Posted by The Storm on February 22, 1999 at 22:04:17:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: comments on Milwaulkee show posted by STORMY, read this thread!! on February 22, 1999 at 16:17:54:
Effective tactic! I agree with just about everything Daniel and FPM wrote, though I think Daniel underestimates Joshua Redman. He's not exactly "out there" like somes of the giants of jazz, and his style is decidedly cautious for jazz--which is probably a key reason he one a Grammy. But, then again, he's only in his late-20s, and his technique is outstanding.
This whole thread reminds me of a conversation I had with a Springsteen fan sometime in the mid-80s. This guy tried to argue that Clarence Clemmons was a "better" saxophone player than Stan Getz! This was obviously ridiculous, but what can you say? You just end up sounding like a snob if you argue the point.
Which brings me back to Bobby Keys: First, he ain't exactly a slouch, as the solo on "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" proves. Second, I think I'd prefer to hear him on "Brown Sugar" because in effect he owns that solo; it's his contribution to Stones' history. When you think about it, Pat Metheney is a better guitar player than either Keith or Ronnie; Joe Williams is a better singer than Mick; and--well, there are a *few* drummers better than Charlie. But that doesn't mean I'd like to hear Pat Metheney and Joe Williams play Stones songs with Joshua Redman. The Stones together are magical in a way most musicologists don't appreciate (not that I am one; I'm not). They could appreciate it--especially the rhythmic elements--but they don't pay the Stones any attention. (They may well in 50 years, though.) What the Stones do, they do better than anybody else on the planet: past, present, and future, and they've got nothing to apologize for. That being said, I certainly do like it when they bring in people like Joshua Redman to guest. In fact, I was very excited when I heard Wayne Shorter was playing on B2B, only to be disappointed he appears only at the end of one song. In a fine world, "Leftovers" will include more Wayne Shorter--perhaps even on a reworked and completed version of "Bump and Ride"!