michael moore

klepto · #1 12-10-2004, 12:41 PM

i just bought my first recording with michael moore--getting sentimental by bill evans
i'm sure that a lot of you are familar with this recording--michael moore sounds great on it, in spite of the terrible sound quality
so... my question is: what are some other essential recordings with michael moore?

Ed Fuqua · #2 12-10-2004, 02:27 PM

Just about anything.
There's a nice duo record from the LIVE AT MAYBECK series on CONCORD with Bill Charlap. There's an interesting and fun bass duo record with Rufus Reid, there's at least one record called THE HISTORY OF JAZZ or something like that (with Ken Peplowski), hmm what else. There's a record with Doug Raney and Billy Hart ( and maybe Jimmy Raney on a couple of cuts?) under Doug's name.

But I don't think you can go wrong with anything he's on.

Sam Sherry · #3 12-10-2004, 04:03 PM

Ditto that.

My long-time favorite is Bob Brookmeyer Small Band originally released as Live at Sandy's, Jazz Heritage 523028L.

The thing that I love about Michael's playing is he's incredibly agressive in the most laid-back way. What I mean is, that he takes so many chances as a soloist, playing highly adventurous, totally modern stuff . . . so prettily that you'd never notice if you weren't really listening carefully. His walking drives all night -- it's often rhythmically busy, with all those beautiful smears and rips -- but his pocket is always eight feet deep.

That Bill Evans record is really cool but I haven't heard him sound quite like that elsewhere. One more facet to an incredibly skilled and soulful musician. I'll be eating his dust for as long as I breathe.

Where's HigDon?

Wil Davis · #4 12-10-2004, 04:15 PM

I like "Roger Kellaway Meets The Duo" (Gene Bertoncini & Michael Moore) - great stuff!

- Wil

bassbob · #5 12-10-2004, 04:56 PM

I had the the great privilege to hear a concert with Michael and Gene B back in the middle eighties. Michael let me play his custom hybrid bass. ( possibly the forerunner to the eminence. Soild Maple with solid maple wings you could hang on this sides. I still have the autographed album somewhere in the record rack downstairs.

Listen to anything he has done you can't go wrong.

Bob

Paul Warburton · #6 12-11-2004, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Sherry

The thing that I love about Michael's playing is he's incredibly agressive in the most laid-back way. What I mean is, that he takes so many chances as a soloist, playing highly adventurous, totally modern stuff . . . so prettily that you'd never notice if you weren't really listening carefully.
Where's HigDon?

#1

Paul Warburton · #7 12-16-2004, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Michael played on a number of Ruby Braff recordings. And the Concorde duo record with Bill Charlap is excellent. Michael was really digging in to a French bass he had just bought. And he also does alot of exquisite bowing on the record.
You must know the story that the record with Bill Evans was the night Michael was auditioning for the gig right? He eventually left the band due to the focus being too much on scoring dope than playing music.

I thought it was the band uniforms.....of course you would know.

klepto · #8 12-16-2004, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

You must know the story that the record with Bill Evans was the night Michael was auditioning for the gig right?

yes, it's in the liner notes on the cd

Mark Latimour · #9 12-16-2004, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Michael Moore would make a good Frenchman

klepto · #10 12-16-2004, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Well, the reason why I know is simply because he told me so himself.

ok, im impressed

bassphase · #11 12-18-2004, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Well, the reason why I know is simply because he told me so himself. He was deeply disappointed by his experience with Evans.

That seems like a really provincial attitude. I can't fathom turning down the opportunity to work with one of the world's greatest jazz pianists simply because of his vices.

bob

Paul Warburton · #12 12-18-2004, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

I had a nice exchange with Paul about the subject and I think my comments, taken out of context, were a little harsh. It is what Michael said but that's just Michael and maybe I shouldn't be speaking for him. I thought it was an interesting sidenote to the original post about the Bill Evans recording. I think, in my opinion, that Mike was just expressing some of his disappointment at finally reaching a pinnacle of jazz only to realize that his heroes were very human. He was very young and wide eyed at the time. I hope this remains just a sidenote and not a broad statement on Bill Evans, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Thanks to Paul for the interesting offsite conversation.

#1
Jason and I did, indeed, have a good exchange, privately.
My main point is that in the world of drug addiction, you sometimes don't have a choice....whether to score or not. An addict sometimes has to score in order to function. Not very pretty, but true. What's amazing to me is the amount of beautiful music Bill and Joe left for us in spite of this.
As Jason and I discussed, we're double lucky that Michael Moore didn't have these problems and we can still enjoy him full throttle!

