Ask Ellery Eskelin

[Lois Gilbert]

Thanks Ellery for registering. I'm sure the posts will come shortly.

Peace and again thank you for your support
Lois

[Ellery Eskelin]

Thanks Lois!

This place looks pretty spiffy...great job.

So, I'm open for business...

EE

[DavidM]

Hi Ellery,

I noticed that you had been involved in a recent thread concerning mouthpieces and reeds. Just wondering what your take is on mouthpieces. I'm trying to avoid developing a mouthpiece obsession, but need help!

David

[Paul B]

x

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by DavidM
Hi Ellery,

I noticed that you had been involved in a recent thread concerning mouthpieces and reeds. Just wondering what your take is on mouthpieces. I'm trying to avoid developing a mouthpiece obsession, but need help!

David

Hi David,
Thanks for writing. Yea, a mouthpiece obsession is probably gonna be distracting. I've been pretty lucky in avoiding that although the process of developing and refining one's sound is a constant endeavor. I think it really is about hearing the sound you want in your head and then making that happen over time. A long time, I might add. I started playing when I was ten years old and I think it was probably around age 27 that I began to feel like I really had something centered. Since then my sound has continued to change and now I'm 43. I don't mean to sound discouraging at all. I was happy with my sound in general all along but it seems like it takes awhile before a sound really gets...what's the word...I don't know but I'm still really working hard on it, especially in terms of the recording process.

My sound is kinda built for live performance without microphones and I think that came from practicing in dead rooms or even outdoors when the occasion provided itself. I also played a lot with Hammond B3 organ growing up (my mother plays) as well as a short stint with the late Brother Jack McDuff in the mid '80s. The organ is just full of overtones and is a huge sound to have to content with. Also, as a tenor player I did play a little baritone saxophone for a short while and found that a week on the road with the baritone really helped center my sound on tenor when I got back on it. I sort of began playing the tenor with the auditory and physical expectation of what it felt like when I had the baritone really locked in and vibrating on those low notes. So all of that helped with my sound production.

As far as mouthpieces though, I think what you have to do is get something that feels good, has the response you like and is in the ballpark of the sound you want and simply give it plenty of time. Switching back and forth a lot is likely to be confusing as things change from day to day with reeds, the rooms you're in, the bands you're with and even your own body. I recall being on tour some years back and having to abandon the mouthpiece I'd been playing for many years because it had gotten to the point where it just wouldn't play any more. It was a metal Otto Link that had been through hell, no plating left on it, dents and scratches on it, the tip was gouged up and I finally couldn't get any reeds to play at all. So I took out my back-up mouthpiece, a rubber Otto Link, and started using it for the rest of the tour. It played similarly to the metal but it took some getting used to, especially all at once on a gig. I vacillated between loving it and hating it several times each set. But it forced me to tough it out and by about a week or two I was set. I've only changed once since then and that's only been to make a subtle adjustment in the upper partials since the Otto Link I had was actually a little bright in the top end (which can be unusual for that piece). So now I'm playing a Lamberson which is built to be very similar to the Link. But it's the darkest sounding model they have and so it seems to satisfy me both live and in the studio. I've had it about a year and a half and I'd say it took a year before I felt like I was really getting it to sing overall. And it'll probably take another few years before I feel like I really know it.

Beyond this I'm not sure what else I can offer without knowing more about your situation, how long you've bee playing, what you're going for, what you're using. Let me know and I'll be glad to offer anything else I can.

EE

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by Paul B
Ellery, let me take this oppportunity to tell you how awesome your gig with Sylvie Courvoisier and Vincent Courtois at Tonic was. A really enjoyable show. Nothing seemed cliched or run-of-the-mill.

Thanks Paul B! It was nice to see you there. I was happy with that concert in as much as I felt like the group really got past the music as written on the page and into some nice zones of improvisation. That was only the second time we'd played together, the first being about a year ago in Paris. We each brought in music to play and it took a lot of preparation to get it ready for that first gig. And being as we were on a festival there was a more than subtle feeling of a time constraint which affected the music I think. This time there was no one performing after us and so we didn't even have to think about time. And beforehand we had agreed to make the improvisation the most important part of the music, meaning that even though we were playing the pieces pretty much as we rehearsed them, we felt that if the music went somewhere else we would let it go there and even forget about the composed stuff if need be. So that helped to open up the music quite a lot as we were able to simply be in the moment at all times and not worry about getting anywhere by a certain time.

