Grant Green!
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This has been a guitar player that amazes me for a few reasons. First, all the people I talk to that are music fanatics like me either love him or don’t care for him at all. I fall into the camp of liking him. Second, I love his phrasing. Probably one of the most blues inspired players. Anyway here is some thursday inspiration for you.
Was it Green Street that you were telling me about on Tuesday? It is on Spotify and I am listening now while I read some reports. The first track has some stuff I am looking forward to putting on the Slow Downer tonight.
I like grant greens playing bluesy as hell. You can pick him out a mile when he’s playing along with others. Really love grantstand album. No listened to him ages. Need to his albums out.
I have always like Grant Green. All sides of him. I have noticed that he is like George Benson and branched out away from the more traditional jazz. When he did that you hear a lot of people complain about his music, and the people that do not like him just do not like the one side of him. Benson traded the Jazz for roller skates, and Green traded it for some Funk. Pre disco-esque Benson is still some of the best Jazz stuff to me. I really like the taste he has like Green.
I have to say that my favorite all time jazzer, and if I had to choose to play like one, it would be Mary Osborne. I think that chick smoked. Not the flashiest, or fanciest, but I just love how she played. I think it is a shame people do not know her, or talk about her. I love that album “A Girl and her Guitar.” I have a lot of jazz albums by all of them, and I really just listen to them to study them. If I am not trying to learn something I do not listen to them because the music just doesn’t do it for me. Mary’s albums, especially “A Girl and Her Guitar” I pick up because I want to listen to them. I just love the music. I think it is because it is so melodic and to the point. Not a lot of the fluff you hear in albums by people like Joe Pass, or Barney Kessell.
I just picked that record up the other day gretschman… So good. I’ve been a fan for a wile but only had the few tunes on compilation records. Simple note selection and great phrasing. I hear the Charlie Christian influence a lot but in the two solos of hers I’ve transcribed I didn’t find any of his main devices and they moved a lot more horizontal. I would of said her and barney kessel to be very similar before barney went into modern jazz at least. The only grant green I’ve heard is that similar to above video where they play a blues, blue mist? based on that he was smokin.
The Green Street Record is my favorite. He does a record with Stanley Turentine later at Minton’s. The tone is killer, very distorted. If you are into it check out his recordings with Ike Qubec, and Babyface Wilette. As far as Mary Osborne goes I hear what you are saying Dan. I think you are right about the patterns. Mary doesn’t utilize the devices Charlie uses but the phrasing is totally Charlie. Gretchman is right Mary is underrated. I’d also suggest listening to some of the Wynonie Harris recordings that have her on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih79ZUjpdZw
Wynonie Harris is how I came across her in a round about way. I heard the stuff she did with him, and always liked the guitar work. So I tried to find out who it was and no one really knew. A couple of years go by and Vintage Guitar magazine did an article on her because she had just passed away, and talked about what an unsung hero she was to the guitar and the challenges she faced as a women during that time. In the article it mentioned all of the things she played on, and the bands she played with, and it mentioned Wynonie Harris. So I finally learned who that mystery player was that I had been searching for, and boy it was on then. You still have to look hard to find her even when you know where to start. From what I read, she was like Les Paul and played regularly up until she died.
Made a video playing the two Mary Osbourne solos Ive worked on. Both found a new baby first one is girl and her guitar and second is art fords jazz party video from you tube. Theres a les paul and both charlie christians solo also. Having so much fun with the a girl and her guitar record cant believe it took me so long to get it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNn2hkTyoAU&feature=youtu.be
Very cool Dan. That is one of my favorite songs of hers. “I love Paris” and “I’m Beginning to See The Light’ are the only things of hers I have worked out. I find “I Love Paris” very fun to play. Right now in that tune I am trying to work out how the piano player moves through his chords backing that tune. He does some very cool voice leading that really gives that song a lot of its character.
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