String Bending in Jazz?

[Soco]

I've been wondering about string bending in jazz guitar. I know it's something that's frowned on and that you're not really "supposed" to do (unless you're playing fusion, that is) and I'm wondering why. It seems to me that bending and vibrato, if done tastefully, is one of the best ways to give the guitar the expressiveness of a horn.

I can understand if it's a physical limitation thing, but I usually use .11 and .12 flatwounds and have no problem bending a step and a half.

Anyway, I feel like the proper application of the technique can add a lot of depth to the performance, and if I'm going to offend purists by doing it then so be it, but I'm just wondering where the "anti-bending" rationale comes from

You'll offend me more by not bending!¨
As guitarist we should take advantage of the fact that we can bend strings, my girlfriend is a professional pianist and she always takes about how many things that string-players can do in terms of bending and vibrato.
It would be a waste to not take advantage of it. The same goes for UGG boots.

[ronjazz]

Jazz guitarists have been bending at will since the 40s. Oscar Moore, Tiny Grimes, George Barnes, Les Paul, etc. By the 60s, Howard Roberts was bending a set of 14s on a Gibson archtop at will. If you're playing what you hear, rather than a collection of hot licks, as we old times used to say, it would be hard not to bend a little from time to time. Even Pat Martino, the master of the telephone-pole string and blistering machine-gun lines bends quite often in the course of an evening.

[raylinds]

I found this quote to be interesting from a recent George Benson Interview:

"On “Paper Moon,” your solo starts off with some bending— which isn’t often heard in a straight-ahead jazz context. Why do traditional jazz players typically avoid bending notes?
If you remember, Charlie Christian used to bend notes— and he was the swingin’-est cat there was, man! So I’m not afraid. I think people are used to hearing that in modern music. You know, B.B. King and all the other cats do it. Rock players do it. I’m not afraid to let jazz have a shot at it again, too, since we started it."

[BirdSong]

Some of the most heartfelt expression and feeling comes from bending. That's part of what makes guitar such a unique and wonderful instrument. Unless one can play runs like Joe Pass and/or Pat Martino, most guitarists who never bend in their solos sound pretty sterile and lame if you ask me.

[TheMorningFrost]

No problem with bending in jazz, or in general, not even sure why people would think that. That said, it can definitely be distasteful when done too much.

[henryrobinett]

I haven't read the thread but that is just silly. Bending is a form of expression. An articulation, like slurs or bends in a horn. The more tools you have in the shed the better you can express yourself.

[kris]

I think that more "bendings" we can find in rock and blues music.
Jazz guitar with hard tension 13" or 15" strings is not to easy to bend.
......anyway it is great articulation tool....:-)

[BirdSong]

No problem with bending in jazz, or in general, not even sure why people would think that. That said, it can definitely be distasteful when done too much.

Very true. It also sounds pretty harsh if you don't hit the intended note in the bend. Rock and blues players have mastered the bending in my opinion (i.e. - Eddie Van Halen - Joe Walsh - David Gilmour, etc.) Most jazz players don't really "get it" when it comes to bending in my opinion. That's okay, because it's not "their thing." As Pat Metheny once said: "Rock sounds funny when jazz players do it - because it's not their thing."

[teok]

"Cheating" implies there are rules. I wasn't aware there were any.

Bending notes has been around since the beginning of jazz. Buddy Bolden, King Oliver, Sydney Bechet, Louis Armstrong.

[Patrick2]

I know the question was about bending in jazz . . . but, when ever I hear someone talk about bending a note, especially in the pejorative as done by goofsus4 . . . the lyricism of this solo by EC comes to mind. The whole song is wonderful to listen to . . even for a jazz cat. But, if you don't care to, then just fast foward to 3:40 and listen to Clapton make his strat sing with melody and lyricism. He's not just "holding the neck, cranking it up to 11, bending and releasing while putting on a guitar face". He's actually singing through his instrument. He ain't the greatest singewr on the planet . . and Lord knows he ain't the greatest guitars on the planet. But, the man's a mega star in my book. "He's a master at occupying his spot" on stage. His presence is commanding. One of my greatrest wishes was always that he knew how to play jazz guitar. He once openly admitted in an interview that he'd love to be able to do it . . and that he did try once with some tutelage. But, he said he just couldn't get the feel or the hang of it without devoting years to learning.