Jazz Violin ?
rolf hanson
jazz violin discs for christmas gifts. (ordering cds is the best xmas
gift solution, because if the recipient doesn't like them, you can
"borrow" them indefinitely)
I have heard assorted stephanie grappelli (sp?) cuts on the radio and on
samplers and I am wondering what a good album of hers would be to
purchase? Also, throw out names of any other violinists and albums that I
should check out, especially if they would provide a better introduction
to jazz violin than grappelli.
thanks in advance,
-rolf
Laurie Sonnenfeld
can't imagine your sister not liking him. If she likes string groups you
might give her a CD by The Uptown String Quartet - all-woman group and
terrific! (Max Roach's daughter, Maxine, plays in the group.)
Grappelli's a good start. Does your sister like jazz in general, or is
this a first try? Good luck. Jim c/o lau...@teleport.com.
--
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Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 220-1016 (2400-14400, N81)
Piotr Michalowski
perhaps you might want to start her out on Stuff Smith. Much of his work
was hard to get on CD, but Verve just put out a double CD, I believe,
with his work, including his things with Dizzy. If STuff does not turn
her onto jazz, no one will!
Mophandl
han...@aug3.augsburg.edu (rolf hanson) writes:
<Also, throw out names of any other violinists and albums that I
<should check out, especially if they would provide a better introduction
<to jazz violin than grappelli.
It's hard to say anyone's "better" than Grappelli, but one should
certainly include on any jazz violinist list Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Ray
Nance and especially Johnny Frigo who is now 77 and just released a new
album on Concord.
MOP
jatk...@descartes.uwaterloo.ca
I know that you are about to receive millions of replies rudely correcting you that the name is Stephane Grapelli, a MAN of great repute, but I am pointing it out just in case.
Being a huge Oscar Peterson fan, there are two albums of Grapelli's that I am very familiar with: Stephane Grapelli and Oscar Peterson (this is on Musidisc), and Skol (this is on Pablo). There is also a great recording I have somewhere of a tune called Djangology, but I don't know what album this comes from.
Lastly, be warned, that Grapelli also plays piano, so before purchasing an album, make sure that it is violin that he is playing.
James.
Larry Grinnell
han...@aug3.augsburg.edu (rolf hanson) wrote:
Rolf,
Try players like the late, great Joe Venuti, who played some fantastic early
jazz duos with pioneer jazz guitarist Eddie Lang. Other important players
include Eddie South, Stuff Smith, a young New York player named Richard Carr,
and the Scandinavian swinger Svend Asmussen. You can't go wrong with any of
them. The violin was a popular accompaniment instrument in the 30s and 40s
in small jazz groups, such as the one lead by Emilio Caceres. You can often
find this kind of stuff on compilations of 30s small groups. Oh yeah, I
had better not forget Roy Nance, the great violinist with Duke Ellington.
Perhaps a nice transition for your sister from classical to jazz might be
some of the duets performed by Stephane Grappelli and Yehudi Menuhin on the
Angel/EMI label. While Menuhin's playing can often be a little stiff (he's
not a jazzer by training, but gives it a good try), these efforts are fine
listening. Stephane does pretty well, I might add, for a man who just turned
86 recently!
Hope this helps!
Larry Grinnell
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The one who dies with the most fonts, wins...
Larry Grinnell, Motorola, Inc., Paging Products Group
Email to elg...@email.mot.com (that's zero-zero-one)
and...@cc.usu.edu
I'll second John Frigo. Haven't heard his latest on Concord but check out
two earlier ones with Monty Alexander-piano, Herb Ellis-guitar, Ray Brown-
bass, also on Concord. Frigo is only on about half of each release but
they are well worth it (the other guys are not exactly slouches!). Check
out especially his rendition of "My one & only love" and "Corcovado". I
hope I'm half as flexible as he is if I ever get to 77.
Cenzo T.
Carlos May
: In article <hanson-0512...@141.224.128.240>,
: han...@aug3.augsburg.edu (rolf hanson) writes:
Add Joe Venuti to the list.
