Groovin' High - Phil Woods, Frank Wess, Jon Faddis & BJO 

great sax

The

Didn't know

WHAT ABOUT AN RIP FOR FRANK WESS?

Kenny Workman I don't complain about his extremely high notes. They're clean and great. It's just... he uses them in EVERY. GOD. DAMN. MEASURE. It's impressive, but I want to hear them in moderation, not as the only notes in the solo.

The problem is he has never found his own identity, always playing with Dizzy in mind and never expanding or going in new directions on those original be-bop licks. High notes should be used as accents to a musical phrase and not as a hearing test.

I think it's safe to say that after 40 plus years, *it's his style, he's found it.* I'm fine with it; when I want to hear Faddis doing his thing, I go to Faddis. When I want to hear another player do his/her thing, then I go *there.* I don't expect John to do something that he isn't known to do, any more than I would ask another horn player to do John's thing. I don't go to a Bruce Lee video, and complain that he's not doing enough Jerry Lewis style jokes. I go to Jon Stewart for that 😊

Great comments from all. As ex-Jazz trumpet and Lead trumpet player I will, of course, view Jon differently than most. I've always veiwed John as fundamentally the best NY City lead and session player ever produced coupled with the ability to sound like Diz when he played bebop (damn difficult). But now that I'm a consumer like everyone else I absolutely can identify with some of the musical criticisms. I knew Jon back in high school and he played essentially the same as he does now (yes, incredible @ 17yo). Maybe today he incorporates a little more harmony, and maybe a lot more high-chops, but essentially and he was then as he still is now; a Dizzy cut/paste. I have always thought that his ego is 100% integrated with his exhibitionism in the high range (he gets off on it as much as we do). I too was hoping he would make some material stylistic contributions and harmony contributions, but he hasn't. He does not transcend Diz, and I hoped he would. He's got the ability and mind for it, but I think he was just happy being the best lead player ever produced. There were several others from Pleasant Hill high school that also followed his same pattern of being able to play high on their instruments (sax, bone, etc), but they too never ever transcended and became contributors to the evolution of music. Either way, I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing out that becoming a transitional figure is unbelievably difficult and requires, I think, a different kind of talent, different ego needs, and different kinds of risk taking.

@@yanbu000 thanks for sharing, sounds like one HELL of a high school band!

+Carlos Miguel He's even in tune up there somehow.

+Carlos Miguel It's a headache I want to experience.

Groovin High (1945) is a contrafact of Whispering (1920) 🙂

Grazie. E' vero,piace anche a te !

Ryan Brewer indeed. i love the swing effect he put on those notes. this composition is outstanding

he was quoting cool blues

cool blues kick

Frank himself once stated: "I was in in the army from 1941 to 1944, the height of the bebop era. So my influences were pre-war players...Hawk, Ben Webster, Don Byas, Joe Thomas and later, Gene Ammons". (Source: 2 Franks please. Savoy SJL 2249)

This was probably one of Mr. Wess' last recordings. RIP.

Yes! My piano student brought Phil's solo in for his transcription assignment. When I first heard it, I thought Phil was flat somehow. Then as we were analyzing the notation, I saw he started and ended his first chorus on an Ab pitch, but the tune/band was in Eb. Thought this was highly unusual. I figured he must have been soloing in another key. Turns out he's in the key of Db for his 2 bar solo break plus 10 bars. Then he seems to figure it out and slides into Eb. Strangely his very last bar of the first chorus is in Db again (landing on an Ab pitch at the top of 2nd chorus). Then he's back to the key of Eb for the rest of his solo. He must have been given a chart in the wrong key! Finding your comment confirmed my hunch, thanks!

how'd you figure this out/hear it? Unfortunately things like this are never obvious to me

Ok

@@MaryLouiseKnutson I love look he gave the Bass player... hehe

@@stevemincer9248 It wasn't obvious to me either (I don't have perfect pitch), until my student brought in the transcription. Being a teacher, I was trying to help him see how Phil's lines were relating to the changes. They weren't! So I had to figure out fast what was going on so my student didn't think I was full of sh$t! Ha!

Fern Corleone $.o

Hi, Will! Jon's signal is to tell the brass players to play backgrounds in the next chorus. He was the conductor in this tune. I don't know what's looking Phil in that moment, but I'm sure he was comfortable! Greetings!

an explanation might be the nice snare play by the drummer.he does it right after that.

Was Jon signaling them and telling them to do it or was he reminding them? It looks as if Phil was asking for backgrounds.

Phil asked: Why are you staring at me?

Ah, yes! I hear it. It didn't go back to the Eb chord. Obvious when you hum the chord progression along with the it.

Hi Joseph, check out my reply to Jay Nelson's and Will Collin's comments. (My screen name is Mary Louise Knutson.) I give a full analysis of what's happening! I heard it too!

Whispering

yes

That's the original ending of the tune which predates Four, and actually is a quote of 'If You Could See Me Now'... whole lot of borrowing of that phrase!!

Might have that backwards actually- Looks like Groovin' High came first, then If You Could See Me Now, then Four!

Daniel Glaude So Four actually quotes Groovin' High!

A Bird classic!

@Chris : Frank Wess’ name is in the title

@@mantellim5489 yeah

Não entendi?

Faz melhor kkkkk

noahvale939 have you listened to jazz before? all great jazz artists borrow from their old trickbook when writing their stuff. As far as "squeals" go, Maynard was way worse. Jon still played with great control and musicality.

I totally agree with you.

Faddis has no musicality...

Have you ever played a trumpet? It is a very difficult thing to do.

seems screeching produces some kind of high trumpet players get hooked on which takes precedence over musicality..