Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Off-Topic
E
eddie1261
Unregistered
eddie1261
Unregistered
E
So in that post you got to turn back ti-ime??

Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
I see Chet finally got mentioned. I didn't see Tommy Emmanuel on here, either, but maybe I missed it. There are certain players, certain musicians who can transcend genres, and there are a few out there Just because a player doesn't play a particular style doesn't mean they can't, or won't.

I also didn't see mention of Oliver Gannon on here, either, and he consistently ranks high in Canadian jazz scene as a fantastic jazz guitarist. How many of you use some of his tracks in BIAB? smile


I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Perhaps "The best jazz guitarists of all time" is not the right name.

Some of the best? Some of the best famous?

One thing I learned in music, is no matter how good you are, there is always someone better, and always someone not a good as you are.

I met Tom Scott back in the 1980s. We were the house band at a Hyatt Hotel, and Tom was staying there while leading a band for Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé.

He told me, and I paraphrase, "I know there is a sax player, probably playing in a Holiday Inn in a place like Valparaiso Indiana that could put me in his back pocket, but I was in the right place, at the right time, with the right connections, I showed up straight, and I could do the job, so I got the break."

To expand on that, somewhere in a house band there is a guitar player that could put many of those "best" guitarists to shame, but he/she isn't in the right place at the right time and doesn't have the right connections.

Insights and incites Notes ♫


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
... but he/she isn't in the right place at the right time and doesn't have the right connections.

Or just doesn't want the pressures of the bigger circuits.
I've known a few people who have had breaks with big bands and quit after a short while for their own sanity/comfort.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
When touring and opening up for major acts in concert, a few of them told me that they had more fun when they were up-and-coming than they did once that made it.

There were pressures, schedules, promotional appearances and the feeling that they were a cog in a giant wheel.

However, not one of those people told me that they would quit the big time and big money and then go back to being small-time.

I 'almost' made the big time once. Our manager and the label couldn't agree on money (the label wanted to p i m p us) so the deal fell through.

We were severely disappointed at that time, and it broke the band up.

I went back to 6 days a week, and 5 hours a night for 1/4 the money.

Decades later, I realize it just was part of life's adventure, and to be treated as a peer by the stars of the day was an experience most musicians never get. Another good thing about never attaining stardom is that I'm not a has-been. wink

Since then, other than 2 attempts at being normal, I have made my life doing music and nothing but music. Again, I'm luckier than most.

I'm having a happy life, living it on my own terms and instead of saying "I have to go to work today", I say, "I GET to go to work today." And that's a good way to live.

Long ago I quit comparing myself to the great sax players. I do try to learn from them, and even the passive listening I do for my own enjoyment gets internalized and comes out in little ways.

And (back on topic) there is no definitive 'greatest' list in any of the arts. Was Picasso better than Dali? Was Stan Getz better than John Coltrane? How about Maria Callas vs. Renée Fleming? Mikhail Baryshnikov vs. Rudolf Nureyev? Muddy Waters vs. B.B. King? Tchaikovsky vs. Shostakovitch? Tolstoy vs. Dostoyevsky?

When it comes to art, it's a matter of taste. My greatest might not agree with your greatest and we could both be right --- or wrong.

It doesn't matter. Just enjoy what you like.

I like quite a few on that list, some don't speak to me musically, but I don't dislike any of them and they are all worthy.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
And (back on topic) there is no definitive 'greatest' list in any of the arts. Was Picasso better than Dali? Was Stan Getz better than John Coltrane? How about Maria Callas vs. Renée Fleming? Mikhail Baryshnikov vs. Rudolf Nureyev

FWIW, I personally and generally have more respect for the 'jobbing' people than the stars and high-flyers.

The session people, the soap actors, the repertory theatre actors, people like yourselves delivering night after night, a great many buskers and street entertainers/artists, because they pretty much all deliver great performances, time after time and often with a very quick turnaround. The people where ad-libs and improvisation and covering up for failures of self and others are second nature. For me, these are the true 'bests', even when I've never previously heard of them.

Last edited by Gordon Scott; 01/30/23 03:47 AM.

Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
Off-Topic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
Originally Posted By: etcjoe

I was going to mention Chet Atkins as he did record some straight jazz tunes.


I had the good luck and the pleasure of meeting Chet many years ago. We were doing our gig and I mentioned that I tried being in a jazz band but pop cover songs paid the mortgage.