Thomas A. Hendricks
: My sister plays orchestral violin, and I was thinking of ordering her some
You might even try Jean-Luc Ponty (if you're into fusion--sorry to use the
"f" word here!) I will admit to owning seventeen of his albums and naming
my cat after him, but that's another story...
btw JLP and Stephane Grappelli did an album together in the 70's(?)
called "Violin Summit" which I do not own, but I am trying to find...
I like Ponty's odd-metered stuff especially ("Watching Birds" with Chick
Corea is one of my favorites...)
Hope I've been helpful,
Tom
AFC PeterS
> It's hard to say anyone's "better" than Grappelli, but one
> should certainly include on any jazz violinist list Joe Venuti,
> Stuff Smith, Ray Nance and especially Johnny Frigo who is now
> 77 and just released a new album on Concord.
All excellent suggestions. Other jazz fiddlers of slightly more recent
vintage: Jean-Luc Ponty, Didier Lockwood, L. Shankar, L. Subramaniam,
Zbigniew Seifert, Michal Urbaniak, Leroy Jenkins, Billy Bang, Uptown
String Quartet, Turtle Island String Quartet, Jerry Goodman, Mark
O'Connor. There are more, but these and the list of "classic" players
above make for a healthy start.
Peter Stoller
John Przyborowski 312 329-3422
--
John Przyborowski
Account Manager
SPSS Chicago
CJB...@ricevm1.rice.edu
and Charles Gayle play violin in amazing. Ornette created some beautiful
music on an instrument that he had no training on how to play. Charles
Gayle is intense on everything he plays. By the way has anyone seen
Rudolph Grey's Blue Humans with Charles Gayle on drums? I heard a mention
that they were touring europe.
Oh yeah check out Revolutionary Ensemble records for some cool Leroy
Jenkins violin work. Also on some early 70's records I've seen listed
someone named the Wizard playing violin, anyone know who this is? Or
remember what albums he/she plays on?
Jason
Joel Glassman
>I'll second John Frigo. Haven't heard his latest on Concord but check out
>two earlier ones with Monty Alexander-piano, Herb Ellis-guitar, Ray Brown-
>bass, also on Concord. Frigo is only on about half of each release but
>they are well worth it (the other guys are not exactly slouches!). Check
>out especially his rendition of "My one & only love" and "Corcovado". I
>hope I'm half as flexible as he is if I ever get to 77.
>Cenzo T.
Frigo has an older recording with Bucky and John Pizzarelli from 1988
on Chesky Records called "Live from Studio A in New York City"
(Chesky JD1)P.O. Box 1268 Radio City Station Ny,Ny. 10101
Great music & very well recorded. BTW,this contains some of the most
natural recording of drums I've ever heard. Joel
Jonathan Byrd
I have heard assorted stephanie grappelli (sp?) cuts on the radio and on
samplers and I am wondering what a good album of hers would be to
purchase?
A very nice, accessible, (but serious) Jazz album featuring Grapelli
is called Grapelli/Pass/Pedersen Live at Tivoli Garden. Though the
sound quality of Pass's guitar varies (his electric archtop is okay,
but his acoustic archtop is weak) the album is excellent. I think the
Penguin Guide gave it four stars.
For a more in-depth exploration of Grapelli's earlier days, look for a
set of CDs called "Djangology/USA" on the Canadian Disques Swing label
(distributed in the US by DRG Records). This is a compilation of
sessions from the mid to late 1930s, many of which were with Django
Reinhardt and the Quintette of the Hot Club of France. The
Djangologie/USA disks come in two 2-CD sets. The second set has a
track that features Grapelli and two other violinists in an
improvisation on a piece by J. S. Bach. I gather that improvising on
classical themes was fashionable at that time.
Grapelli also coauthored a small book on jazz improvisation on the
violin. Included are complete transcriptions of some of his most
famous recorded solos. I can't remember the name of the other
coauthor, but if you want to know send me an email and I'll go look it
up.
--
jonathan byrd
j...@apollo.med.utah.edu
David J. Strauss
: Rudolph Grey's Blue Humans with Charles Gayle on drums? I heard a mention
: that they were touring europe.
