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Post new topic Why Sonny Rollins prefers guitar over piano
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Author Topic:  Why Sonny Rollins prefers guitar over piano
Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 13 Aug 2014 8:03 am    
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjIWBC4mar0
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Mike Neer


From:
NJ
Post  Posted 13 Aug 2014 9:01 am    
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I'm sure Jim Hall had a lot to do with it.

He did use pianists through the 90s and even 2000s.

BTW, did you ever hear his version of Sweet Leilani?

http://grooveshark.com/s/Sweet+Leilani/2FVInR?src=5
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Andy Volk


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Boston, MA
Post  Posted 13 Aug 2014 9:34 am    
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Yeah, when you've got a musician like Jim Hall behind you it's like having an orchestra + a killer rhythm section.
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Chris Reesor

 

From:
British Columbia, Canada
Post  Posted 14 Aug 2014 11:08 am     Guitar vs. piano
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This is quite consistent with Jim Hall's comments (from a Guitar Player feature) about playing with Sonny. He said, in essence, Sonny didn't want to be fed the changes. So JH would respond to what SR was laying down.
I'd love to hear the two together and compare it to what JH played behind Paul Desmond, which to my mind was beyond great.
Could you suggest any tracks I should search for?

CR
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Mike Neer


From:
NJ
Post  Posted 14 Aug 2014 6:50 pm    
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This is a great example of Jim's contrapuntal comping:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_W3-MCdcho
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2014 4:42 am    
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Chris - totally agree with you about the Hall/Desmond tracks. I have the box set and it's one of my all-time favorites.
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Chris Reesor

 

From:
British Columbia, Canada
Post  Posted 15 Aug 2014 9:46 pm     sax+guitar
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Thanks for that link, Mike. I must find the time to listen to the rest of that album; it's on YouTube, of course.
JH's comping there is much like the stuff he later played behind Paul Desmond, it seems. One of the best ever at that game, to me.
Andy, got any details on that box set you mentioned? It might be a great addition to my little jazz collection.

Cheers,
Chris
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 16 Aug 2014 4:57 am    
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Sure, Chris. Can't recommend this too highly. Paul Desmond's best work.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-RCA-Victor-Recordings/dp/B006U648OW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408193644&sr=8-2&keywords=complete+paul+desmond+jim+hall

If I could own just one record from the box set it'd be this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Bossa-Antigua-Paul-Desmond/dp/B002YXUULK/ref=pd_cp_m_1

Also ....Ed Bickert's amazing, swinging orchestral comping on this superb (2-LPs on 1-CD) recording is right up there with Jim Hall's work and Desmond - two years away from death from lung cancer - was in top form.

http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Desmond-Quartet-Live/dp/B00004ST3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408193810&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+desmond+live
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 17 Aug 2014 1:19 pm    
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The two best local musicians I know, by far, are a pianist & a trap-set drummer. And the two instruments you'd have to drag me kicking & screaming (or pay me Very Happy ) to play with are... well heck. It's like Mr. Rollins says. If you're playing with a pianist with enough determination/ego/fortitude to have gotten good enough to be worth playing with - they don't hardly need you, huh? Rolling Eyes

Once the piano sets all the harmonic doorways and/or trap doors and the drummer sets the volume then dumbs down all the rhythms into snare/hihat/bass drum* (go read a drum book sometime) I'd pretty much rather be elsewhere.

*(Boom-tcht-twack, boom-tcht-twack, boom-tcht-twack - that's all they CAN think about - if they've had "proper", correct teaching.)
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Joachim Kettner


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 23 Aug 2014 7:08 am    
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I've just read an article from Rolling Stone, December 1990, that fell into my hands. Amazed to read that he played on three tracks fom "Tattoo You" by the Rolling Stones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKLVmBOOqVU
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Joachim Kettner


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 13 Jun 2015 9:45 am    
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He has two guitarists here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiYms26Y098
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