Chet said that he always wanted to be a jazz player, but he knew which side of the bread was buttered.

We both agreed that we are happy doing what we are doing, but the challenges of jazz would be interesting.

Notes ♫


I had that almost exact conversation with Chet at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society meeting one year. He sat next to me for Martin Taylor's set one afternoon. While we were waiting for it to start, we talked about jazz and he talked about how he had wanted to do that almost exclusively but needed to make a living!! His skills as a player are well known and his skills as a producer are too. He was very talented in many ways and a very nice person to meet as well!


My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
Off-Topic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
These lists are mostly meant to get clicks or eyeballs or views or plays however they are presented. I agree with Notes and I am sure many others commenting here, there can never be a definitive list of "best" when it comes to art. It is in the eyes and ears of the beholder. Plenty of good discussion here though. I can listen to Django, Martin Taylor, Joe Pass, Tommy Mottola, Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel for hours on end and always be amazed and entertained. While certainly not a big jazz guy, I do like a lot of jazz players!


My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Originally Posted By: etcjoe
<...snip...>
I had that almost exact conversation with Chet at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society meeting one year. He sat next to me for Martin Taylor's set one afternoon. While we were waiting for it to start, we talked about jazz and he talked about how he had wanted to do that almost exclusively but needed to make a living!! <...>


We all have to make a living, and sometimes doing your second favorite type of music is the one that will pay the mortgage.

I'd love to play jazz, and did it for a while, but I don't know if I would want to play it exclusively. I'd miss the power of rock, the angst of blues, the rhythms of salsa, and so on.

But I'm lucky. In my present situation, I get to play a little of almost every type of pop music. That is everything but Heavy Metal and Rap. A duo can't do justice to Heavy Metal, and I just can't talk fast enough to do Rap.

I can sneak in a little light jazz if I want to, but on most days I'm content to play pop music, and interact with the audience. I give them what they want, music they know by heart, and they give me what I want, applause, love and the ability to make a living doing music and nothing but music.

I told you I was lucky.


Notes ♫


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
I'd love to play jazz, and did it for a while, but I don't know if I would want to play it exclusively. I'd miss the power of rock, the angst of blues, the rhythms of salsa, and so on

For a long, long, time I didn't realise that my primary musical interest is jazz, though I have a broad view of what constitutes jazz.

It was really only the jazz-funk fusion stuff of the 70s and 80s that made me look deeper into what drive my tastes, and I started to realise that an awful lot of what I liked was played by jazz-oriented musicians playing some of what they wanted to play in other contexts that "weren't jazz".

I also note the number of people I've know who "don't like jazz", but do like what I play (both as a maybe-musician and from my music collection).


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
Off-Topic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Originally Posted By: Gordon Scott
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
I'd love to play jazz, and did it for a while, but I don't know if I would want to play it exclusively. I'd miss the power of rock, the angst of blues, the rhythms of salsa, and so on

For a long, long, time I didn't realise that my primary musical interest is jazz, though I have a broad view of what constitutes jazz.

It was really only the jazz-funk fusion stuff of the 70s and 80s that made me look deeper into what drive my tastes, and I started to realise that an awful lot of what I liked was played by jazz-oriented musicians playing some of what they wanted to play in other contexts that "weren't jazz".

I also note the number of people I've know who "don't like jazz", but do like what I play (both as a maybe-musician and from my music collection).


I think some people hear the term jazz and then they think of some esoteric thing they heard 20 years ago that is hard for many people to like. There are some wild crazy out there performances in jazz, but there is plenty of very good "mainstream" jazz that just about anyone that likes music will find something to like.

Just like many genres, jazz has so many subcategories and some are just not what "most" people like. But it only matters what you like and what I like for our own entertainment.


My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,625
Originally Posted By: etcjoe
only matters what you like and what I like for our own entertainment.

... and the paying customers. Aye, there's the rub.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
As far as the customers are concerned, at least for the market that I chose, I'm easy.

When I was 40, I chose the retirement market. At that time it was mostly American Songbook era jazz, Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Count Basie, and so on.

As time went on the older folks moved into nursing homes and we started playing Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly era songs. After that Beatles era, and now Seger, Motown, Sting, etc.

I've always been able to mix C&W of the same era, Caribbean and Latin American music (it is Florida), and some blues, as long as any of these genres is not too hard core. It's easy to turn everybody's music into nobody's music if you veer too deep and one direction. For example, we might do Maxie Priest's "Close To You" with a rap section in the middle, and the people like it, but if we did hard core rap, it would turn them off.

