[Dixielandjazz] Struck By A Comment

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

The other day I heard a sax player on the radio. Unfortunately I didn't 
catch who was playing but he was playing a very nice solo that combined both 
vertical chord lick styling with a very melodic horizontal line.  It was 
something that a person could relate to and even go away whistling the line. 
I liked what he did very much.

One of the most technically gifted sax players that I know blows so many 
notes that don't seem to go anywhere.  Everyone is correct but just, to my 
ear anyway, doesn't hang together at all.  Yet this is the guy that everyone 
goes WOW over.  As I said he is the most technically advanced player that I 
know but his solos are less interesting to me than listening to someone 
practice a Rubank book.  Every time I here him play I go away scratching my 
head wondering just what went by.  If this guy is leaving me cold I can 
guarantee that he's leaving a lot of other people at the post.

Another thing I think that the Bebop sort of playing just doesn't make it 
when it goes out of the style.  Who in their right mind wants to hear a 
Bebop solo in the middle of a cool Bossa.

The band leader who is a wonderful player himself, privately, agrees with me 
but as long as this guy is available he will keep hiring him for the lead 
part.  Go figure.
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: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Struck By A Comment


>> >
>>
>> Many so called jazz players play nonsense and are just not aware of the
>> relationship they need to maintain between them and the audience.  Piles 
>> of
>> notes, even if they are technically correct, are almost never pleasing 
>> and I
>> can see this person's problem with jazz.
>
> Sounds to me like the best summation of the so-called "modern jazz"
> (and yes, I unfortunately have heard Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Arche
> Shepp, Alber Ayler, Ornette Colaman abd Courtney Pine - but at leas I
> know what all that "music" is).
>
> Cheers
>