XPost: rec.music.bluenote   
   From: replyto@website.com   
      
   In article , JC Martin   
    wrote:   
      
   > Melodious Thunk wrote:   
   >   
   > > In article , JC Martin   
   > >  wrote:   
      
      
      
   > >>How about you provide some concrete examples?  Even on   
   > >>Mangione's instrument, he improvised.  He was also a bonna fide jazz   
   > >>musician who paid his dues playing with the likes of Art Blakey.   
   > >   
   > > Sure, I especially liked the "Bellavia" album, and I like Blakey's body of   
   > > work better than   
   > > anyone else discussed. But Mangione's chart and sales hits were tunes like   
   > > "Chase The Clouds   
   > > Away" (with no improv's in the radio mix) and "Feels So Good" (with pretty   
   > > minimalist improv's).   
   > > What is that, a dozen chords between 'em, and nary a "raised four" or   
   > > anything more daring.   
   > > Mangione's not my favorite player, but he might be my favorite   
   > > Scientologist  ;-)   
   >   
   > Never knew he was a Scientologist, wherever that comes in.   
      
   Oh, it doesn't. An incidental comment.   
      
   > >>What   
   > >>jazz band has Sting played in?  Where's the improvisation?   
   > >   
   > > Look at the musicians he's worked with and concerts he's put on over the   
   > > years. Read a bio of   
   > > the man. As far as improv's, I don't have any Sting favorites, I don't like   
   > > 'em. There's no   
   > > doubt he improvises though, as do his sidemen.   
   >   
   > He doesn't improvise AT ALL, and you won't be able to pinpoint one   
   > instance in which he has.  Same with Steely Dan.   
      
   I gotta comment on this: you must know how these albums were made? *All* of   
   Steely Dan's (Fader   
   & Feldman's) sideman *are* improvising.   
      
   > Now Sting did have a   
   > band put together of jazz musicians earlier in his career in which he   
   > let the other guys improvise (Branford, Kenny, Daryl, Omar) just a   
   > *little* bit to show off to his audiences.  But Sting played rhythm   
   > guitar in that band.  Gee, I wonder why?  I guess if Daryl Jones now   
   > plays with the Stones, that makes them jazz too, right?  :-P  Come on now.   
      
   Actually I'm referring to Sting's later career. But, yanno, I'm not a Sting   
   fan.   
      
   > >I don't much like it, but the stuff he calls jazz   
   > > qualifies as such. (Just fairly uninteresting jazz, IMO.)   
   > >   
   > >>Come on, put   
   > >>up or shut up.   
   >   
   > See, no examples.  Rest my case.   
      
   Okay, I'll accept that. I can't give you examples of superb Sting solos,   
   'cause I don't like his   
   playing as much as other bassists and composers that I *do* follow. I tried to   
   give an example   
   of a *clear* jazz-rooted performer, Mangione, in the context of "smooth"   
   commercially-successful   
   "product."   
      
   Since you're pressing me, though, wasn't there a half-measure improv. on bass   
   in one verse/head   
   of that "Fields of Barley" ("Fields of Gold") song?  ;-)   
      
   > Virtually yours,   
   > JC   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)