There was a time when the only improv chops I had on Trumpet was the ability to simply quote Bird solos note-for-note.

Teenager, living at home with (off of?) the parents, man, those were the days.

Not too many had the chops to play Bird on the Trumpet back then. But a funny thing, I began to notice that only the sax players would turn around on the bandstand when I'd pull that stunt.

And all too soon I gave it up because I knew it wasn't truly improvisation, but I must say that, to be sure, putting the needle back and transcribing that stuff, then learning to play it, then jotting it down and analyzing it over the chord structures was and still is the best education on the subject to be had. I still find new things there, things not noticed before.

The old Garard record changer. You could leave the record-arm up and turned away from the playing platter and the thing would repeat the record over and over. Used to do that at low volumes when going to sleep as a kid, internalizing so many great recordings. Dad would come up every night and turn the darned thing off, but I was asleep by then.

My liddle brudder is an expert on The Bird. The two of us together used to KILL in the Pittsburgh, PA area at one time. Ah, where does the time go. We also had hair then.

That cat is ALL BIRD when he wants to be. He can do Bird on the Clarinet, too, something I've always dug. Wish he'd do it more. Not to name drop, but when Marshall played in Lionel Hampton's band, Gates used to tell Marshall to play his clarinet more. So do I. Gates has gone on to the Pearly Gates now, I miss Gates but I bet Marshall misses him more. Gates used to call me, "Cheese". I will never tell you why.

Marshall's Saxophone Website -- Doctor Sax

Liddle Brudder's mugging is right up front on the artwork for last year's Tony Bennett & Count Basie Orchestra CD.

Da MAN! Monty Alexander was in on this project, man. A mother-you-know-what if ever there was one, Monty is now sitting on OP's throne in my personal opinion. Man, TV plugs. The trumpet intonation wad'nt so hot at 9 AM, it seens. Scotty! get on 'em!

Dat boy LOVES him some roast turkey! Always has. He'd be ambarrassed if I told everyone about the time, when we were younger than now, when he sat up all Thanksgiving night in front of the TV with the remainder of a 20 lb bird and a knife. And when we got up the next morning there was a platter with nothin' but the bones on it. So I won't tell ya.

He loves touring.

He's also as emphatic about many things as you seem to be, bonecall. I generally start singing, "Feelings, nothing more than Feeeeeeelings" at him when he's ready to rant. That really gets him goin' dontcha know. hee hee

I'm a family man. I love my wife and the kids are grown now. But I elected to leave the road life and that led to the studio and the mercenary work of the jingles, etc. No regrets. And, of course, I have my Electronics Engineering. Marshall is ALL MUSIC. Don't give him a screwdriver unless its a drink, 'K? I guess the real thing is that I'm technical and he's art. But man can he be technical about his art. Great teacher, he is. Started out with me teachin' liddle brudder. Today, he's always splainin' some change to me instead. In detail. Ad nauseum. And I always learn something. One thing that has always intrigued me about music is the perception factor. There is no single right way to deal with this as there are many paths to the same goal. It is perception that drives music development. That's actually a bonus IMO.

Marshall is also a Macintosh man, of course (grin).


Peace,



--Mac

PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here

You must be Audiominds.
www.audiominds.com