[Dixielandjazz] Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 95, Issue 28

[anichols at gis.net]

Steve,
   Thanks for sending along Jonathan's youtube, and what ambition to
transcribe the Grappelli arrangements. A curse, I'll admit, but I find it
hard to listen too long to Jonathan and his occasional faulty intonation.
Probably a curse from Grappelli who was so precise where he landed on the
fingerboard. Still young, I hope Jonathan practices his scales.

   Another Grappelli observation and why I think he ended up playing with
non brass small ensembles: the keys he played in mostly were fiddle
friendly keys: Stardust in C; Blue Moon in D; As Time Goes By in D; After
You've Gone in G; Out Of Nowhere in G; How High The Moon in G; Ain't
Misbehaivin in D, etc. Friendly keys aside, I think there's a clash of
sonorities listening to polyphony between a trumpet and a fiddle playing
jazz.

  I played fiddle with a trad jazz band for a couple of years and excused
myself from their good front line. Besides lacking a certain technical
proficiency, I was feeling that clash. And say what one might, instrument
friendly keys make music so much easier to play.

Norman Nichols
BPOLR (Banjo Player of Last Resort)




>Message: 8
>Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 10:26:26 -0500
>From: Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>To: DJML <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>, tradjazz at list.okom.com
>Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] The Music of Stephane Grappelli
>Message-ID: <721076B4-6052-4BF8-957A-5724DAD03D31 at earthlink.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=US-ASCII;       format=flowed;
>delsp=yes
>
>Listmates:
>
>Fantastic recreation of some arrangements of the Stephane Grappelli
>Trio. Presented on Jazz Night  at the Harlem Yacht Club in New York
>City on November 20. Jon Burr (bass), Howard Alden Alden (guitar) and
>Jonathan Russell (violin) IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS.
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CG1JhgDvZ8&feature=&p=42408CC568FBCCFE&inde
>x=0&playnext=1
>
>Jon Burr who, among other things (check his bio), played bass with
>Grappelli had this to say about the music.
>
>"This is a unique first-time appearance of a new project recreating
>the actual arrangements of the great Grappelli trios. Jonathan Russell
>has done incredible work transcribing the music. We're privileged and
>blessed to be joined by Howard Alden in this maiden outing of this
>special new presentation."
>
>Hey "J", if you are listening, you are big timing it now.
>Congratulations on your progress as a musician and a man. Will you
>still have time to jam with us lesser musos now and then? We are very
>fortunate to have been in the neighborhood to watch you grow.
>
>Cheers,
>Steve Barbone
>www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband