The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Good afternoon Tal fans!

    Stuck in one place thanks to throwing my back out; while surfing you tube found this video (film?) from 1991. It’s an ‘interview’ of
    Tal by Hubert Waldner at Tal’s Sea Bright house. It’s definitely worth 13 not 18 minutes as the first 5 or so minutes is a sax composition by Mr Waldner.
    This is spot in the midst of the times I was lessoning and visiting Tal; so much is familiar.
    The man you see is the man I knew: quiet, soft spoken, humble. You all have a window here that’s special, you see him as he was.

    First view of Tal is with a Diet Coke. It was the drug of choice for lessons as we usually went from 6-1am.
    Yes all through summer that was his look, the open shirt.
    The red ES140 is there, he doesn’t talk a lot about it, it was after it got cleaned up. He plays it a bit so you can see his massive hand on that little neck.
    Typical of Tal, more interested in talking about the technology of the early mechanical color tv. A techie at heart.
    The views towards the end off his deck are worth seeing. Helps you understand why he saw no reason to leave. Although the deck was in pretty bad shape, it had gotten lifted in a bad winter freeze. Across the river is Rumson NJ, home of many a very rich person. He liked Watching their commuting helicopters go in and out.
    Tina, Tal’s wife was in between hospital and nursing home, a little talk about that too.

    Enjoy! Glad I stumbled over this)))



    jk

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    audio too low for my tired ears

  4. #3

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    Winter it’s not you. For whatever reason the filmmaker has a constant surf sound added in. There’s no surf breaking on the Rumson river behind Tal’s house. And the ocean surf is a good 1000ft away. Can’t hear it that far unless it’s a bad nor’easter.
    Artistic license of someone from Austria who didn’t grow up at the shore.
    jk

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    audio too low for my tired ears
    Too many live gigs?

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    Too many live gigs?
    too many w/a huge Peavey speaker sitting on top of a Leslie a foot from the back of my head.

  7. #6

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    Wow. That was very cool. Tal was my first jazz guitar hero, I had no idea what he was doing then and 40 years later I'm still really not sure what he was doing. He had a way of connecting positions on the fretboard that was remarkably fluid and efficient.

    If you watch the "Talmadge Farlow" movie, you also get a sense of Tal's personality pretty clearly through that and very consistently with this clip. It also gives some interesting insight to Lenny Breau.


  8. #7

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    Tal taught his use of “stacks of fourths” as his basis for fretboard knowledge. I will write that up later today, TBH the morning drugs keep me too spacy lol.

    That is a great documentary and is solid. Tal really got along well with Lorenzo DeStafano, and thus the content is special.
    Another great source is this biography:
    Amazon.com

    His wife Michelle co authored so it’s accuracy measures quite high.

    I watched this one yesterday, below, From The Guitar Show. A well prepared interviewer (Christian Robadeux) smart questions, and Tal seems to be enjoying himself. Opens with an extended Misty, very typical of Tal in solo chord melody in the 80’s/90’s. I liked it for two reasons… one was we worked on that a lot as a bed for understanding his C/M thinking. The other because that light blue jacket (not a sport coat, an outside jacket) was still around eight-ten years later (albeit frayed))) in my time. He wore that for any occasion that didn’t require the one single sport coat he had. One guitar, one jacket years old, one sport jacket. Good man, that!


  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    too many w/a huge Peavey speaker sitting on top of a Leslie a foot from the back of my head.
    Sorry WM

  10. #9

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    Tal in his prime (or at least what a lot of people would think of as his prime; I actually like a lot of his later life stuff. It's maybe less precise, at times even a bit sloppy, but he remained quite inventive right to the end of his days).

    But blasting through Stella by Starlight at this tempo is remarkable. BTW, I have this on the iTunes version of the original album, but the mastering on this sounds much better to my ears than the original release. Tal's sound isn't a whole lot different but the piano is massively better.


