Elek Bacsik?
Bg
great Jazz Guitarist, Gypsy turned American. Was also a viollinist
possibly working in show bands.
<http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-
keywords=elek+bacsik>
I'm wondering if anybody on the group like maybe Jimmy and T.D. would
have worked with / knew him and have any stories?
Bg
TD
Elek was a great jazz violinist (his main axe). He played good guitar
too, but he played great bop and also played like Trane on violin.
Hard to swing on that axe, but Elek did and like a mutha. I was
honored to have played in a progressive jazz group with him back in
the mid-70's. Yea, he played show gigs too, like me and Bruno did. But
we all played it all, man. We became good musicians that way; at least
I think so. No mamby pamby low pressure restaurant gigs. Restaurant
gigs are OK, as long as you didn't stay in the restaurant scene
forever and never did anything else. Elek was special. His downfall
was his huge gambling debt. He died a pauper in the street in Vegas.
That's it. I recall Pass and I hanging out together back in Vegas
around the same time. We were walking together one day outside the
Sahara hotel. We both spotted a quarter on the floor. Joe turned to me
and said, "There was once a time when I lived here (60's) when I would
have picked that quarter up." He said, "and I was banned from the
Sahara hotel...now I am headlining there with Oscar." I used to spot
Elek many times at the Sands playing Blackjack...a big drag that he
got so hung up. He gave lessons to Ponty. Ponty talked to me on the
phone when I lived in Paris in the late 90's. Our point of common
ground was Elek. Yea, we got stories. We all had downfalls. Some of us
were luckier to have overcome them.
-TD
Bg
being better on Violin, and his other stringed instruments apparently.
I haevn't heard him on Violin.
I've been on a bit of an Elek kik lately.
Thanks for replying
Bg
matt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mO7i8V6dUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I_Nm0z1ur4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhaNr5xHIlk&feature=related
and one of my favorite jazz guitar record titles:
'The Electric Guitar of the Eclectic Elek Bacsik'
http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/elek_bacsik/the_electric_guitar_of_the_eclectic_elek_bacsik/
peace from Tucson
charlieguitar
Do yourself a big favor and check this one out:
http://www.amazon.com/Dizzy-On-The-French-Riviera/dp/B002661CMQ
Charlie
Dan Adler
Have you ever checked out jazzradio.com? I ran into that group of
stations on iTunes radio which I sometimes use when I'm practicing.
There are about 10 jazz channels from that same ownership which are
divided by sub-genre and I usually flip between them feverishly and
play along with whichever one annoys me less. Anyway, they have a jazz
guitar channel where they play him a lot...
Dan Adler
Cool story. There was another great Coltrane-inspired violinist that
very few know of: Zbigniew Seifert. Unfortunately he died very young,
but not before recording some very memorable albums which are mostly
out of print.
Bg
> Do yourself a big favor and check this one out:http://www.amazon.com/Dizzy-On-The-French-Riviera/dp/B002661CMQ
> Charlie
Is Elek on all tracks or just #'s 5 & 7 ?
Bg
Bg
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mO7i8V6dUE
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I_Nm0z1ur4
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhaNr5xHIlk&feature=related
>
> and one of my favorite jazz guitar record titles:
>
> peace from Tucson
Hey Thanks for those, Peace.
Bg
TD
>
> - Show quoted text -
Elek was the greatest true jazz violinist (the term "jazz violinist"
itself sounds like an oxymoron, because they inherently have cannot
swing and have very little rhythm savvy. Rhythm is not usually
indigenous to their formative-years-environment) I have ever known or
heard. Most others, by comparison, were fusion orientated, gypsy-swing
orientated, jug bandish, or classical players vying to improv in avant-
guarde settings (sans rhythm per se). Ironically, being a gypsy, Elek
swung in the fashion of the American jazz bag. Dizzy loved Elek and
may have discovered him (good point for research). Elek loved Raney
and Farlow, by the way. I recall laying my copy of Sandole's original
book publication to Elek as a gift, because he asked where he could
get a copy. Elek was a real character too, a big and brawny gypsy
type (looked like a head buster protecting the caravan). He had a very
ominous and cold glare in his eyes. I recall trading fours with him in
Ron Feuer's group ( Santo Savino , drums, Pepito Hernandez on bass,
Rick Davis on tenor and Joe "Mouse Bonati" on alto; all muthas) called
"Spirit Free." He stared right into my eyes. All I could do was stare
back. I was maybe 26 and he was about my age now, 60. Elek also did
something else with the bow from the violin that I had never seen or
heard before. He was able to split the bow and somehow encompass the
neck and proceeded to play amazing counterpoint that way. To this day,
I have no idea how he could do that. He used to say with his gruff
voice, "Mee Yeenius!"
Yea man, Elek.
-TD
Paul K
Paul K
--
http://www.youtube.com/user/fibrationboy
http://www.soundclick.com/paulkirk
http://mypage.iu.edu/~pkirk/
jimmybruno
Incredible musician. He was Wayne Newton's violinist. I worked with
him at the Sands. Last I heard he died homeless on the street in Vegas
Dan Adler
Tim McNamara
<aca5d937-bd77-4675...@i41g2000vbn.googlegroups.com>,
jimmybruno <ji...@jimmybruno.com> wrote:
> On Jan 10, 5:40ápm, Bg <ottg...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I have a couple of Old Vinyl recordings by this feller, and he's a
> > great Jazz Guitarist, Gypsy turned American. Was also a viollinist
> > possibly working in show bands.
> >
> > <http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field
> > - keywords=elek+bacsik>
> >
> > I'm wondering if anybody on the group like maybe Jimmy and T.D.
> > would have worked with / knew him and have any stories?
> >
> > Bg
>
> Incredible musician. He was Wayne Newton's violinist. I worked with
> him at the Sands. Last I heard he died homeless on the street in
> Vegas
Here he is playing bass, drums, rhythm and lead guitars and violin in a
video:
<http://www.ina.fr/art-et-culture/musique/video/I09329504/elek-bacsik-tak
e-five.fr.html>
--
"It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may
judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their
own liberty ő to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who
are poorer or weaker than themselves." Samuel Adams
Paul K
PK
--
Paul K
http://www.soundclick.com/paulkirk
http://www.youtube.com/user/fibrationboy
http://mypage.iu.edu/~pkirk/