Grey and the Blue Humans play tonight at the Cooler in NYC, along with a
group composed of Lee Ranaldo, William Hooker & Zeena Parkins. I doubt
Gayle will be playing with Grey, but I have every intention of being
there (perhaps that puts it too strongly, for they all play around NYC
all the time. I'll still be there, though).
: Oh yeah check out Revolutionary Ensemble records for some cool Leroy
: Jenkins violin work. Also on some early 70's records I've seen listed
: someone named the Wizard playing violin, anyone know who this is? Or
: remember what albums he/she plays on?
Can't say enough good things about the Revolutionary Ensemble. The Wizard
plays on Frank Lowe's _Black Beings_ rec. 1973 with young William Parker
on bass as well. An ESP disc, you can't hear him too well.
David J. Strauss
: Rudolph Grey's Blue Humans with Charles Gayle on drums? I heard a mention
: that they were touring europe.
Grey and the Blue Humans play the Cooler in NYC tonight, along with a
trio of Lee Ranaldo, Zeena Parkins & William Hooker. I plan to be there,
though one is fortunate to find these musicians often playing around the
city.
: Oh yeah check out Revolutionary Ensemble records for some cool Leroy
: Jenkins violin work. Also on some early 70's records I've seen listed
: someone named the Wizard playing violin, anyone know who this is? Or
: remember what albums he/she plays on?
Can't say enough good things about the Revolutionary Ensemble. The Wizard
plays on Frank Lowe's _Black Beings_ recorded in 1973 with Joseph Jarman
and a young William Parker on bass. An Esp disc, you can barely hear the
violin.
David J. Strauss
infinity.....
Bill Duke
In article <hanson-0512...@141.224.128.240:, rolf hanson (han...@aug3.augsburg.edu) writes:
:Also, throw out names of any other violinists and albums that I
:should check out, especially if they would provide a better introduction
:to jazz violin than grappelli.
====================
Joe Venuti has always been one of my favorites, though I wouldn't
say he provides a _better_ introduction than Grappelli. They're quite
different players: Venuti has a more robust tone, with a stronger
sense of rhythm and a more (I don't know...) waggish style than
Grappelli.
I'm afraid I can't come up with any specific recommendations. I know
he recorded a lot with Eddie Lang in the '20s and early '30s, and
made something of a comeback in the '70s, working with Earl Hines,
Marian McPartland, and Zoot Simms, among others.
I remember seeing him on TV in the early '80s (when he must've been
near 80 himself), and the man could still swing with the best of
them.
-- Bill
Rolf Hanson
jatk...@descartes.uwaterloo.ca () wrote:
the name is Stephane Grapelli, a MAN of great repute
errk. sorry Stephane.
(red-faced, he sheepishly slinks away from the keyboard, lumbers to the
corner of his dingy, smoke-filled efficiency apartment, unscrews the lid
to his world, and pours himself to bed.)
Rolf Hanson
> I'll second John Frigo.
I just picked up John Frigo with Bucky and John Pizzarelli "live from studio A"
for six bucks <new> at a campus cd sale. it looks like a BMG music club
special order or something (i.e. pretty unpleasant cover art) but it is a
good disc, for all I know about the violin. It has Ron Carter and Michael
Moore on bass and Butch Miles on drums. The liner notes state that they
all sat around one mike and recorded it straight on with no amplifiction -
pretty amazing sound quality despite this fact. I'll definitely check out
some of Frigo's other recordings - I need to find my sister another xmas
present. thanks for all the suggestions.
-rolf
oh yeah--- I have have another sister, age 13, who plays sax, piano, bass,
violin and guitar, and a brother, age 11, who plays bass, trombone, drums
and piano (alas, we eldest siblings only learned one instrument...) are
there any *contemporary* jazz artists who younger listeners would find
interesting? Most of the artists I am into are either bassists, deceased,
or deceased bassists. I haven't exposed myself to many of the new
artists, except local ones, so I don't really know what is out there. I
want to expose my siblings to quality jazz before MTV takes control of
their minds, but they are at that age where you must succumb to what is
"cool" and pre-teens find it "cooler" when artists appear on TV or in
magazines from time to time. and I must admit that it is "cool" when you
can go see a live performance. I am thinking along the lines of peter
delano, joshua redman (although I heard his new album stinks) any of the
marsalis brothers, harry connick jr. and some guy I heard is the "new sax
sensation"...(james carter, james colby?? JC on the set?? something like
that) Any suggestions from those who keep tabs on the contemporary jazz
scene are very appreciated. thanks.
