John Keene
6 January 2020
While spending way too much time on YouTube this past month, I discovered this tremendous player by accident. Seriously, anyone looking for an entire evening's variety of great bankable material need look no further; if you look through his many online videos, you'll find a lot of variety between actual jazz compositions and standard tunes. This video is of Monk's tune "I Mean You."
Comments
I like listening to him!! i
tonymiceli Mon, 01/06/2020 - 14:10
I like listening to him!! i have heard other stuff! I also look at his grip. i think they must be hard mallets because i think with that grip it would be hard to play loud.
Mallets
John Keene Mon, 01/06/2020 - 14:51
In reply to I like listening to him!! i by tonymiceli
I suspect those are some variation of Albright mallets with the stems cut shorter than usual. His tone is not a hard mallet tone, but sounds to me like it's a medium large-ball mallet. I also like is that he keeps his wrists close to the keyboard, and I think that provides a lot of control over his touch and tone. I did a little research and he's 72 years old, and I'd like to know where he got that coat!!
What I've learned from him as a result of scanning quite a few of his videos is that he is incredibly consistent in his approach to the instrument, and that he also presents a very wide selection of tunes. Plus his band really knows how to swing.
French grip
Vince H Wed, 01/08/2020 - 00:13
In reply to I like listening to him!! i by tonymiceli
French grip
Pianist!
David Friedman Wed, 01/08/2020 - 15:31
In reply to French grip by Vince H
I dig the piano player! Great feel, nice comfortable lines.
Do you like the sound of his
tonymiceli Sat, 01/11/2020 - 13:48
Do you like the sound of his mallets? They cut through right? I like that sound a lot. If he had softer mallets you would not hear him.
Maybe those mallets don't sound as good at the instrument, to you. But see how they work for the audience? The point is, mallets have two sounds. The sound where you are and the sound where the audience is. I think as vibe players we have to consider all that.
If you or I are playing and audience can't hear us, then our mallets SUCK!!!! So take your favorite mallets and make sure you know what situations to use them in!!!!
Yes
John Keene Sat, 01/11/2020 - 17:12
In reply to Do you like the sound of his by tonymiceli
I like his mallets a lot. I think they are Albright mediums and those can cut and maintain that nice jazz sound.
Yes
John Keene Sat, 01/11/2020 - 17:12
In reply to Do you like the sound of his by tonymiceli
I like his mallets a lot. I think they are Albright mediums and those can cut and maintain that nice jazz sound.
pretty sure you're correct
Randy_Sutin Mon, 01/13/2020 - 19:02
In reply to Yes by John Keene
I have a set of those and that is what they would sound like on a Deagan.
The grip is Milt Jackson influenced as far as I can tell. Short mallets held all the way out at the end, with the hands turned over like a French grip. The only thing more he could do to be exactly like Milt Jackson would be to occasionally put his pointer finger on top of the mallet. :) I was never quite sure what that was about, but I think it makes dead strokes in the middle of a line easier.
Great player. Great sound. Nice Deagan Commander.
Thank you
Al Brown Fri, 01/31/2020 - 17:14
Thank you for sharing_I will be on the lookout for more of his playing-love the Deagan Commander and the Milt-style mallets. I see some of his videos appear to perhaps be with some students of his?