in a Down Beat issue featuring the immortal Art Tatum several years ago,they asked Jaki Byard what made Tatum so great. Jaki said: obviously he must practice a lot more than the rest of us.. In another interview in the same issue, they asked Tiny Grimes (correct me if i got the name wrong), Tatum's guitarist of many years, about the great one's practice routine. Grimes said: in all the years i have played with him and roomed with him I have never once known him to have practiced a note.

It is true that the music and the musicianship is more important than any equipment. Lee Trevino used to hustle bets playing against country club golfers using only a broomstick and a Coke bottle and beating them. But even
Trevino played top-ranked clubs on tour.

Practice is necessary, but it gets more results for some than others..some need only to practice early in their careers, some need only to practice short periods, and some practice endlessly and never really become great.

If that's all there is to say is practice..then we don't need
SZ..we do all use equipment and we read these posts to gain and give knowledge about equipment. My friend
Claudio Roditi is one of the most talented trumpet players ever. Yet- he has also been an equipment nut to the point
of obsession, spending hours every week hunting down different horns in cities he travels to, days discussing mouthpieces..he even installed a lathe in his apartment to work on mouthpieces. he never stops looking for the "perfect" one. and so it is with all of us here. why not?

It is not right to criticize anyone for seeking to improve the equipment they play on. i never was very good on the
alto sax, and always stuck to tenor and bari. about 5 years
ago i tried a new "Cannonball" brand alto a friend had on a gig, and i loved it.
I went out and bought that new brand, and within 6 months felt that i felt and sounded better than i ever had on tenor, and switched permanently to alto. never would have happened except for that particular equipment.

let's keep a sense of perspective about this issue..



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Miami Mo