[Dixielandjazz] Re: Better Players

[Stephen Barbone]

JimDBB at aol.com wrote:


> Steve...Bobby Hackett's remark was a joke.  Bobby was his own
> unique and
> beautiful soul.  One of the great standouts in the recorded history of
> live
> jazz concerts was the marvelous duet that Bobby and Louis played on
> "Ol Rockin'  chair" at the Town Hall concert.
>

We are saying the exact same thing here, Jim. I agree.

> Loudness was not a part of what made Louis great.  Louis's sound
> was
> brilliant  which tended to make him sound loud on recordings but in
> actual fact, if you were there, he was not playing excessively loud.

Louis' own words say: "When we made those Gennett records, Joe wasn't in
his prime like before he sent for me. To show you how much louder I was
in those days, those were acoustical records, with those big horns. Joe
would be playing right in the horn, blowing, and I would be standing
back in the door playing second trumpet." Do you deny what Louis said
about his loudness? Were either of us there to hear him during his
greatest years?  If not, then we have no valid opinion and should try
and learn from what Louis himself said about it.




> Kenny G is a master of the soprano sax...he just doesn't happen to
> sound
> like sydney Bechet. Kenny G has never advertised himself as a great
> jazz
> player and has shown no pretensions in this arena.  He is what he is
> and he does
> his music very well.  I don't know of any pros who 'view him with
> contempt.'

Disagree about "mastery", disagree about pros who view him with
contempt. There are MANY "pros" who view him with contempt. Shall I make
a list for you, starting with Keith Jarrett? Like you, I respect
what Kenny G has done and am not one of his detractors.



> You've made a lot of comments about Louis 'is this and that etc.
> and now
> this statement that Brown is 'light years' ahead of Louis
> 'harmonically.'

It is just a TRUE assessment of Brown v. Armstrong as far as their
harmonic knowledge and execution is concerned. A natural development in
light of the changing nature of music.

> This
> shows once again that you really don't get Armstrong.  Maybe one day
> you will
> and your life will be richer for it.  Meanwhile, quit pretending that
> you
> understand and love Louis Armstrong's music

Why would you say something like that? Why would you pretend that you
can look into my mind and assess my "understanding". Jim, you know
better than that. To disagree is one thing, but to mis characterize me,
or my love for Armstrong's music is quite another, as well as totally
wrong headed. I "get" Armstrong's music as well as anybody and better
than most. I am also realistic about it. 

Cheers,
Steve