Chris asked:
What are your thoughts on taking extended solos. I don't mean 3 or
four choruses I talking about 20 choruses or more you know going on
for 20 minutes...
Q: Do I like long speaches?
A: Only when they are really interesting.
I think that few artist can keep things interesting for more than a
minute or two, although some can. A good example is the Charlie Parker
Jam session CD. Charlie seemed to have lots of ideas so he could keep
things interesting.
Some of Coltrane's longer solos were really bad and boring. Yeah he
could play the same 4 notes forever without repeating, but you can't say
it was interesting. Some of these tunes (Love supreme) are supposed to
be classics, I don't get it, (if someone can explain what he was doing,
I would appreciate it).
I generally prefer Béla Fleck type jams where a few members interact.
Led Zeppelin are another good example, (See: How the West Was won CD)
and of course there is Freebird which is a classic although the intro
sure is long and boring. But it really makes you want the solo (teasing).
Victor Wooten has some long bass solo that are excellent. Few artist can
jam like he does. Albert Collins' bass player plays a long solo on a
tune called Cold cut which is fantastic. Don't know who the guy is but
he is fabulous.
In a sense the longer something is, the higher the probability that it
will be average rather than spectacular.
Do it, but only if you can; if your not inspired on a given night,
forget it.
Pierre.
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