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Topic: The Jazz room at ISGC |
Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2009 2:05 pm |
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Well, the Jazz room was great again this year. The show opened with Jim Cohen, doing his usual great job on some older classics. Then came the new kid on the block, Glenn Taylor. Glenn played some well known stuff as well as some original compositions, on a super compact MOYO steel that he builds, and did a great job. He has a totally different approach to jazz steel, and is a good vocalist also.
Then Russ Wever played great as usual. He played "Steel Guitar Rag" as you have never heard it before, Jazz style. This was the best rendition of this song I have ever heard, and if you closed your eyes, you could have sworn Curley Chalker was up there playing. Russ also played his version of "Clockwise" as a tribute to Bobby Caldwell. Bobby had this song on his old Jazz record from the '70's. This one turned out nice also.
Then came David Wright playing his bluesy approach to some of the older classics, along with his ever present "twisted" sense of humor. LOL Then came THE master of Jazz steel, Doug Jernigan. Doug played some stuff I hadn't heard him play in probably 20 years, and some more stuff I had never heard him play. All I can say about his set is "FANTASTIC".
Then came Dave Easley, and if you've never heard him play, you have missed a totally different approach to the steel guitar. Dave's choices were mostly old Jazz standards, but also mixed in a totally different vocal and instrumental rendition of "Ring Of Fire" Dave certainly does his own thing.
Thanks to the fantastic upright bass player, Bob DeBoo, and drummer Kyle Honeycutt for another great job. I cannot keep my jaw from dropping when Bob launches into one of those solos of his. Those uprights are hard to play, and he makes it look extremely easy. Then of course there's Jim and Barbara Stahlhut who spend countless hours of work to make sure this show comes off well, as it always does. And Jim does a great job of backing up all of the players with his guitar. Great job, Jim.
If you haven't seen this show and like (or tolerate) Jazz, you need to make plans to see it next year.
_________________
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro. |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2009 2:37 pm
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Hey thanks for posting Darvin! I was bummed they couldn't broadcast it on SteelRadio.com this year but oh well.... 
Last year the jazz room broadcast was great. This year, whatever it is they're broadcasting in it's place, is so distorted I have no idea who it is. Depressing. |
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Jim Stahlhut
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2009 6:47 pm
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Rick,
Mike Scott and I are talking about doing a live interview show with tunes from the Jazz Room 2009. We got the whole show recorded in audio and video for the archives. I know you'll hear a lots of it on Steelradio.
Jim |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2009 6:51 pm
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| Cool Jim! Maybe you could let us know when it happens in Event and Announcements too? Hope all is well! |
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Dirk B
From:
Harrisburg, MO, USA
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Posted 7 Sep 2009 7:25 am
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Jim,
I echo the kudos on the jazz show. Definitely the highlight of the entire show and the cutting edge of steel. Thanks for such a great job hosting and facilitating this. |
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Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Posted 7 Sep 2009 9:04 am
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Jim,
I missed a few good chances to shake your hand and thank you in person this past weekend so here's hoping you will accept my online thanks and appreciation for the effort it takes to organize this show each year. This is the first time I have ever attended steel conventions in back to back years and while I find there are lots of things going on to keep my interest over the weekend the music presented at the jazz show is what will keep me putting up the $$ to fly to St Louie on Labor Day for a while to come!!
So please keep it up!
Jay |
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Glenn Taylor
From:
Denver, CO, USA
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Posted 7 Sep 2009 11:11 am
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and thank you Jim for having me on the program--it was an honor and pleasure to play with you, Bob and Kyle. And thanks to everyone there for all the kind and supportive comments.
warm regards to all,
glenn |
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Steve Hitsman
From:
Waterloo, IL
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Posted 8 Sep 2009 5:09 am
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| I'd like to point out that on Jim Cohen's suggestion, I went home and dug out my Johnny Hartman/John Coltrane CD and listened to "Lush Life"... I've been depressed now for three days. Thanks a lot. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Jay Jessup
From:
Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Posted 8 Sep 2009 6:36 am
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Jim,
I first heard that version many years ago and have always been quite impressed that you, #1 undertook to to play that on steel and #2, pull it off so well. When I listen to the Hartman/Coltrane version I can almost smell the smoke and feel the loneliness so the two times I have heard you play that live I just have that in the back of my mind and I get the same shivers!! I have wondered though if those who have not heard the tune can make sense of it, it's got a ton of changes in it and lots of parts! |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 8 Sep 2009 9:55 am
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| Jay Jessup wrote: |
Jim,
I first heard that version many years ago and have always been quite impressed that you, #1 undertook to to play that on steel and #2, pull it off so well. When I listen to the Hartman/Coltrane version I can almost smell the smoke and feel the loneliness so the two times I have heard you play that live I just have that in the back of my mind and I get the same shivers!! I have wondered though if those who have not heard the tune can make sense of it, it's got a ton of changes in it and lots of parts! |
Thanks for your comments, Jay. You may be right that those who have never heard a vocal version of the tune may find it 'challenging' to listen to. The changes are indeed unexpected. I felt confident, however, that the audience for the Jazz Room would appreciate it. As for my Main Stage set later that morning, I swapped it out and played "Deep in a Dream" for my a cappella number in its place. That's a pretty jazz ballad that is easier to hear and grasp for those not too accustomed to listening to jazz.