Your tune, the last the group played, seemed basically to be a simple motif that led into improvisation. Where there parameters for the players to follow, or cued ideas (a la Rova, or Cobra), or were the players pretty much free to improvise on their own terms?

My tune was written as a through composed (non sectional) piece, about a page long, in which on a cue from me we would jump off the page and into improvisation and then on cue again back to the page from where we had left off to continue on until the next cue out and so on. We were free to improvise whatever we wanted and I specified that it need not sound like the written but that it could contrast as much as we wanted. I like the effect of suddenly being in a new place and not having to develop your way there and back if you don't want to. I feel like we can create our own architecture in the improvising and improvise like composers rather than soloists.

Anyway, a helluva show. I hope to hear this trio again. Any plans to record?

We would like to but it's tough to get together since Vincent lives in Paris. But I think we'll make it happen.

And thanks for staying on this board; it's appreciated by many people.

My pleasure. Keep those cards and letters coming...

EE

[ryans]

ellery, how about recording that trio for hatology? it seemed for awhile your releases were one with the parkins/black trio alternating with a recording of a different group. Will this continue? we're getting a new trio record soon, any idea what the next will be or lineup ideas?? thanks for taking time to answer our questions.

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by ryans
ellery, how about recording that trio for hatology? it seemed for awhile your releases were one with the parkins/black trio alternating with a recording of a different group. Will this continue? we're getting a new trio record soon, any idea what the next will be or lineup ideas?? thanks for taking time to answer our questions.

Ryans,
Thanks for writing. Yea, the next one out (in April/May) is with Andrea & Jim and is called "Arcanum Moderne". There's a project that we're planning to record this summer that will be different but I'm gonna wait to mention what it is until we actually get it done. There's been a couple of ideas over the years that were given the go ahead yet had to be delayed or rethought due to various reasons.

I will however be co-leading a group put together by David Liebman for a hatOLOGY release this year. Dave and I are writing music for it and it will also feature Mike Formanek on bass and Jim Black on drums. I'm looking forward to that as Dave was actually one of my first teachers. I first met Dave in 1981 when he did a workshop at the university I attended. I moved to NY in 1983, tracked him down for lessons and then wound up subbing for him on a Terumasa Hino gig at Sweet Basil's in '84 or '85 (with Ron McLure & Billy Hart) which was probably my first gig in a high profile NYC jazz club. I remember meeting David Murray that night, who was in the back listening and was very encouraging. Then Dave and I played our first gig together in 1987 as part of "double band" concept that he put together for a Coltrane tribute concert at Soundscape. More recently we recorded with drummer John Hollenbeck, then did a 2 tenors & drums gig with John shortly after that. So we'll have a little something behind us on this one.

And I continue to record and perform with other bands as well. Drummer Gerry Hemingway will be releasing a quartet project that features Ray Anderson, Mark Dresser and myself in May. By the way, Gerry will be on the "Musician's Show" on WKCR this Wednesday the 26th from 6 to 9 pm. Maybe he'll play something from that recording on the program. You can get WKCR on the web at www.wkcr.org

Last January I did some improvisations with pianist Paul Plimley & zheng player Mei Han and there's a good chance that will be released sometime later this year. And there will likely be some other things as well.

As for my band, we've been playing now since 1994 and it just keeps going. A steady working band is just a valuable asset, particularly these days. As long as we continue to develop I'll continue to document the group. We've been fortunate that interest has been steady over these years. Oftentimes promoters tend to want a new project every year so to be able to tour a steady group is a great thing. And I've been fortunate that hatOLOGY has expressed a desire to document this group as it was really the support of that label to develop us and our audience that has carried us through. And that is a rare things these days!

Thanks,
EE

[DavidM]

Ellery,

Thanks for your reply. I'm 45 and have been playing for about 2 years. Almost 25 years ago I inherited my great uncles late 20's Conn tenor, and while I messed around with it for a while, never pursued learning to really play. I was considered virtually tone deaf as a kid, so I never thought I could play an instrument. For some reason two years ago the spirit moved me to take a look at the horn I've been dragging around with me over the years. I had the horn overhauled and have been really hooked ever since. I've been taking lessons from a good instuctor, and continue to be amazed that I can play some tunes.