Sam Sherry · #13 12-20-2004, 07:56 AM

I started studying with Michael Moore right around the time he decided to leave Bill Evans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Well, the reason why I know is simply because he told me so himself. He was deeply disappointed by his experience with Evans.

Bullseye. Dead right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassphase

That seems like a really provincial attitude.

Michael Moore was (and I have no doubt remains) the essence of urbanity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassphase

I can't fathom turning down the opportunity to work with one of the world's greatest jazz pianists simply because of his vices.

He didn't turn it down. He experienced it in excruciating detail for half a year. Based on that experience he made a difficult and consciously-life-changing decision that working with that band was so bad for him that it was better not to do it than it was to take the benefit being offerred. Equally to the point, your post assumes that Michael's problem was with Evans and that's not the only available conclusion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

I think . . . that Mike was just expressing some of his disappointment at finally reaching a pinnacle of jazz only to realize that his heroes were very human. He was very young and wide eyed at the time.

In 1978 I was young -- 17 -- and wide-eyed. Michael was in his mid-30s and had experienced his share of life's serious travails (details of which are not germaine to this discuss) even though he still had a bucket of trouble heading toward him (also not relevant here).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason

I hope this remains just a sidenote and not a broad statement on Bill Evans, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

It's probably more of a comment on Philly Joe Jones than on Bill Evans. It's possible that Michael's decision to step off the stand led Evans to musical changes from which he benefitted tremendously at the end of his life. It's truly too bad: As much as I like Marc Johnson, listen to Michael Moore and Joe LaBarbera playing at that time on Bob Brookmeyer's Live at Sandy's and think about what that pair could have done for Evans if the cards had fallen that way.

Above all, Michael's tenure with The Bill Evans Trio is a sterling example of the age-old adage: "Be careful what you wish for because you may get it."

Johnnythekid · #14 12-20-2004, 09:17 AM

Hello there, this is my first post on TB, so I hope I'm not interfering, haha. I'm personally trying to get my hands on the Bass Day '97 video available from musiciansfriend.com. It's the one that features Micheal Moore and Rufus Reid, it looks like it should be really smokin'!

Ed Fuqua · #15 12-20-2004, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassphase

That seems like a really provincial attitude. I can't fathom turning down the opportunity to work with one of the world's greatest jazz pianists simply because of his vices.

What's the difference between an alcoholic and a junkie?
They'll both steal your wallet, but the junkie will help you look for it.

Jimmy Raney stopped playing with Getz for the same reason. As others have said, if the bad stuff starts outweighing the good stuff, you make the choice that's best for you. I have to assume that, like many of us, you can't "fathom" why someone would do that because you've never had the opportunity to make that choice. Try imagining that you get to play with whoever it is that is your heart's shining ideal. And then having to deal with them showing up late, not showing up, getting paid in advance and not showing up but not telling you so that YOU show up. And the gigs that do get played you have to wade through bad night after bad night til you get to that one night of Pure Poetic Genius.

There's a bunch of guys that wouldn't play with Art Pepper cause he was a junkie. About the only guy that seemed to be able to get away with that for a long period of time was Bird, and from all accounts he was an EXTREMELY charming individual when he wanted to be.

The only long term gig I've had with somebody that was on the periphery of jazz "stardom" had its own ups and downs, because the singer had her own issues. But nothing as drastic as long term addiction. I'd hate to be in a position where I'd have to stop working with somebody whose music I admired because their behaviour made it impossible to just relax and play.

CCTEXAS · #16 01-23-2005, 04:26 AM

I am taking classes here in NYC and I would like to take private lessons with Mr. Moore. Can anyone tell me how to get in contact with him? Any info would be appreciated.

Manny

arnoldschnitzer · #17 01-25-2005, 07:51 AM

I studied with Michael briefly in the mid 70's. A wonderfully warm person and an incredibly well-rounded musician. Frequently our sessions would end up in an hour jam with Michael playing piano or bass. His piano playing was way more advanced than the average doubler. I went to a performance of the Evans trio with Michael and Joe LaBarbera at the Vanguard, and had the uncomfortable pleasure of spending some time between sets in the back room, where Bill just hung loose reading the times. I had heard the trio with Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian, and I thought this one was on the same level musically. As has been previously stated in this thread, Michael has had his share of hard times and remains a huge talent and a real gentleman.