-rolf
ps i heard one of the 'bone players in the LCJO is only 17...is this true?
mark wieder
I don't think he did anything not worth listening to.
TornCot
jatk...@descartes.uwaterloo.ca () writes:
(snip)
I loved Grappelli when I was first getting into jazz, but I have to admit
that he is no longer one of my favorites (although his work with Django
reinhardt remains timeless.) I think that Grappelli's solos are often
somewhat florid and that he over embellishes his solos. A good bet would
be discs by Joe Venuti. His early stuff with Eddie Lang is a bit dated but
discs are available from his late sixties comeback. (I think some are on
Chiaruscuro) Personally I like Stuff Smith and Eddie South, but Smith
mostly cut novelty numbers and South's playing isn't always jazz-like.
BTW, does anyone know the Smith track "Tain't no Use?" I consider it,
along with Red Allen's "There's a House For Sale in Harlem" one of Jazz'
lost masterpieces.
Also, anyone hear any good Joe Venuti storis?
Dave Krugman
Don Steiny
>In article <D0EGI...@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>,
>jatk...@descartes.uwaterloo.ca () writes:
>(snip)
>I loved Grappelli when I was first getting into jazz, but I have to admit
>that he is no longer one of my favorites (although his work with Django
>reinhardt remains timeless.) I think that Grappelli's solos are often
>somewhat florid and that he over embellishes his solos. A good bet would
>be discs by Joe Venuti. His early stuff with Eddie Lang is a bit dated but
>discs are available from his late sixties comeback. (I think some are on
>Chiaruscuro)
I agree, I find Grappelli sort of irritating after a while.
There is a terriffic record of Venuti and George Barnes at the
Concord Jazz Festival on the Concord lable.
> Personally I like Stuff Smith and Eddie South, but Smith
>mostly cut novelty numbers and South's playing isn't always jazz-like.
Perhaps, but I think he absolutely smokes Grappelli in his duets
with Django.
>BTW, does anyone know the Smith track "Tain't no Use?" I consider it,
>along with Red Allen's "There's a House For Sale in Harlem" one of Jazz'
>lost masterpieces.
Great stuff.
>Also, anyone hear any good Joe Venuti storis?
Yes, but I do not want to repeat them in this pristine venue :-)
The time he filled Paul Whiteman's suitcase with rocks . . the time with
the circus horse . . .
I did not see that much mention of Ray Nance. He was a super
musician that made some of the classic Ellington Solos, both on violin and
Cornet. Ellington said that everyone puts part of Ray Nance's solo
on A Train into their solos. His violin playing is on many Ellington
records.
-don
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InfoPoint - voice 1+(408) 425-5343 - fax: 1+(408) 425-1919
Don Steiny Software - voice: 1+(408) 425-0382
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Steve Robinson
On 9 Dec 1994, TornCot wrote:
> Also, anyone hear any good Joe Venuti storis?
>
> Dave Krugman
>
>
I don't know if this qualifies as a story, but here goes anyway. Venuti
had problems with alcohol for a large part of his life. One night, on a
gig in Seattle, he talked with a couple in the club. They wound up
inviting him home with them--and, basically, he never left! He lived
with them for years, and apparently, they took good care of him, helping
him to dry out. During that time, he didn't play much, but once a year,
he played in a roving band at a now-defunct downtown Seattle department
store, Frederick and Nelson, at Christmas time. That band was always
dressed up in Dickensian "Christmas Carol" costumes and moved around in
the store to entertain Christmas shoppers. Very few people in the store
knew who Venuti was (myself included, at the time), but those who did
used to shop at Frederick's just to hear him play, even if it was a
limited repertoire!
BTW, the violinists mentioned so far in this thread seem to be swing style
players. Michael White's style is vastly different, taking the
instrument into newer musical territory. I like his playing a lot.
Also, Stephane Grappelli has been mentioned, but not Jean-Luc Ponty.
Again, a very different style. I find some of his stuff interesting.
What do others think?
Also, there is a violinist here in Seattle (a former student of Michael
White's) named Eyvind Kang who is starting to get noticed. Kang is very
inside/outside, tapping into the grunge scene on occasion, but no matter
what he does, he is always interesting. You may be hearing more about him.
Finally, does anyone know what happened to Sonya Robinson (no relation to
me)? She had one CD on Columbia that, though fusiony, was pretty good
(and Miles liked her!).
Steve Robinson
Seattle, WA
stev...@u.washington.edu
Robert Randolph Cusson
who recorded "Moon Mist" and others with Duke Ellington's orchestra in
the 1940-42 era. Fantastic!
- Bobby
rrcu...@eos.ncsu.edu
(Then again, I think _everyone_ playing with Duke at that time sounded
fantastic...)
Robert Randolph Cusson
RE: BENNY CARTER
Are there any reissues available of Benny Carter's 1940's Capitol
sessions? I have some of these on 78 and _love_ each one, especially
"I Surrender Dear".
Titles and/or CD labels appreciated! Also thanks to all for the
great info and suggestions for Ben Webster material, and the tangent
discussion on Wardell Gray was really _cool_. All I have by him is
this 78 RPM Prestige disc jockey demo of "Lover Man" and I'm
definitely going to go find more.
- Bobby
rrcu...@eos.ncsu.edu
Laurie Sonnenfeld
Forties has 4 titles from Decca, 10/23/40 and 12 titles from Capitol,
10/25/43, 5/21/44, 4/9/45 and 12/12/45. BY THE WATERMELON VINE, THE LAST
KISS YOU GAVE ME, BOOGIE WOOGIE SUGAR BLUES, I'VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE,
POINCIANA, JUST A BABY'S PRAYER AT TWILIGHT, HURRY HURRY!, LOVE FOR SALE,
I CAN'T ESCAPE FROM YOU, I'M LOST, I CAN'T GET STARTED, I SURRENDER DEAR,
MALIBU, FOREVER BLUES, PRELUDE TO A KISS, JUST YOU JUST ME.
The music is all great. Some of the titles sound pretty corny, but with
Benny's talent, all is well.
There is also another volume, OFFICIAL 3006, covering some of the later
40s work for V-Disc, Swing, Reina & Modern (1946 - 1949). Still Benny,
still good work.
JAZZ HOUR CD JH-1005 (JAZZ HOUR, PO BOX 841408, PEMBROKE PINES, FLA
33084) contains airshort material from 1939 (Savoy Ballroom), through
Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin St. b'cast, Jubilee shows to 1949.
This covers the same period as some of the Capitols and the music is as
good.
Hope this helps. Regards, Jim Andrews c/o lau...@teleport.com.
ghost
Get "Alone at the Palace" with Joe Venuti & Dave McKenna,
Chiaroscuro CR(D) 160, 1991, reissued on CD from 1977
with 7 additional tracks
Spelling "Chiaroscuro" may be only half your problem; this CD wasn't
listed in the mammoth catalog every store stocks when I 1st looked for it
a couple years ago, but was soon located at a better (read small, privately
owned) store with additional catalogs & the faith that if Tower lists it in
Tower's own record guide, it probably exists, even if Tower salespeople can't
find it.
This is the best violin jazz record in existence. I haven't even heard all
of Venuti's others, but will put it up against all bets. Its one of the
best records of *anything*, *ever*.
He died (lung cancer) a year after the record was cut, so those TV shows
would have to have been reruns.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Some more recommends:
Claude Williams, brilliant player in similar-to-Venuti style
(though with an intentionally lighter touch) has the distinct
advantage for you (& himself! & me too!) of being still alive & still cooking.
He's 86 & just finished a tour of "Masters of the Violin" that didn't make
it up to Boston this time through; saw him a bunch of times last winter,
though.
