Wynton and Willie: Two men with the Blues

Peterdubya · June-9th-2008, 02:37 PM

The New CD just came out, and I love it.

It's all 'standards' like "My Buckets Got a Hole in it", "Caledonia", "Georgia", "Stardust", "Aint nobody's Business" etc.

It's a relaxed, swingin', bluesy, fun date all the way through.

Willie sounds nice in this setting, his phrasing works great here with the jazz band. It's Wynton's band, Walter Blandings, Dan Nimmer, Carlos Henriques, and ALi JAckson, also on hand is Willie's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael.

I think this is a winner all the way through. Wynton plays great, yes I said GREAT all the way through. His soloing and his fills are tasteful, swingin', and really good!

I love this CD.

Valerie · June-9th-2008, 02:48 PM

heard a cut on KKJZ this morning. sounded good. i think it was "ain't nobody's business".

Cem · June-9th-2008, 02:54 PM

I'm curious, want to hear this.
It just might be Wynton's ticket out of the dog house...

Squaredancecalling Steve · June-9th-2008, 03:00 PM

Tempting. I haven't bought a Wynton CD since.... No, wait, that was Branford. This would be the first. But I love Willie, and the idea's cool. I'll listen to some samples.

Willie was great with The Tin Hat Trio on Rodeo Eroded, although only on a single cut. Ben Goldberg talked of a future album-length collaboration with Willie and the new Tin Hat, but nothing's come of it so far.

shrugs · June-9th-2008, 07:15 PM

the Willie on Piano Jazz was a hoot!

shrugs · June-9th-2008, 07:19 PM

I seem to remember some nice work by Wynton on Citizen Tain.

Rob Damen · June-10th-2008, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cem

I'm curious, want to hear this.
It just might be Wynton's ticket out of the dog house...

Not much of a house, really, even for a dog

Cheers,

Rob

Tom Storer · June-10th-2008, 01:09 AM

Sounds promising. I heard a recording of a couple of songs that Bob Dylan did in concert backed by Wynton's band, and it worked out really well. It's basically Wynton minus pretention, just a tight, swinging back-up band. What's not to like?

Robert de St. Loup · June-10th-2008, 11:46 AM

Waylon and Willie : Wynton and Willie :: Dick York : Dick Sargent

Rob Damen · June-10th-2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

It's basically Wynton minus pretention, just a tight, swinging back-up band. What's not to like?

Yikes ...

I'm sure it's a good record minus the silly assertions made about those involved.

Cheers,

Rob

tippy · June-10th-2008, 02:36 PM

Who's Willie?

Squaredancecalling Steve · June-10th-2008, 02:40 PM

AJFarber · June-10th-2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

Sounds promising. I heard a recording of a couple of songs that Bob Dylan did in concert backed by Wynton's band, and it worked out really well. It's basically Wynton minus pretention, just a tight, swinging back-up band. What's not to like?

Where did you hear that? At a J@LC Gala? I wrote the arrangement of "Don't Think Twice, It's all right". That was a couple of years ago.

I also did 3 charts for the Wynton & Willie CD.

Now, there's some shameless self-promotion for you.

Elliot · June-10th-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

I heard a recording of a couple of songs that Bob Dylan did in concert backed by Wynton's band, and it worked out really well.

Are those recordings available anywhere?

Robert de St. Loup · June-10th-2008, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tippy

Who's Willie?

Tom Storer · June-11th-2008, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AJFarber

Where did you hear that? At a J@LC Gala? I wrote the arrangement of "Don't Think Twice, It's all right". That was a couple of years ago.

I also did 3 charts for the Wynton & Willie CD.

Now, there's some shameless self-promotion for you.

Congratulations! Yes, it was a J@LC thing--it was floating around the Internet and I grabbed it out of curiosity. Not commercially available, obviously.

So how did you come to do these arrangements, anyway?

AJFarber · June-12th-2008, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

Congratulations! Yes, it was a J@LC thing--it was floating around the Internet and I grabbed it out of curiosity. Not commercially available, obviously.

So how did you come to do these arrangements, anyway?

I've played with and written for Wynton and the J@LC orchestra (on and off) for about 14 years now. I toured with the band (on tenor) back in '95 and played most of their NYC concerts in '96, and since then, I get to write for them once in a while.

Peterdubya · June-12th-2008, 12:38 PM

I realize it's fun to talk trash about Wynton, but you should check out this CD. Wynton's solos are tasteful, swingin' as hell, and bluesy. They're everything that everyone says Wynton can't do..... it's really nice.

JamesH · June-12th-2008, 06:06 PM

Glad to hear it's a good one. That's two strong CD's in a row.

Wynton's trumpet playing at its best has few if any living peers.

David Gitin · June-12th-2008, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

Sounds promising. I heard a recording of a couple of songs that Bob Dylan did in concert backed by Wynton's band, and it worked out really well. It's basically Wynton minus pretention, just a tight, swinging back-up band.

De gustibus...
I thought those two tracks were horrible, sabotaged by Dylan at this worst.

Tom Storer · June-13th-2008, 01:34 AM

Aw, you're just an old meanie. Give the guy a break, he hasn't been able to actually sing for years.

Rob Damen · June-14th-2008, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

Aw, you're just an old meanie. Give the guy a break, he hasn't been able to actually sing for years.

Cheers,

Rob

Rob Damen · June-14th-2008, 02:41 AM

And JamesH ...

Good to see you!

Where the hail have you been?

Cheers,

Rob

Vince Kargatis · June-14th-2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tippy

Who's Willie?

Nelson. I too had no idea until I looked it up, and personally don't find it obvious enough given the context to skip the info in an entire thread. : )

Gary Sisco · June-14th-2008, 02:30 PM

Willie Nelson's maybe the only Willie who's commonly referred to by first name only. Millions of people know who Willie is if you just say Willie.

Vince Kargatis · June-14th-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Millions of people know who Willie is if you just say Willie.

I grant that. I just think that there's not enough expected overlap with JC readers to justifiably avoid specificity. At least tippy and I failed the test. I don't own any Willie Nelson myself, though not due to any particular avoidance or anything.

Andy Traxel · June-14th-2008, 06:29 PM

Willie Nelson did 2 tracks on Jack Walrath's 1987 Masters of Suspense on Blue Note. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry & I'm Sending You a Big Bouquet of Roses.

According to the liner notes, Bruce Lundvall sent Willie a copy of Walrath's I'm So Lonesome & suggested Willie should sing on it. Willie agreed. So Walrath & James Williams went to Willie's studio in Texas to get his vocal. While they were there Willie suggested the other tune.

I haven't listened to this in so long I don't remember how it worked. I'll check it out tonight.

Andy

shrugs · June-15th-2008, 02:51 AM

McPartland warned listeners not to attempt to play Stardust at home via Willlie's technique.

Wynton, come eat some red beans at Vaughn's and sit in......

Gary Sisco · June-15th-2008, 11:47 AM

I have a recording of Willie from many years before he was famous, playing with what was then Conway Twitty's band. "Leave Me, Little Darling, I Don't Mind." It smokes. Swings like crazy at an insane tempo. It has a lot of jazz in it.

kenny weir · June-15th-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrugs

Wynton, come eat some red beans at Vaughn's and sit in......

Yeah right. It's fine to hear the Vaughn's gig is still going strong.