Always good to hear from you, ghosthouse. I’ve actually really liked that description of a (bad) bass solo since the first time you posted it; “bad”, my word, being the operative word. Very funny. I hope you nor your brother in law mind, but I have appropriated and used it at least once in conversation 😊. Re the article:
With respect to the author (I think)...what a bunch of cr*p!. Sorry to be blunt, but IMO it’s narrowminded and misinformed. For starters, his characterization of LaFaro’s role in the Bill Evans trio is totally cynical and unaware. The idea that Bill Evans would allow another musician in his trio to be heavy handed and dictate the musical proceedings is absurd. Worse yet, it ignores a very important “event” in jazz, the development of the “conversational” style in piano trios and in which the bass player is much more than just a time keeper and plays in a way that suggests a conversation with the piano. On one of the half dozen times or so that I saw Bill Evans at the Vanguard he was auditioning drummers. Two drummers sat in with his trio (Mark Johnson on bass) over the course of two sets and replaced Joe LaBarbera for a couple of tunes. One drummer was Bob Moses and I don’t remember the other. In spite of his very quiet demeanor, Bill Evans knew exactly what he wanted from the drummer; I doubt LaFaro was able to control Evans as the author suggests.
Bad solos are played by players on all instruments. I’ve heard plenty of bad saxophone and trumpet solos. I know that some listeners simply don’t like the sound or timbre of certain instruments, but I think it should be noted that it’s not unlike saying “I don’t like that Monet because I don’t like the color yellow”.
With respect to the author (I think)...what a bunch of cr*p!. Sorry to be blunt, but IMO it’s narrowminded and misinformed. For starters, his characterization of LaFaro’s role in the Bill Evans trio is totally cynical and unaware. The idea that Bill Evans would allow another musician in his trio to be heavy handed and dictate the musical proceedings is absurd. Worse yet, it ignores a very important “event” in jazz, the development of the “conversational” style in piano trios and in which the bass player is much more than just a time keeper and plays in a way that suggests a conversation with the piano. On one of the half dozen times or so that I saw Bill Evans at the Vanguard he was auditioning drummers. Two drummers sat in with his trio (Mark Johnson on bass) over the course of two sets and replaced Joe LaBarbera for a couple of tunes. One drummer was Bob Moses and I don’t remember the other. In spite of his very quiet demeanor, Bill Evans knew exactly what he wanted from the drummer; I doubt LaFaro was able to control Evans as the author suggests.
Bad solos are played by players on all instruments. I’ve heard plenty of bad saxophone and trumpet solos. I know that some listeners simply don’t like the sound or timbre of certain instruments, but I think it should be noted that it’s not unlike saying “I don’t like that Monet because I don’t like the color yellow”.