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...
More body sounds appealing to me: the slightly slimmer Emperor already sounds thinner than the Zephyr. I have very little experience with pickups, jazz humbucker or otherwise, having come from a...
I am a big fan of the Bud 6 and I rate it on its own terms as well as in terms of portability
I play principally with an Elferink (solid carved, floating pickup, roundwound strings) and it is a...
Hey guys, first post :)
So I recently bought a Ibanez GB10EM that came with 0.011 gauge strings.
I asked a luthier to make a new bone nut and to custom fit the floating wooden bridge to the top,...
Another option - perhaps not feasible in your situation - is to use an electric piano and load the appropriate sound fonts into it. I have a Roland RD-88 Stage Piano with the usual selection of 100s...
I think either of these would be sufficient enough as the PA should be doing the heavy lifting. I noticed in the photos you posted, it looked like the amp was actually in front of you? If the person...
Wow! Love everything about this. We tend to put a very fine grained top on a pedestal, but I really dig the plain, straight treeness of that one.
And that tail looks like Tiffany or something....
But you learned something and that's part of the journey. Pat Metheny said "a new guitar is a commitment". I'm not sure exactly what he meant, but to me it means that I know that if I decide to pick...
Mine played great right out of the case. I may not be as picky as some, but I for sure know when a guitar could use some attention. I waited about 5 or 6 months before doing anything. As a newborn I...
Ibanez archtop with 0.010 Thomastik strings and...
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