I've been playing two Morgan HR pieces (6M and 6EL) and have been very pleased with both. While both are fairly dark, the EL is a bit brighter and edgier, and seems to offset the dark nature of the Conn. The lurking mouthpiece obsession really grows out of curiousity and a desire to experiment. I live in Boulder, CO, which is a good music town, but definitely not a horn town. So it really isn't possible to travel down to the local music shop and try out mouthpieces. However, your advice to stick with a piece that is comfortable and at least close to the desired sound seems solid. I think I have that now and will keep giving it time.

It turns out that the real challenge for me coming to music later in life is rythmn and playing in time. Other than spending time with the metronome, do you have any advice?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply! Come play in Boulder someday!

David

[Sergio Zamora]

Ellery,

Originally posted by Ellery Eskelin
As for my band, we've been playing now since 1994 and it just keeps going. A steady working band is just a valuable asset, particularly these days.

It's definitely impressive that you guys continue to consistently make good creative music for so long. Aside from the economic difficulties of keeping a steady band, I think there somtimes tends to be a loss in creativity, which you guys have happily managed to avoid.

Do you think having other projects and performances outside of the band helps you guys keep the trio music so fresh and exciting?

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Hey EE, it's good to see you on this side of Speakeasy.

Hope you're doing well!

DG

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by DavidM


It turns out that the real challenge for me coming to music later in life is rythmn and playing in time. Other than spending time with the metronome, do you have any advice?

Hi David,
Sounds like you have a mouthpiece you like, good.

As for playing in time, you might try thinking of that as being the fundamental aspect of your playing that informs everything else, at least in those situations where you're playing in time. Sometimes we get hung up on thinking so separately about the sound or the notes that we can subconsciously remove ourselves from the feel. Let it all come from rhythm and don't play anything you don't feel.

I don't do much big band playing these days but at one time I did. And one of the best lessons about sight-reading in those situations was that the rhythm and the time were king. I would sacrifice notes and correct pitches in the process of simply playing the phrases in time and with a good rhythmic feel. You get the notes next time.

As for the metronome, have you ever tried things like putting the click on beats 2 and 4 while swinging your lines? That might help get the feel. And I'm never afraid to tap my foot when I play even though in school they used to tell us not to. Ultimately you should be able to play without doing that and so it shouldn't become a crutch. But I do feel it's important to get the time in your body.

One thing that I think every horn player can benefit from is simply practicing tunes and playing on them all by yourself, in time with no rhythm section. Keep the tempo and try to get your time as good as any drummers. That way you don't have to lean on anyone when it comes time to play with a band. But I would recommend using the metronome for a long time just so you can get used to telling when your speeding up or slowing down

Thanks again for taking the time to reply! Come play in Boulder someday!

Would love to and as I always say to anyone who asks when we're coming to their town, please tell the local promoters in your area that you'd like to hear us. Very often that helps!

EE

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by Sergio Zamora
Ellery,



It's definitely impressive that you guys continue to consistently make good creative music for so long. Aside from the economic difficulties of keeping a steady band, I think there somtimes tends to be a loss in creativity, which you guys have happily managed to avoid.

Do you think having other projects and performances outside of the band helps you guys keep the trio music so fresh and exciting?

Hi Sergio,
Thanks for writing. Yes, I definitely feel that each of us doing so many other projects helps out when we get together and do an ongoing band. And this is probably the norm for most musicians these days as no one band can support everyone financially throughout the year. And I prefer doing it this way as it lessens the tensions and problems that can arise when one band has to be everyone's only creative outlet for any length of time. So yes, it does help keep things fresh and I think it helps with our longevity as well.

EE

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by Dennis Gonzalez
Hey EE, it's good to see you on this side of Speakeasy.

Hope you're doing well!

DG

Hi Dennis,
Doing fine thanks...and same to you!!

I did the anti-war march in Manhattan yesterday so this is very much on my mind at the moment. It was a great feeling to be out on the streets with so many other people (estimates ranged from 100,000 to 300,000). I know there are differing views on this and I don't bring it up to start anything but it was a powerful day and I just wanted to share. No matter what people think of this situation I do want to express the fact that contrary to what some folks may think, protest is in fact patriotic and that disagreeing with this administration is not anti American (although I did hear one protester shout "US out of North America!"). But hey, it's a large group of people and you can't paint them all with the same brush, even though the media tries hard to do just that.

