[78-L] Some thoughts on J.J.Johnson [fwd]gg

[Mike Harkin]

That's always a problem with the written word, esp. reporting speech.  Much
is not conveyed by the bare words.  If I read that Dweebleigh said, 
"Gorpington-Smurdleigh is a pompous ass,", I am likely to think that he actually is one -- unless the author adds the context:  Dweebleigh said in
his best pompous ass manner, with a twinkle in his eye, laying his finger
aside of his nose, "g-s is a p.a."  Whereas he is actually the least pompous
chap you could hope to find.  Plus,he was standing there at the time, another bbit not shown by the speech alone, and omitted by your rather
mediocre author.

Mike in Plovdiv

--- On Sat, 11/3/12, Jeff Sultanof <jeffsultanof at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Jeff Sultanof <jeffsultanof at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Some thoughts on J.J.Johnson
> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Date: Saturday, November 3, 2012, 7:44 PM
> Julien,
> 
> I offer no shopping lists, and your opinion is your opinion,
> which you are
> entitled to. I can only say that once again, context and the
> tone of the
> speaker are important. I worked with J.J. on a book project
> some months
> before he died, and I can hear his voice saying the words
> you quoted.
> Without reading the whole interview, I can tell you that he
> probably had a
> big smile on his face when he said this, and he was also
> speaking to a
> trombonist (Zwerin) so I regard this as part shop talk. He
> was a great guy
> with a twinkle in his eye and his tongue in his cheek.
> 
> I can also tell you that he was a very important
> composer-arranger, who
> left some incredible music that is little known and rarely
> played. "Poem
> for Brass" alone would make him a major name among concert
> composers. One
> of my great memories is a performance of this work in the
> Philadelphia
> Academy of Music played by the Philadelphia Orchestra brass
> section. They
> were outstanding, and clearly loved the piece based on the
> performance and
> the way the work was introduced to the audience.
> 
> Jeff Sultanof
> 
> On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 3:34 PM, Erwin Kluwer <ekluwer at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> >  " His expressiveness was in inverse proportion
> to
> > his technique."
> >
> > That's just your opinion....
> >
> > Erwin
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 7:12 PM, Julian Vein <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > "I really cannot imagine what attracted me to the
> trombone. It's the
> > > most ungainly, awkward, beastly hard instrument
> you can imagine."
> > > (Interview with Mike Zwerin, 1999).
> > >
> > > This is pretty insulting to those trombonists who
> preceded him, who had
> > > no difficulty negotiating their instruments to
> express their ideas and
> > > feelings. Players like Miff Mole, Jack Teagarden,
> Tommy Dorsey, Joe
> > > Nanton, J.C.Higginbotham, Dickie Wells, Floyd
> O'Brien, Al Leopold, Lou
> > > McGarity, Jack Jenney, Bennie Morton etc. gave no
> hint of strain in
> > > their playing. In other words, their technique was
> up to the task of
> > > expressing what they had to say.
> > >
> > > While I like some of Johnson's work, a lot of it
> leaves me cold.
> > > Although he wasn't a flashy player, he did seem to
> have more technique
> > > than he really needed. A couple of other players
> who came on the scene
> > > about the same time as Johnson--Bill Harris and
> Bennie Green--had
> > > buckets' full of ideas. I suppose he wanted to
> develop sufficient
> > > technique to keep up with the other boppers, but
> faster doesn't
> > > necessarily mean better. His expressiveness was in
> inverse proportion to
> > > his technique.
> > >
> > > Let's not make this a "shopping list" of
> trombonists I've omitted--they
> > > were included as examples, not as a definitive
> list.
> > >
> > >       Julian Vein
> > >
> > >
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