Williams has out on record:
Claude Williams, "Live I", Arhoolie CD 405
Claude Williams, "Live II", Arhoolie CD 406
(sessions from a few years ago at J's in NYC)
(The world/folk dept of HMV or Tower will be familiar with the Arhoolie label
even if the jazz dept isn't)
a tape available through his management (write them for details)
&
Claude Williams Sextet: CALL FOR THE FIDDLER, Allegro CD SCH 31051 (R) ADD
(I copied this from the large Allegro ad posted recently; don't know
anything about it yet, but their ad said its from European sessions in
1976)
Kenz William
: :Also, throw out names of any other violinists and albums that I
: :should check out, especially if they would provide a better introduction
: :to jazz violin than grappelli.
: ====================
You may want to look for Claude Williams too, he's more along the lines of
Stuff Smith and the earlier violinists than Leroy Jenkins or Billy Bang.
But very enjoyable, particularly on a couple Sackville recordings. As far
as I know, he's still alive and must be in his 70's or 80's.
Someone I also really enjoy is Eddie South, but I find it hard to locate
recordings by him.
Alan Silva also played some fine free jazz violin, tho I haven't seen any
new things by him.
--
William G. Kenz
Library - Documents Dept.
Moorhead State University
Moorhead, MN 56563
ke...@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu
Robert Stubenrauch
care much about violin in jazz. Just one more name came to my mind.
Did anyboy consider Ornette Coleman as violinist? Just to find an
opposite extreme to Grapelli.
Robert
David Kaatz
T>Also, anyone hear any good Joe Venuti storis?
I heard him interviewed one time, and he talked about some band he played in
in the '30s. He told this story about a trick the band (probably Joe's idea)
played on the leader of the band, who played violin. During a break,
they generously applied soap to the leader's bow. Then when it came time
for his big break, or melody line, not a sound came out. Joe sounded like
a practical joker kind of guy.
DK
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Kaatz --- dka...@eskimo.com --- dka...@intermec.com
Jean-Pierre Urbain
>Path: rlmix1.rulimburg.nl!news.nic.surfnet.nl!sun4nl!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!umn.edu!newsdist.tc.umn.edu!urvile.msus.edu!mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu!kenz
>From: ke...@moorhead.msus.edu (Kenz William)
>Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
>Subject: Re: Jazz Violin ?
>Date: 12 Dec 1994 18:58:49 GMT
>Organization: Minnesota State University System
>Lines: 25
>Message-ID: <3ci6h9$2...@urvile.MSUS.EDU>
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>X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
>:
>: In article <hanson-0512...@141.224.128.240:, rolf hanson (han...@aug3.augsburg.edu) writes:
>: :Also, throw out names of any other violinists and albums that I
>: :should check out, especially if they would provide a better introduction
>: :to jazz violin than grappelli.
>: ====================
>You may want to look for Claude Williams too, he's more along the lines of
>Stuff Smith and the earlier violinists than Leroy Jenkins or Billy Bang.
>But very enjoyable, particularly on a couple Sackville recordings. As far
>as I know, he's still alive and must be in his 70's or 80's.
Two live CDs have been published with live material on ARHOLIE RECORDS
early this year or late 93.
TornCot
William) writes:
(snip)
Claude Williams played New York a few months ago so I assume that he is
still alive. I guess he is the last survivor of the Moten band. Love to
see an album with Claude and Doc Cheatham. As for Eddie South, I've been
listening to a lot of his stuff lately and my respect for him is growing.
Qualiton/Classics has released a compilation of South's 1930s sides. It's
about 18 bucks but there's over an hour of music.
Dave Krugman
TornCot
writes:
(snip)
Then there was the time that Venuti was in Paul Whiteman's band and loaded
up the tuba with pounds and pounds of flour. The tuba wasn't used in the
first song, but when it was the tuba played the flour poured out and made
the whole band look like albinos.
Dave Krugman
TornCot
Randolph Cusson) writes:
(snip)
I know it seems like I'm always plugging Qualiton Records but I swear I do
not work for them. They have released a chronological sequence of all of
King Carter's recordings up to I believe 1942 so give it a try. Also don't
miss Art Tatum's album with Carter- "Under a Blanket of Blue" is a
classic.
