What's on your playlist?

[Brad Thomson]

LOL. Yah. So many people jump on the Hendrix bandwagon and say flat out greatest of all time blah blah blah. I say give him a proper left-handed strat and his exalted stature diminishes a little

I do love Jimi, but of course saying "the greatest" is a bit silly when it comes to artistic appraisals. It comes down to favourites, and those that do not turn one's crank. My favourties are certainly Duane Allman first and Jimi Hendrix second. After these two I love SRV, Zappa, Johnny Winter, Roy Buchanan, Dimebag, John McLaughlin, Allen Collins. Larry Coryell... Guys like Page and Clapton can play, but I never liked Van Halen or DiMeola, they both have fast gymnastic fingers, but it does not sound very musical to me, the emphasis is on speed only. The greatest players often play the fewest notes, both Duane Allman and trumpeter Miles Davis are perfect examples of this.

[Fred Henderson]

I believe you are referring to drummer Mitch Mitchell's guitar player. (John Bonham? Neil Peart? Who are they?)

Fire - YouTube

LOL. Yah. So many people jump on the Hendrix bandwagon and say flat out greatest of all time blah blah blah. I say give him a proper left-handed strat and his exalted stature diminishes a little

[Fred Henderson]

This sort of analysis is beyond me, but I do love jazz, probably more than any other musical form. I was born and raised on it due to my parents who both totally loved jazz music and played it all the time. Of the jazz piano players, there are many greats. Perhaps the most elite of them all is the Canadian from Montreal, Oscar Peterson. Then there is the enlightened genius, Thelonious Sphere Monk, and the completely brilliant Keith Jarrett. Other greats include Bill Evans, Art Tatum, McCoy Tyner and many more. I am not so much interested in solo playing, I prefer a trio with a bassist and a drummer along with the piano.

Oscar Peterson Trio 1965 - YouTube
Thelonious Monk - Live At Berliner Jazztage (1969) - YouTube
Bill Evans Live '64 '75 - YouTube
Keith Jarrett Trio, full Concert - YouTube

There is more and more out there for those interested. This music takes me to a special place, it is enlightenment and bliss.

I saw a kick ass jazz band once in Toronto, they called themselves Felonious Punk.

[Fred Henderson]

My favorite music video. The Pretenders, with special guest on guitar, play the 2005 Rock and Roll Hall of fame induction ceremony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yj-FYOjmSU

[Brad Thomson]

I tend to imagine each playing in their own styles, but new solos that I invent as I move the music along. I do the same with Miles Davis, John Coltrane and others. I used to imagine a form of classical music, and then one day under the influence of Frank Zappa I picked up the works of Edgard Varese and was astonished by the similarity it exhibits to what I imagined.
VARESE: Tuning Up / CYSO's Symphony Orchestra · Tinkham - YouTube

Here is a good Canuck absolutely ass-kicking a tune the Allman Brothers made famous:
Statesboro Blues - YouTube

[Fred Henderson]

Being deaf makes no difference as long as there was a time when one did hear. When Beethoven, or anyone, composes symphonies, they do not have all of the musicians with them at the time, they are doing it all in their head, or possibly with the help of a piano. I have all my life created music in my head. Sometimes it is orchestras, sometimes it is heavy metal, sometimes it is Duane Allman playing with Jimi Hendrix, something that never happened in real life. I do not think that this is very much different from playing chess blindfolded, it takes imagination which can be improved with practice.

Very good, thank you. I figured there must be a reason why you seem to be the only one who has seen Roy Buchanan play. :)

So you can combine Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix in your head? That's interesting, Do they just jam in their own styles, or is there solos of theirs that you combine somehow.

As for comparing that to blindfold, well maybe if you learned the game that way? What say you to that?

[Brad Thomson]

Being deaf makes no difference as long as there was a time when one did hear. When Beethoven, or anyone, composes symphonies, they do not have all of the musicians with them at the time, they are doing it all in their head, or possibly with the help of a piano. I have all my life created music in my head. Sometimes it is orchestras, sometimes it is heavy metal, sometimes it is Duane Allman playing with Jimi Hendrix, something that never happened in real life. I do not think that this is very much different from playing chess blindfolded, it takes imagination which can be improved with practice.

