Jamming it up

What's a bad jam? Musicians with drumsticks and trumpets in hand attacking me for single-handedly destroying a good jam. Ok, I'm not that bad a bass/pedal steel guitarist, but I'm not that good either. In a jam, make sure other instruments blanket my inconsistent guitar riffs -- xylophones, bongos, jamba drums, whatever it takes.

Compare that to my mercurial younger bro-- street performer, multitalented, lost soul, overall good guy. Last he was talking banjo -- not the "banjo pizza" at his closest pizzeria. He knows tablas, keyboards, piano, mandolins and I'm guessing, banjos. He'll eat a guitar for dinner. He really may. His choices are crazy-- he's taking 6 courses this semester, because he "wants to get [university] over with." Dude, take it easy. 

I've been digesting loads of music lately, gearing up to attend the Spring Jazz session in SF. It's gonna be awesome. Prep-work's like a concert: listen to tunes, shout out the lyrics, really pump up and go frickin' crazy when the real deal starts. Jazz isn't the same -- it needs a little bit of patience -- a bit frustrating at times. But I want the rare treat of witnessing some thick, thick bass during the fest. obody gives bass primary focus, that was commonplace in old times. 

At 16, the sounds from elder bro's Spyro Gyra and "Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown" tapes/CDs hit the ear. Soon came Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. Hooked on to jazz. Now elder bro's going rastaman all the way. It's quite a change for him, from jazz to now, Pras.

Then I heard Kenny G. I actually liked his stuff , but when people trashed him, I started badmouthing him too. "He looks like Michael Bolton," I'd say. That's when I really started hating him. "Real" jazz artists accuse Kenny G of trivializing jazz by jumping to the pop genre. Whatever that means. Jazz does have a niche, but let a musician do what they want.

Jazz artists are also sour on university bands, it's easy to see why. Hearing college trumpeteers is like hearing 500 Kenny G's playing at a football game. You need a Herb Alpert to appreciate the trumpet, he brings a whole new level of appreciation to the instrument. 

Though pop, he's a great trumpet player, and a musical supergenius. He holds some crazy music records -- the only one to have 5 albums on the billboard charts at the same time, the only to win Grammys for an instrumental and vocal performance. Nobody can match his versatility. He's not the best trumpet artist, but his stuff is cool on the ear.