>>>>Same here. I took piano lessons, guitar lessons, flute lessons, and even the coronet. I played in the band one year. We always had musical instruments around. My mom could play by ear and loved boogie woogie (which is probably why I love it so much). We had people over for years jamming on different instruments. There lots of fun jam sessions. My daughter took piano lessons and violin lessons. Neither of us pursued it much beyond a couple of years. We all learned to love music (and to read sheet music which was my goal for my daughter) though.
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>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ojt7e88g2I&feature=related>>>>>
>>>>>Wow, amazing! I should have paid more attention to my mother when she tried to teach me piano when I was young. <g>
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>>>>>~~Bonnie
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>>>I love to play piano as it is something at which I am not naturally gifted ( poor muscle-memory and serious ADD ) but from which I derive enormous satisfaction. I won't play in front of other people as that would completely inhibit the discovery process. The coolest thing is sight-reading - whether scores or just charts - especially of stuff I've never actually heard played or of arrangements that are unfamiliar ( Matt Dennis and Jim Progris are masters at creating this kind of stuff ) That way the first time you ever hear a piece of music or a particularly interesting chord progression it has come from your own fingers.
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>>>When I hear about musicians that can't read music it sounds like painters who can't draw. Maybe you can get away with it, but it sure limits what you could do if you could do it.
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>>I think it was Eddie Condon who, when asked if he could read music, said, "Yes, but not well enough to hurt my playing."
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>My favorite jazz quote was from the Duke himself. Asked if he ever borrowed musical ideas from others, Ellington said, "Immature artists borrow. Mature artists steal."
There are some truly wonderful jazz stories from that era. Here are a few of my faves.
Johnny Best (trumpet) was at a bar in a Holiday Inn where the Bob Crosby band was playing. There was a sign that said "Happy Hour - All you can drink for a dollar". Best told the bartender, "Give me two dollars worth."
Lester Young hired a drummer who wasn't playing what Lester wanted to hear. During a break, the drummer tried to make small talk and said to Lester, "Say Prez, when was the last time we played together?" Young said, "Tonight".
Claude Thornhill fired his drummer Ray Hagan after a gig with these words, "Say Ray, we're going back east. Where are you going?"