  11. #10

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    Agree Cunamara. And he practiced that speed constantly.

    Tal’s living room, his practice/lesson area, didnt contain a ton of stuff: a piano, record player, couch, table, and his gigging (and only!) set up: Prototype #2; his Walter Woods and Bose 901, and the famous stool with octave divider, volume control and delay built in. But.

    Tal had a TEAC 15” reel to reel in there. He had swapped out the capstans in order to make it run faster than 15”/sec. There was masking tape wrapped around those capstans too, so the thing ran at an even higher blistering speed. (Sorry I knew the speed once, it it’s been too long.) He used it daily as to build/maintain his speed.

    He would identify a classical passage (he liked Ravel, I’m sure all jazz guitarists are intimately familiar with Maurice, right? ) and tape it, then practice the heck out of it till it was at a Tal speed. They’d show up in live playing sometimes. But mainly it was his speed building exercise. Yes, he also used the Cherokee changes and Billies Bounce.

    Speed, Sloppiness and Ravel.
    I still haven’t found the Wes bio book where he’s quoted as saying he didn’t like Tal’s playing because he was too sloppy. It’s here in some box, but for illness I’m too weak to open boxes and search anymore. I think part of the problem was the ginormous fingers simply caused him to miss frets. Especially playing fast. Two reasons I say that: I watched him play from three feet away in lessons and saw the technique causing the misses, and I hear the same sort of mistakes all the way back on the Tal at Feursts album. He can be heard blowing raspberries a couple of times at his misses).
    Maurice’s part in this? Tal kind of delighted in weird fingerings that required jumps and same strings hops. Classical riffs, especially from that period, result in some very non-guitar friendly patterns. He had a demon Ravel lift used as a warmup, I actually learned it. Then). If I find it I will be sure to share.

    Pianists: Tal really honored and respected Eddie Costa, pianist on the Ed Feurst sets. Eddie was only 25-ish at the time. A match to Tal’s speed style, Fiery was the word for Eddie. Sadly Eddie died in a car accident in the early 60’s. Tal remained friends with Eddie’s daughter till the end.

    (Ed Fuerst was a jazz lover, hung out at 52nd street, and threw parties which became jam sessions. He had a great interest as an amateur in recording. The Tal, Costa, Vinnie Burke sessions of 1956 were of sufficient quality to be bought and commercially released. I didn’t catch the release, I was four))). If you have not heard these, strongly suggest you do! Jordu, I Remember You are awesome. Have You met Miss Jones burns! (It’s not the greatest recording in history but the music is great.)

    jk
    Last edited by jazzkritter; 08-09-2022 at 07:48 AM. Reason: Hey auto type: Jordu NOT Jordon. Geez.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    ……and his gigging (and only!) set up: Prototype #2; his Walter Woods and Bose 901
    I’m loving the Tal lore you’re giving us, kritter! But a Bose 901????? With nothing inside but a gaggle of 5” drivers, they were tough as nails but nowhere close to flat response without the serious equalizing electronics that came with them.

    Did he use the Bose EQ box or drive them directly with his WW?

  13. #12

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    Hi Never!

    Yea how about that! Direct Woods to a 901 without the bass eq.

    We talked about it. He liked the sound and portability (!?), and that was that. It did give a brighter more focused sound, and since nearly all his gigging at that time was duo with bassist Gary Mazzaroppi it blended well with Gary’s sound. Gary’s still playing BTW.
    Tal liked my Mesa Boogie Thiel with the EVM 12L. But laughed at the weight. Playing out I used that, a Woods, and a Yamaha SPX90, and usually the L5. I had a couple of Barnes and Noble stores regularly they were nice.

