[Dixielandjazz] Chet Baker and Lack of Melody???

[Craig I. Johnson]

This is an interesting one to reply to.

1. Louis did say that, yet (without the necessary re-listening to
validate this) I believe he also played a number of "originals" which
were essentially new statements on the bases of "Bill Bailey" and/or "Ja-Da"
2. I agree essentially with the too many notes business on almost anything,
but
there are exceptions. Even the marvelous trumpet player Al Hirt frustrates
me
with too many self-indulgent runs of too many notes. (But I feel funny
criticizing
such a marvelous player.)
3. My whole problem with a lot of bop and more modern jazz is that too
many of them, when laying down notes, begin to sound to me like exercises,
but then I've gotten to feel that about a lot of Mozart's "fiddle stuff" too
as I
grow older.
4. I usually love  Chet's take on ballads, but I've not listened to that
one.
5. Wasn't "For No Reason at all In C" a new song based on the chords
of "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain"? and how many neat tunes are based
on the chords of "I've Got Rhythm".
6. Finally, have you listened to Mulligan's "Bike Up The Strand"?

Regards,
Craig Johnson






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Romans" <cellblk7 at comcast.net>
To: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>;
<dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 12:50 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Chet Baker and Lack of Melody???


> Hi Steve...please send me some of the good stuff you're smoking...seeds
and
> all! :~)
> Imagination can be a wonderful thing...at times!
> Louis Armstrong said once that you should be able to follow the melody in
> your improvised solo...quoting Oliver I think...
> I always thought they set (especially Louis) the bar for all of the jazz
> musicians that followed...
> My thought was instead of taking a beautiful tune like "My Funny
Valentine",
> and camouflaging it with dozens of extemporaneous notes, just say, "Here
> folks, is a jazz exercise I'm having fun with, playing as many notes as I
> can, on the interesting chord changes to a well-known tune".
> Don't ruin "My Funny Valentine".
> Bob Romans
>
> > As for me, I hear the melodies in all of Baker's playing.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Steve Barbone
> >
> >
> >
> >
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