And I ran into some friends of mine too...Josh Roseman (trombonist), Steve Bernstein (trumpet) and a bunch of other folks had a street band going and folks were getting WHIPPED UP dancing and chanting. At the end the police blocked people from exiting and started pushing them backwards, and from my point of view largely instigated some of the trouble that was reported on the news. I was taking video at the time and have some of this on tape.

But anyway, I know we're here to discuss music and so lets do that. Lets keep it positive and remember that music is a positive force in the world.

And so Dennis, I do hope we can get it together to play before much longer.


Peace,
Ellery

[Rob C]

Ellery: I see on your website that you have a fall U.S. tour planned? Any chance that you guys will be coming through Chicago? We've been waiting!

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by Rob C
Ellery: I see on your website that you have a fall U.S. tour planned? Any chance that you guys will be coming through Chicago? We've been waiting!

Hi Rob,
That's a "south of NYC" tour to be precise. It'll probably be a week and will stretch as far south as the Carolinas. As for Chicago we do have several interested contacts there but it's a matter of stringing together a group of concerts to and from. We did it some years back, we played the Empty Bottle a couple of times. Would love to return. But it will probably have to be a separate journey from the "south of NYC" leg. But this has been on my to-do list for some time and I think it's probably next up since we've done the west coast a couple/few times now so it may be time for the midwest. Probably not before the fall and maybe closer to spring '04 though. Hang in there!

Thanks
EE

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by David Gitin
Ellery, I'm interested in all your projects, but the possibility of a disc (West Coast gig?) with Paul Plimley really caught my attention. Cheers, David

Hi David,
Actually I did a Vancouver gig with Paul last summer, along with drummer Tom Rainey. And the thing with Mei Han came out of an internet multi-city linkup that we did this past November. What I was referring to was a recording that I made with Paul and Mei in January in Vancouver that may be released soon. I was playing in Vancouver with my group and so I simply went to Paul's house that afternoon and did some improvising with he and Mei. I haven't heard it yet but Paul likes it and so I'm waiting for it to arrive in the mail. And so I assume that there could be some further performance possibilities and if so you'll certainly hear about it.

Thanks,
EE

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by David Gitin
Sorry I missed that opportunity up in Vancouver! I look forward to your next Left Coast visit.

Hi David,
Yea, I like coming out there a lot. I have relatives in LA which is always fun. And I really like the bay area too. It's all good, really... We did have one recent offer that turned out to conflict with our schedule but we intend to follow up as soon as we can.

EE

[Ellery Eskelin]

Hi Folks,
Gerry Hemingway wanted me to remind ya'll about the gig at Joe's Pub in Manhattan this Sunday evening. I just posted the details on the board's calendar.

Come say hi...

EE

[brain]

Hi Ellery,

I was wondering where you do your practicing and rehearsals. I know some in NYC have buildings of musicians, while others have to rent rehearsal space, and the situation varies from person to person. It seems like that would be a complicated situation for people in bigger cities. I live in an apartment but I have a few schools where I could practice any time. Plus, it gets me out of here and out and about, which is good.

See ya,
Brian

[Ellery Eskelin]

Hi Brian,
I've been fortunate that no one has complained about my practicing. I live in a building with other musicians, actors and artists so there's a little more slack. But I try not to push it and so I generally practice more or less in the closet, with the door open and putting the bell of the horn up against the cloths to absorb the sound. I like practicing in a dead room anyway. I've even had groups in the apartment before but pretty low level playing. No drum sets, just a snare and cymbal.

But I usually rent a practice room for the band so that we can stretch out and play at full volume. There's a nice room just down the block from me. In fact, I was just there with Gerry Hemingway this morning, rehearsing for tomorrow's gig.

I sometimes fantasize about having a house with amps and drums set up all the time. Maybe one day. But I love the city. Don't need a car, lots going on. I don't see myself going anywhere anytime soon. Actually my real fantasy would be to have a city place and a country place. Dreams are cool, right?

So what's "the haps" in TX these days??

[brain]

When I was at Banff, there was this tenor player and I think his name was Joakim Milder. He said that he had an apartment and he had to play really soft. He practiced at a really quiet volume with a towel in his bell. He had our combo, about 7 of us, play the theme from Mathis de Mahler (Hindemith) at ppp volume an improvise over it for about 15 minutes. It was very tough! But I got a lot out of doing it.

