecting and
> proceeding until, hopefully, a great chorus unfolded.  The blues talk to
> you, and make you say something in return.  Modes don't do that.  Scales
> don't do that.  You can play blistering showout-tempo modes and scales all
> night long and not say one damn word!
> 
>     And then, there's the attitude.  "You can try hard/ Don't mean a thing/
> Take it easy, greasy/ And your jive will swing..."  You need to lie back on
> it (or, as my students all say, "lay" back on it) and let it happen.  
> Forced
> swing doesn't swing.  All those riffs were a way of lying back on it, doing
> reps until it got right.  Remember Basie's long intros?  Piano and rhythmn
> play in front until it feels right, then dah--daht--dahh...and in comes the
> band: explosion!
> 
>     I feel the difference especially when I'm reading familiar swing
> arrangements with younger musicians--often highly competent players who 
> just
> can't make the music sound right.  Can't tell how much sense I'm making.
> 
> Charlie 

   Perfect sense.  That's why i reposted it with my response.  You said it so 
well there is nothing i can add.

   Jim Beebe

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<HTML>In a message dated 8/6/02 2:44:29 PM Central Daylight Time, charliehooks@earthlink.net writes: 
 
 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">&gt; For many, I think, it 
&gt; is the Blues that eludes them. You need to understand Blues to play the 
&gt; older styles of jazz. 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You know, John, I think that's a very important point.&nbsp; In April of 1942 
I had just turned 13 and wanted to play jazz with the older guys who were 
playing in the clubs.&nbsp; We had just gotten into the war, and so many draft 
age guys were leaving or already gone that it was indeed possible for a 13 
year old to get hired in a Texas beer joint. 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Advice I got: learn to play the twelve bar blues.&nbsp; Learn the chords so 
you just hear them automatically, so you don't have to think where you are, 
so you just know where you are without needing to think about it.&nbsp; Simple 
now, isn't it.&nbsp; We all do that.&nbsp; Naturally. 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Back then it was not natural at all: I remember blowing on the alto and 
having my father count beats silently to see whether I ended where I 
intended to end.&nbsp; Knowing where the next chord would take me didn't happen 
until I began playing piano; then I could hear it. 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I learned hundreds of tunes in the early forties, but learning to 
IMPROVISE came from playing the blues.&nbsp; There wasn't any melody--not 
usually. You had to invent something. And it wasn't modes.&nbsp; It wasn't 
scales. It was Ideas. Ideas succeeding one another, connecting and 
proceeding until, hopefully, a great chorus unfolded.&nbsp; The blues talk to 
you, and make you say something in return.&nbsp; Modes don't do that.&nbsp; Scales 
don't do that.&nbsp; You can play blistering showout-tempo modes and scales all 
night long and not say one damn word! 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And then, there's the attitude.&nbsp; "You can try hard/ Don't mean a thing/ 
Take it easy, greasy/ And your jive will swing..."&nbsp; You need to lie back on 
it (or, as my students all say, "lay" back on it) and let it happen.&nbsp; Forced 
swing doesn't swing.&nbsp; All those riffs were a way of lying back on it, doing 
reps until it got right.&nbsp; Remember Basie's long intros?&nbsp; Piano and rhythmn 
play in front until it feels right, then dah--daht--dahh...and in comes the 
band: explosion! 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I feel the difference especially when I'm reading familiar swing 
arrangements with younger musicians--often highly competent players who just 
can't make the music sound right.&nbsp; Can't tell how much sense I'm making. 
 
Charlie </BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; Perfect sense.&nbsp; That's why i reposted it with my response.&nbsp; You said it so well there is nothing i can add. 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; Jim Beebe</HTML>

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