Seattle Jazz Guitar Teacher of Yesteryears?
Mike Franklin
studio in Seattle some years ago? His name is Al Turrey (probably wrong
spelling, sorry). His system of swing rhythm chords is still being passed
from player to player here in the Pacific Northwest. I know of him by
verbal saying of his name only, and would like to know more if anyone ever
took lessons from Mr. Turrey (sp?) personally.
--
Mike Franklin
Bellingham, WA USA
"No man is so hated as he who will drive the speed limit"
Adam Gottschalk
"Mike Franklin" <model...@earthlink.net> wrote:
If that's the guy on 45th St. in Wallingford, I had a lesson with him
about 8 years ago or so. It was a short lesson and he was able to figure
out my level and weaknesses pretty quickly. To be perfectly frank, and
in retrospect I don't really think it was the best decision, he struck
me as a little distant and not very energetic. He was quite an old man
then (if he's still around obviously even more so) and I didn't get the
impression he had all that much life left in him (I know that sounds
awful). I'm sure I could have learned loads from him, but at the time I
honestly was looking to connect with a younger player to study with. I
ended up taking some lessons from a fellow named Brian Oates. All this
and I don't even know if this is the same guy...
unkboy
Calahan. If he's still around, he's great.
"Mike Franklin" <model...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:BKtK9.3976$j_4.4...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
DKaatz
"Adam Gottschalk" <ad...@adamgottschalk.nospam.net> wrote in message
news:adam-AB113C.1...@news.fu-berlin.de...
> In article <BKtK9.3976$j_4.4...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net>,
> "Mike Franklin" <model...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Can anybody tell me anything about a fellow who had (still has?) a
teaching
> > studio in Seattle some years ago? His name is Al Turrey (probably wrong
> > spelling, sorry). His system of swing rhythm chords is still being
passed
> > from player to player here in the Pacific Northwest. I know of him by
> > verbal saying of his name only, and would like to know more if anyone
ever
> > took lessons from Mr. Turrey (sp?) personally.
>
> about 8 years ago or so. It was a short lesson and he was able to figure
> out my level and weaknesses pretty quickly. To be perfectly frank, and
> in retrospect I don't really think it was the best decision, he struck
> me as a little distant and not very energetic. He was quite an old man
> then (if he's still around obviously even more so) and I didn't get the
> impression he had all that much life left in him (I know that sounds
> awful). I'm sure I could have learned loads from him, but at the time I
> honestly was looking to connect with a younger player to study with. I
> ended up taking some lessons from a fellow named Brian Oates. All this
> and I don't even know if this is the same guy...
That is the same guy. I don't know him - lived across the street from his
son for a while, he
wasn't a player, but he said he remembered hearing some great players (Wes
was mentioned)
jamming w/his Dad when he was a kid. This is about 7 yrs ago, I thought he
said Al was
deceased but I'm not sure.
Mike, tell us more about the swing chords if you have info - who
else do you know in the NW that learned from him or plays his "system"?
Adam, are you a NW player? I'm in Seattle, am aquainted with Brian Oates.
Nice guy, haven't really heard him play though.
Dave
Mike Franklin
want to know more about the history of a man I never met, but 15 years ago,
by way of information passed from player to player to player, gave me the
grounding in playing swing rhythm chords that I needed at the time. I came
to swing from a 25 year background of playing bluegrass and roadhouse
honky-tonk dance music.
--
Mike Franklin
Bellingham, WA USA
"No man is so hated as he who will drive the speed limit"
"unkboy" <j.ward...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:7lHK9.5548$4W1....@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
Adam Gottschalk
"DKaatz" <kaa...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Adam, Mike:
> That is the same guy. I don't know him - lived across the street from his
> son for a while, he
> wasn't a player, but he said he remembered hearing some great players (Wes
> was mentioned)
> jamming w/his Dad when he was a kid. This is about 7 yrs ago, I thought he
> said Al was
> deceased but I'm not sure.
I thought it might be. Too bad to hear of his passing (though I suppose
we should confirm that before talking about the man's death behind his
back...)
> Mike, tell us more about the swing chords if you have info - who
> else do you know in the NW that learned from him or plays his "system"?
Yeah, I'd be interested to know more too.
> Adam, are you a NW player? I'm in Seattle, am aquainted with Brian Oates.
> Nice guy, haven't really heard him play though.
Well, I'm a northwesterner now, but I'm not a "player" really (in any
sense of the word). Life has kept me away from regular guitar practise
for some time now, so I'm more than a little rusty. But I'm picking up
speed again! Gambale's Chopbuilder is helping :-) And I just finished
the LSATs and we are finally really settled after a move to Oregon from
Florida. I'm hoping now I'll have a "window" while I'm waiting to hear
on law schools, etc. Anyway, I'm down here in Portland. I know a couple
of guitarists down here. My old friend and teacher Christopher Woitach
is not far away, which is very nice. Also, Mark Stefani of
visionmusic.com is very nearby as well. In addition to others like Dan
Balmer, etc. whom I simply don't know at all.
I haven't talked to Brian since the mid 1990s. I never saw him play out
when I was studying with him, just heard him in class, you know. He set
me on a good path I think and was very encouraging and showed me some
very valuable resources I have around to this day.
Christopher Woitach
Christopher Woitach
Guitarist
jm...@aol.com
kirkp
> "Mike Franklin" <model...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > Can anybody tell me anything about a fellow who had (still has?) a teaching
> > studio in Seattle some years ago? His name is Al Turrey (probably wrong
> > spelling, sorry). His system of swing rhythm chords is still being passed
> > from player to player here in the Pacific Northwest. I know of him by
> > verbal saying of his name only, and would like to know more if anyone ever
> > took lessons from Mr. Turrey (sp?) personally.
> >
> about 8 years ago or so. It was a short lesson and he was able to figure
> out my level and weaknesses pretty quickly. To be perfectly frank, and
> in retrospect I don't really think it was the best decision, he struck
I took a lesson from Al Turrey in the mid '70s. He struck me as a
little detached too. He had me learn a simple chromatic jazz
progression:
Gmaj7, G#dim7, Amin7, A#min7, Bmin7, Baug7, Cmaj7, C#dim7,
Bmin7, Bdim7, Amin7, Adim7, Gmaj7, G#dim, Amin7, D7.
I came back to it many years later and began to understand why he
chose that as a starting point. So many concepts are in that simple
progression, and it could serve as a launching board for substitutions
and soloing. I regret not having taken at least a few more lessons to
see where he intended to go with it. That progression has become one
of my standard warmup exercises.
-Kirk