I have a practice mute but I can't play when I think I might be bothering someone as I get self-conscious about the noise and it affects how I play.

That's cool there is a space nearby for you. Do you mind if I ask what the rate is for it. I wish I could hear the gig tomorrow night. I really enjoy Songs. Fantastic CD.

"Actually my real fantasy would be to have a city place and a country place. Dreams are cool, right?"

Dreams are way cool! I have the same fantasy, although mine mainly centers on having a city (NYC) place as I live pretty close to the country already. While I don't live in the country, most of my family does, so it is nice to visit.

There's not much as far as the haps go here. I've been writing a lot and listening, going to some show, and teaching as always and trying to take advantage of the down time because I know that I'll soon be busier again.

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by brain
When I was at Banff, there was this tenor player and I think his name was Joakim Milder. He said that he had an apartment and he had to play really soft. He practiced at a really quiet volume with a towel in his bell. He had our combo, about 7 of us, play the theme from Mathis de Mahler (Hindemith) at ppp volume an improvise over it for about 15 minutes. It was very tough! But I got a lot out of doing it.

There's a CD on hatOLOGY by Guillermo Gregorio, Mats Gustafsson and Kjell Nordeson called "Background Music" in which the entire CD is played at a very low volume. It's one of my favorites.

But I don't think I could practice that way for too long without going nuts...

I have a practice mute but I can't play when I think I might be bothering someone as I get self-conscious about the noise and it affects how I play.

Yea, ya definitely need a place where you don't have to feel self conscious.

That's cool there is a space nearby for you. Do you mind if I ask what the rate is for it.

It's about $20 to $25 an hour depending on the time of day. That's for the big room. They also rent small individual practice rooms for pretty cheap. Other studios go for much more so I consider this place a bargain, especially as it has windows to the outside. Some rehearsal studios are like sensory deprivation chambers (no windows, weird lighting, all gray walls, very muffled sound) and you can really start to lose it after a few hours.

I wish I could hear the gig tomorrow night.

It'll be interesting to see the direction it takes since the process of doing it live is so different than the recording process was.

There's not much as far as the haps go here. I've been writing a lot and listening, going to some show, and teaching as always and trying to take advantage of the down time because I know that I'll soon be busier again.

All right, let us know when you're next venturing out on tour...

[brain]

Hey EE,

I'll have to check out that CD you talked about. Yeah, I start to get jittery playing that quiet for too long. It requires maybe more patience than I have!

Music school practice rooms are like those studios you mentioned. No windows, gray, blank walls. Sorry to keep harping on it, but the coolest place I've ever practiced was at Banff, which is up in the mountains and forest. There were these cool little cabins, all with baby grand pianos, some lamps, and windows. You could be practicing and watch elk walk by or just the spectacular scenery. That would be my ideal country place.

Speaking of rehearsal studios, I rented this Beastie Boys video anthology and they show this video that was shot in this Manhattan studio that they rented, which was 5 stories down into the ground, with really low ceilings. They said it used to be a prison and that NYC used to have underground prisons. I don't know if that's true.

I like the black hat. Clark Terry has his hat and now you've got yours. You looked so young in the first picture!

See ya,
Brian

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by brain
the coolest place I've ever practiced was at Banff, which is up in the mountains and forest.

I’ve heard so much about that place but haven’t yet seen it. Sounds wonderful.

You could be practicing and watch elk walk by or just the spectacular scenery.

Here in NYC we get to see the national guard walking by, armed to the teeth, along with a parade of police and military vehicles. That shit makes me nervous...

Speaking of rehearsal studios, I rented this Beastie Boys video anthology and they show this video that was shot in this Manhattan studio that they rented, which was 5 stories down into the ground, with really low ceilings. They said it used to be a prison and that NYC used to have underground prisons. I don't know if that's true.

Wow, I’d never heard that, about underground prisons. I did a quick web search and didn’t turn up anything. Anybody know anything about this?

I like the black hat. Clark Terry has his hat and now you've got yours. You looked so young in the first picture!

Thanks, I like the hat too. It’s hard to find a good hat. What I need now is a summer version, a porkpie with a “stingy brim”. Oh, and that other picture was not me, that was a picture of my son taken a year or so ago. People say he looks like me...

