... demonstrating a more comprehensive grasp of the jazz idiom

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Geoffrey offers his take on Sonny Stitt; an artist of great facility and productivity and in consequence a recipient of much critical ambivalence. With a notorious and expensive habit to feed Mr Stitt often made recordings for a fistful of dollars.

Nat Hentoff, the jazz critic and historian, has said that, ''Sonny, though technically fluent and certainly a steady swinger, had shown little of Bird's careening imagination or his ability to hurl an audience into new dimensions of feeling time and musical space.''

''He has at his fingertips every lick and trick in the book,'' Dan Morgenstern, head of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, said of his work. ''If he wants it that way, he can just coast along on his experience and get away with it every time. But when Stitt is inspired and means business, he is awesome.''

both quotes

Jon3 presents a Tribute to Kenny Wheeler; archive recordings and contributions from friends and colleagues.

no JLU but 75 minutes of JRR this week and opry

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Garry Giddins...

"...My first shot at producing came when [then
Muse owner] Joe Fields asked me if I wanted to
do the next Sonny Stitt record. Of course I
said, "Yeah!" I put together a great band: Roy
Haynes, Barry Harris, Richard Davis were the
rhythm section, and then I added Jimmy Heath
to create a dual tenor thing, not a battle, but a
benign competition. I went to ASCAP and I got
all these great lead sheets for tunes that hadn't
been done to death. I'm in my 20s, and I'm
real excited. So everybody arrives and we're all
in good spirits. Then Sonny looks at the lead
sheets and gives me a glare, like, "Oh yeah?
You're going to tell me what to do, what to
play?'"

Sonny says, "I need a bottle of" and he names
his brand. I said, "Sonny, why don't we just do
the first hour and then we'll take a break?' But
he's adamant. He needs a bottle. So we sent
somebody to get him one--Teacher's, J&B or
something. He consumed half of it and then
promptly threw up on Jimmy's shoes, which he
had taken off to stretch his toes. Right on his
shoes. From that point on the record was a
mess. But we did it. We recorded for six
hours. We got an album...."

Well, I like Mr Stitt and he had one of the best "speaking" voices in jazz...could listen for hours.

BN.

[charles t]

Speaking of 'shoes', Bluesie...recall being eye-level to the bandstand as Gene 'Jug' Ammons played with his shoe busted open in front for his bunions, or whatever. White socks.

[Serial_Apologist]

Speaking of 'shoes', Bluesie...recall being eye-level to the bandstand as Gene 'Jug' Ammons played with his shoe busted open in front for his bunions, or whatever. White socks.

A footnote in your latest book charles?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Speaking of 'shoes', Bluesie...recall being eye-level to the bandstand as Gene 'Jug' Ammons played with his shoe busted open in front for his bunions, or whatever. White socks.

Can't compete with that CT although I once had very pricey front rows seats at a LSO/Mahler concert and my wife kept pointing out (loudy) that one of the bassists had bloody big holes in his black dress socks. Well, she is very fussy about these things.

BN.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

my sister claimed to have seen Paul Desmond in big clown shoes at a quartet concert [she may have exaggerated]

[Serial_Apologist]

my sister claimed to have seen Paul Desmond in big clown shoes at a quartet concert [she may have exaggerated]

Would wearing clown's shoes put Paul Desmond in the altissimo register?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

it certainly put the audience there!


speaking of shoes

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

listening tp geoffrey now but must note that Playlister is a complete disaster for listing jazz tracks and an insult to the jazz audience ...

[Roehre]

listening tp geoffrey now but must note that Playlister is a complete disaster for listing jazz tracks and an insult to the jazz audience ...

Not much diffeernce with the audience for "classical" music interested in off-the-track repertoire then

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Alan Dawson is immense on the I Got Rhythm track - too often overlooked when drummers get mentioned

... but as far as the R£ audience is concerned he is a 'performer' who could be playing the Inuit Nose Flute

[Serial_Apologist]

speaking of shoes

Oh yes - a woman's right to shoes.

I'll get me flips.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Oh yes - a woman's right to shoes.

I'll get me flips.

WIKI...."A jazz shoe is a type of shoe worn by
dancers . They are used in jazz dance and
other styles of dance including acro dance ,
acrobatic rock'n'roll , and hip hop, and in
other activities, such as aerobics .
Jazz shoes are available in a variety of
styles, with varying features. They may be
high-rise or low-rise, and may be slip-ons or
lace-up Oxfords. Split-sole jazz shoes allow
enhance shoe flexibility, making it possible
to flex the foot more easily. Most have
rubber soles, which provide traction and
also help to cushion the foot, and some
have thicker heels for better shock-
absorption. Some have a suede patch under
the ball of the foot to facilitate turning."


As worn by Bird? "My Little Suede Shoes".

Or Ron Coltrane? "Hob Nail Boogie"

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

an excellent Jon3 tribute to the life works and unique personality of Kenny Wheeler - notably from the BBC archive performances and close frinds and colleagues talking with genuine warmth

reminded me of the Panel chaired by Alyn Shipton last year at the RAM

many thanks to the Jon3 team and guests for this tribute programme