    He sure tended to stick with his choices…. Regardless.
    Always kind of amusing cause he had a keen interest in techie stuff.
    That was my pre-healthcare airlines days.
    So first topic was always the flight planning systems I was doing. (Remember Peoplexpress?)). Or ham radio. He wished he had gotten a license. (What we would give to hear Tal and Joe Walsh WB6ACU talking on the bands!).
    But talk guitars, amps, effects…. No, least not with me and I sure was willing.
    I know he appreciated (cause Michelle told me) the “let’s be friends” approach as opposed to the “rabid sycophant guitar freak” approach. Something for y’all to remember when meeting your heros!

    Then it was Jazz BS, unrepeatable Miles stories, then “how bout we play some?”
    Its fun, the more I think about all the more comes back.

    jk

    Never .. my clinical study went public yesterday I’ll PM the link.

  14. #13

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    iirc in an interview Wes was asked to name his favorite guitarists and he mentioned Tal, Kessel and Raney. He said he liked Tal's speed but he could get sloppy at times. Jimmy Raney was nearly perfect, never made a mistake and that he liked Kessels concept. (I'm paraphrasing all of the above)

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    iirc in an interview Wes was asked to name his favorite guitarists and he mentioned Tal, Kessel and Raney. He said he liked Tal's speed but he could get sloppy at times. Jimmy Raney was nearly perfect, never made a mistake and that he liked Kessels concept. (I'm paraphrasing all of the above)
    I guess I think like Wes; My favorite guitarist are those 3, plus Wes.

  16. #15

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  17. #16

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    I found the Ralph Gleason interview.
    Apparently the 'sloppy' part doesn't exist, he said he doesn't have as much feeling as Kessel.
    I'm going to post it in it's own thread

    JazzProfiles: Wes Montgomery - the 1961 Ralph J. Gleason Interview

  18. #17

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    What i saw was in a book. Maybe quoted Gleason maybe not. So maybe you got me.
    Winter 15 jk 2.
    I wont be looking for it in boxes for a long time. Last week managed to award myself Three compression fractures in vertibrae, it does tend to stop one. Then the 2-3 months in hospital for VEXAS. Im essentially out of action for the year. Thought id get some playing in pre hospital. But no.
    At least one of the fractures is in the L5…. Appropriate!

  19. #18

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    The Kritter and I had it out over this interview a while ago. It speaks volumes that I went to his hospital bed and started flinging him around the room, until he took back that Wes quote, which I had a hard time accepting...

    I finally took it to the highest court available; another Tal student who is trying to get his book on Tal published, and who knows as much about Tal as is humanly possible.
    His verdict: Yeah, Wes did make a comment like that at one time, but I wouldn't take it to the point that he didn't like Tal's playing, because there were too many compliments that Wes paid to Tal in that interview and other interviews to justify a blanket dislike of Tal's playing.

    They even used Wes' quote "Poppin' and Burnin'" to describe how Tal came on the scene, as the title of one of Tal's albums.

    If anything, Tal's 'sloppiness' in the 50s only confirms that he was a true improviser, who maybe had a few pet licks that he could fall back on if he had to, but whose playing in the 50s along with Costa's, burned more than anyone's before or since, with a spontaneity I find lacking in much of today's jazz.

    This statement doesn't apply to his later playing.

  20. #19

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    sgcim, BTW, his throwing me around the room did not cause my fractures. I Wanted to clear the air, he is an innocent man. Or person.

    i believe i know of the book/ person of which you speak. Im intrigued and curious, he was with Tal theough some very different times than i.

    jk

  21. #20

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    Thanks for the exoneration, Kritter. People are liable to form a lynch mob at the slightest provocation these days.
    You're right about the second point. Tal was in crisis mode at that point.
    Things got much better by the time you were studying with him.

  22. #21

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    I have read a few stories published by that student, if it's the same person. Lots of bad things going on in Tal's life at that time, it sounds like. And yet in every interview I've read with him or about him, he seems to come across as a gentleman.

