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

[Marek Boym]

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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