Dave Krugman
Laurie Sonnenfeld
made a ton of good 20s/30s music available. (Maybe in one sense we work
for them - that is, give them all our spare cash.)
The Benny Carter music is wonderful. Regards. Jim c/o
Ed Newman
>Then there was the time that Venuti was in Paul Whiteman's band and loaded
>up the tuba with pounds and pounds of flour. The tuba wasn't used in the
>first song, but when it was the tuba played the flour poured out and made
>the whole band look like albinos.
that Venuti once asked a tuba player to meet him at a particular street corner
at a particular time for a gig; the tuba man arrived to find about thirty other
tuba players, all with their instruments, and all waiting for Joe. My Venuti
pick: Joe venuti and Zoot Sims, also on Chirascuoro; theres also a fine compi-
lation I picked up a while back, "Hot fiddles" that features two miraculous
Eddie South cuts "Mama Mockingbird" a lovely and timeless instrumental, along
with a fine version of Nagasaki, both with Milt Hinton on bass., Best ed.
Carlos May
: TornCot <tor...@aol.com> writes:
:
: >Then there was the time that Venuti was in Paul Whiteman's band and loaded
: >up the tuba with pounds and pounds of flour. The tuba wasn't used in the
: >first song, but when it was the tuba played the flour poured out and made
: >the whole band look like albinos.
:
Whiteman's Orch played in New Orleans in 1928. The program consisted
of the usual Whitman stuff at the time, Rhapsody in Blue, Metropolis,
and other examples of so called "symphonic jazz". In the audience
were many New Orleans musicians who had come to hear Bix. At the
intermission a bunch of musicians led by drummer Monk Hazel went
up to Whiteman and demanded to hear some jazz. Whiteman at first
tried to laugh it off, but Hazel and friends told him he'd have
a very unhappy audience on his hands if they didn't get to hear
some real jazz. After the intermission Whiteman just came on
stage and said, "We've had some requests, and some threats, for
some jazz. Take it boys." and walked off stage (the only time
he ever did so). After a pause, Bix, Tram, and the half dozen
other musicians in the huge orchestra who knew how to play jazz
closed their books and started jaming, to the delight of the
audience. (Armand Hug's version of this event is in the liner
notes of Jazzology Lp JCE-83; several other musicians recalled
it on the oral history tapes at the Tulane Jazz Archive).
The first jazz musician to find work with Whiteman was New Orleans
clarinetist Gussie Mueller. One of the few records he can be heard
well on is the 1920 Whiteman Victor of "Wang Wang Blues". Mueller
left the band when Whiteman started taking himself too seriously.
When leaving Mueller supposedly yelled as a parting shot, "Y'all
can't play the blues worth a damn!".
Jazzista
man), nice recent stuff with that mandolinist - Grissman. Anything with
Grappelli is great. Also Stuff Smith, Claude "fiddler" Williams, Karen
Briggs and Susie Hansen (both contemp. LA players - SH-Latin). Jean luc
Ponty - for fusion. Just for starters, there's many more......
LJC
Frank Hanny
: <Also, throw out names of any other violinists and albums that I
Swing:
=======
Harry Bluestone: look for "Artistry in Jazz" on Dobre. Elegant, whimsical
and charming.
Svend Asmussen: many European recordings, including one with John Lewis.
Modern:
=======
Mark Feldman, with the brilliant Michael Formanek quintet "Wide Open
Spaces" on ENJA, and the "Arcado" String Trio album with Hank Roberts and
Mark Dresser on JMT.
Zbigniew Seifert, Polish post-Coltrane virtuoso, "Man of Light" with
Joachim Kuhn is brilliant.
Bernie Charles, bop on his "Blue Viol" recording w Bross Townsend.
Didier Lockwood--post-Coltrane and fusion on various European labels.
"New World" w Gordon Beck, NHOP and Tony Williams is good.
Jean Luc Ponty has been producing dreadful commercial fusion for years
now, but his earlier recordings such as "The JLP Experience with The
George Duke Trio" on World Pacific and "King Kong" with Frank Zappa are
excellent.
Frank
Matthias 'Ronin' Walder
if you want a electric modified violin, listen to a frenchman
called Jean-Luc Ponty.
