Went to see "Whiplash" yesterday with my son and grandsons ( one grandson is studying piano, the other is studying alto sax and I 'jammed' with both of them this week )
Quite an intense movie, and it is interesting that the lead actor played 99% of the drum parts ... from what I've read, some overhead and close-up hand shots were not his ...

http://sonyclassics.com/whiplash/

Tony, looks like it's a very intense movie, thanks for the heads up will have to see that one.

I have a good friend whose son went to a fairly prestigious music school, majoring in jazz piano ... some of the stories he related to me through the years came pretty close to the movie ...

Wow! That looks very interesting!

God Bless,
Don

Tony......that WAS a powerful movie. I saw it a few weeks ago and kept it to myself 'cause none of my friends would understand how eccentric musicians can be.

But, a few days afterwards, I had a conversation with someone who saw the movie too. They asked me what I thought about the scene where he threw the chair at the kid....do things like that really happen? I replied something like: "I don't personally know of any incidents myself, but I suppose there's a good possibility as musicians can be very emotional!" I wondered if that was the correct answer? After what you wrote, I guess I wasn't far off!

Great movie though.....acting was superb....cinema shots fast and furious.....excellent drumming, but, most of all, the sadistic teacher was riveting to watch...he kept you glued to your seat waiting for his next commanding appearance.

Mark

WOW!

I can tell you that "cutting" sessions and "paying your dues", with TOTAL respect and compliance to established players is a real and brutal part of jazz history.

Get on the bandstand before you're ready, and you walk away bruised and embarrassed.

One week-end rehearsing for a TV appearance, Herb Ellis said to me," what are you doing, kid"? "Rehearsing", I said. "What the HELL for", was his response, as he walked away, shaking his head.

Move forward to several years ago. The phone rang. An obviously frail person at the other end said, "I'll tell you one G**D*nm thing. I'll bet you never have even learned to tune that piece of S*** toy guitar of yours".

"And how are you, Herb?", I answered. "What the Hell does it matter...just get your ass up to the Gault House (Louisville) and buy me some damn dinner"!I closed shop and immediately left for Louisville.

He died a few months later. A crude rough old dude I learned a lot from and loved to death.


Russ