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From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Dewars Festival: Jazz in the Park
Message-ID: <423@mhuxr.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Sep-85 10:09:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxr.423
Posted: Fri Sep  6 10:09:28 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Sep-85 07:05:52 EDT
References: <407@mhuxr.UUCP> <546@bonnie.UUCP> <413@mhuxr.UUCP> <551@bonnie.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
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> > ME
> Bill Hery
> > Gordon has recorded little interesting music in the last 7-8 years.
> > 
> Was his Manhattan Suite lp within that time fram?  There was a beautiful
> version of As Time Goes By on the lp, and the whole album is superb. 

I was referring to GOTHAM CITY and HOME COMING, which I find disappointing.
Certainly not up to OUR MAN IN PARIS, GO or A SWINGING AFFAIR.

> about 5 years ago I went to a Philharmonic Hall consert with Stan and Dex each
> leading their groups.  At that time, I went mainly for Stan, and for a first
> live listening to Dex.  Stan was a major disappointment...
> Dex, on the other hand, played a superb set with his regular quartet--Beautiful
> ballads mixed with some dirving bebop derived pieces, and Dex's fantastic
> audience rapport.....

Which points to the dangers of rating people by live performance. I last saw
Dex four years ago, and although his audience rapport was great (I like the
way he "offers" the tenor to the audience when accepting applause) his
playing was so-so. As I said previously, I heard him in a WBGO broadcast
from San Francisco that a friend taped and he was great (a superb "Body and Soul")
but in my opinion he has not done much that equals his sixties work.

> > ...................................................However, Rollins recent
> > *solo* concert at MOMA was only so-so (my immediate impression, I hope the LP
> > will dispell it)
> 
> Did you get in to see it?  I'd like to see a review of the concert on the
> net.  I tried to get in, arriving 1.5 hours before concert time (it
> was free, and there were no advance tickets), but the line was three
> blocks long already, and I couldn't get in.
> 
"Saw" is too strong a term, I got swallowed in the crowd and saw almost nothing.
I could barely hear. There is a very good review of the concert by Gary Giddins
in the Village Voice of two-three weeks ago. I did not post a review because
I don't feel I got enough of the concert to do Rollins justice. My "so-so"
comment is an immediate impression. I'll reserve judgement until I can hear
the LP and check out the music more closely.

> Re: Milestones lp--admittedly, it is not up to the level of some previous
> lps, but I still think it is one of his finest.  One interesting aspect to
> me is that this lp shows an (early0 Coltrane influence more than any of
> his others.  
> 
I saw the New York concert of that tour (at the Beacon) and while it was
visually fascinating (Rollins wore a tuxedo with bright red sneakers and no
socks) it did not have the punch that line-up made me expect. The album
confirmed that. I like "Nubia" but my general impression is 'that's nice,
ho-hum' as opposed to 'WOW!!!!!!!' when I hear the Vanguard recordings....

> >          ... I am sure Bill will agree that mastering
> > the ballad form is the truest test of mainstream playing.
> 
> I wouldn't agree that it is the TRUEST test. One could also argue that 
> handling hard driving pieces (say, Cherokee) is the turest test. I
> think a great musician should be well rounded and be able to play
> both.  In a live preformance, an hour of all ballads or all cookers
> might get a bit dull

Opinion, but in a cooker, you need a strong drummer to keep Time
as interesting as chords. In a ballad, the soloist's own rhythm
takes over and he/she must provide the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic
feel of the pice AND imprint his/her own image onto it. Tougher by far.
Most masters of the ballad (Miles, Ben Webster, Dex....) also excel
at uptempo tunes, but the reverse is not always true (e.g. Hank Mobley
[I love Mobley, no flames please])

> > 
> > Besides, it's more fun to argue, isn't it?
> > 
> Of course.  Isn't that why you made the initial posting?  Now, about
> jazz trumpet players who start playing mediocre rock.....

Yes, I don't mind controversy, it's the spice of usenetting (:-)

Marcel Simon