SurfGuitar101.com | Forums: It was fifty years ago today

DoNtFearTheReverbBass

Joined: May 24, 2008
Posts: 422
Land Locked CINCINNATI OH
United States

Posted on Jul 17 2017 02:19 PM

John Coltrane - opens the doors of perception for so many including surfers and surf musicians.
So much happened 50 years ago. I was 15-16 driving first time.
Many great albums. I got into Jazz in my early teens (13) and studied my guitar through LEARN TO PLAY the VENTURES LPs

A letter from my friend John Keene:
Sorry to bug you guys with this today, but I'm in a reflective mood.

50 years ago today, Coltrane died at age 40. And with all the reflection on the 50th anniversary of Sgt Pepper (and deservedly so) and the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, this is one that will be overlooked for sure. But I think there's a connection worthy of pointing out.

When I look at the 50 year span since Pepper, I also have to look at the 50 years that preceded Pepper - from 1917 to 1967. And what an era as we went from Irving Berlin to Gershwin's use of jazz chords, and then to Cole Porter's variations of both form and harmony as well as lyric use, plus advancements in Broadway musicals and Elvis making the R&B to rock 'n' roll bridge that the Brits picked up on. After Pepper, we had a good ten years indicating a forward progression, then punk and disco and you have to be the judge of which is shit and which is shinola. Of course there are some pearls of shinola peering through the shit, but again - different strokes for different folks.

Trane died 50 years ago today on July 17, 1967, and that was preceded by the first jazz recording - the revolutionary "Darktown Strutters Ball" by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917, followed by Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and the big band swing era, then Charlie Parker, Miles, and other beboppers, hard bop/soul jazz, and finally Coltrane/Dolphy/etc. Then after Coltrane, we had a good ten years of Ornette, Mahavishnu, weather Report, ECM, and I'd include the Pat Metheny Group's first band album. In the next forty years, whether it's shit or shinola is up to the individual. Pieces of shinola would shine like Henry Threadgill, Bill Frisell, and others, and I suppose it's up to the individual to compare that to the feculance represented by smooth jazz people.

—

The mighty KAHUNATONES
Don't Fear the Reverb ! Grateful Surf ! SURFIN' Tiki Bandits !
I can be reached through the following or at don@donschott.com. :

www.donschott.com
www.eyerecords.com
www.dontfearreverb.com
www.kokopellistages.com

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Redfeather

Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 896
3 Download Pins

Posted on Jul 18 2017 01:47 AM

Coltrane is one of my favorite things. Hats off to him on this day.

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simoncoil

Joined: Sep 28, 2012
Posts: 920
Berlin, Germany
1 News Pin

Posted on Jul 18 2017 05:12 AM

Thanks for the head's up on this one. I put on a little Coltrane yesterday evening and was again drawn right into it. It's hard to put into words, but (at least for me) Coltrane has this strange powerful presence in his playing, not in the sense of force but more like a really strong sincerity or conviction concerning the playing of music: The notes and melodies are always discernible as statements (even though you can never be sure what they really mean). And yet Coltrane was always willing to risk a "perfect" sounding melodic line just to go "somewhere else". Listen to the studio version of "My Favorite Things": You hear those fast runs and in between them are some notes, where you can clearly hear that he is struggling to reach them. He could simply have left them out, and the recording would still have been one of the most important pieces of jazz. But to dare and to reach for "something else", that (and not just the virtuosity of the saxophone) is what still makes Coltrane's music so relevant for so many people IMHO.

For those of you, who don't know it yet, I strongly recommend Ashley Kahn's book on the recording of "A Love Supreme". I read my copy last year, while I was in Livorno (what a combination!), and it really heightened my appreciation of the album (not that it was necessary). And it also left me wondering for a short moment: Will surf music ever achieve that level of art? (Then I realized that sometimes it's also necessary for music just to be accessible and fun.)

—

Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!

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DoNtFearTheReverbBass

Joined: May 24, 2008
Posts: 422
Land Locked CINCINNATI OH
United States

Posted on Jul 18 2017 12:13 PM

Aloha Simon:
Yes, I feel it too. I do have that book on my vast collection of music industry and bios though I think your memo has just inspired me to delve into it more seriously. I did pick up an Atlantic box (used but in excellent health) recently that had both th studio and live recordings in it. I've had the vinyl FAVORITE THINGS since my later teens. Humm ...surfing favorite things...could be done.

—

The mighty KAHUNATONES
Don't Fear the Reverb ! Grateful Surf ! SURFIN' Tiki Bandits !
I can be reached through the following or at don@donschott.com. :

www.donschott.com
www.eyerecords.com
www.dontfearreverb.com
www.kokopellistages.com

Top

CousinMary

Joined: Nov 16, 2009
Posts: 1075
San Francisco Bay Area
2 News Pins

Posted on Oct 10 2017 09:35 PM

Aha - just happened upon this thread. Glad to know I am not the only surf fan who loves Trane. My DJ name is based on his composition about his cousin Mary with whom he was very close. He said "She's a very earthy, folksy, swinging person".

