[Dixielandjazz] Musical non-readers, can you add to the list?

Sun Feb 24 14:48:59 PST 2008

I too am uncomfortable with written out solos, with some exceptions, for 
lots of reasons.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marek Boym" <marekboym at gmail.com>
To: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>; 
<Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Musical non-readers, can you add to the list?


> Larry's posting has reminded me of a story I heard from that wonderful
> British trombonist Roy Crimmins (now living in Israel and,
> unfortunately, retired from playing):
> When Roy joined the Harry Gold's Pieces of Eight, he found all the
> trombone solos written out.  After a while, he got tired of playing
> the same solos over and over, he asked Gold: "Could I play MY OWN
> solos?"  "By all means," replied Gold. It turned out that he had to
> write down trombone solos because the previous trombone player could
> not improvise!
> Cheers
>
> On 25/02/2008, Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis
> <larrys.bands at charter.net> wrote:
>> Trad-Jazz bands can be a different animal, given the gigging frequency 
>> and
>> how steady the personnel are. Sometimes lead sheets are necessary.
>> __________________________________________
>> I too came up in a time when if you didn't know tunes you didn't work and
>> completely agree about the requirement to read today.  It's getting 
>> harder
>> and harder to find guys that can both fake and read.  They are simply 
>> dying
>> off.
>>
>> There is another skill that goes with it and that's being able to arrange 
>> on
>> the fly.  With a few exceptions that's almost a dead art.  I can remember
>> playing with 10 piece bands with nothing more than a lead sheet in front 
>> of
>> me and yet the sound was as if the band had arrangements in front of 
>> them.
>> Today you would get 10 guys playing in unison.
>>
>> I am on the line age wise.  When I started playing there were still a lot 
>> of
>> big band guys around but rock was coming in.  Almost all the guys who had
>> those skills were older than I.  Younger musicians just didn't develop 
>> them.
>> I think you can draw a definite line at about 1960 when the two skills
>> started parting company.  Certainly by 1990 reading had become the most
>> important skill.  In a way that's sad because a lot of heart has gone out 
>> of
>> music and the way I hear it played today.  I know people who are very
>> accomplished musicians technically but who are absolutely lost at sea 
>> with
>> improv and if you want to see deer in the headlights just call out lets 
>> do
>> 4's or signal a change of key.  Most haven't a clue when there is a line 
>> of
>> chord symbols.  They just play strings of notes that go nowhere and mean
>> nothing and they usually do it really fast.
>>
>> There are guys, who technically speaking I couldn't hold their cases, are 
>> in
>> awe of me because I can just stand there and play.
>>
>> Improv and just knowing lots of tunes is becoming, sadly, a lost art. 
>> What
>> is passing for improv today often just isn't my cup of tea.
>> Larry
>> StL
>> Larry
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <BillSargentDrums at aol.com>
>> To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
>> Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 1:25 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Musical non-readers, can you add to the 
>> list?
>>
>>
>> > The very first thing I ask any musician who expresses an interest in
>> > working
>> > with one of my bands is:
>> >
>> > "How good is your sight reading?"
>> >
>> > If the answer to that one isn't correct, the rest is a moot point in 
>> > all
>> > but
>> > a very few exceptions.
>> >
>> > Things aren't like they were when I was coming up, where everybody knew
>> > the
>> > tunes, could play them in any key and actually had ears. That was what 
>> > I
>> > was
>> > accustomed to.
>> >
>> > Today, I need some music, chart or lead sheet, in front of 99% of the
>> > players to make things work. And they'd better work the very first 
>> > time.
>> >
>> > In 25 years with my bands, we've only had 2 rehearsals, both before the
>> > very
>> > first gig.
>> >
>> > They have to read the chart right when it's laid in front of them.
>> >
>> > I'm talking about big band and jobbing small groups, charts and lead
>> > sheets
>> > respectively.
>> >
>> > Trad-Jazz bands can be a different animal, given the gigging frequency 
>> > and
>> > how steady the personnel are. Sometimes lead sheets are neccessary.
>> >
>> > One more thing, about Buddy Rich not reading music... I don't buy it.
>> > There's a big difference between not being able to read, not reading 
>> > well,
>> > and  not
>> > wanting to read.
>> >
>> >
>> > Bill
>> > 414-777-0100
>> > BillSargentBands.com
>> >
>> > Just released:  "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"
>> >
>> > Available at:  http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.
>> > (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/
>> > 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
>> > _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
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