Oscar Moore/ Irving Ashby
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I’ve been listening to a lot of Nat Cole Trio stuff. Oscar Moore, Irving Ashby, Johnny Moore, All just incredible players. Their seems to be a touch these guys had that was unique in the cocktail blues format. Real smooth glissando, and great tone. I was reading that when Nat came to Los Angeles and decided to stay after his touring show folded he played at a club in Long Beach’s Pike. Really cool, also read that Irving Ashby was the Rhy. guitar player on the Richie Valens hits with Rene Hall. Just cool stuff!!!
Oscar Moore was an amazing player, the instrumental CD with Nat I think really showcases that trio’s skills. Someplace I read that Oscar completely packed it in when decent gigs became too scarce and went on to running a parking lot…in LA I think. Hard to believe someone that talented felt he had to give it up, but I guess times had changed… pity.
I don’t think I have that trio record. Oscar is a bad man. Obviously last month we tried covering some Johnny Moore guitar ideas. I thought they were pretty unique and different from his brother. You are dead on about his life, really a pity. No musician of his talent should ever worry about getting a traditional job. I was shedding a tune called This Side Up. Awesome playing. Talk soon amigo
I finally located the trio CD in the piles….”the best of the Nat King Cole Trio”…The Instrumental Classics…Capitol Jazz,
CDP 7 98288 2. 18 really great tunes nicely recorded! Maybe Charlie @ Blue Beat has it…? Johnny’s “Blazers” stuff is gorgeous as well, for sure!When I think of Oscar and Johnny and their differences and similarities, I seem to always also think of another brother pair…Louis and Dave Myers. Not jump, but brothers that played blues together quite often, Louis one of the great but perhaps less known Chicago guitarists, and Dave who often played bass, but also guitar. I have a Dave CD on which he plays and sings some really nice early-style Chicago blues, “You Can’t Do That”…it sounds kinda simple, but it ain’t so easy, not for me…Big Jon Atkinson can play this style, but there’s lots going on and it requires a solid rythm with a deep blues feel to get it. I love this stuff too!
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