by GREGFISH | Jun 13, 2020 | Albums, All
- Greg Fishman: Tenor saxophone
- Doug Webb: Tenor saxophone
- Mitch Foreman: Piano
- Kevin Axt: Bass
- Dan Schnelle: Drums
CD Review: Greg Fishman “So You Say”
By Hrayr Attarian for Chicago Jazz Magazine
On the exciting and delightful So You Say Chicago multi-reed player, educator and author Greg Fishman leads a quintet that includes Los Angeles saxophonist Doug Webb. Recorded in Pasadena in April of 2016 the album draws inspiration from classic two-tenor dates, nevertheless, both saxophonists’ deeply personal touch and their individual styles endow the recording with a definite modern flair.
The undulating title track is the perfect example of Fishman and Webb’s contrasting and complementary sound. After they state the main theme in unison over the rumbling rhythmic vamps Fishman and Webb take turns embellishing the melody with suave intelligence. The former’s yearning muscular phrases mirror the latter’s soulful simmering ones. Pianist Mitch Forman improvises with elegance, facility, and bluesy hints keeping with the tune’s overall structure.
Forman also demonstrates stimulating virtuosity on such pieces as Webb’s crystalline “Lunar”. His meandering phrases add a darkly hued intrigue and vibrancy to this kaleidoscopic composition. The two saxophonists alternate wistful contemplative refrains before they punctuate drummer Dan Schnelle’s rumbling polyrhythms.
Schnelle maintains a sashaying beat on Fishman’s tender “Nikki’s Waltz”. Sandwiched between the tenors’ passionate and eloquent extemporizations is bassist Kevin Axt’s lyrical and expressive spontaneous performance. Fishman blows buoyant and acerbic lines while Webb adds a cool vibrato to his solo.
With this engaging release, the two saxophonists have crafted ten diverse, bop-based originals that cover a wide spectrum of moods. These range from Webb’s infectious and effervescent “254 West 82nd”, for instance, to Fishman’s warmly intimate “Harlem Avenue”.
The resulting music is simultaneously accessible and refreshingly inventive.
by GREGFISH | Jun 7, 2020 | All, News, Tributes
Today is the anniversary of Stan’s passing. I can still remember where I was when I heard the sad news. I was listening to a Stan Getz album, sitting at my computer and typing in song listings from yet another one of Stan’s albums into my computer database when my mom opened my door, and shouted down the stairs and told me that she heard that Stan had passed away.
I was in total shock. I had tra
veled to California in December 1990 to study in person with Stan. Unfortunately, he was too ill to see me. We spoke on the phone a few times and agreed that we’d try and meet for lessons the following summer. Sadly, that’s when he passed.I was so fortunate to get to speak with him on the phone a few times and to hear him and hang with him in person two times. Stan heard an audition tape I’d sent to Stanford for one of their summer workshops, and he called to tell me that he really liked my playing. I even have his voice on an answering machine tape!
This photo is from a fundraising dinner for Stanford University. This was the first time I met Stan in person, and I thanked him for all that he did for me with his music. Stan gave me a huge hug, and couldn’t have been nicer to me. I sat next to him for dinner, and I mentioned some bootleg recordings I’d heard of him, and I sang the way he phrased a particular tune. He recognized it immediately, and started scatting along with me! I told him that I was also going to New York to hear him at Carnegie Hall, and he put on the guest list that let me into his dressing room to meet him before the show. I got there really early, and we got to hang all day. This was the final time he’d ever play at Carnegie Hall. It was the night before his final European tour.
I told him how I’d transcribed over 200 of his solos, and he was excited to hear that. We planned to publish them in a book, together, but he passed before it came out. Eventually, Hal Leonard published some of the solos, in three different volumes of books.
To this day, Stan is my favorite musician. I never get tired of hearing him. Actually, the older I get, the more I appreciate his melodic genius and all that he did for music. In his honor, I was married on his birthday, February 2nd. Stan will remain alive for me through his music for the rest of my life. Thank you, Stan. RIP.
by GREGFISH | Jun 7, 2020 | All, News, Tributes
Art Hoye passes
I just heard the very sad news about the passing of the great Art Hoyle. Art was not only a world-class player, but he was a wonderful person. When I first started playing with Art, I was just twenty-one years old. This was in 1988, and I after the first gig I played with Art, it was at the Empire room of the Palmer House in downtown Chicago. We hit it off musically, and after the gig, he invited me to join him for a meal at the legendary Miller’s Pub. We hung out for hours, and I was amazed as Art was telling me stories of his old days on the road, touring with Lionel Hampton.
Back in those days, lots of musicians would come in to Miller’s after their gig. Art was such a respected player that literally dozens of musicians would stop by the table to say hello. When they did, Art would introduce me to them and tell them, “Greg’s a new tenor player in town. He’s going to be playing with my band at Andy’s.” It meant so much to me to have the honor of playing with Art and learning from him on the bandstand. I loved the way that he spoke on the microphone. He had a natural command of the room. He was so hip. When Art spoke, it was like he was letting you in on a hip secret. He set such a wonderful example for me. He’d play beautifully structured solos, with such a lyrical sound. One night, he sang a blues, and it was called, “If you see Kay,” tell her I’ve been around….”If you see Kay,” etc. It was totally “clean,” but very clever and just hilarious. One time at a club, we were playing for a group of doctors, and Art launched into some kind of stream of consciousness, talking about the spleen! It was over a rhythm section vamp. It was totally spontaneous and just brilliant. On another gig, it was winter time, and for some reason, the door was open, and when we came back to play the second set, all of the horns were freezing cold. Rather than being upset, in typical Art Hoyle fashion, he said to me, “I see that the horns have cooled off nicely.”
I was always so proud to feature Art with my early quintets that I used to book at local clubs in Chicago. Once, we did a live radio broadcast for WBEZ. Larry Smith was the host. This would have been around 1990. I brought in a bunch of Horace Silver charts I’d transcribed. With no rehearsal or run through, we played a whole set live on the air, and Art played so beautifully on those charts….he was the consummate professional. I will miss him dearly and think of him often. Thank you, Art, for your kindness, guidance and friendship. RIP