> One of the coolest xmas albums I've listened to this year, is the remixed > Verve Christmas album.
> Louis Armstrong sounds fresh and groovy as ever
Armstrong is a powerful figure. An innovator in three areas -- trumpet performance, vocal performance, and small group interaction, I believe that without him Jazz would be a different thing than what we know it to be, and might not have lasted near as long. He was extremely important both in the New Orleans based early jazz and in the development swing, thanks mostly to his tenure in Fletcher Henderson's big band.
An anecdote: Back in the day hotels and motels weren't integrated, so musicians often stayed at homes. A buddy of mine lived in one of those homes with his parents and sister, and Louis was staying the night. My friend was asleep on the second floor when he was woken by a sound so loud he thought a tornado was about to hit the house. No, it was Sachmo snoring in the basement.
This is one of the big reasons why I'm still offended with what Kenny G did by trying to plaster his attempts all over Armstrong's songs. I agree completely with Pat Matheney about this -- it's a travesty.
And yes, Zat You Santa Claus is one of my favorite Christmas tunes.
> "Steen" <ist...@gmail.com> wrote in message news:jd9s03$rse$1@dont-email.me...
>> One of the coolest xmas albums I've listened to this year, is the >> remixed Verve Christmas album.
>> Louis Armstrong sounds fresh and groovy as ever
> Armstrong is a powerful figure. An innovator in three areas -- trumpet > performance, vocal performance, and small group interaction, I believe > that without him Jazz would be a different thing than what we know it > to be, and might not have lasted near as long. He was extremely > important both in the New Orleans based early jazz and in the > development swing, thanks mostly to his tenure in Fletcher Henderson's > big band.
> An anecdote: Back in the day hotels and motels weren't integrated, so > musicians often stayed at homes. A buddy of mine lived in one of those > homes with his parents and sister, and Louis was staying the night. My > friend was asleep on the second floor when he was woken by a sound so > loud he thought a tornado was about to hit the house. No, it was Sachmo > snoring in the basement.
> This is one of the big reasons why I'm still offended with what Kenny G > did by trying to plaster his attempts all over Armstrong's songs. I > agree completely with Pat Matheney about this -- it's a travesty.
> And yes, Zat You Santa Claus is one of my favorite Christmas tunes.
You're right about that. I'm not a Kenny G fan at all. Even that I listen to many genres of music, I still can't find room for Kenny G.
And as for Satchmo - jazz wouldn't be where it is today without him. He's still one of the absolute superstars of jazz.
Nice anecdote by the way ;-)
-- Steen
> On 2011-12-26 13:32:25 +0000, Nicole Massey said:
>> "Steen" <ist...@gmail.com> wrote in message >> news:jd9s03$rse$1@dont-email.me...
>>> One of the coolest xmas albums I've listened to this year, is the >>> remixed Verve Christmas album.
>>> Louis Armstrong sounds fresh and groovy as ever
>> Armstrong is a powerful figure. An innovator in three areas -- trumpet >> performance, vocal performance, and small group interaction, I believe >> that without him Jazz would be a different thing than what we know it to >> be, and might not have lasted near as long. He was extremely important >> both in the New Orleans based early jazz and in the development swing, >> thanks mostly to his tenure in Fletcher Henderson's big band.
>> An anecdote: Back in the day hotels and motels weren't integrated, so >> musicians often stayed at homes. A buddy of mine lived in one of those >> homes with his parents and sister, and Louis was staying the night. My >> friend was asleep on the second floor when he was woken by a sound so >> loud he thought a tornado was about to hit the house. No, it was Sachmo >> snoring in the basement.
>> This is one of the big reasons why I'm still offended with what Kenny G >> did by trying to plaster his attempts all over Armstrong's songs. I agree >> completely with Pat Matheney about this -- it's a travesty.
>> And yes, Zat You Santa Claus is one of my favorite Christmas tunes.
> You're right about that. I'm not a Kenny G fan at all. Even that I listen > to many genres of music, I still can't find room for Kenny G.
> And as for Satchmo - jazz wouldn't be where it is today without him. He's > still one of the absolute superstars of jazz.
Yeah. There are a few who have to be there for Jazz as we know it to be what it is today -- Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Kid Ory, King Oliver, Satchmo, Duke Ellington, Cout Basie, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Charlie Christian, Ella Fitzgerald, Bird, Dizzy, Miles, Jobim, John McLaughlin, and a few other cats. There are other names that made influences, but these guys were game changers.
