Double Bass Peacock Blows off Costello...

[damonsmith]

Maybe it's asking too much to expect any recording to hit the level of benchmarks like "Conference" or the Circle albums. The recent Holland CDs are good, solid recordings, full of good writing and impassioned soloing by some of the great contemporary players. But "Conference" sounds almost as if the gods just said "let's hit it out of the park with this one". Great writing there as well, but the level of play is just at heights that most of us will rarely reach. I think that the players on that particular album must have just stepped out of the way and let the music come through.

Or maybe it was just the times. "Conference" was one of those albums that just spun me around, and made me hear new possibilities. IMHO, YMMV.

PS... whatever happened to Barry Altschul? Totally lost track of him.... what a bad mother!

I think that is fair, he set the mark pretty high, nobody else is really doing it either.
Altschul is still around, my friend Adam Lane has a beautiful quartet on CIMP with him, John Tchicai and Paul Smoker.

 

[milomo]

I just saw Barry and Dave with Sam, at the Miller Theater at Columbia University a couple of months ago. They did what they used to do, they walked out, Sam said a few heartfelt words (he got a standing O before he even played a note), then began to play the tenor, and Barry and Dave never left his side for two hour long sets. Even when Sam was playing by himself, they were right with him, if you know what I mean. It was pretty sick! Sam is 83, and he played tenor, soprano, flute, and piano, all with much authority. Dave played a couple of solos that literally left the crowd gasping, and he and Barry's ability to create form from thin air, well, records are nice, but right in front of your eyes...(records!? can you tell i'm over 40?). With that said, in response to Damon, I think it's easy to hear what an innovator he is every time he plays the bass, because no matter who he plays with, across the entire spectrum of music he's capable of playing, his combination of power, precison, and inspiration is very rare. I think that range, and how well he functions across it is what really marks him, as opposed to just his work in one particular idiom. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

I've got a Dutch FM radio recording of a DH solo concert. Love listening to his solo playing...

 

[musicman5string]

O

 

[Marcus Johnson]

I just saw Barry and Dave with Sam, at the Miller Theater at Columbia University a couple of months ago. They did what they used to do, they walked out, Sam said a few heartfelt words (he got a standing O before he even played a note), then began to play the tenor, and Barry and Dave never left his side for two hour long sets. Even when Sam was playing by himself, they were right with him, if you know what I mean. It was pretty sick! Sam is 83, and he played tenor, soprano, flute, and piano, all with much authority. Dave played a couple of solos that literally left the crowd gasping, and he and Barry's ability to create form from thin air, well, records are nice, but right in front of your eyes...(records!? can you tell i'm over 40?). With that said, in response to Damon, I think it's easy to hear what an innovator he is every time he plays the bass, because no matter who he plays with, across the entire spectrum of music he's capable of playing, his combination of power, precison, and inspiration is very rare. I think that range, and how well he functions across it is what really marks him, as opposed to just his work in one particular idiom. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Wow...and.....wow. I'd give a body part to have seen that.

 

[damonsmith]

Wow...and.....wow. I'd give a body part to have seen that.

Yeah, I heard it was awesome. Holland really sets a certain artistic and technical standard. The first track on Critical Mass is pretty smooth, but the record is worth hearing over all.

 

[Jaromir]

Mr. John Dworking is talking about respect, respectivelly disrespect of Peacock towards Costello but he doesn' pay absolutelly no respect to Peacock's point of wiew. In my opinion, Peacock deserves the right of saving his soul by NOT performing with musical clowns (exactly: I have no respect towards Costello, that's my human right, no matter, how many jazz singers he marries). This is NOT about style, technique etc. This IS about saving one's soul and keeping one's musical and human integrity. We should respect that, I guess.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

Oh please.

 

[christ andronis]

Oh please.

No, no....it's "oh puh-leeeeze!! "

 

[damonsmith]

Mr. John Dworking is talking about respect, respectivelly disrespect of Peacock towards Costello but he doesn' pay absolutelly no respect to Peacock's point of wiew. In my opinion, Peacock deserves the right of saving his soul by NOT performing with musical clowns (exactly: I have no respect towards Costello, that's my human right, no matter, how many jazz singers he marries). This is NOT about style, technique etc. This IS about saving one's soul and keeping one's musical and human integrity. We should respect that, I guess.

I am with you on people being totally disrespectful of Peacocks view.
I won't go that far on Costello, I don't get much from him, but he is far from Britney Spears. I still feel Peacock's choice should be respected for what ever reason he made it.

 

[M Ramsey]

I'm still not convinced.

 

[Marc Piane]

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

It certainly seems that way.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

I am with you on people being totally disrespectful of Peacocks view.
I won't go that far on Costello, I don't get much from him, but he is far from Britney Spears. I still feel Peacock's choice should be respected for what everreason he made it.

I think you underestimate the degree to which Gary's reason is understood and appreciated. If we didn't understand it in the first place, your 20-plus pages of standing by him have had an impact.

Here's the thing, though: I can understand that decision coming from an artist, but it doesn't mean I have to like the decision. Doesn't mean I have to like the artist. Just like Mavis Staples sang into my ear yesterday (gawd I love my iPod): "you wanna be loved, you got to earn it."

In the cold realm of ideas and principle, maybe Gary's decision is wholly without fault. In the real world of people and their faults, maybe Gary should spend more time by himself and less time taking workaday paying gigs.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

OT; mmm, Mavis Staples. One of my favorites.

OK, back at it.

 

[MingusAmongUs]

Aah, dammit I thought I was done here.
All good points, except for the clown bit, that's pure subjective troll stuff.... but for me: Peacock showed no respect on that gig, and therefore deserves none in return.

 

[TroyK]

View attachment 66010

Ahh... a young Terri Garr in evening wear. What a great way to start the week.

By the way, right on topic with the whole Peacock thread, since I would never dream of taking us off track. Young Frankenstein has been made into a Broadway bound musical and is debuting in Seattle for about a week before it goes there. My wife interviewed Mel Brooks and cast last week and we've got tickets to see it while it's here.

Talk about high art! I'm giddy with anticipation

 

[damonsmith]

Peacock showed no respect on that gig, and therefore deserves none in return.

That we don't know. He very well could have respectfully declined to play.

 

[Uncletoad]

That we don't know. He very well could have respectfully declined to play.

Agreed. We have no idea about the tenor of those interactions.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

There was a tenor? I thought it was a Lee Konitz gig...