[78-L] OT(?): Big Band leaders as pianists

[Taylor Bowie]

Yeah,  Carle is a very underrated player...before he had his own band he was 
rock solid with Horace Heidt and did great work with McEnelly back in the 
20s.

Taylor



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rodger Holtin 78-L" <rjh334578 at gmail.com.invalid>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2015 8:05 PM
Subject: Re: [78-L] OT(?): Big Band leaders as pianists


>
> And I'll make a pitch for Frankie Carle. His two different settings of 
> Turkish Rondo each named Carle Meets Mozart are favorites of mine. He did 
> one under Horace Heidts name and the other under his own.  Not in the same 
> class as Waller but better than Duchin IMHO.
>
> Probably among the most respected piano playing band leaders has to be 
> Claude Thornhill.
>
> Sent from my iPhone, which explainz any bad typjng and nonsensical word 
> choices.
>
>> On Dec 7, 2015, at 6:38 PM, Taylor Bowie <bowiebks at isomedia.com.invalid> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hey Bud,
>>
>> I'm not a big Duchin fan but there were other sweet band  pianist
>> band-leaders who were very capable soloists and strong leaders as 
>> well...not
>> in the jazz genre,   but we were speaking of band leaders in general,  or 
>> so
>> I thought.
>>
>> Such leaders would include  Henry King,  Joe Reichman,  Griff Williams,
>> Anson Weeks,  etc.
>>
>>
>> Taylor
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Bud" <banjobud at cfl.rr.com.invalid>
>> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2015 4:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] OT(?): Big Band leaders as pianists
>>
>>
>>>
>>> So sue me.  I liked Eddy Duchin.
>>>
>>> Bud
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>> On Dec 7, 2015, at 7:11 PM, Julian Vein
>>>> <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On 07/12/15 21:51, Kristjan Saag wrote:
>>>>> Was listening to the Duke Ellington 1961 album "Piano In The 
>>>>> Foreground"
>>>>> (with Aaron Bell/ Jimmy Woode, Sam Woodyard) and noticed the unusually
>>>>> uneven mix between piano and bass/drums. The piano was really in the
>>>>> foreground, the percussion was hardly heard.
>>>>> Thought:; well, Duke was a nice pianist, but this was a situation 
>>>>> where
>>>>> he was part of a trio and didn't excel in nifty soloing - why give him
>>>>> prominence in this way?
>>>>> Next thought: how high in regard as pianist was he? And what about 
>>>>> other
>>>>> Big Band leader pianists: Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Stan Kenton, Earl
>>>>> Hines?
>>>>> Well, I know Hines was probably more valued as pianist than band 
>>>>> leader,
>>>>> and Kenton, certainly the opposite - I'm a big fan of Kenton's big 
>>>>> band
>>>>> sound but find him mediocre as pianist.
>>>>> Other names I should have mentioned? Carla Bley, Mike Westbrook?
>>>>> Eager to hear your opinions about these guys.
>>>>> Kristjan
>>>> ===============
>>>> I don't care for Duke too much as a soloist, apart from the odd chorus
>>>> with the band. Didn't care for "Money Jungle" which, apart from being
>>>> inadequately recorded, was just repetitive, thumpy and dull. And, of
>>>> course, there were those, innumerable, feared "Ellington medleys"...
>>>>
>>>> There was Claude Hopkins, who I like as a pianist, and his band too,
>>>> which isn't held in much regard these days, and whose approach
>>>> anticipated Basie's to some extent. I think it's a question of
>>>> overstaying their welcome--if they just stick to intros and an
>>>> occasional chorus that's fine, including Eddy Duchin!
>>>>
>>>> Basie's playing was a beacon of light on the band's Decca recordings,
>>>> many of which were pretty mediocre despite the adulation they have
>>>> received.
>>>>
>>>> Then, of course, there was Sun Ra.
>>>>
>>>> I suppose pianists can hide their limitations to some extent, unlike
>>>> horn players.
>>>>
>>>>     Julian Vein
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> 78-L mailing list
>>>> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
>>>> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 78-L mailing list
>>> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
>>> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 78-L mailing list
>> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
>> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>