Bill Watrous, Dick Nash, Bob McChesney, Scott Whitfield, ... - "Late Night Jazz"

ttf_Posaunus · Post by **ttf_Posaunus** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:08 pm

Thanks to Paul the Trombonist for posting this video of an informal late-night jazz session at the International Trombone Forum - Redlands University - July 1, 2017, featuring Bill Watrous, Dick Nash, Bob McChesney, Scott Whitfield, Paul Young, and Joshua Lampkins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjGzeWoS4-w

ttf_Bob Weller · Post by **ttf_Bob Weller** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:15 pm

Those were great nights. I am still amazed by Dick Nash's playing.

Thanks, Bob

ttf_Doug Elliott · Post by **ttf_Doug Elliott** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 6:25 pm

How did you like my solo starting at 11:23?
Yes, that's me.
I didn't know anybody caught it on video.

ttf_Dan Hine · Post by **ttf_Dan Hine** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:19 pm

Quote from: Doug Elliott on Sep 19, 2017, 06:25PMHow did you like my solo starting at 11:23?
Yes, that's me.
I didn't know anybody caught it on video.

I'm not sure. Part of me gets where you're coming from. Another part of me feels that most places that I'd see that sort of performance would be more laid back and social. I'm going to act differently if I'm in a concert hall, in a row with a seat number & letter than I would if I'm at a card table with a beer. Just like I act differently if I'm in a Catholic church vs a Baptist church.

ttf_Doug Elliott · Post by **ttf_Doug Elliott** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:31 pm

I get that if it's a club with a bunch of tourists who came in to relax with background music... But this was the International Trombone Festival and I suspect a lot of the people there actually came to hear those guys.

And you never know if it might be the last time you get to hear those giants of the trombone world. Would you be talking if George Roberts was playing? Or would you want to have all those people whooping it up behind you if you really wanted to listen? Or if you were playing? I thought it was incredibly rude to the performers.

ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist · Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:42 pm

I've had many open rehearsals in a university and I'll happily ask people to leave if they're talking. It's an opportunity to see how people make a performance happen or to see, for free, a bunch of good musicians play. I've also played in restaurants and bars, sometimes with cover charges, and people eat and drink and talk because that's the environment. I won't be social at an Alamo Drafthouse just because we eat and drink there, too.

ttf_SilverBone · Post by **ttf_SilverBone** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:49 pm

Didn't know you did vocals, Doug! Nice job!

ttf_Andrew Meronek · Post by **ttf_Andrew Meronek** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 10:40 pm

Not a fan of what I hear in the sound setup, although I suspect the recording equipment wasn't optimal. Too much amplification, in general - makes the unique colors of each instrument and each player faded, in a sense. I don't think that room was large enough that the band needed much help.

Also: those of us fortunate to be able to play in front of crowds need to get off the concert-hall-crowd-must-be-silent thing. If the audience is losing interest, it's our fault not theirs.

ttf_Bob Weller · Post by **ttf_Bob Weller** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 10:57 pm

I was at the performance. It was way past being social conversations. It was very loud talk and laughter. At one point I thought it resembled the sounds of an argument. The fact the sound system was poor didn't help. Kudos to Doug for his efforts.

Thanks, Bob.

ttf_JohnL · Post by **ttf_JohnL** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 11:24 pm

I gather it was pretty much the same scene all four evenings for the "late night jazz" performance. I stopped by Thursday after the evening concert and turned around at the door. Too many people in too small a space. It did seem pretty loud (both the sound system and the audience) from the door, but it's not like I was there for very long.

ttf_Pre59 · Post by **ttf_Pre59** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 3:32 am

On the gigs that I mainly play, a talking crowd is understood to be a success. The greatest compliment being "please don't think that we're not enjoying your music".
They're always the best payers as well..

I learn't a salutary lesson a few years back playing a guest night with a toxic trio, and since then I always carry a small PA and mic around as insurance. Shouldn't need to, but Hey Ho that's my reality.

ttf_savio · Post by **ttf_savio** » Thu Sep 21, 2017 12:45 am

Wish I could have been there. Would definitely used my ears, not talking. Was it Dick Nash that was sitting Down when he played? And who was the bass trombone towards the end?

Leif

ttf_Doug Elliott · Post by **ttf_Doug Elliott** » Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:34 am

Yes, that was Dick Nash sitting down. He is diabetic and lost a leg a while back, so he has a prosthetic leg and needs help getting around.

Bill Watrous had sunglasses on
Bob McChesney is wearing all black
Dick Nash is sitting down
Paul Young is wearing shorts (I don't know him)
Scott Whitfield walks in from the left at 25:30
Joshua Lampkins walked in with his bass trombone when the others left

I don't know who was in the rhythm section.

Another video of the same concert, this one has better sound because it was in front of a speaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vALrOmSxGAk

ttf_Posaunus · Post by **ttf_Posaunus** » Thu Sep 21, 2017 3:50 pm

Quote from: Doug Elliott on Sep 21, 2017, 01:34AMBill Watrous had sunglasses on
Bob McChesney is wearing all black
Dick Nash is sitting down
Paul Young is wearing shorts (I don't know him)
Scott Whitfield walks in from the left at 25:30
Joshua Lampkins walked in with his bass trombone when the others left

I don't know who was in the rhythm section.

Thanks for the new link, Doug.

From the 2017 ITF Program for Saturday, July 1:

9:30 pm
Late Night Jazz Live at Redlands
Bob McChesney and Friends, Casa Loma Room
Bob McChesney, trombone
Matt Harris, piano
Dave Robaire, bass
Dick Weller, drums

Equally remarkable was the "Late Night jazz" session on the previous night (Friday, June 30):

9:30 pm
Late Night Jazz Live at Redlands
Andy Martin and Friends, Casa Loma Room
Andy Martin, trombone
Matt Harris, piano
Dave Robaire, bass
Dick Weller, drums
and Winners of the J.J. Johnson and Carl Fontana Competitions

There was again incredible interplay among some of the world's finest jazz trombonists (backed up by a great rhythm section), including Scott Whitfield and others (my memory fails me!), and concluding with a delightfully extended "exchange" between the incredible Andy Martin and his good friend, the equally creative Alex Iles, that really brought down the house. I'm still smiling at the memory!

ttf_Pre59 · Post by **ttf_Pre59** » Fri Sep 22, 2017 4:33 am

Here's Christopher Bill's video, taken from the other side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vALrOmSxGAk

ttf_Pre59 · Post by **ttf_Pre59** » Fri Sep 22, 2017 4:33 am

Here's Christopher Bill's video, taken from the other side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vALrOmSxGAk