TromboneChat

"Blondell's High Speed Wail" featuring Jon Blondell on Trombone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Fkk1he2B4

Just saw this... great project!  I watched all of the clips from this.  Jon... some great playing!

Pretty impressive; his mastery on the trombone and his mastery of the theory of music.

...Geezer

As a jazz solo it did not do anything for me. Just a lot of fast notes that followed the chord progression but did not have any structure or jazz interest.

Loved Dr. Jim Rose on trumpet on some of the other videos!

24 hours or so later, some problems I see:

1) He plays a straight small-bore tenor trombone, so that leaves about 90% of us out 

2) His sound is excellent, so that takes away the ubiquitous "He sounds congested" post(s) 

3) He didn't make any highly-coveted weird noises 

4) Style was already commented on. 

Not much left to dissect. 

...Geezer

Yes. I'm a curmudgeon.

My definition of the greatest trombonist who ever played jazz? Trummy Young. Why? Because every night he had to step onstage and support Louis Armstrong. Nobody paid to see or hear Trummy Young. But he was absolutely perfect 100% of the time. Supported the soloist. Played his own stuff perfectly.

Crack your spit valve open about 1/4". Don't move your slide. Just squeek out the highest notes on a tenor trombone as you feel like doing, supporting nobody and expecting no support in turn. That's your modern jazz right there.
Just please yourself.

I respect Mr. Blondell's commitment and strength. But more than one tune of it? Give me Trummy and I could listen happily until I died of delight.

The man has a gift and an excellent mastery of the trombone.
Gotta respect that.
This style of "music" reminds me of an abstract painter who throws buckets of paint against a wall and calls it art.

In the case of Jackson Pollack, it WAS art! Not everyone can be a Jackson Pollack or a Trummy Young. At least he's trying and obviously having a terrific time doing it. My hat's off to him! OBTW: ain't his drummer a kick! She's having WAY too much fun. Not your typical small combo jazz drummer!

...Geezer

 I bought a trombone I was told was owned by Jon...... It doesn't sound ANYTHING like that.

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Feb 28, 2017, 08:51PMIn the case of Jackson Pollack, it WAS art! Not everyone can be a Jackson Pollack or a Trummy Young. At least he's trying and obviously having a terrific time doing it. My hat's off to him! OBTW: ain't his drummer a kick! She's having WAY too much fun. Not your typical small combo jazz drummer!

...Geezer

I too am a proud curmudgeon, and in my world a trombone is not supposed to sound like this:
http://www.jackson-pollock.org/shimmering-substance.jsp

 

Quote from: CharlieB on Mar 01, 2017, 04:58PMI too am a proud curmudgeon, and in my world a trombone is not supposed to sound like this:
http://www.jackson-pollock.org/shimmering-substance.jsp


It must be after 8PM. You're being way too kind to yourself. 

But so what. The guy is obviously having fun and he probably doesn't care about a bunch of old farts like us arguing over his style that he wears proudly and is very comfortable fitting into - like a second skin. In fact, he's probably getting a pretty good chuckle out of it. I know I would. 

If you or I could play like that we probably would just because we could - even if it wasn't our first choice of style. But then again, Bill Pierce's style wouldn't be my first choice either - unless I could play like his sound engineer makes him out to sound. 

So for any of us who voices a negative opinion of his style - where are our recordings showing us doing any better? There aren't any because we can't...   

...Geezer

I too like a good melodic line... but the point of this chart isn't to have the listener go back and whistle the tune.  The chart is a barn burner on steroids... people who just have to negatively criticize everything annoy me... if you don't like it, turn the page... I came across this and wished to acknowledge the great playing... it has turned into a semi-bash session.  I suggest everyone just go practice.

I too like a good melodic line... but the point of this chart isn't to have the listener go back and whistle the tune.  The chart is a barn burner on steroids... people who just have to negatively criticize everything annoy me... if you don't like it, turn the page... I came across this and wished to acknowledge the great playing... it has turned into a semi-bash session.  I suggest everyone just go practice.