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CrazyAces

Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4053
Nashville, TN.
3 News Pins

Posted on Oct 11 2017 09:11 AM

Don,
I missed this post back in July as well but I'm glad Cousin Mary commented and brought it back.
Fall is a particularly Jazz inspired season for me, always has been since my late teens. At this point in my life I think it's because it re-connects me with my younger days on the West Side of Buffalo, walking leaf filled city sidewalks with my walkman on, listening to the likes of Coltrane, Duke, Clifford Brown..
I'm always touched by Coltrane's quest for beauty and divinity through his playing, leaving the ego behind and trying to let the music take the controls. He can still stop me dead in my tracks with his tone and phrasing, especially on ballads.
It's music of and for the soul and it will always move me.
Thanks for your eloquent post.

Cheers,
Jeff

—

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

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bamboozer

Joined: Jan 18, 2010
Posts: 672
Delaware
1 Security Pin

Posted on Oct 11 2017 09:20 AM

"And yet Coltrane was always willing to risk a "perfect" sounding melodic line just to go "somewhere else"."
This is how I approach music, no strain , no gain. I'm trained in jazz piano but my head was exploded early on by "Giant Steps", really knocked me for a young players loop. Stopped studying classical and got into blues, jazz and avant garde electronic music. Coltrane remains one of those giants who the public is not aware of, but is a constant inspiration to musicians of al genres.

Top

synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4494
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Dec 09 2017 10:41 PM

My background is in jazz. I studied with Dale Bruning in Denver, which was an amazing experience. BTW, Bill Frisell was the student he had before me on his schedule, so when I was 17 I got to hear a 19 year old Bill Frisell playing during his lesson.

I wanted like all hell to play jazz for a living, but one has a better chance of being struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket than making a living in jazz. Nonetheless, I studied Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Wes, Tal and a lot more. I probably spent 20 years playing Joe Pass style solo jazz guitar.

Eventually I decided to play something which might please an audience, so I endeavored to learn to play Rock and Country. I didn’t really pursue Rock until I was 45 years old. I love playing Surf because it demands precision and is a good way to utilize the techniques I learned for jazz. It’s very satisfying. I do a lot of Chet material as well, plus the run of the mill Country and Rock every band seems to end up with. But my jazz side still shows up, on occasion. It’s a wonderful skill to gain.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Top

Las_Barracudas

Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
United States

Posted on Dec 10 2017 08:56 AM

This just released.
New Coltrane

—

METEOR IV on reverbnation

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synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4494
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Dec 10 2017 11:08 PM

There’s even some Miles in there.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » The Shallow End »

