sax solos too long?

[Ed Fuqua]

There's a great story related in the book THINKING IN JAZZ - in NYC in the early 40's proto bop jam session scene, there would be alla these bars with after hours sessions, so it was an audience full of musicians and folks that worked at the other clubs and restaurants. and cats were there to play, but also to hang and have a good time. Plus alla the non-musicians, so the joints could get a little loud. So somebody would be up there playing on a tune like HAVE YOU MET MISS JONES and, through the "vanilla" parts of the tune (I vi ii V) everybody would be yakking up a storm, but as soon as it got to the part of the tune (the bridge in this instance) that had some twists and tunrs, the joint would be dead silent. To hear how the cat would make his way through the hard part. then resume conversation through the A sections. It would continue like that through every hard part until the first time the cat repeated himself and from then on it was talking all the way through.

Play what you hear. You don't hear anything, don't play anything.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Play what you hear. You don't hear anything, don't play anything.

I wish more people could grasp the above concept. Alot of people can't grasp it in terms of conversation....if you don't have anything to say, don't say anything. They think they're gonna lose some ground if they don't say anythig!
That story is great Ed....if anyone asks what the term "HIP" means...that's a good story to tell.

[Monte]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

I wish more people could grasp the above concept. Alot of people can't grasp it in terms of conversation....if you don't have anything to say, don't say anything. They think they're gonna lose some ground if they don't say anythig!
That story is great Ed....if anyone asks what the term "HIP" means...that's a good story to tell.

Ditto. If I'm playing on a 400 bpm burner and they look at me for a solo, I'm doin' it Leroy Vinnegar style and walking until they're ready, rather than bs on something I don't have the vocab to say.

[T-Bal]

Originally Posted by Monte

Ditto. If I'm playing on a 400 bpm burner and they look at me for a solo, I'm doin' it Leroy Vinnegar style and walking until they're ready, rather than bs on something I don't have the vocab to say.

I can hear eighth note ideas on burners, but there's no way I'm gonna execute most of them. I actually like to take walking solos ever now 'n agin. I look at it as a chance to do some things with walking that I wouldn't normally do when accompanying. Like other intervals and contours, melodic fragments, playing over the barline, substitute changes, extra rhythmic embellishments, or more varied dynamics... with all of those possibilities, you can definately say something interesting. Naturally you'll want to try to stay within the stylistic parameters of the performance. Also, there's no law that says you can't improvise a melody in quarter notes, ala Limehouse Blues (Cannonball tempo).

[Monte]

Originally Posted by T-Bal

I can hear eighth note ideas on burners, but there's no way I'm gonna execute most of them. I actually like to take walking solos ever now 'n agin. I look at it as a chance to do some things with walking that I wouldn't normally do when accompanying. Like other intervals and contours, melodic fragments, playing over the barline, substitute changes, extra rhythmic embellishments, or more varied dynamics... with all of those possibilities, you can definately say something interesting. Naturally you'll want to try to stay within the stylistic parameters of the performance. Also, there's no law that says you can't improvise a melody in quarter notes, ala Limehouse Blues (Cannonball tempo).

Oh definitely. Yeah, I can hear the eighth note solos from intensive Bird listening, but ain't no way I'm making them physically.

That is a good suggestion to vary up your walking solos; something I try to do. I'm not saying they can't be interesting, but in my case they are usually a cop-out because I know any other solo I play on it isn't going to be adding to the conversation, as it were.

Our leader tends to be a little on the stingy side with bass solos in the quintet setting, so I'm trying to get to the point where I don't waste the opportunities that come along.

This was a very good past 2 weekends for me musically. Champian was back in town and played 7 gigs with us, and it only served to remind me of how much Oklahoma sucks for pianists. Spending so much time with Frank Wess and Jimmy Cobb kicking her ass is doing her more good than a lifetime of study ever could.