Miss George Duke a lot. What about Miller/Sanborne/Duke on Run For Cover? Arranger material?

Steady tempos, and lots of variations/sounds accessible from most arrangers?

This is, in large part, why I play.

Russ

What a coincidence. I was just listening to this. I was cruising Youtube for some creative ways to use my Crumar SEVEN (Rhodes/Wurli) and decided to key on George Duke. But...the answer to your question is.....NO! I think the whole concept of Jazz (free-form/improvisation/whatever-the-opposite-of-repetitive-is) is he polar opposite of the (typical) arranger approach to music.

Now George, whom I love, is not exactly avant-garde jazz but it's a loooong way from what you usually get from arranger players. Russ, given your background and ability, I'm supprised you'd even put this out there. I think you're just getting old and lazy . You play piano, vibes, guitar, organ, and bass (that I know about - there could be more ), so why would you want to play jazz on an arranger? Come-on man, take a Viagra and get back on that B3 . While you're at it, come on by and try out my SEVEN, I think you'll love it - all the good stuff about the Rhodes without the negatives. Talk to you soon.

chas

I think Russ was just throwing out some 'chum' while trolling for some big fish ...

I think you might be right.

What a tremendous 'soul' for music. What beautiful arrangements he did. I wore out my Duke CDs. He sang well also....

I remember watching a video of his band practice, very shortly after his wife passed. They started a tune and George quit, saying, "not today boys". Wasn't long after that he passed too.

Damn, you guys are sharp....CHUM CITY....CHUM CITY....CHUM CITY.

Actually, haven't used an arranger for live work this year.

Really good tool for score roughs, though.

Duke was "da bomb".

Be well, all,


Russ (got caught this time)Lay

Russ, you saying you are using an AKB for a jazz gig would be like Gary saying he heard a KORG kb he liked, or chas saying he heard an accordion performance he liked - UNBELIEVABLE!!! ...

PS ... also, ain't gonna happen ...

Don't use arrangers for live work, but really count on them for sound score roughs.

When I get a minute, I'm going to post a project, from original idea, to refinements, to final, full blown production.

My arrangers sure pay for themselves.

R.

Tony, I know that YOU (and most of the old-timers here) know that my dislike for accordion music is nothing more than a Synthzone hazing/teasing/joking thing, but there is at least one person here that thinks it's not only real but also offensive. There are scenarios such as ethnic music festivals, romantic comedies set in Italy, etc., etc., where only an accordion seems appropriate. If I'm being honest, I don't like accordion jazz, not even Art Van Damme, but that's mostly because I just don't like the sound of the instrument. I don't like it for the same reason I don't like an old reed organ; it just sounds harsh to me and there is no way to change it's basic tone. There are a number of other instruments I also dislike. These would include bagpipes, clarinet, harmonica, pipe organ, theatre organ, ukelele, piccolo flute, lap steel guitars. It has only to do with the character of the instrument. I'm sure that cultural bias (in the sense of unfamiliarity; not growing up with the sound) factors into it to a small degree, along with the fact that I'm not a big fan of most of the music genre's usually associated with it (zydeco, polkas, European folk music, etc.). Bottom line, I don't 'hate' inanimate objects like accordions and I certainly don't 'hate' accordion players (at least not for that reason ), so to those sensitive souls (you know who you are ) who get offended with my friendly locker-room teasing of my old Synthzone friends Tony or Fran, all I can say is PLEASE, PLEASE, GET OVER IT, I'm only kidding.

BTW, same thing goes for Arrangers. If I 'hated' them, I wouldn't have four of them currently plugged in. I just never played a gig where they would have been appropriate (plus, none of my bandmates liked them).

chas

Tony, be nice. I actually owned a Korg M1, which I performed with for a year before purchasing a Yamaha PSR-7500. In reality, I never saw a keyboard I disliked, I just like some more than others.

All the best,

Gary

AWWwww ... c'mon, guys ... don't bust the bubble ...
How we gonna maintain the 'locker room' busting if you guys come clean ???

I understand what you are saying but I can't agree with everything you say. There are many great tunes that are carried by great harmonica playing. I saw Benny Goodman live and had no problem with his clarinet sound. Ukeleles also have the sound of a high pitched guitar and I have heard fantastic performances. Even though you didn't mention it I bet you also don't like Melodicas. Donald Fagen has played some memorable Steely Dan lines with it. It reminds me of a friend of mine who loves jazz but can't stand any saxaphone playing because they all sound like Kenny G to him.

Nigel, it's not about the performers or the performances; it's about the tonal characteristics of the instruments themselves. I don't think I'm alone in this. If you favor certain genre's of music to which that instrument is totally foreign, there's a good chance you're not going to be a fan of that instrument. In some cases it's genre association; for instance, Ukuleles ate typically associated with Hawaiian music. Having lived in Hawaii, I can honestly say that I truly dislike Hawaiian music. Harmonicas remind me of 'Mississippi Delta-type blues', about the only blues form that I dislike. Clarinets = Dixieland, one of the few forms of jazz that I dislike. Accordions....most of the (sometimes self-deprecating) humor involving accordions, comes from accordion players themselves.

I think everybody has things, including musical instruments, that they don't like. The reasons vary; sometimes it's cultural bias, sometimes unfamiliarity, sometimes 'associations', and sometimes because they just don't like the sound of the thing. Many fans of classical or theatre organ think the 'Hammond' sound is a joke (it probably does the worst job of emulating a pipe organ) and can't understand why anyone would like it. Many Hammond lovers feel just the opposite. There's just no accounting for tastes.

The important thing is, there is no right or wrong here, and good or bad is usually a function of the performer, not the instrument. So live and let live....just keep that glockenspiel away from me .

chas

Chas is right. I don't like accordion:Tony Lovello was a long-time friend. I can't stand banjo: J.D. Crowe has been a friend for over 50 years. And I wish Bella Fleck would give up and use that creativity on another instrument.

I'm OK with Jake's uke playing and Stevie Wonder and Toots' harmonica playing. Since early Santo and Johnny, I have had a soft spot for steel; even added a three neck steel to the top of a Hammond C (Really dumb: also painted it gloss white).

At the edge of my limits is Robert Randolph and his style of pedal steel.

It all comes down to personal taste, playing experience and culture.

MY FAVORITE IS ELECTRIC GUT BUCKET....JUST KIDDING!

Russ(Thumper)Lay