[Dixielandjazz] Jonathan Russell was Regina Carter - Jazz Violinist

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Aug 22, 2011, at 3:00 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> "Robert Ringwald" <rsr at ringwald.com> wrote
>
> anichols at gis.net wrote:
>
>> Thanks Steve for the Regina Carter links.
>>
>> I'd like to ask the list if they are troubled with the curse of  
>> having
>> a certain expectation from the sound of an instrument, that it takes
>> from the enjoyment of listening because the expectation isn't met.
>
>
> Firstly I will say, no.
>
> Secondly, Let me say that this is a very friendly email list.   
> Please sign your Name when posting to the List.  Also we'd like to  
> know where you are located.
>
>
>> I'm a jazz fiddler of sorts and totally cursed by the Stephane  
>> Grappelli
>> sound in my head.
>
> Pretty good curse if you ask me.
>
>> I've written Steve before about Jonathan Russell who I think leaves
>> much to be desired (I should listen again because he's growing),
>
>
> My gawd, how can you say that about Jonathan?  He is probably 14 or  
> 15 now and improving incredibly fast.  He is still very much  
> learning and soaking up the musicians who came before him, as we all  
> did.
>
> If, and I say if, he keeps working at it and does not stop to read  
> his own press, in a few years, he will be intouchable.
>
>
>> Regina Carter leaves less to be desired but I'm in heaven listening
>> to Ben Powell, and Florin Nicelescu comes close. Ben has that attack
>> and such flawless intonation, Jonathan's problem,  that I'd defy  
>> anyone
>> to differentiate him from Stephane Grappelli when he's playing our  
>> kind
>> of music.
>
>
>
> As I say, he is still learning.  And as a good friend of mine, a  
> terrific lead trumpet player who played with all the big bands in  
> the 30s and 40s told me, "If you are going to copy, then copy the  
> best..."
>
> Give a listen to Joe Venuti.  It doesn't get any better than that.

I'm 100% with Bob Ringwald on this one. To me Venuti out shines  
Grappelli. And like Bob, I have absolutely no expectations about how  
and instrument should sound. For me, individual players and  
instruments should sound different. Each should have his/her own sound.

Yes, one should keep listening to Jonathan Russell. And one should  
hear what he is playing. To me he does not sound like Grappelli. Far  
from it in my ears. To me Grappelli had certain licks, with minor  
variations which he kept repeating in all of the songs he plays.  
Whereas Jonathan, when you play with him in a band, will play his own  
licks and then repeat what you played with variations and build upon  
them. Trading 8s or 4s with him is a trip.

The young man, now 15, was improvising from the time he was 8 years  
old. I cannot adequately describe how much of a thrill it was for us  
to have him as a guest artist in our band over the years and listen to  
how he progressed.

Before Kenny Davern passed away, he got to play with Jonathan and was  
absolutely blown away at what Jonathan was doing jazz wise as a pre  
teen. As are a number of other professionals who played with after  
that time.

Hear him as of October 2010 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89LnU37dS_E

Or hear him with Bucky Pizzarelli, Rossano Sportiello, Wycliff Gordon,  
Adrian Cunningham, Herman Burney and Kevin Dorn jamming "I got Rhythm"  
and then "Anthropology" (Bird's take on the changes) at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH5GIbu7M6I

Folks who know any of them might ask how they feel about what Jonathan  
puts down.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband