Hi FrankP,

That story tells it all about Jim Hall. Here's my Jim Hall story: When Wes Montgomery hit the scene like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, guitarists in general were trying to scrape their jaws off the pavement. No one had heard anything like this guy.

As Jim tells it, he and Wes were riding in a cab and Jim says he was thinking to himself, laughingly of course, about how he, Jim Hall, might be able to get Wes's thumb jammed in the taxi door when they both got out! (You can almost see Jim wiping his hands together, thinking, "Well, that ought to care of that cat!")

Of course, this incredibly talented, unpretentious, and wonderful guy could never do such a thing. He admitted openly that he really couldn't play fast and liked to stick to medium tempos. But no one since has been able to get close to his intelligence on the instrument.

Your other personal story hit out of nowhere. I hope that you're holding that devil at bay. May it burn itself out, down there where it belongs.

Thanks for that great story about Jim Hall and for the encouraging remarks.

Dean

PS I almost always use RealDrums in various combinations. One of the Latin styles on this one.