I too took lessons with Lennie (I am 87 years old now).....I was recommended to him by Hampton Hawes from the West Coast..he asked me to play something...so I played my favorite song "Body and Soul" after I finished ..he just said..."What the f***k was that??????" I lasted 4 months...it was an experience I will never forget!!!
Love Tristano, his bass lines literally make my brain relax in some strange hypnotic way. Also Dave is one of the best teachers on the Tube. He is so funny and humble yet he is clearly on another level. I wonder why Tristano didn't like Monk's playing? I guess even among genius there is perceptual biases.
My guess, Elan, is that Monk was not a very good pianist. He was a stylist. Also, compared to Bud Powell, Monk is a klutz. His method of "improvising" was more often than not to simply play the melody over and over. And, there is the obvious fact that compared to just about anyone, he just did not swing. But, I can't speak for Lennie. I personally can only say that I simply do not understand how Monk is celebrated as a pianist - when there are people like Bud Powell, Billy Kyle, Teddy Wilson - just about anybody - who could play rings around him. And then, there is the reality of what an incredible pianist Lennie Tristano was. Nobody seems to talk about it. He barely gets mentioned. But Bird knew - and said so. And - if you think about it - nobody today wants to play like Monk. They all genuflect in his direction, and then play Bud Powell - everyone. McCoy. Herbie. Everyone comes from Bud. Nobody comes from Monk - but that doesn't stop the media from pushing him as one of the greats.
Tell it to Barry Harris! LOL. On a more serious note maybe Lennie didn't dig Monk because Monk composed a lot of tunes (Round Midnight, Monk's Dream, Rhythm-a-ning, etc) that were very accessible and have stood the test of time where as Lennie's music was more complex. Also Monk could be very minimal and Lennie seems to be very maximal.
Monk is hugely influential as a musician, but seriously, in the last 50 years i have listened to him play a handful or two times. its interesting, but not sustainable. but the tunes, man, the tunes. i doubt whther Lennie would have liked his chords either though....
..Dave, I went to Berklee and listened to Mike Stern a lot between 1978-1980 who had studied with Banacos, but never got to study with Banacos myself unfortunately..my friends were Victor Bailey, Baron Browne, Lee Venters and dormed with Stuart Hamm..would really like to get together with you next year when the health situation improves, my wife and I are helping my father, 93, everyday at the moment..thanks..New York September 7, 2020..
Great stuff, Dave. I laughed hard when you talked about your lessons. I was also about 17 when I went to him and had similarly unusual experiences. And, like you I saw the value there, and rose to the occasion. Great to see you carrying on the tradition!
It was three years, from 1975 through 1978. Then I studied another TEN with Connie Crothers. She stayed true to Lennie's method, and was quite wonderful as well.
When you were meeting him (1968?) I met an American woman and her beautiful daughter in a cafe in Barcelona. The daughter was taking piano lessons in New York. 'From this old jazz guy' the mother said. 'He's expensive. I don't know if he's any good. I might cancel him.' 'What's his name? 'I asked. 'Lennie something.' I wonder what happened to the daughter....
Jazz Video Guy Such a fantastic world but distant spatially and temporally to where I am right now and when I was when the fire was still burning - I made peace with not being able to go back in time but not being able to go to some places geographically still bothers me. For instance I already was serious (at least in my mind) in my determination to somehow study the masters when Michael Brecker was still alive and if I was not thousands of miles away I would at least hear him play live before he died - he did teach too from what I understand so hey maybe even could study with him. 52nd street does not exists and I'm too young to not be able to let that go but still opportunities pass on in a time frame where I could be part of it and there is no way to get involved or to be more precise I did not find a way to get there while I could somewhat play and had the strength to go all in purely because I do not have the correct citizenship. So I am jealous - not in a hateful way of course. In my mind I am driving to these places where these people are every night and every morning I wake up still here. Peace
Borys Pomianek Borys, this fantastic world can now come to you through the miracle of skype/Googe + technology. I spend 7 days/week teaching students around the world through skype, and it is awesome) Bret and I will be producing some podcasts shortly that will give you the opportunity to learn the real great jazz music from your house, stay tuned and cheer up!! I live on 52nd St. in Manhattan and I'm gonna bring it out your way if you want it:)
Dave Frank Sounds excellent, keep on keeping on cause it's good work! I've been putting together a little jazz-wax simulacra from all kinds of pieces I could find wherever I lived in the past and existed among these wax statues but just could not cut it the last 3 years physically - Unless I can play 4-6 hours a day at least and do ear training religiously I just begin to suck terribly and regress almost immediately. I have many books with markings and notes I made spanning hundreds of pages where I can't get through the author introductions at the moment - I fix more instruments than I play right now but I do hope to turn this around so whatever you put out there I will definitely go through feverishly sooner or later. I will either play again or if that becomes physically impossible, will open some sort of venue and connect it globally, it's only a matter of time and accrued effort. If growing becomes too hard I will start planting instead!
I too took lessons with Lennie (I am 87 years old now).....I was recommended to him by Hampton Hawes from the West Coast..he asked me to play something...so I played my favorite song "Body and Soul" after I finished ..he just said..."What the f***k was that??????" I lasted 4 months...it was an experience I will never forget!!!
Great memory.
Love Tristano, his bass lines literally make my brain relax in some strange hypnotic way. Also Dave is one of the best teachers on the Tube. He is so funny and humble yet he is clearly on another level.
I wonder why Tristano didn't like Monk's playing? I guess even among genius there is perceptual biases.
