Hey King,
just noted this, missed it the first time I read your message:
"...My current teacher and mentor has studied with Johnny Smith and played everywhere. Broadway pits, solo tours of the states and europe, even sharing the stage with guys like Dorado Schmidt..."
Thats funny because I just put a recording in the "Hear Here" up by one Dorado's collegues: Stochelo Rosenberg with whom I often work. I like Dorado Schmidt, I played with the geezer a couple of times as well when he was in Holland and also with his son (also a great guitar player) but for some reason I prefer Stochelo a tiny, tiny bit although you gotta love Dorado's energy on stage. Whatta you think? This is really of topic, I know, but I was just curious!
Niliov
I like Rosenberg as well. Which one of Dorado's sons? He's got 140 by now I think :)
I like Dorado's overall sound a bit better, but I think Rosenberg has a better melodic sense.
But my (living) favorite in that genre is Birelli Lagrene. But it's really unfair to compare anyone to Birelli, he's a Mozart like prodigal talent.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
Really? You like Birelli Lagrene best? mmmm. Well, I do like his more modern jazz stuff, that is actually really great. But his django stuff is a bit dissapointing, I was just discussing this with Stochelo the other day. I have some recordings from a 12/14 year old Birelli and those are indeed pretty amazing especially considering his age. But his latest gypsy project is I feel a real letdown for three reasons:
1. His Gypsy picking technique is probably a bit spoiled by playing the electric guitar, because this is really not up to par with the likes of Dorado Schmidt or Stochelo, he sounds a bit like Romane actually (who also isnt famous for his picking). It sounds forced.
2. His choice of notes is excellent, but his gypsy vocabulary is a bit off sometimes and I can hear him struggling trying not to play too complicated lines. Django is still amazing melodically after all these years and you can listen to his solos over and over again, but I don't feel this goes for his followers including Birelli.
3. His choice of musicians on this project frankly S@#cks!!! ESPECIALLY the violin player. Everybody is raving about him, but that to me is really strange because this guy is just playing Hungarian style violin (Czardas anyone? Cant stand the vibrato) with a vague hint of jazz licks, but nowhere near Grappelli. This will sound very, very arrogant, but I play violin in this style much better and it is not my main job ( I do play with Stochelo sometimes and he agrees :):) . Maybe I should delete that last sentence because I know saying these things will not make me very popular, but I will take the risk!
Anyway of course Birelli is a top class guitar player and musician but to me not the best in this style, so Mozart like? Mmm, I don't know!
I honestly encounter more people that agree with you than with me on this so maybe I should change my mind someday before I get expelled from the music community :)
Niliov
2. His choice of notes is excellent, but his gypsy vocabulary is a bit off sometimes and I can hear him struggling trying not to play too complicated lines. Django is still amazing melodically after all these years and you can listen to his solos over and over again, but I don't feel this goes for his followers including Birelli.
This is actually something I think is in his favor. He's one of the few people who is playing Django tunes that seems to be updating them to the 21st century. Yes, his lines are more complex. And I agree, sometimes it does seem like he's restraining himself. But the flip side of this is he seems to me to be something like a younger Coltrane or Dizzy. . . he's taking an existing style and making it his own.
I don't see that in Schmidt or Rosenberg. Don't get me wrong, they're great artists, and I love their music. But if you put Dorado and Stochelo back in time with Django, I don't think Django would stop and say "hey, where'd you learn that? That's something I've never heard before?!"
But not Birelli. If you put him back in time, Django's jaw would drop off trying to figure out what this guy is doing.
I think he's the first artist since Django to advance the Gypsy style significantly. I maybe wrong about it, but when he's done, I think you'll see his name as the person who finally took Django's hot club sound and did something more with it than what Django himself did.
3. His choice of musicians on this project frankly S@#cks!!! ESPECIALLY the violin player. Everybody is raving about him, but that to me is really strange because this guy is just playing Hungarian style violin (Czardas anyone? Cant stand the vibrato) with a vague hint of jazz licks, but nowhere near Grappelli. This will sound very, very arrogant, but I play violin in this style much better and it is not my main job ( I do play with Stochelo sometimes and he agrees :):) . Maybe I should delete that last sentence because I know saying these things will not make me very popular, but I will take the risk!
No, he's no where near Grappelli. But really, who is ;)
I do think his bass player is good, but I think he could surround himself with better musicians.
And it's only arrogant if it's not true. Since I haven't heard you in that context I have no idea.
Anyway of course Birelli is a top class guitar player and musician but to me not the best in this style, so Mozart like? Mmm, I don't know!
I honestly encounter more people that agree with you than with me on this so maybe I should change my mind someday before I get expelled from the music community :)
Nonsense. Diverse views are what make having interesting conversations possible!
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
