Author Archive: mmelinger
The Tao of Basie
Starting this September, the AJW is going to do something never attempted in our 20-year history. We are going to take a swing at recreating the sound of the Count Basie Orchestra, using ten players. That’s half as many as Basie used, but twice as many as we fielded in the just-completed Sonny Rollins season. In fact, it’s the …
How Dry I Am
Years ago, I was having a conversation with a fellow saxophone player about playing styles, and he made a comment that left me a little bewildered. He said: “I wish I didn’t have such a beautiful tone.” Huh? Isn’t that what we all strive for? But then he elaborated: “I can sell anything just through …
Life among the Unconsoled
My favorite book, judging by the fact that I’ve now read it twice and I’m contemplating a third go-round, is Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled. Most readers know him from his shorter, more accessible works like Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. Both are excellent, particularly Remains, which spawned a sensitive, understated movie role …
Jelly Omelette
Yesterday I went out to lunch with my Mother (age 94) and my Younger Daughter (age 19). My Wife (age undisclosed) recommended the restaurant, then wisely bailed out on the proceedings. Oh, the place was fine in a Groovy Austin Coffee Hang kind of way. Counter service, tiny painted tables, art for arts sake dominating …
This guy doesn’t like the spin classes up north.
OK, so I’m feeling a little motivated lately and hitting the gym more often. It keeps me off the streets. One day last week, I woke up ridiculously early—why?–oh yeah, the wife had to leave the house at 5:30 a.m. Bless her heart! <grrrr> Anyway, once I’m up I’m up, so I decided to put …
Strange Bedfellows
This is a gig I had almost forgotten about, but then as people started telling gig stories on Facebook’s Gigs From Hell page, it suddenly popped back into my consciousness. Thanks a lot, guys and gals. This wasn’t really a Gig from Hell, more like a Gig from Heck. Still, the nature of this business …
Blank Check–The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Next year will the be the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney motion picture Blank Check. I assume you already have tickets to the Hollywood Gala, or the simulcast planned for Washington DC, Tokyo, London, Paris, and Madrid. Or perhaps, like me, you will pass on all the hoopla and stay home, cozied up to …
Ya know what really chaps my quiddick?
The following is an edited version of a Facebook thread I started a few weeks back. Other than my own, the names have been reduced to initials. If my friends are still recognizable–well, that’s just the way I do ’em. –MM “It really pisses me off when people get more gigs than me just because …
I like playing Christmas tunes. No, really.
After my last post, I took some flak for daring to suggest that jazz musicians hate playing Take Five. Even though we do, so enough already with the frickin’ requests. So it may come as a surprise to many that I actually enjoy playing Christmas tunes, especially people who know me personally. But rest assured …
We hate playing ‘Take Five’. Quit requesting it.
OK, it’s time this got put out there again, because the message just doesn’t seem to be getting across. So here it is: We hate playing ‘Take Five’. Quit requesting it. Even if only a tiny fraction of club-goers heed this advice, it’s still worth it. That’s how deep our hatred of this song goes. …
saxsalon 