I have seen him as the act before Miles at the Jazz-festival
in Stuttgart 1988.
Didn't like his music much, but it is simply not my style...
Greetings... Matt
Aaron S. Friedman
Asmussen, Stephane Grappelli and Ray Nance. Even Billy Strayhorn joins
on piano for one track. The violinists solo at length on a bunch of
Ellington standards (A Train, Sentimental Mood, Don't Get Around Much
Anymore, Cotton Tail...) It's perhaps a bit fluffy at points, but less
so than almost any other jazz violin album. And the playing is
frequently inspired. Listen to Ellington's solo on Take the "A" Train,
or Asmussen throughout. Grappelli plays well in his style, but I don't
love his style. This is only out on LP, but it wasn't too hard for me
to find.
Tom Brown
>On 9 Dec 1994 12:55:24 -0500, tor...@aol.com (TornCot) wrote:
>
>T>Also, anyone hear any good Joe Venuti storis?
I like the one about him calling a tuba player to meet him on
a corner with his horn to make a gig. The cat arrives, and
find 30 other tuba players milling around the corner with their horns.
I also like the one about the guys drunkenly pushing a piano out
an apartment window, first taking bets as to what key it will
sound when it hits the sidewalk.
Don Steiny
>In article <D0qwn...@eskimo.com> dka...@eskimo.com (David Kaatz) writes:
>>On 9 Dec 1994 12:55:24 -0500, tor...@aol.com (TornCot) wrote:
>>
>>T>Also, anyone hear any good Joe Venuti storis?
Once he was playing at a circus and he was waiting over by the
horses. He stroked the penis of a horse with his bow until it had an
enormous erection. When it pranced out into the circus ring everyone was
in stitches.
Mophandl
. Once he was playing at a circus and he was waiting over by the
.horses. He stroked the penis of a horse with his bow until it had an
.enormous erection. When it pranced out into the circus ring everyone was
.in stitches.
The way I heard the story, the horse was Trigger being ridden by Roy
Rodgers.
Don Mopsick
JazzMan
: For trad straight-ahead fiddle, try Stephane Grappelli (80+yr old French
TornCot
Crosby and hit a ball in the drink. Angry, he threw his club in the water,
Then he proceeded to throw his bag in the water, then the caddy and
finally Crosby himself.
Dave Krugman
ghost
<another venuti story>
You guys obviously don't too often pick up that Pulse magazine that
Tower records hands out, or you would by now have recounted the
piece-de-resistance of that cartoon page depicting their favorite Venuti
stories (many of these included). *I'm* not going to repeat it. This is a
*family* newsgroup...?...
Tom Brown
>
>You guys obviously don't too often pick up that Pulse magazine that
>Tower records hands out, or you would by now have recounted the
>piece-de-resistance of that cartoon page depicting their favorite Venuti
>stories (many of these included). *I'm* not going to repeat it. This is a
>*family* newsgroup...?...
Are you going to make us beg or what? If they can print it we can read it.
ArneF62249
referrence? Is this another cliched anti-Whiteman cheap shot?
....."Don't let them kid you about Whiteman -- He has contributed a lot to
our music".....Duke Ellington.
Listen to "San", "Lonely Melody", "From Monday On", "Mississippi Mud",
etc. Good stuff that swings, in a late-20's context. Albinos? Choose your
terms of insult more tastefully.
TornCot
Anyone covered in flour looks like an albino to me.
As for off-color Venuti stories, I know a couple. He loved playing nude in
whorehouses and once, at a party, he served a tray of vegetables and dip.
Unbeknownst to the guests (for a while at least) there was a hole in the
tray and Venuti had inserted his most private of organs amidst the
veggies.
Dave Krugman
Tom Brown
>
>As for off-color Venuti stories, I know a couple. He loved playing nude in
>whorehouses and once, at a party, he served a tray of vegetables and dip.
>Unbeknownst to the guests (for a while at least) there was a hole in the
>tray and Venuti had inserted his most private of organs amidst the
>veggies.
Hey, what's better than organs on the veggies?
Tulips on the piano...or something like that.