I chose a good market for South Florida, as I have never been out of work until COVID, and now that COVID has settled down, I'm doing up to 20 gigs a month again.

But like I said, I'm easy. I like music from every genre, and I like performing. I even enjoy playing songs I would never choose to put in my personal listening playlist. It's just fun to play music, and if they want to hear Mustang Sally, or Brown Eyed Girl again, I'm into it.

I give them what they want, songs they know by heart. They give me what I want, applause, love, and the ability to make a living by doing music and nothing but music.

Life is good today.


Insights and incites by Notes ♫


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,330
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,330
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
As far as the customers are concerned, at least for the market that I chose, I'm easy.
...........................
But like I said, I'm easy. I like music from every genre, and I like performing. I even enjoy playing songs I would never choose to put in my personal listening playlist. It's just fun to play music, and if they want to hear Mustang Sally, or Brown Eyed Girl again, I'm into it.

I give them what they want, songs they know by heart. They give me what I want, applause, love, and the ability to make a living by doing music and nothing but music.

Life is good today.
Insights and incites by Notes ♫


You are not easy Notes, you are very smart. Give the audience what they want and you will get many jobs. Your philosophy was the same as mine when I ran my wedding band. Although we were only weekend warriors we had a very good avocation. Gigging was fun and profitable for us also.


I think my wife has started to show the first signs of dementia.
She said she can't remember what she ever saw in me!

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
I figure it's the same with any business. Give them what they want, and they will give you what you want.

Or, as Donna Summer sings in "Bad Girls", a song about -- how should I put it -- the ladies of the night.

Mister, do you want to spend some time,
I got what you want, you got what I need,
I'll be your baby if you spend it on me.


In this biz, I've known some of those "working girls" and I respect them. It's not an easy profession.

I get to play music, and live my life on my own terms. We are self-employed too.

If working 40 hours a week as a wage slave for some faceless corporation isn't selling your body, I don't know what is.

I guess I'm drifting off-topic. But then, any thread that goes on long enough drifts off-topic. That makes it like a conversation in a coffee shop.

Many musicians I have known have had a secret desire to play jazz or classical, but play pop music. The famous studio musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew" were jazz cats, but they recorded much of the pop music that is the soundtrack of our lives.

Others have classical backgrounds, you can see those influences in many pop songs.

Back when I was an AFofM union member, I remember reading an interview with a retired country music piano player. He said, "Don't let the suits know you are secretly into jazz, because they really believe in this kind of music."

I think having experience in other genres than your chosen one is a good thing.

And to add, what is Jazz anyway? Dixieland, Glenn Miller/Duke Ellington era swing, Cool School, Bop, Funk, Fusion and so on???

Anyway, I enjoyed the list and they were all fine players.

Insights, incites, and tangents by Notes ♫


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,626
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,626
Joe pass and Wes Montgomery have to be mentioned in the conversation!

Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,330
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,330
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
Joe pass and Wes Montgomery have to be mentioned in the conversation!


Torrey, Joe Pass is number 9 on the list and Wes is number 1.


I think my wife has started to show the first signs of dementia.
She said she can't remember what she ever saw in me!

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Off-Topic
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 5
A
Newbie
Offline
Newbie
A
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 5
How's It Going . Read Your Article I'm a retired Guitar Player Disco Era 16 Years on Road. I Have arthritis Hand So I Play Bass & Took up Harmonica in Covid. love doing Standards & Old Popo Tunes Charts I'm An Ex Berklee Guy Great Chord Chops & Love My BNB 2023. A few friends
of mine still in the Buss down by You still in Touch. Love to hear some of your Files & Swap w You. What Do You Think ?

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 2 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.

Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!

Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!

We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.

Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!

Season's Greetings!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!

The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.

Team PG

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window

In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe

This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®

With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!

These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!

This Free Bonus PAK includes:

  • The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK: -For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
  • MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
  • Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
  • Playable RealTracks Set 5
  • RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
  • SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
  • Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)

Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:


  • 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
  • FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
  • MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
  • Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
  • RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
  • SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)

Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,796
Posts796,254
Members39,960
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
MirabelConnell, Rohde, Dobrnjac, MaxxFV, jwagner51
39,960 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 185
Noel96 122
DC Ron 109
rsdean 107
dcuny 101
DrDan 97
Today's Birthdays
gbasedband, Will.I.Am
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5