Peace and harmony
YouTube video by mikebaronebigband — “When You’re Smiling”
No, I’m not turning this into a musical entertainment weblog. I’m just having fun right now. You know what I mean. Eat, drink, and be merry, for the jihad comes soon enough.
I see music as the common bond having potential to bring all people together in peace and harmony.
After reading my last post, a friend e-mailed me to inquire about what the great Ernie Watts is up to these days. “Is he even playing still? He’s got to be getting up there in age,” ventured my friend. True enough. Ernie ain’t no spring chicken. But he’s still playing, and playing exceedingly well at that—mostly in Europe, where they have managed to extinguish almost every vestige of Christendom, but at least they still preserve good ol’ American jazz.
This video is of a stateside performance some years back with the Mike Barone Big Band, a tight and polished bunch of LA studio cats just doing what they love. Ernie is featured on this tune, a neat arrangement by Barone of the Louie Armstrong classic “When You’re Smiling,” and Ernie gets off a monstrous solo against the band’s relentless groove. Ernie is a legendary soloist but he has always had a deep affinity for the worker-bee obscurity of section and ensemble play, so this is what he does between European tours and album sessions. After all, he came to prominence with Buddy Rich’s big band, and when I first played with him in 1990 he had just celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary as a member of the Tonight Show band with Doc Severinsen.
For decades millions heard him before bed each night, but even when they heard the Ghostbusters theme or a hundred other hits they never knew his identity. He’s a wonderful example to us all, to play our lonely part and to strive for excellence in all the little unnoticed things that daily bring beauty and peace and harmony to our fellow man. The offset-right pull quote above is from the mouth of the great Ernie Watts, and I only wish it were true. It’s quoted on his website and he personally told me the same thing almost twenty years ago when I drove him back to his hotel from our rehearsal in the hills the day before the gig, the biggest and best of my life. I’m glad he believes it, and I know he really does. That same passionate if naive optimism should animate us all, I think. It truly becomes him in his elegant and quiet dignity, and I honestly wish there were no reason for any of us to be more jaded in our faith in humanity.
God love him.
12 comments
A sweet tribute: like album liner notes, only articulate. Thanks. The music is not just an entertaining diversion. There is something of the soul in it, when it is done well. The ummah don’t know what it’s missing.
I don’t know how sweet it was, but I know Ernie will never read it. According to his website, he refuses to compute and doesn’t even own a PC. Another quote from his site: “I don’t do e-mail.”
Regards,
HAID
Haid, this is fab! Actually, one of the things in which we Americans excel better than any Middle Eastern hell hole, is music. Music is our chief language, and that trumps all the bile being spewed from the 7th century time zones. Ayatollah Khomeini banned music, and listening to music in Saudi Arabia, with the exception of the relentless call to futile prayers, there is no music. Only in countries where Christians have been a dominating force will you find something of a musical culture. That is why Lebanon will have its version of Pop Idol, and Syria has some form of musical culture, as well as Egypt. But jazz, symphonies, fuggedaboudit. Only Israel, tiny little Israel has the goods on the rest of them. So don’t feel that posting music is a detraction from the current unholy war being waged upon us. It is as much of a weapon as it is a language and art. Soldier on, my man.
Thanks, Scherzo. You’ll note that my friend Darryl also feels that the music is more than “an entertaining diversion.” Sometimes I wonder whether what we’re fighting to preserve is worth it. Then I remember the things that bring me joy–music, literature, my faith, good food (I just can’t quit thinking about your blog!) and good friends like you. God bless.
It’s Earth Day, Haider…go out and build a bonfire and throw a couple of hippies on the barbie for Mother Earth.
What’s Earth Day?
Great blog.
Yo, Jack. My B. How it be?
“No. There’s no time for that! Just upload the schematics for the space station to my cheesy little PDA–NOWWW!!”
You don’t wanna go down that road with me.
The earth should be grateful that Jack Bauer is still on it, Haid. I made dinner, you can bring Jack with you.
lookin forward to the new essay. when do u anticipate it being completed?
Gee, I don’t know, Jack. Tonight I’m taking in a double-header, because my team doesn’t suck like yours. Is that OK with you?
I’ll get a chance to do a little writing this weekend.
Although I’ve opened up this weblog, I’m still setting it up, testing, and taking care of lots of administrative stuff. Notice that since yesterday the little gravatars disappeared. I was having a bunch of cross-platform problems, so I ditched them. Unfortunately, I’m the webmaster here, and the “master” part does not yet apply.
Did you notice above we got invited to dinner?
You were invited, the two of ya. The great thing about having a blog is that you can write as little or as much as you want, Haid! Speaking of Which: Have you discovered the fantastic writing at Eject! Eject! Eject! yet? Bill Whittle is one of the best essayists I’ve read, and so is Rachel Lucas. And while I am on the topic of jazz…my bro-in-law is playing with Mr. Mumbles his-bad-self: Clark Terry! My brother in law is Greg Richter and he’s played with just about everyone who’s played in St. Croix or Kansas City…where he currently plays from time to time at the Blue Note.