By the way, the Hemingway gig tonight was cool. It felt great to play real loose and free on pop kinda stuff with vocals. I could even imagine doing that with certain pop music I hear from time to time. Sometimes I think about what it would be like playing with some of those bands...I think it would sound great. Convincing them could be another story though...

And one other item...the new issue of All About Jazz NY (April 2003) has an article in it that I wrote about reaching the 20 year mark in NYC. It’s around town (free) and I think it’s also download-able on their website. Don’t recall the web address but it’s probably something intuitive.

EE

[brain]

"Here in NYC we get to see the national guard walking by, armed to the teeth, along with a parade of police and military vehicles. That shit makes me nervous..."

Wow. No kidding. I didn't know it was like that. I've never seen anything like that.

I searched around a little about the underground prisons. I guess the Beasties were joking around.

I figured that was your son. He looked pretty happy!

It is good to see that the gig the other night was fun. It seems like with a really funky rhythm section, a horn player could do whatever they want, and it would still work.

I enjoyed the article in AllAboutJazz. Along the lines of what you were saying, whenever I'm in New York, I feel like I'm plugged into an electrical outlet. It has crazy overwhelming energy. I guess people that live there or have always gone there get used to it, but it is just so different from what I know. I'm looking forward to getting back up there but only in small doses.

B

[Ellery Eskelin]

Originally posted by brain
(EE said) "Here in NYC we get to see the national guard walking by, armed to the teeth, along with a parade of police and military vehicles. That shit makes me nervous..."

(B Said) Wow. No kidding. I didn't know it was like that. I've never seen anything like that.

I’ve seen it a lot in foreign countries and now we’re seeing it here. It’s not like there’s a guy with a rifle on every corner but there is a military presence in the city. When I came home from the gig last Sunday night there were guys in camouflage carrying serious military type rifles hanging out in the subway at Times Square. And when I went up to street level there was a line of vehicles along 42nd Street. As far as I could see it wasn’t a response to a specific problem or event, it was simply a presence. Folks who drive into the city tell me that they see this at the tunnel entrances and exists as well.

It’s worrisome to me since I feel that with regard to the policies that have led to this war there is much more than meets the eye. The circle of advisors around Bush have been planning to Invade Iraq for many years and now that they are in power and now that the US has been shocked by 9/11 they are instituting a plan that was regarded as quite extreme when it was first floated sometime around or just after the Gulf War, that of preemption. And there is more than a little evidence that it may not stop with Iraq. And so this is why I speak out so much on the issue of protest and why I don’t like to see protest in the US characterized as anti-American. Our rights at home are being clamped down on in the name of security already and that’s a dangerous trend.

I figured that was your son. He looked pretty happy!

He’s a pretty happy guy. Hell, he’s 4 years old, I hope he’s happy! He’s a lot of fun too, it’s great seeing him put things together in his mind. I have to be very careful because he's always a potential step or two ahead of where I think he might be. If something I say is the least little bit inconsistent he points it out and won’t give up until it’s been clarified. Good kid!!

It is good to see that the gig the other night was fun. It seems like with a really funky rhythm section, a horn player could do whatever they want, and it would still work.

Yea, that’s true but in this case I think it had to do with the looseness. Gerry is not what you’d call a funk drummer but when he sounds great when he plays these grooves since they are very much made up on the spot in a way. Same with Kermit on the bass. It’s based on the patterns yet there’s nothing taken for granted. For example, that cut “Out of the Trees” off of the “Songs” CD has Kermit dropping out on certain beats of the pattern, sometimes even the downbeats, along with Gerry. They leave these holes where you might not expect and it really opens up the whole sound. So it’s becomes more about the phrasing and that’s where I really live. When I was coming up the emphasis was all on notes, about going outside the harmony and coming back harmonically. But when you do things with phrasing then even “inside” notes can be given a new lease on life ad be made to sound quite out there.

I enjoyed the article in AllAboutJazz. Along the lines of what you were saying, whenever I'm in New York, I feel like I'm plugged into an electrical outlet. It has crazy overwhelming energy. I guess people that live there or have always gone there get used to it, but it is just so different from what I know. I'm looking forward to getting back up there but only in small doses.

