Jazz for aficionados

Rok, I checked Rodrick Dixon singing "This Song For You"; the "soul" was palpable. That word should be reserved exclusively for vocalists like him; I can believe he's really singing this song for the lady he wishes he had back.

Enjoy the music.

Frogman, I saw that movie "The Americano" on you tube and watched it all the way through; I liked it. Although I remember my older cousin taking me to see that movie, all I remembered was the music.

Enjoy the music.

leersfool, as a jazz aficionado, it's only natural that I think jazz musicians are the best; I said "musicians", and not music, because that's too subjective. The best music is whatever the listener likes best.

However, there is another type of musician that deserves equal or higher status depending on how you rank musicians; and that is the "pit musician". I had the unusual, and unique opportunity of seeing one in action. They only appear at the best full production plays, as far as I know, and even then they're down in a sunken pit right in front of the stage; consequently the audience looks over and past them, they're out of sight.

My seat was up front and far left of the stage where I could look down into the pit. I saw these musicians seated in a row, side by side. Each musician had several instruments, of whatever type he played, in a rack; plus his sheet of music, in front of him. I was closest to "the reed man", he had every reed horn you can think of, including that strange one called a basoon in a rack in front of him.

Although it was a fantastic play (I had read the book), my attention was focused on "the reed man". His eyes never left the the sheet of music in front of him as he slid one horn out of the rack, and another in. While the music was spectacular, this was a dramatic play, and not a musical. The music flowed seamlessly with the action on stage, while the pit musicians were constantly changing instruments and sheets of music.

When what sounded like improvised jazz was called for, I watched the reed man blow like "Trane", and his eyes never left the music in front of him. If I closed my eyes, I would have sworn that I was hearing a jazz musician, maybe even "Trane"; but I could see the reed man blowing what was on the piece of paper in front of him. That told me that what sounds like "improvised jazz" can be written on a sheet of paper, I didn't know that.

Now that you and Frogman know what I saw, maybe you could further enlighten us.

Enjoy the music.

Orpheus, you bring up a great topic for discussion. Unfortunately, I may be away from this board for several days - about to have one of the busiest weeks of my entire season. Also, you have now touched on Frogman's area of professional expertise, so I will leave this particular field to him.

I will, however, comment that many of the very finest players in the world right now are the ones you hear in the movies. The top studio players in LA are a very small group - only a pool of about 300 musicians total record most the movies you see nowadays. As Jim Thatcher, the top studio horn player told me once - "I go to work every day having no idea what will be on my stand - I just know that I will never see it again." These fantastic musicians literally spend their time almost totally sight-reading. They are very good at it, and have to be, otherwise they are wasting very valuable studio time. They are also the highest paid orchestral musicians in the world, the best of them making a MUCH higher amount per year than the very finest principals of the world's finest orchestras. Thatcher has had many famous horn solos in the movies written expressly for him by people like John Williams. One he is particularly fond of is a solo in the movie Always. Very long and lyrical, and also extremely high in register, making it infinitely more difficult. He once told me - "That's MY solo, and no one else will ever play it." A very different world/life from the average orchestral musician, that's for sure.

Rok, while we're waiting for Frogman to expound on "studio players" or "pit musicians", as I referred to them; I'll explain how I have pristine sound in every room that I want it, generated from the play list on my computer.

I don't remember what sound cards I use, but I'm sure you've already taken care of that. let's begin with computer out to HRT Music Streamer II to Intelix Audio Balun, Max distance 2,500 ft, out to Cat 6 cable the distance of the house. This is fed to a balun at the receiving end, and interconnect to preamp. The "baluns" are available from "Parts Express", $55., and Cat 6 can be purchased cheaply in your desired length. 2 ft. of your favorite interconnect completes this pristine signal to the pre, and it's as good as a signal 2 ft. from the pre.

Enjoy the music.