Sonny Sharrock on Improvisation..

I don't know of Sonny Sharrock, and maybe he plays like an angel. But he sure talks a lot. ( is that the bit that is controversial ) Unlike a lot of great improvisers. Thinking of master improvisers like Paul Desmond, who was a musician of few words, and spoke mostly through his instrument.
 
You seem to be suggesting that to be a great improviser you have to be inarticulate too?

Dave Liebman (and many others) might respectfully disagree.

And Sonny Sharrock is a rather good player too.
 
Nick Wyver said:
You seem to be suggesting that to be a great improviser you have to be inarticulate too?

Dave Liebman (and many others) might respectfully disagree.

And Sonny Sharrock is a rather good player too.
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No. You obviously don't need to be inarticulate to be a great improviser, in fact Paul Desmond was a writer as well as a great improviser, he just preferred to not write about improvising/ jazz, he preferred to play it. ( which I kinda like) The point I was making is that this piece of writing on improvisation is the same as what you would read on any web site, re. Improvisation, nothing devastating new. Perhaps I could have taken the time to check Sonny out, and compare his notes.
But what is probably more to the point, as a member of the forum, I have a right to an opinion, I also post on YOUR SOUNDCLIPS for other members to enjoy or comment on unlike some contributors on this site who challenge other opinions, and speak with great authority , but never post any examples of how they play themselves.
 
Jamesmac said:
But what is probably more to the point, as a member of the forum, I have a right to an opinion, I also post on YOUR SOUNDCLIPS for other members to enjoy or comment on unlike some contributors on this site who challenge other opinions, and speak with great authority , but never post any examples of how they play themselves.
Click to expand...

Yup. Of course you do - as do we all. Thank you for clarifying your point. I quite like reading about the thought processes of other musicians. I find it interesting how many different ways there are to skin a cat.

BTW (in case the last bit was a dig at me 🙂 ) if you look really hard you will find a clip I posted some years ago. Although it was just a bit of fun it probably represents what I like doing (apart from playing live in a band - which is what I prefer to do most). Recording myself just doesn't much appeal to me.
 
Nick Wyver said:
Yup. Of course you do - as do we all. Thank you for clarifying your point. I quite like reading about the thought processes of other musicians. I find it interesting how many different ways there are to skin a cat.

BTW (in case the last bit was a dig at me 🙂 ) if you look really hard you will find a clip I posted some years ago. Although it was just a bit of fun it probably represents what I like doing (apart from playing live in a band - which is what I prefer to do most). Recording myself just doesn't much appeal to me.
Click to expand...


The sax is a solo instrument, and has the ingredients to inspire. Personally I have the utmost respect for the players who contribute to the forum their musical endeavours, and the starters who have the balls to post, and make this forum more than a talking shop.
 
Nick Wyver said:
............. playing live in a band - which is what I prefer to do most). Recording myself just doesn't much appeal to me.
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Oh how I agree Nick - I've spent the last couple of months recording for BOTM. I've pulled my hair out learning how to record, work Audacity, upload to Soundcloud......and have decided I hate it! It brings out the worst in me, I sound awful, but playing live brings out the best in me (provided I don't know that anyone is recording it!) :thumb:


Re the article - I found it very interesting and also like the idea of just developing one's own style as he suggests towards the end - I just don't sound like anyone else as much as I try lol! :thumb:
 
it should be noted that the Sharrock 'essay' is in fact from an interview with Guitar Player magazine and it would be unusual for a musician not to 'talk a lot' about music when being interviewed by a music magazine. If he didn't talk a lot, then there wouldn't have been anything worth publishing...
I can't find the original interview, but here's another one, equally interesting - http://www.guitarplayer.com/Default.aspx?tabid=84&ArticleId=6123

and yes, the late great Mr Sharrock did indeed play like an angel, here he is in action with some other angelic beings (am I allowed to say that, or will Kev tell me off for 'mentioning religion'?) -
http://youtu.be/mgzkdFvrWqM
 
altissimo said:
and yes, the late great Mr Sharrock did indeed play like an angel, here he is in action with some other angelic beings (am I allowed to say that, or will Kev tell me off for 'mentioning religion'?) -
http://youtu.be/mgzkdFvrWqM
Click to expand...
Mr Brotzman.... you monster.... absolutely terrifying, yet auxilerating, sax player (saw him live recently- he shreds a reed pretty much every song- ended up standing in a small pile of frayed teonr reeds by the end of the gig!)....
 
Jules said:
Mr Brotzman.... you monster.... absolutely terrifying, yet auxilerating, sax player (saw him live recently- he shreds a reed pretty much every song- ended up standing in a small pile of frayed teonr reeds by the end of the gig!)....
Click to expand...

Looks like he might do the same to tarogato reeds as well.
 
I've not found him to have quite the raw belligerence on Taragoto... his reeds probably last, oo - say, two or three numbers. Saw Peter Brotzman in Brighton while I was ufffering a raging toothache, it seemed oddly fitting.......
 
I've not seen Brotzmann for years, is he still wearing that leather trench coat and playing a Berg Larsen...? He had a piece of sheet metal soldered under the crook of his tenor, presumably some kind of reinforcement to withstand the hurricane blast of his playing - there's a pic here - http://noiselab.com/blog/por-que-debes-ver-a-peter-brotzmann-hoy-en-el-festival-aural/
and here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabiolug/4318732638/

He's probably the main reason I took up the sax... which might explain my lack of gigs...
 
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