Robin D. G. Kelly's Thelonious Monk: The Life & Times of an American Original---to me one of the truly stellar jazz biogs.
Anything by David Hajdu; especially Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life and his biog on Nat Cole. (I've also corresponded w/him and he seems truly nice).
Frank Buchman-Moller's You Just Fight for Your Life---the Story of Lester Young. (All the Pres biogs are worth reading).
Art Pepper's autobiog (written with Laurie Pepper); and Miles (written with Quincy Troupe) are self-gratifying and hampered by loads of BS, but I've read them both numerous times. Pepper is a spellbinding raconteur, and his insight into other musicians' work is interesting to read (if his comments about his own 'genius' are slightly delusional). Miles talking about music has been great food for thought.
The Benson book was mentioned. One thing that cracked me up: some poetic justice. I knew Eddie Diehl for years, and he had a bug up his ass about Kenny Burrell. It had to do with a record date where he was sent home and replaced by Kenny b/c the company wanted a 'name'. He neither ever forgot nor stopped bad-mouthing Kenny's playing til it came out of your ears. I guess it's SOMEWHAT understandable. Eddie WAS one of the best, and a truly good-hearted guy underneath it all. We're all sensitive, and rejection---perceived or real---can really hurt.
Anyway, in George's book when he got the call to go with McDuff he was to replace Eddie. His comments---and they were respectful---were (paraphrasing): '(Eddie) was a formidable musician----not on the level of Kenny Burrell...., but he definitely could play'. Eddie was still alive when that came out. I hope he read it---it MAY have shut his mouth. I doubt it though---shutting Eddie's mouth about ANYTHING, especially guitar players he was jealous of (their stature in the biz, not their playing), was a tall order. But I had quite a chuckle over that one...
Supro amps have their problems.
I read this thread appreciating my Princeton Reverbs - thought about releasing one, but maybe it's better to hang on to it.
Hearing all these great...
haha oddly enough I haven’t transcribed any GG. But I have listened to him a lot, and picked up something from it, I’m sure. As others have said, his lines have a wonderful clarity, and his time...
Also worth noting that GG was effectively the house guitarist for Blue Note. Alfred Lion obviously liked him, and recorded him on loads of albums.
As far as I know the only other guitarist who...
I finally made up my mind and ordered a 7 string alnico II 59 bridge with a nickel cover to put in the neck position of my 335.
I know I could swap magnets myself in one of my two existing 59s,...
The notes are more easily sung that way; half steps and leading tones. That tradition, as a choral tradition, became assimilated as a sound and once it became part of the compositional canon, it was...
Regardless of how rigid it is, adjustments are necessary over the lifetime of an instrument. My dad's steinberger had a carbon/fiber neck and fingerboard. No trussrod. Guaranteed against warping....
Because rules are tools for fools:)
Most basic answer is that in jazz, the scale is not only used for melody, but harmony.
This is why Christian and I have started a petition to call the scale...
I had never thought about the increased stiffness of a fingerboard fighting the truss rod adjustment, but I do believe it's likely a 'thing'. It's got to make for one rigid board. Of course, maybe if...
How did it evolved in jazz that the melodic minor scale is played the same way ascending or descending, that is, when descending the 6th and 7th notes are not flatted but raised as in when ascending?...
125's like that are great guitars.
I own one of the earliest mid-40's models, and it's a wonderful guitar. Those P90's should come with a warning for players with pacemakers! Serious magnets.
The last amp I really liked was the Fender 68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb. I had to change all the tubes right away since 2 out of 3 where faulty. I heard a lot of owners report the same issue. After...
Tour of Gibson Custom Shop
Today, 06:04 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos