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"I don't wanna hear any of that practice room shit in your solo - tell me a story, tell me what you had for dinner." DavidKos
Hi, D,
Excellent previous post! And, there lies the rub . . . So, my biggest criticism with almost all young players is that they have great chops but no personal voice. The practice rigueur in 99.9% of college Jazz Programs is to study the solos of the greats and be able to play them at tempo. I've heard, for example, many versions of Oliver Nelson's Big Band chart of "Night Train" ,1967, where the college/university band's soloist copies Mel Brown's guitar solo note for note. I've heard countless Trane/Bird/Dexter solos note for note by young players at a gig. What are they teaching "Jazz" students other than being trained parakeets? How then is this different from reading a score in Classical Music?
When I was in my early 20's as a Saxer, I was very fortunate to have studied improvisation(???) ,briefly, with Chicago's great Jazz pianist Willie Pickens at the Chicago Musical Conservatory--now Roosevelt College. When I went to the first session, he asked me to play whatever I liked and I played the ballad "Over the Rainbow" with him accompanying. He didn't say anything after I finished playing, positive or negative, and he asked me what my goals were in music. I told him I was a current performer in a Jazz/Rock Big Band and that I wanted, eventually, to have my own quartet and play straight ahead Jazz. He said, "O.K., next week I want you to write out a solo and play it as written. Pay attention to the changes." The next week, we met, and I played my written solo. Again, we didn't really talk about the music and he asked me how I felt about my solo. I said it was "O.K." but nothing really special. I then asked him if he had any suggestions or advice and he said "I've taught you everything you need to know about Jazz?" he said with a toothy smile. "Why waste your money?" I was very perplexed and disappointed and felt that he was not interested in teaching me and left ,for home, very upset. However, after reflection, what Willie was really saying in a very direct and honest way was that after a certain level of competence(and I was a very advanced technician), you need to work on your own ideas and develop your own voice and he gave me his secret formula and I've followed his advice for a lifetime of playing. I later confirmed his noble intention with me several weeks later at one of his gigs at the Jazz Showcase where he was the house pianist for awhile. Willie was a gentleman and a great Jazz musician and the lesson he taught me has stayed with me in both my Jazz and Classical playing.
So, the bottom line is: find your own voice. You won't find it in someone else's solos.
Play live . . . Marinero
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06-23-2021 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Marinero
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Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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Originally Posted by citizenk74
I can only imagine.
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Originally Posted by citizenk74
Let me picture this: after the US was bombed with nukes and everything was pretty much obliterated the US navy sails home and orders a few turbines for their subs?
You guys make the cold war sound hot. It never really was. Maybe a bit during the cuba crisis, but even then nobody wanted a war. The cold war was about retorics.
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As a tail end X-er, I can say one thing with certainty: Russia was the coolest enemy the U.S. ever had.
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Originally Posted by Marcel_A
Cold War
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Originally Posted by Stevebol
Although... one of my son's pals did time for swiping an ATV, and then more time for setting his cell-mate on fire.**
** In self defense, apparently. ***
*** To the best of my knowledge, an upstanding citizen today. Just goes to show you.Last edited by citizenk74; 06-23-2021 at 06:48 PM.
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If you get a zoom link via wassap tell'em to knock it off and use Google Duo.
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Originally Posted by citizenk74
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Originally Posted by Marcel_A
It was not about retorics. It was about millions of human life significantly hurted, both sides, so it was hot indeed.
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Many wars in the third world were extensions of superpower rivalry.
Many states sacrificed healthcare and education to support their armed forces.
Many nuclear weapons are still ready to be used.
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Originally Posted by Gabor
The cold war was never a war. It was a misunderstanding that lead to an arms-race. The arms-race itself was mostly a misunderstanding. Nor the USA nor the Soviets had any intention to declare war to one another. Not at any time. The entire cold war and its armsrace was insprired by the false notion that if the other striked first, the other should be able to strike back. And if no-one has any intention to strike first . . . . ?
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"The entire cold war and its armsrace was insprired by the false notion that if the other striked first, the other should be able to strike back. And if no-one has any intention to strike first . . . . ?" Marcel
Wow, M,
You've said a lot in two sentences! So, 1.) Yes, the Cold War was an arms race; 2.)There was no " false notion" about striking back since both Russia and the US had the ability to destroy the planet with their nuclear stockpiles before the race began. So, the event was, initially, more about "chest pounding" than real necessity; 3.)However, how does one determine "chest pounding" vs real threat when things heat up and one party becomes irrational? Have you ever had a verbal disagreement as a kid/adult that ended in a fist fight? It was an event du jour in my neighborhood in Chicago.
There are some enlightened souls among the Science community that believe the world will not survive the century. As Desmond Morris said, Man is the Killer Ape. He has not changed in temperament since he left the trees in East Africa and plodded onto the savannah trading his diet of roots, nuts, and fruit for protein high meat. I also agree.
Play live . . . without "Auto Tune" . . . Marinero
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Originally Posted by Lobomov
I'm certain many of the younger players do have a unique voice - I'd like to hear more of them as they develop a sound of their own.
What does NOT adhere to my boomer esthetic is rap music. I still am not a big fan, apologies to all rap and hip-hop musicians.
Elias Prinz -- young talent from Munich
Yesterday, 10:24 PM in The Players