[Fred Henderson]

Me? The amazing soulful grooves of Liam Gallagher and some insane throwback tracks from Oasis ...

<snip>


Other than that ... Beethoven ... and some other freaks too, ha!




.

Beethoven. I used to think that the fact that he wrote at least the 9th symphony after he went stone deaf, as something unique, that he had some special gift that allowed him to "hear" in his head. But in my '60s I think it is maybe nothing special. I say this because after 50+ years of being deep in music, when I am sing a song in my head, I can "hear it" and know that I will be on when I sing it out loud.

[Brad Thomson]

The acoustics may have improved since then. The problem is/was twofold. First, the theatre is round, which is the worst possible shape for good acoustics. Second, the walls above the seats opposite the stage were simply cement, rather than wood or some softer material. When the band played loud the sound was a high-pitched, jumbled mess. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra had their conductor/music director, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, if memory serves, quit back in those days due to the hopeless sound, and wanted the concerts moved to Massey Hall, which does have nice acoustics.

[Neil Frarey]

EPIC !! What a thrill it must have been to hear Miles play in person and at O'Keefe Center!!

I'm a fan of Arthur Erickson ... didn't know his building, The Roy Thomson Hall, acoustics suck so bad.

[Brad Thomson]

Gould is totally brilliant for sure.

Along with Miles I place John Coltrane as the other of my two favourite jazz players. There is a lot of music with them playing together, Miles generally wanting a tenor saxophone in his quintet. I had the divine pleasure of attending two Miles Davis concerts in Toronto in the early 1980s. Once at what was then the O'Keefe Centre, once at Roy Thomson Hall. The first show, at the O'Keefe, was the best since the acoustics at Roy Thomson Hall totally sucked. The O'Keefe show was one of the first Miles did after taking his hiatus of five years when he did not even touch his horn. He simply kept it on display on a cushion and had his cleaning lady keep it dusted and shiny. Miles took vast numbers of very short footsteps and was hunched over almost all of the time, as if he was struggling to walk. He had no trouble playing however, it was totally incredible to experience this great genius in person.

[Neil Frarey]

This sort of analysis is beyond me, but I do love jazz, ...

Me too, ha!

Even tho I stopped learning piano somewhere around grade 5 with the Royal Conservatory of Music wayyy back as a child early teen!!!

What I look for in all forms of music but especially Classical and Jazz is their structures and their tonal colors. I'm always delighted to find someone who knows how to break all that theory stuff down to digestible chucks.

Here's our very own Glenn Gould clearly talking about Beethoven structural nature(s) ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1yVFZrp9dc

... I try to learn from all these teachers/masters and apply, albeit somewhat clumsily, their teachings in my own design endeavors.

[Neil Frarey]

I'd quickly like to add Miles Davis to your epic list ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

[Brad Thomson]

This sort of analysis is beyond me, but I do love jazz, probably more than any other musical form. I was born and raised on it due to my parents who both totally loved jazz music and played it all the time. Of the jazz piano players, there are many greats. Perhaps the most elite of them all is the Canadian from Montreal, Oscar Peterson. Then there is the enlightened genius, Thelonious Sphere Monk, and the completely brilliant Keith Jarrett. Other greats include Bill Evans, Art Tatum, McCoy Tyner and many more. I am not so much interested in solo playing, I prefer a trio with a bassist and a drummer along with the piano.

Oscar Peterson Trio 1965 - YouTube
Thelonious Monk - Live At Berliner Jazztage (1969) - YouTube
Bill Evans Live '64 '75 - YouTube
Keith Jarrett Trio, full Concert - YouTube

There is more and more out there for those interested. This music takes me to a special place, it is enlightenment and bliss.

[Neil Frarey]

What Is Modal Jazz?

Jeremy Siskind ... brilliant music theory teacher !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElfCgBN0bF0