RENOWN

One night I was at the local jazz club and because the annual jazz festival was ongoing I found myself in the company of Ray Brown’s manager. After I bought him a drink, we began talking jazz [what else?] And he shared with me tidbits about a number of artists. Nothing dastardly, but bits and pieces I’d never heard; like how Jack de Johnette began as a pianist and later moved to drums.  How Wayne Shorter was “lucky” to get Danillo Perez. His soliloquy on how jazz artists are missing the point by over-indulging the technical aspects of the music and under-indulging the harmonic and “feel good” aspects that endear listeners to the music.  We bantered a bit about “smooth jazz” but I don’t believe he thought much of it.