Adrien Moignard playing through an AER?

Travis Hill

Hi guys, can anyone tell me if Adrien is playing through an AER here? It looks like it but doesn't sound like it. I didn't think AERs could get that breakup sound...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAU-Zf-oLzM

Also, has anyone had any experience with an Udo Roesner DA CAPO 75 Acoustic Amplifier? Interesting that the original AER designer is now creating his own line of amps...

Travis

T

juanderer

My guess is that Mathieu and Mathias are the ones playing through the AERs

Travis Hill

Ah, that makes sense! and Adrien is playing through the middle amp. Thanks juanderer

AndrewUlle

astounding that people are walking back & forth past such talent with hardly a glance at the stage...

Jim Kaznosky

It's not really that astounding, considering that virtuosic playing bores a lot of people.

That might seem like a stretch, but try playing Zappa for your significant other. I dig it. She does not.

Twang

Heard an interesting quote today. Can't remember it word for word.

"I dont think virtuosic playing is where great art is at".

What is your definition of virtuosity? I don't think I've ever given an ability to play any number of notes, at speed with accuracy, a moments thought. It is something I have never craved or strive for. I suppose this is because I can play anything that moves me. Luckily I don't need to be Jimmy Rosenberg to play what blows my skirt up.... Whereas my lack of musical ideas is a constant frustration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aec7cQI8beg

Jim Kaznosky

I'm suggest that shredding non-stop bores the lay person. In the instance above, Moignard has masterful control over his tone, note choice, speed, accuracy, harmonic choices, etc. That would be my definition of a virtuoso.

The thing is that I'm burned out on the constant motion without a breath. It is impressive and there are certainly cool ideas there that I can never play or think of, but I'm uninspired by it. I saw Frisell and Julian Lage before the beginning of the pandemic (separate shows) and immediately wanted to play. Django does that for me. Many of the other players do not.

Sorry to subvert this.

Twang

I think you made your point perfectly and I agree.

The "going through constant motion without a breathe" phase is something many of us have gone through in our younger years. I think its healthy and something to be celebrated as long, perhaps, as it doesn't last too long (there is life outside of guitar) But it doesn't have a lot to do with music haha.

I am struggling to see what my point is but, for me, virtuosity can be two or three notes perfectly placed that send shivers down my spine.

I question myself that if I had the kind of technical facility we hear in some "great" players, would I be able to show restraint? probably not. My ego and need for self indulgence would win.

But we see this restraint in art all the time. If you visit the Picasso gallery in Barcelona you will see early paintings that demonstrate Picasso's amazing technical facility. Yet Picasso did not see a need to draw on this technical ability to create his later masterpieces.

Gotta know the rules to break em or as Charlie Parker said "Learn everything then forget it"

billyshakes

Nice discussion above. A part of this perceived "boredom" towards jazz by the lay person is also because they don't understand the language. If you speak German, you might be fascinated to watch "Babylon Berlin" in its native tongue on Netflix. If it wasn't translated, you'd quickly become bored, even if the cinematography was beautiful. So it is with jazz music. The public has perceptions of Dobie Gillis and hipsters or frenetic bebop players playing discordant lines. They dismiss it out of hand because it isn't the same four chords of popular music. It requires a bit of knowledge and concentration.

I'll never forget my wedding when the photographer wanted us to cut the cake. Harmonious Wail was playing and so I looked to Sims and gave him the universal "wrap it up" gesture subtly. He smiled, nodded, finished the chorus he was soloing and started the head out. I heard it and knew he was wrapping up the tune. It would be ~1min tops. No big deal. My photographer, not understanding the language or what he was hearing, tried to get over to the band and gesture for them to stop. I had to restrain him. (Maybe he was mad because we paid the band more than we paid him? And happily!)

Because there is this common repertoire for our style, we hear Sweet Georgia Brown, or For Sephora, or maybe something less popular like Menilmontant or Twelfth Year, and we can at least follow the form and recognize the melody. That's why I like when Stochelo covers Stevie Wonder, the Lost Fingers play Pump Up the Jam, or Robin Nolan does an AC/DC cover. It is a gateway to allow the novice listener something they can follow, and then learn to appreciate the musicianship it took to adapt and arrange a rock/pop song in a swing style. After all, that's all Django was doing in his time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3E2HeAfcdM

Buco

I think the audiences at this place get the crop of players at this level several times a week. Plus it's a bar scene, some people are there to listen to music and some to grab a drink and shoot $h!t. Happens in NYC bars all the time, world class jazz players competing with noisy bar crowds.

Twang

@billyshakes Thanks for the vid. I haven’t seen this before. It “made my day” 😂