[Dixielandjazz] Arturo Sandoval plays Bix

[Bob Romans]

Great trumpet player, but when he appeared in Stockton as guest of the San Joaquin Delta College Jazz band, he played two trumpet solos the first half. The rest of the time he was on piano or a Cuban/Latin drum set right up front. In Atherton Auditorium, where you can almost hear a pin drop on stage, ten foot speakers on each side were blasting out at almost unbearable levels. Half of the musicians in the band are friends of mine, and they all told me later that he was a real A _ _  H_ _  _  to them at the rehearsal. A great, talented trumpet player perhaps, but something is lacking somewhere!
My wife and I gave him a walking ovation...
Bob Romans
Cell Block 7
Jazz Band
1617 Lakeshore Dr.,
Lodi, California, 95242
Phone.....209-368-3255
Cell...209-747-1148
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>=iii=<0
  -----Original Message-----
  From: JimDBB at aol.com <JimDBB at aol.com>
  To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
  Date: Saturday, February 08, 2003 12:43 AM
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Arturo Sandoval plays Bix


  In a message dated 2/7/03 8:42:22 PM Central Standard Time, barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:



    He turned a music stand around and there was the American Flag. He then
    proceeded to play three chorus' s of "America The Beautiful." One very
    soft low register, one an octave up and the last another octave up, with
    piano / guitar / drum backing. He got louder and louder as he finished
    and didn't miss or crack a note, even way up in altissimo. I have to
    tell you that there wasn't a dry eye among us in the house. Thunderous
    applause and an outpouring of love for this man like you've never seen.

    Regarding whether or not he can portray Bix accurately, let me be the
    first to say that I think he can probably play Bix better than any
    living musician can.  In fact I think he can play exactly like whomever
    he wants. He is a virtuoso, great feel for the music and a determination
    to succeed that equals or exceeds that of anybody I know. He studies the
    music and the musicians he wants to play and he gets into it. At least
    that what I hear in his music, and I have a lot of it.


  Steve...I'm going to have to call you on this.  There is just no way in my universe that this guy who plays "America the Beautiful" three times, each time louder and higher, is able to "play Bix better than any living musician."  This grandstanding is the antithesis of Bix Beiderbecke.



    So I can hardly wait for his interpretations of those early jazz
    musicians. He may just surprise us all. And, of course, I eagerly await
    his protrayal of Louis thinking that finally we'll get a rendition by a
    muso that can produce Louis' fire and energy, instead of just playing
    the notes.

    Cheers
    Steve Barbone


     I, for one, do not await his portrayal of Armstrong.  I fear that it will be at the same level of Nicholas Payton's pathetic attempts at playing Armstrong.

     The thing is, Steve, that Bix and Louis respected each other enough to never attempt to mimic each other.  Louis never played Bix's tunes and vice versa.  Incidentally, out of respect for Bunny Berigan, Louis Armstrong would never play, "I can't get started with you."

     I hereby, publically, ask Arturo Sandoval to leave Bix and Louis alone.

    Jim 
  Beebe

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