Own language or own sound?

[kris]

What makes a jazz musician recognizable?
It is often the case that guitarists talk about the so-called jazz sound.
Jazz sound is identified with a specific vision of sound.
Playing jazz on a hollow-body jazz guitar sets a certain standard of sound.

[ragman1]

What makes a jazz musician recognizable?

Well, apart from the fact that we're all different in real life, that player will almost certainly have found their own musical voice, recognisable to those familiar with it.

Like the 'jazz sound' itself.

[kris]

But is it easy in every case?
Miles Davis can be recognized by a few notes.Of course, how I compare trumpet players.

[ragman1]

Not in every case, no. We can only recognise what we already know.

[kris]

For example, we have two guitarists who play in the style of joe Pass on Gibson es-175 guitars.
How do you know which is which?
It would be easier to recognize if one of them played e.g. Telecaster.

[ragman1]

I don't know. Maybe you'd have to be an expert on Joe Pass!

[mr. beaumont]

Pass is an interesting example, because he played with vastly different tones at different times in his career...

his solo guitar stuff is always identifiable to me...but so is his single note playing...here's Joe and Herb using an almost identical (godawful) tone, but you can still tell who's who...

Maybe that's a mark of a true great-- their personality transcends tone.

[kris]

what about Django Reinardt?
There are a lot of Django-style guitarists .
They play similar sounding acoustic guitars.
They even use Django's licks .

[kris]

I read somewhere why Scofield decided to play semi-hollow guitar.
I think he said he wanted to sound different than everyone who plays jazz on arch-top hollow-body guitars.
I haven't heard a Scofield recording on a real hollow-body guitar.I'm curious how that would sound.

[Christian Miller]

Bill Frisell always sounds like himself regardless of guitar

[Christian Miller]

I read somewhere why Scofield decided to play semi-hollow guitar.
I think he said he wanted to sound different than everyone who plays jazz on arch-top hollow-body guitars.
I haven't heard a Scofield recording on a real hollow-body guitar.I'm curious how that would sound.

if his acoustic playing is anything to go by, he would continue to sound like John Scofield

[kris]

Bill Frisell always sounds like himself regardless of guitar

[kris]

These are the great personalities of the jazz scene.
What about other guitarists?
The guitarist can still change the instrument.
And the pianists?

[Jazzjourney4Eva]

What makes a jazz musician recognizable?
It is often the case that guitarists talk about the so-called jazz sound.
Jazz sound is identified with a specific vision of sound.
Playing jazz on a hollow-body jazz guitar sets a certain standard of sound.

It's 98% the player. It's the instrument too, but an instrument just sits there until someone plays it.

[kris]

I wonder how Mike Stern would sound on hollow-body?

[kris]

[Jazzjourney4Eva]

I wonder how Mike Stern would sound on hollow-body?

with or without chorus?

[SandChannel]

with or without chorus?

I think he said he uses pitch shifting for added depth to sound like an archtop, so my guess is that he wouldn't use it in that circumstance. I'm not sure I subscribe to his belief though...

[kris]

with or without chorus?

A very good question.
Can be with chorus and distortion.

[kris]

I think he said he uses pitch shifting for added depth to sound like an archtop, so my guess is that he wouldn't use it in that circumstance. I'm not sure I subscribe to his belief though...

do you know pitch shifting effect?
I don't think hollow body suits Mike Stern's style playing.
Telecaster has great sustain without feedback.

[ragman1]

you can still tell who's who...

Exactly.

[ragman1]

with or without chorus?

Hopefully without. I'm really not a fan of that sound.

[SandChannel]

do you know pitch shifting effect?
I don't think hollow body suits Mike Stern's style playing.
Telecaster has great sustain without feedback.

Do I know Mike's pitch shifting effect? It is a detuning effect in an old Yamaha SPX 90 with probably 10-20 cents in both directions. Most people think it sounds like a chorus without the modulation, but Mike thinks it adds some archtop depth. If it makes him happy, go for it.

[kris]

Do I know Mike's pitch shifting effect? It is a detuning effect in an old Yamaha SPX 90 with probably 10-20 cents in both directions. Most people think it sounds like a chorus without the modulation, but Mike thinks it adds some archtop depth. If it makes him happy, go for it.

[oldane]

This concept of "own language" makes me remember a YouTube clip from a masterclass with Jimmy Raney. Raney told that he had once suggested to a student to practice some licks from the Charlie Parker omnibook. The student refused and said he wanted to express himself. To which Raney had replied: "What do you mean? Express yourself? You can't play!"

It takes an awful lot of talent and practice before one is able to play in ones "own langage". I'm 71 years old by now and have a long time ago realized that I will never get there. What I (and others) hear is not really my "own language". It may sound like me, but it's more because it is my personal limitations one hears. It's not the way I want to sound if I only could. That's not to say that I can't be enriched and have fun by playing.

Now, here's a clip with a favorite of mine who did indeed have his own language: