Ever heard of
Andy Martin? Probably not. But have you ever watched Family Guy or King of the Hill, or watched movies such as Spiderman, The Day After Tomorrow, or Monsters, Inc? Andy is on all of them. Trombonist Martin is one of many studio musicians (aka
session musicians) in the LA area who are called upon day after day to record the music that we take for granted. Although it may not be the most fulfilling job, it pays the bills, and for someone with a talent as relatively obscure as trombone playing (or clarinet playing, or drumming, or anything else), it's one of the
few careers left. Even so, drummer Russ Miller reminds us that studio musicians are rapidly being replaced by synthesizers (Hans Zimmer's score for Gladiator, for instance, uses lots of
synths in lieu of real players) and that
"we don't have the luxury of just playing our instrument like we used to".
posted by rossination
on Sep 8, 2006 -
26 comments
Sonny Rollins, one of the founding tenors of bop and post-bop jazz, is
76 today. Unlike many
other jazz giants who passed away well before they ought to have, Sonny is still going strong.
Rollins became famous with his record
Saxophone Colossus which included, among others, the memorable
St. Thomas. Sonny also became known for his ability to craft imaginative, articulate solos while playing with just a bassist and drummer (without the benefit of a chordal instrument such as piano to "flesh out" the harmonies).
Happy Birthday, Sonny!
posted by rossination
on Sep 7, 2006 -
28 comments