Best,
Jim
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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tom anderson
From:
leawood, ks., usa
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Posted 8 Sep 2009 7:42 pm
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| this room was the highlight of the show for me. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 10 Sep 2009 4:34 am
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It's so nice to see the solid crowd that the Jazz Room has attracted year after year now. I know how hard Jim and Barbara work during the year to pull it all together, find new players, get charts for the band, make posters, etc, etc. It's a true labor of love on their parts and I'm grateful that they're willing to take this on for us all to enjoy. So three cheers for Jim and Barbara!
BTW, I think it would be great to have a Jazz Room in March at the Texas show. If any of you jazz-fans reading this are close to Albert, put a bug in his ear about it!
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Jim Stahlhut
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 11 Sep 2009 7:10 am
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Thanks Jim,
Barbara and I do a lot of work to arrange the Jazz Room. Every year I say this is the last time it's too much work. Then I get to the show and between the support if the listeners, playing of the jazz steelers and the band, and just playing on it myself....the next thing I know I'm thinking about next year. There will be a 5th Jazz Room next year.
I agree we should have a Jazz Room in Dallas. I talked to Albert and like Jim says everyone talk to Albert about it. With luck maybe we can pull it off.
Thanks to all the players they sounded great...Doug and Dave blew me away! But so did Jim, Glenn, Russ, and David. And a big thanks to Kyle and Bob they were stellar. A personal thank you from Barbara and I to all the fans that came to the show.
Jim and Barbara |
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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Posted 11 Sep 2009 7:17 pm
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Jim -I heard the great music from the Jazz room last year but am sorry that I coudn't get it on Steel Radio this year to enjoy.
You guys are doing such a fantastic job on it that I hope you will have it on Steel Radio during this year, so us old jazz fans sitting at home can hear it. Thanks for all your efforts on showing the versatility of the Steel Guitar. I like it all, and for one,. Jim Cohen's "Deep in a Dream" is great chord playing and really special to me. Thanks again ...al.  
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
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David Easley
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2009 1:55 pm
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I came upon this thread and thought maybe I should tell how the arrangement of Freedom Jazz Dance combined with Ring of Fire came about. Actually, in some of the groups I’m playing with in New Orleans, we start with Hey Pocky Way by the Meters, based on the Second-Line or Mardi-gras groove and then segue into the other two numbers. A lot of groups I play with down here keep things pretty loose so that you never know where a song will wind up. But to tell this story I really have to go back many years to when it first occurred to me that Freedom Jazz Dance could be thought of from an Earl Scruggs type perspective. As you know, Scruggs-style banjo pickers will tend to present a melody, such as one of those Appalachian type tunes like, Pretty Polly or Little Maggie, with many other interspersed notes selected from the chord of the moment. So, the thought occurred to me, If Freedom Jazz Dance were a Scruggs-Style interpretation of some simple melody, what would be that simple melody?
In the example above, which I hope comes through on the forum, the top line is the first lick of Freedom Jazz Dance. The line below it is something that could be an answer to my question of the previous paragraph (notice that every note of it happens at the same time as that same note in Freedom Jazz Dance), but you could just as easily take all the notes not in the bottom line plus the final Bb of this two bar opening phrase of Eddie Harris’ classic composition, place them at the same times when they occur in the original and you’d have just as nice and simple a melody as the one I’ve chosen. It could be that many different people could pick many different melodies out of the notes that Eddie Harris has given us.
Anyway, some while back I was on a gig playing FJD and I decided to throw in the simple line in this example as I do now and then since I’d discovered it hidden away and the bass player stepped up to the mic. and started singing Ring of Fire. That’s when we realized that this particular line culled from FJD really does seem to be of a piece with the tpt. line from Ring of Fire. There is one joint I play fairly often where country music is not allowed and yet this arrangement has not drawn any flak possibly because the beat stays funky.
I really had a great time this year! I'm already looking forward to next year.
Dave Easley |
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Jim Stahlhut
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2009 6:12 pm
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Like I said Dave's always thinking and in the moment. Ring of fire surprised me but it fit so perfectly, it was great. You never can tell what's coming with Dave but you can bet it'll be cool!
Jim |
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