From: jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker)
Subject: Re: Chick-Round II
Organization: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 13:19:02 GMT

Ooooooh, you hit a nerve with this one pal.

In article <1992Apr7.011934.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca>, ebaddour@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
|>[misc. stuff deleted]  Again, the playing and composing on the album is 
|> really good.  My only gripe with it is with the instrument(s) he uses, 
|> primarily the fender rhodes.  As a keyboardist/pianist myself (sounds 
|> important doesn't it?), I HATE that horrible thin sound.  Had he used 
|> a concert grand for the album, it would probably rank as one of my 
|> favourites, but alas I have to bear that BLEUGH sound of archaic 
|> technology. 

Old technology....Hmmm, I didn't realize the concert grand was a newer
"device" than the Rhodes. I guess we should throw out all the old
technology like Saxophones, Trumpets, Grand Pianos, etc. The best
thing would be if we all used sythesizers and patterned ourselves
after the nice happy pretty tones we hear on the "WAV" format
radio stations. Yeah, that's the ticket.

|> The other "old" album I have is the "song of singing".  
|> Now, this album I really didn't like, (even though he does use a 
|> concert grand piano) because the playing and writing on it was AWFUL 
|> (hence my reference to the drugs...it almost seems like another person 
|> playing).  Most of the album resembles (but isn't, so don't flame me) 
|> free form jazz.  Now, I don't care whose toes I step on when I say 
|> that free form is the most HORRIBLE thing I've ever heard...beats anybody 
|> with a lobotomy playing anything, anywhere, anytime (point 
|> taken?good).

Well, there is an old adage..."People like what they know." Have you
ever noticed that people are always coming up to you (if you play
in a group) and requesting stuff? It's because they like what they
know. Instead of letting an artist paint a picture of whatever mode
strikes them at the moment, people are always trying to impress the
musicians (and their own Yuppie MBA friends in silk suits) by requesting
old "tired" material. I admit that I did it once. I was 17 years old
and my mother took me to hear Barney Kessel. I knew about 3 jazz tunes
at the time and of course when I met Mr. Kessel, the first thing I
did was blurt out, "Will you play Satin Doll?". He replied, "I don't
play that tune!" and walked away. (Of course Satin Doll is the
Stairway to Heaven of jazz tunes). Oh well, good music is an
aquired taste and if free playing does not appeal to you, it's only
because you have not done enough listening and should try to be
more open minded. Please do not take this as an insult. Rather, you
should attempt to broaden your horizons by becoming a more diversified
listener.

BTW, I don't know if you play an instrument but I've noticed that the
most musically closed minded people I know are always the worst 
musicians. This is because when you can really *PLAY*, you gain an
appreciation for music. Forgive me if I misquote the source but I
believe Duke Ellington stated that there are only 2 kinds of music,
Good and Bad.

-- 

                       (Chasin' the Trane)

| Jack A Zucker                              {uunet}!jaz@icd.ab.com |
| Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.                    or  ICCGCC::ZUCKER |
| 747 Alpha Drive                                                   |
| Highland Hts., OH 44143 Phone(216) 646-4668   FAX: (216) 646-4484 | 

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