I have started to read a really intelligent thoughtful article from BassPlayer Magazine and have bookmarked it for further study. The differences between jazz in Europe and the US…..
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The article is an interview with John Goldsby. He’s from Louisville, Kentucky, by way of New York, and is the bassist of the WDR Big Band, based in Cologne.
Follow this link to read it. And see you at the end. And please do tell the readers of LondonJazz what you think if you get there first!
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Thanks for posting this link. You're right, this is a very insightful article. I have no experience in Europe, I'm in the US and so I found the contrasts he mentioned about jam sessions, standards and restaurant gigs between the 2 places really interesting. I see a lot of musicians here (Atlanta) who cultivate their playing of the standard repertoire and their original music at the same time. But it rings true that playing in pickup bands on standards is a huge part of developing yourself as a musician here. It becomes a constant rehearsal of the skills and ideas you are developing in practice, and exploring what happens when you bring that to different combinations of players, settings and moments.
this is a very articulate and insightful article, especially about the part on development around the college years.. totally true.