    As for Tal's later playing, I like it. Is it precise? No. Is there some sloppiness? Yep. Is it full of blazing bebop chops like his 1950s recordings? Not so much. But he seems to have been moving forward in his concept of music and the instrument. Instead of the single string bebop voice, he becomes at times a chordal presence with interesting moving bass and chord lines unlike anyone else's. His comping is amazing and could stand on its own without a soloist. Clearly Tal was developing something between his "heyday" and his "comeback." His master class with Jody Fisher (can be found on YouTube) is really interesting, even if Tal seems quite ill at ease.

  23. #22

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    Good points. His later chord melody playing in duo with Gary or Jack Six (sp?)(86-97ish) was brilliant. But there are no recordings im aware of and wish there were. Another ‘why didnt i think of it then’ of mine. And Cunamaras point of him pushing himself musically is spot on.
    What i found interesting was him talking about how his starting on a four string tenor of his Dad’s then progressing to six caused him to think in terms of a continuous bass voice or line on which everything else is built. Thats a very different (and difficult) approach than every book out thrre that starts at the soprano or melodic line and stuffs chords underneath.
    He discussed this in terms of Bach and ‘figured bass’ (he used a different term i dont recall) with his sister who was a church organist! (And same talks with me the church organist too.
    Thats out of the box for jazzz guitar,eh?

    Correct the author’s experience with the ‘dark days’ were not part of my time. Whenni started Tina was bed bound. However, during my time instead Tal was fighting against NJ Medicaid and what they were demanding to get Tina into a facility. We were going through that with my Mom so we shared alot about that. But yes, ever tbe gentle soul no matter what was coming down.

    OK, drugs kicking in, 0445, later.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cunamara
    I have read a few stories published by that student, if it's the same person. Lots of bad things going on in Tal's life at that time, it sounds like. And yet in every interview I've read with him or about him, he seems to come across as a gentleman.

    As for Tal's later playing, I like it. Is it precise? No. Is there some sloppiness? Yep. Is it full of blazing bebop chops like his 1950s recordings? Not so much. But he seems to have been moving forward in his concept of music and the instrument. Instead of the single string bebop voice, he becomes at times a chordal presence with interesting moving bass and chord lines unlike anyone else's. His comping is amazing and could stand on its own without a soloist. Clearly Tal was developing something between his "heyday" and his "comeback." His master class with Jody Fisher (can be found on YouTube) is really interesting, even if Tal seems quite ill at ease.
    According to my friend's book on Tal, it went deeper than just sloppiness, and he had some type of biological disorder that affected him greatly and was degenerative.
    Other than trying to play suicidal tempos, like he did on Cherokee, I don't find any of Tal's playing annoyingly sloppy in the 50s, and would recommend anything he did back then to anyone.
    His chord melody concept (and harmonic concept) was miles ahead of anyone back in the 50s. A good example of his use of quartal harmony in his first chorus of Autumn in New York. Who was doing that back then.
    His work with Gil Melle exposed him to advanced concepts in 20th Century music, as did Jim Hall's work with a number of people like Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Smith, Fred Katz, and numerous others.
    Jimmy Raney studied composition with Hall Overton, and played the music of all the other modern arr/composers in Teddy Charles' group (the Tentet especially.).
    Even Barry Galbraith studied composition and the LCC with George Russell, and was the first call guitarist for ALL of George Russell's albums in the 50s.
    And yet, the 'hipsters' of today lump them all into the 'bebopper' category, when there are many examples of lines that Tal played that were way ahead of their times in the 50s. Hall got involved with many younger players (with mixed results), so he escaped the bebopper label.
    There's a section in my friend's as yet unpublished book where Tal puts down a number of jazz musicians of the time, and most of it has to do with their square conception of melody, harmony and rhythm.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cunamara
    His master class with Jody Fisher (can be found on YouTube) is really interesting, even if Tal seems quite ill at ease.
    I seem to remember reading that Tal received his diagnosis of esophageal cancer the same day (the workshop dates from August 1997 and it was his last public performance) so the uneasiness is understandable.

  26. #25

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