pryso, I do agree; completely. I think that we are often seduced by the “ear-candy” quality of “perfectionist” recordings to the extent that we overlook or forget a basic truth: less is more when it comes to the recording of music. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but the inescapable fact is that the more processing and “stuff” that is used during the recording process the more that is lost of the music in a very fundamental way that is very difficult to put into words; it’s about the human element in music making. For me, that is the reason that there is something very truthful about those old recordings. The path from the musicians’ instrument to the recording device is very direct. That is also the reason that so many feel (myself included) that a good analog recording still beats the pants off a good digital one. Additionally, “old school” engineers like RVG and some before him relied on their ears much more than engineers today and they prioritized the preservation of the sound as the musician made it and not as they thought it should be.
Your clip of the Louis Armstrong concert is a good example of this. First, I thought the playing was fantastic all the way around. Louis was Louis; great as always. Barney Bigard sounded awesome and it was a good reminder for me of just how great he was. It was interesting hearing Louis sing without as much gravel in his voice as he did in later years. Overall, I thought the clip was a gem. Sound wise I thought it served the music extremely well and it is little details like the horns playing background figures without their own mics, but simply being picked up by the soloist’s mic and sounding appropriately “in the background” that give recordings like that a sense of honesty that I love. When an overzealous engineer starts sticking mics in front of every horn and messing with balances is when the music gets screwed up. Thanks for a great clip.
Thanks, mary_jo also for a great clip. One of the classic pairings in jazz Ella and Louis. Perfection; like really tart raspberry sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream.
**** You can't play anything on a horn that Louis hasn't played" ****
Well, a bit of hyperbole to be sure, but in a way goes to the issue of “truth” in music and is an expression of the kind of respect that players have for his musicianship. Obviously, Louis’ style, by definition, means that, in spite of the fact that he was a really great trumpet player, there was a lot done on the trumpet in later years that he never did. However, what musicians mean when they say that is that as far as core musical considerations like incredibly “in the pocket” sense of rhythm and ability to manipulate it and his way of “telling a story” with music no one has done it better.
Amazing and important musician.