It was fifty years ago today - John Coltrane died 17 July 1967

DoNtFearTheReverbBass Joined: May 24, 2008 Posts: 422 Land Locked CINCINNATI OH	Posted on Jul 17 2017 02:19 PM John Coltrane - opens the doors of perception for so many including surfers and surf musicians. So much happened 50 years ago. I was 15-16 driving first time. Many great albums. I got into Jazz in my early teens (13) and studied my guitar through LEARN TO PLAY the VENTURES LPs A letter from my friend John Keene: Sorry to bug you guys with this today, but I'm in a reflective mood. 50 years ago today, Coltrane died at age 40. And with all the reflection on the 50th anniversary of Sgt Pepper (and deservedly so) and the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, this is one that will be overlooked for sure. But I think there's a connection worthy of pointing out. When I look at the 50 year span since Pepper, I also have to look at the 50 years that preceded Pepper - from 1917 to 1967. And what an era as we went from Irving Berlin to Gershwin's use of jazz chords, and then to Cole Porter's variations of both form and harmony as well as lyric use, plus advancements in Broadway musicals and Elvis making the R&B to rock 'n' roll bridge that the Brits picked up on. After Pepper, we had a good ten years indicating a forward progression, then punk and disco and you have to be the judge of which is shit and which is shinola. Of course there are some pearls of shinola peering through the shit, but again - different strokes for different folks. Trane died 50 years ago today on July 17, 1967, and that was preceded by the first jazz recording - the revolutionary "Darktown Strutters Ball" by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917, followed by Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and the big band swing era, then Charlie Parker, Miles, and other beboppers, hard bop/soul jazz, and finally Coltrane/Dolphy/etc. Then after Coltrane, we had a good ten years of Ornette, Mahavishnu, weather Report, ECM, and I'd include the Pat Metheny Group's first band album. In the next forty years, whether it's shit or shinola is up to the individual. Pieces of shinola would shine like Henry Threadgill, Bill Frisell, and others, and I suppose it's up to the individual to compare that to the feculance represented by smooth jazz people. — The mighty KAHUNATONES Don't Fear the Reverb ! Grateful Surf ! SURFIN' Tiki Bandits ! I can be reached through the following or at don@donschott.com. : www.donschott.com www.eyerecords.com www.dontfearreverb.com www.kokopellistages.com Top
Redfeather Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 896	Posted on Jul 18 2017 01:47 AM Coltrane is one of my favorite things. Hats off to him on this day. Top
simoncoil Joined: Sep 28, 2012 Posts: 920 Berlin, Germany	Posted on Jul 18 2017 05:12 AM Thanks for the head's up on this one. I put on a little Coltrane yesterday evening and was again drawn right into it. It's hard to put into words, but (at least for me) Coltrane has this strange powerful presence in his playing, not in the sense of force but more like a really strong sincerity or conviction concerning the playing of music: The notes and melodies are always discernible as statements (even though you can never be sure what they really mean). And yet Coltrane was always willing to risk a "perfect" sounding melodic line just to go "somewhere else". Listen to the studio version of "My Favorite Things": You hear those fast runs and in between them are some notes, where you can clearly hear that he is struggling to reach them. He could simply have left them out, and the recording would still have been one of the most important pieces of jazz. But to dare and to reach for "something else", that (and not just the virtuosity of the saxophone) is what still makes Coltrane's music so relevant for so many people IMHO. For those of you, who don't know it yet, I strongly recommend Ashley Kahn's book on the recording of "A Love Supreme". I read my copy last year, while I was in Livorno (what a combination!), and it really heightened my appreciation of the album (not that it was necessary). And it also left me wondering for a short moment: Will surf music ever achieve that level of art? (Then I realized that sometimes it's also necessary for music just to be accessible and fun.) — Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin) "Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms! "Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records! Top
DoNtFearTheReverbBass Joined: May 24, 2008 Posts: 422 Land Locked CINCINNATI OH	Posted on Jul 18 2017 12:13 PM Aloha Simon: Yes, I feel it too. I do have that book on my vast collection of music industry and bios though I think your memo has just inspired me to delve into it more seriously. I did pick up an Atlantic box (used but in excellent health) recently that had both th studio and live recordings in it. I've had the vinyl FAVORITE THINGS since my later teens. Humm ...surfing favorite things...could be done. — The mighty KAHUNATONES Don't Fear the Reverb ! Grateful Surf ! SURFIN' Tiki Bandits ! I can be reached through the following or at don@donschott.com. : www.donschott.com www.eyerecords.com www.dontfearreverb.com www.kokopellistages.com Top
CousinMary Joined: Nov 16, 2009 Posts: 1075 San Francisco Bay Area	Posted on Oct 10 2017 09:35 PM Aha - just happened upon this thread. Glad to know I am not the only surf fan who loves Trane. My DJ name is based on his composition about his cousin Mary with whom he was very close. He said "She's a very earthy, folksy, swinging person". Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4053 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Oct 11 2017 09:11 AM Don, I missed this post back in July as well but I'm glad Cousin Mary commented and brought it back. Fall is a particularly Jazz inspired season for me, always has been since my late teens. At this point in my life I think it's because it re-connects me with my younger days on the West Side of Buffalo, walking leaf filled city sidewalks with my walkman on, listening to the likes of Coltrane, Duke, Clifford Brown.. I'm always touched by Coltrane's quest for beauty and divinity through his playing, leaving the ego behind and trying to let the music take the controls. He can still stop me dead in my tracks with his tone and phrasing, especially on ballads. It's music of and for the soul and it will always move me. Thanks for your eloquent post. Cheers, Jeff — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
bamboozer Joined: Jan 18, 2010 Posts: 672 Delaware	Posted on Oct 11 2017 09:20 AM "And yet Coltrane was always willing to risk a "perfect" sounding melodic line just to go "somewhere else"." This is how I approach music, no strain , no gain. I'm trained in jazz piano but my head was exploded early on by "Giant Steps", really knocked me for a young players loop. Stopped studying classical and got into blues, jazz and avant garde electronic music. Coltrane remains one of those giants who the public is not aware of, but is a constant inspiration to musicians of al genres. Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4494 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Dec 09 2017 10:41 PM My background is in jazz. I studied with Dale Bruning in Denver, which was an amazing experience. BTW, Bill Frisell was the student he had before me on his schedule, so when I was 17 I got to hear a 19 year old Bill Frisell playing during his lesson. I wanted like all hell to play jazz for a living, but one has a better chance of being struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket than making a living in jazz. Nonetheless, I studied Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Wes, Tal and a lot more. I probably spent 20 years playing Joe Pass style solo jazz guitar. Eventually I decided to play something which might please an audience, so I endeavored to learn to play Rock and Country. I didn’t really pursue Rock until I was 45 years old. I love playing Surf because it demands precision and is a good way to utilize the techniques I learned for jazz. It’s very satisfying. I do a lot of Chet material as well, plus the run of the mill Country and Rock every band seems to end up with. But my jazz side still shows up, on occasion. It’s a wonderful skill to gain. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
Las_Barracudas Joined: Apr 24, 2011 Posts: 1087 Surf City, NC	Posted on Dec 10 2017 08:56 AM This just released. New Coltrane — METEOR IV on reverbnation Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4494 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Dec 10 2017 11:08 PM There’s even some Miles in there. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top