Slam Stewart

[CHOI]

This is fantastic!!! Check it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKgnqpwHWW0

[flint]

thanks. I'm a fan of Slam's recordings, but have never seen him live.

f

[tzadik]

Goofy...and AWESOME. Thanks.

[damonsmith]

That rules. He amazing, check out that left hand!

[Aaron Saunders]

Awesome, man -- what a great player. I've definitely got to check out more of Slam's stuff.

[alavakian]

a group of us high school guys use to see Slam at the three deuces on 52nd St. We were too young to drink but we'd get served beer anyway. One time during the first set Slam's D string broke. The pianist (I think it was Errol Garner) took an extended solo while Slam changed the string. After allegedly securing the string Slam continued to play no more than 4 bars when the string slipped out (I think it slipped out of the hole in the tailpiece, I'm not sure. We were concentrating on Slam's frustration). Man. was he pixxxed. He finally got it right
and all went well. Listen to "Three Blind Micesky" and "Hop, Skip and Jump" Its on the CD Slam Stewart 1945-1946. I have the originals on 78.

[drurb]

One of favorite "bass experiences" was the night I had a nice chat with Slam Stewart. I was about 17 years old and had been accepted as a student member of the Miami Beach Symphony. Our home was the Miami Beach Auditorium (on the same stage where Jackie Gleason did his show).

One night I went to see Benny Goodman, Hank Jones, and Slam Stewart together (among others). I was blown away by Slam's playing. I met him on the stage, explained my connection to the bass and the auditorium, and asked for his autograph. He said, "Hold this" and handed me his bass so that he could use the upper bought as a writing surface.

WOW!

[alavakian]

That's a great story, I love it. Another bassist we use to idoloze in those days ('40s) was Oscar Pettiford. We use to see him with Dizzy Gillespie at the Spotlight (across from the Three Deuces) and with other small groups. They credit Red Mitchell for introducing 2-finger pizzicato in jazz, but I remember Pettiford doing it on his solos back then.

[TroyK]

i just got around to watching this. Great footage. Bizarre technique. I had no idea that he played that way.

Thanks for posting.

[warenut]

"Goofy"? Wow, what disrespect. The guy was music personified, and if that's goofy, sign me up.

MIchael Moore tells a story about doing a gig at Bradleys's towards the end of Slam's life. Typical piano bar gig, with yuppies chatting away, no one paying attention. Slam got up to sit in, and by the time he soloed, the entire room was silent, completely riveted by what he was playing.

An extra helping of goofy for me, please.

[alavakian]

Not only was Slam a great bassist, he was also an accomplished musician. Slam also did some classical stuff toward the latter part of his life. He was music faculty member at both Yale Univ. and State Univ. of NY at Binghampton. In 1945-'46 he won the Esquire award and Downbeat & Metronome awards for best bassist. In 1979 he was presented with the NYC Cultural Affairs award, in 1980 he won the Berklee School of Music Highest Achievment Award and in 1984 and honorary doctorate from the State Univ. of NY. Gerald Ford proclaimed him a national treasure.

[Don Higdon]

Same site, scroll down to the video of Sweet Lorraine.
What a gas. Oscar backing one of his idols (both singing and piano), Nat Cole.
When it gets to Oscar's solo, see how the nut on Ray's bass is higher than his scalp.

[bassame]

I for one, would like to hear more experiences from Alavakian. Anyone still alive who actually saw OP play has got to have lots of interesting anecdotes about many bassists. Let's here some, perhaps in a separate thread?

[abaguer]

Guess they don't call him Slam for nothin'. Great footage. I'm still blown away by the fact that he could accompany Art Tatum on his flights of fancy so well.

[Paul Warburton]

OK, what do Slam Stewart and Charlie Haden have in common?

[Nate]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

OK, what do Slam Stewart and Charlie Haden have in common?

Alright, I'll bite. What?

[jallenbass]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

OK, what do Slam Stewart and Charlie Haden have in common?

Unorthodox left hand technique?

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by jallenbass

Unorthodox left hand technique?

BINGO...They both look like they're choking an anaconda...both, sometimes actually letting their left thumbs curve around to grip the finger board, both play flat fingered...not on the tips. Both use the third fingers on the left hand...Slam not using his 4th finger at all.

Then shut your eyes and listen to the music they put out....pretty damn amazing.
There used to be a guy here in Denver, Leo Guaneri, brother of the great pianist Johnny Guaneri, who played like this. To make things even stranger, he used a German bow, but held it like a French bow!

[alavakian]

Sometimes you have to do unorthodox (?) things to make things happen. I've seen my technique go to the dogs (pains, crippling arthritis, etc.). Interesting about Leo Guarnieri. I do the opposite: hold French bow like a German bow. I can still hold the thumb opposite the 2nd finger in the left hand, but I can feel that deteriorating and tend to play flat fingered. We do what we have to do .. better than giving up.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by alavakian

Sometimes you have to do unorthodox (?) things to make things happen. I've seen my technique go to the dogs (pains, crippling arthritis, etc.). Interesting about Leo Guarnieri. I do the opposite: hold French bow like a German bow. I can still hold the thumb opposite the 2nd finger in the left hand, but I can feel that deteriorating and tend to play flat fingered. We do what we have to do .. better than giving up.

You betcher ass.....I have no problem with how someone makes the music. If it bothers you to watch, look away and open up your ears!