Listen to them trade off on "Green Book". Especially the synth solo -   
   that's Don, I believe, and it burns.   
      
   On 8 Sep 2006 09:46:05 -0700, rforman61@msn.com wrote:   
      
   >   
   >Dave M wrote:   
   >> > I waffle on Becker's soloing.  Sometimes I find Becker's approach to   
   >> > lead guitar charming and unique; at other times his solos strike me as   
   >> > earsores that don't belong among all those polished performances.   
   >>   
   >> Thank you.   
   >>   
   >> > Other people are far less charitable; I know someone who believes   
   >> > Becker's solo ruins "Josie."   
   >>   
   >> That's harsh, but I can understand it.  His solo is wimpy   
   >> compared to the amazing controlled-yet-burning groove of   
   >> that song, propelled by Jim Keltner's drumming.  And I'm not   
   >> even referring to his choice of notes--they're actually   
   >> quite nice; I'm taking about execution and tone.   
   >   
   >That says it all right there.  I agree wholeheartedly with the general   
   >sentiment that Becker's lead guitar work doesn't compare with   
   >Herrington's or that of some of the superstars from the 70's Dan   
   >records (or from the last decade+ of SD tours).  His whole lead   
   >approach, to my ears, is based on "choice of notes" and they're   
   >perfectly fine, better than that, he seems to want to demonstrate to us   
   >and himself that he knows how to improvise legitmate and interesting   
   >jazz- and bebop-influenced lines over chord changes.  But he only seems   
   >to me to play the notes, not to play the tone, the articulation, the   
   >dynamics, like the other real lead specialists do.  The sequences of   
   >notes in his solos and fills are perfectly jazzy (if I heard somebody   
   >doing them in a bar band I'd be wowed) but they're pretty much all at   
   >the same volume with the same timbre.   
   >   
   >I recently bought, and listened to once, the cd of Don and Walt's   
   >appearance on the Piano Jazz radio program, they talk about jazz and   
   >perform a few numbers with their own rhythm section and the show's   
   >host, Marian McPartland, sitting in on piano.  I remain convinced that   
   >as much as I admire their songwriting, arranging and record-production   
   >skills and their persona and sense of humor, neither of these guys is   
   >anywhere near as advanced and competent as jazz musicians, as any of   
   >their sidemen on record and on the stage, I think they're both a little   
   >amateurish in comparison (I still love them though!).   I haven't heard   
   >much that indicates that Donald can really improvise instrumentally at   
   >all!   
   >   
   >richforman   
      
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