Jazz for aficionados

Who is Peter Crosby?

Cheers

I read the article again, and now I know who he is, A first class jerk!

Cheers

Rok, the aristocracy has made the decision in regard to Wynton Marsalis; I guess that's because he can play classical music and went to Juilliard.

Everybody,  including me, put Wynton in the class with all the past mentioned great trumpet players when he left Blakey; it was Wynton's albums when he got out on his own, that told who he was; he was a we wanted him to be, that didn't have it.

The aristocracy needs some kind of hand in the works on jazz; the aristocracy wants a foothold in everything, but at the end of the day,  the same people who have always had the final decision in who's who in jazz still have it, and what the aristocracy says is "counterfeit".  

They can put it in every news headline if they want to, and it will still be "counterfeit".  Who's who in jazz is determined by the people on the street, not by the aristocracy.


Enjoy the music.

Rok, Peter Crosby is a nobody who posted that rant in his personal blog. His ill-informed opinions reveal a lack of depth of knowledge and feeling for what the music is really all about, and the attempt at an "authoritative" style in his writing cannot make up for the shallowness. Sounds familiar.

For me, the proof of my contention is demonstrated most obviously in two items in his writing: one, some would dismiss as a simple oversight; but, for me, is a sign of lack of attention to detail which will inevitably be demonstrated in the thought process. One would think that anyone who devotes so much energy to putting down Wynton would know the how to spell his brother Branford’s name. The other is far more important:

****Sadly, aside from Arturo Sandoval, I have found few living horn players who can play at the level of past jazz trumpet greats like Lee Morgan, Blue Mitchell, Clifford Brown, Chet Baker, or Fats Navarro.****

Arturo Sandoval ?! Is he kidding? I don’t consider Wynton to be one of the great jazz trumpet players and have said so before; but he can play and is a brilliant trumpeter (among other things). But, let’s try and keep things in perspective folks. Sandoval ?! First, he rants against Wynton’s supposed "overplaying"; but, Sandoval? Also a very accomplished trumpet player (but without Wynton’s technical finesse), but who’s playing is usually tasteless and bombastic while leaning on his amazing technique and taking every opportunity to show off his super-high chops even when it’s completely inappropriate musically. One of the least impressive of the top current jazz trumpet players; unless one likes bombast.

The guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but he thinks very highly of himself. A not uncommon problem. I was impressed, however, that he mentioned Blue Mitchell as one of the greats 😉

For the opposite of bombastic trumpet playing (iow, tastefully inventive, warm, inviting) check out Tom Harrell on this, one of my favorite later Silver recordings (apart from some questionable intonation from the flutes).  Bob Berg on tenor is his usual fierce self, always on the verge of going over the top for me; but not quite:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLC87B3CDD6C58EDB5&params=OAFIAVgB&v=HOLwhoITseI&mode=N...