My guess, Elan, is that Monk was not a very good pianist. He was a stylist. Also, compared to Bud Powell, Monk is a klutz. His method of "improvising" was more often than not to simply play the melody over and over. And, there is the obvious fact that compared to just about anyone, he just did not swing. But, I can't speak for Lennie. I personally can only say that I simply do not understand how Monk is celebrated as a pianist - when there are people like Bud Powell, Billy Kyle, Teddy Wilson - just about anybody - who could play rings around him. And then, there is the reality of what an incredible pianist Lennie Tristano was. Nobody seems to talk about it. He barely gets mentioned. But Bird knew - and said so.
And - if you think about it - nobody today wants to play like Monk. They all genuflect in his direction, and then play Bud Powell - everyone. McCoy. Herbie. Everyone comes from Bud. Nobody comes from Monk - but that doesn't stop the media from pushing him as one of the greats.
Tell it to Barry Harris! LOL. On a more serious note maybe Lennie didn't dig Monk because Monk composed a lot of tunes (Round Midnight, Monk's Dream, Rhythm-a-ning, etc) that were very accessible and have stood the test of time where as Lennie's music was more complex. Also Monk could be very minimal and Lennie seems to be very maximal.
Monk is hugely influential as a musician, but seriously, in the last 50 years i have listened to him play a handful or two times. its interesting, but not sustainable. but the tunes, man, the tunes. i doubt whther Lennie would have liked his chords either though....
You are amazing! You're just about as amazing as Lennie himself! This is just great! Great!
A lot of thanks ! Beautiful homage to the genius of Lennie Tristano !
What a great interview. So funny. It must have been amazing to study with such a musical legend.
..Dave, I went to Berklee and listened to Mike Stern a lot between 1978-1980 who had studied with Banacos, but never got to study with Banacos myself unfortunately..my friends were Victor Bailey, Baron Browne, Lee Venters and dormed with Stuart Hamm..would really like to get together with you next year when the health situation improves, my wife and I are helping my father, 93, everyday at the moment..thanks..New York September 7, 2020..
What a great story!
He's got a million of them.
Nice video. That was funny stuff.
Great stuff, Dave. I laughed hard when you talked about your lessons. I was also about 17 when I went to him and had similarly unusual experiences. And, like you I saw the value there, and rose to the occasion. Great to see you carrying on the tradition!
how long did you study with Papa?
It was three years, from 1975 through 1978. Then I studied another TEN with Connie Crothers. She stayed true to Lennie's method, and was quite wonderful as well.
Jan Leder you and me, we ain't got no excuse)
Dave Frank I studied another 20 years with Charlie Banacos when I was teaching at Berklee)
Dave Frank BTW, that's 210 pounds of PURE MUSCLE there.
This is a beautiful story, beautifully said. Thanks for sharing it, Dave.
$2 please.
Dave Frank hehe
Cool Dave!! Thanks for sharing a bit of your history with Lennie! Post more! Why didn't he like Monk?
When you were meeting him (1968?) I met an American woman and her beautiful daughter in a cafe in Barcelona. The daughter was taking piano lessons in New York. 'From this old jazz guy' the mother said. 'He's expensive. I don't know if he's any good. I might cancel him.' 'What's his name? 'I asked. 'Lennie something.' I wonder what happened to the daughter....
I was with him from 71 - 78, he charged $10 for lessons and $15 once/month when he paid his rent)
I'm very jealous over here!
Borys Pomianek Why?
Jazz Video Guy Such a fantastic world but distant spatially and temporally to where I am right now and when I was when the fire was still burning - I made peace with not being able to go back in time but not being able to go to some places geographically still bothers me.
For instance I already was serious (at least in my mind) in my determination to somehow study the masters when Michael Brecker was still alive and if I was not thousands of miles away I would at least hear him play live before he died - he did teach too from what I understand so hey maybe even could study with him.
52nd street does not exists and I'm too young to not be able to let that go but still opportunities pass on in a time frame where I could be part of it and there is no way to get involved or to be more precise I did not find a way to get there while I could somewhat play and had the strength to go all in purely because I do not have the correct citizenship.
So I am jealous - not in a hateful way of course. In my mind I am driving to these places where these people are every night and every morning I wake up still here.
Peace
Borys Pomianek Borys, this fantastic world can now come to you through the miracle of skype/Googe + technology. I spend 7 days/week teaching students around the world through skype, and it is awesome) Bret and I will be producing some podcasts shortly that will give you the opportunity to learn the real great jazz music from your house, stay tuned and cheer up!! I live on 52nd St. in Manhattan and I'm gonna bring it out your way if you want it:)
Dave Frank Sounds excellent, keep on keeping on cause it's good work!
I've been putting together a little jazz-wax simulacra from all kinds of pieces I could find wherever I lived in the past and existed among these wax statues but just could not cut it the last 3 years physically - Unless I can play 4-6 hours a day at least and do ear training religiously I just begin to suck terribly and regress almost immediately.
I have many books with markings and notes I made spanning hundreds of pages where I can't get through the author introductions at the moment - I fix more instruments than I play right now but I do hope to turn this around so whatever you put out there I will definitely go through feverishly sooner or later.
I will either play again or if that becomes physically impossible, will open some sort of venue and connect it globally, it's only a matter of time and accrued effort.
If growing becomes too hard I will start planting instead!
Borys Pomianek If you'd like to meet free on skype sometime maybe I can help you)
Cooler than ice cream, all y’all
dude rocking the sam jackson kangol LMAO
Sam gave him that hat.
Nice anecdotes. Thanks. Now, go practice “Chromatic Boogie.”