[Dixielandjazz] Worthless Ellington

[Joe Carbery]

Bert,

I agree with you about Hodges' tone. He had the most beautiful tone on alto.
On tenor, I prefer Lester Young of the 1930s or Eddie Miller of any era.
However, I take it that Teagarden was referring to the band as a whole.
My reference to perfect pitch was to underline how good his ear was.

To quote Marek: De gustibus non disputandum.

Regards,

Joe Carbery.
On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 8:57 AM, Bert Brandsma <mister_bertje at hotmail.com>wrote:

>  Teagarden was right about intonation in Ellington's band.
> In the 1940 band is was not too bad, but in other periods it could be a bit
> tricky. Possible the use of all those mutes was a part of this and the
> unusual voicings could be another.
> Paul Whiteman's band, just to mention a large organisation where Teagarden
> worked, was much better in this field.
>
> Still, Ellington is to my ears the greatest composer in jazz, maybe even
> the greatest in the 20th century.
>
> I don't agree with Teagarden's view about bad tone or bad blend. To my ears
> Hodges tone is the most beautifull saxophone sound ever. Just to give an
> example.
>
> My wife also has perfect pitch. So, what is the big deal about that?
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Bert Brandsma
>
>
>
>
> > Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:24:14 +1200
> > From: joe.carbery at gmail.com
> > Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Worthless Ellington
> > CC: Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> > To: mister_bertje at hotmail.com
>
> >
> > Jack Teagarden said in a Leonard Feather Blindfold test:
> > “I never did like anything Ellington ever did. He never had a band all in
> > tune, always has a bad tone and a bad blend. I’d just as soon listen to a
> > hillbilly on a jukebox.”
> >
> > Does that make JT a fool?
> >
> > Incidentally, Jack had perfect pitch.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Joe Carbery.
> >
> > On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 7:55 AM, Marek Boym <marekboym at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au> wrote
> > > >
> > > >> Marek Boym, in answer to Steve Barbone, wrote [in part]:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> .........Of course, the "mouldy figs" consider anything after the
> > > >>> Washingtonians worseless.
> > > >>
> > > >> Dear Marek,
> > > >> Not this little mouldy old fig.
> > > >> *>)
> > > >
> > > > Amen Bill. IMO anyone who would consider Ellington "worthless" is a
> damn
> > > > fool.
> > > I agree.
> > > Nevertheless, this was often the case. Rudi Blesh went even farther
> > > and said: "as for jazz, the Duke has never played it." (p. 281 of the
> > > "fourth edition, enlarged, February 1958, printed in England by
> > > Cassell & Company Limited).
> > > BTW, sorry for the typo.
> > > Cheers,
> > >
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