You're correct Mac but that is pretty much the old fashioned way of thinking, I don't think that's the case any more because modern jazz doesn't work that way.

Lets define "modern". To me modern means stuff like Catwalk. That style sort of started in the mid 80's with David Benoit doing his Linus and Lucy thing. I really like him, he's one funky pianist.

The reason I said old fashioned is because nobody sits in any more because there's nobody to sit in with because there are no (or very few) bands covering this newer stuff in local clubs. Its just too complex and requires way too much rehearsal time. Absolutely nobody I know simply knows a lot of these newer killer tunes off the top of their heads. It just doesn't happen. Plus there isn't one modern "Bird" type of cat for everybody to emulate. Back in the day there were only a relative handful of true giants people were trying to learn from. Now there's literally hundreds. Spyro Gyra's style has nothing to do with Dave or Don Grusin or Eric Marienthal or Fourplay or Pat Matheny or The Rippingtons or name your favorite.

And yet another point, there isn't even one recognized version of all these groups best stuff. Every concert I see them in they're doing a completely different version of something. Like Herbie with Canteloupe Island. I've got 4 or 5 youtube vids of him doing that song and each one is using completely different players doing a barely recognizable arrangement of that tune and they're all killer. I know about 5 years ago the group I was in started doing the Herbie/Matheny version because it just cooks so well. I couldn't cover all Herbies licks that's for sure but I did have fun with some of them.

I guess my long winded point is times have changed. A lot.

bob

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