I suppose you get used to it but I have to say, I’m always pretty much aware when I step out the door that this is NY F***ING CITY. That’s not so say it’s manic all the time, quite the contrary, Central Park for example is an amazing oasis. And when you scratch the surface of certain neighborhoods it like lots of little communities within the whole city. But still...it’s New York. But I’ve always liked the kick in the pants. It’s great to know that you can always find someone else who takes what they do as seriously as you take what you do, puts their life on the line really, since surviving here can require certain sacrifices.

for those interested in reading that article, I posted the link to it from my web site. The liner notes to the new CD “Aracanum Moderne” are posted on the site as well. That CD is due out at the end of this month.

EE

[brain]

(sure is a bummer having to remember to always be messing with the cookies all the time-just had a message erased because i have to continually sign in) anyway....enough bitching...

Hey Ellery,
I see what you mean about the looseness and the new possibilities for phrasing. Your playing on Songs has quite a "slippery" (to quote Han Bennink) feel. It's not like you are playing the outest notes, but it even makes me feel uncomfortable (no offense) at times. I like being uncomfortable, though, in a good way. Sometimes, it seems, too, that in combination with a different approach in tone (like on track 6), it seems flat to me, although I know it is not really flat. It just has sort of a "flat" effect. That probably doesn't make any sense. Maybe it has something to do with the velocity and melodic shapes working together as well.

I'm looking forward to hitting some NYC record shops this weekends. Which ones do you like? I know DMG is great and Other Music. I really liked Academy the last time I was there.

See ya,
Brian

[Ellery Eskelin]

Ellery Eskelin
31 April-9th-2003 at 02:25 AM

Originally posted by brain
(sure is a bummer having to remember to always be messing with the cookies all the time-just had a message erased because i have to continually sign in) anyway....enough bitching...

Hi Brian,
I’m not sure how all that works but I think there’s a “how to” thread on the boards that could address that issue. Sounds like maybe you have them turned off in general.

I see what you mean about the looseness and the new possibilities for phrasing. Your playing on Songs has quite a "slippery" (to quote Han Bennink) feel. It's not like you are playing the outest notes, but it even makes me feel uncomfortable (no offense) at times. I like being uncomfortable, though, in a good way.

Yea, slippery was the word Han used although I don’t really think of it that way. Actually I’m not even 100% sure what it means except to say that my phrasing is not square to the bar. But stretching phrases or time is not really what I think of. It’s actually more literal than that, simply putting it where I hear it.

Sometimes, it seems, too, that in combination with a different approach in tone (like on track 6), it seems flat to me, although I know it is not really flat. It just has sort of a "flat" effect. That probably doesn't make any sense. Maybe it has something to do with the velocity and melodic shapes working together as well.

It all works together I think. Timbre effects often have to do with pitch. I usually don’t think about playing “in tune” although I am always aware of where the pitch of anything I play is in relation to everything else. And while I might play something harmonically removed I’m not really thinking so much about harmony in every case.

Someone once asked me “what’s your harmonic concept” and I was actually kinda thrown for a loop. I guess it’s pretty basic. It all boils down to V-I really. But other things can affect harmony too, and so I actually don’t like to sum it all up too easily since that could be limiting and is actually kind of antithetical to my creative process. I’m a more intuitive kinda person.

I'm looking forward to hitting some NYC record shops this weekends. Which ones do you like? I know DMG is great and Other Music. I really liked Academy the last time I was there.

DMG and Other Music are the ones I know best. Anyone else have suggestions for Brian?

[Ellery Eskelin]

Ellery Eskelin
32 Ask EE Archives April-12th-2003 at 04:38 AM

Wanted to let folks know that since the transfer of the archives from the old boards is taking a little longer than anticipated I decided to make the archives of this thread available on my website until the change is made here. I saved them since many of the questions involve ideas that I often later use in articles, liner notes and interviews, so it’s been good for me to have the opportunity to try and articulate some of these things and hash them out here first.

You can find the archives on my web site under the “writings” link.

Also, I’ve gotten a couple of e-mails from folks that say they lurk here and so I’d just like to invite those people to go ahead and ask a question. Same to all you regulars as well, keep ‘em coming. I venture outside of this thread from time to time and have enjoyed the exchanges but can’t really devote as much time as I’d like to going through all the different topics. So thanks and hope to see some of you on the road in the near future...

EE