Bickert Rumination

[Gerry]

A few Bickertian things worthy of review. First a considerable homage
via Sandy Freeze written many years ago:

• Part 1:
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/plucked.html
• Part 2:
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/edit.html
• Part 3:
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/flowed.html

Somewhere in there, Sandy recalls playing with Bickert at a seminar:

"My unsteady comp was not something to write home about! However,
Charley told me (later) that Bickert smiled when I played solo. But,
somewhere around then, Ed reached into his pocket, hauled out his
wallet, and pulled out a folded page. He showed me this neat-and-tidy
handwritten list of songs, at least two hundred, I'd guess, that he'd
be confident to say he knew. In later years, a reviewer was to remark
about Bickert's song choices for recording, that he must have just such
a list in his pocket, when he goes to record, of otherwise
widely-neglected gems of songs!"

Since reading this many years ago, my approach to playing guitar has
been guided by slowing compiling such a list of my own, with songs
falling off and being added every few months. It still informs my
playing. Most are not "widely-neglected" of coures, but just tunes I
like. When I sit on the couch, I warm up for a minute and then I want
to play a song, and so glance at the music stand where my list is
always sitting. I'll always thank Bickert for that idea, and relay the
concept to others.

• A number of live interviews of Bickert in later years:

https://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/blog/ed-bickert-interviews

• A nice tribute by Steven Carra from March 4th:


https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2019/03/rip-ed-bickert-great-and-revered.html

[van]

Post by Gerry
A few Bickertian things worthy of review. First a considerable homage
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/plucked.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/edit.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/flowed.html
"My unsteady comp was not something to write home about! However,
Charley told me (later) that Bickert smiled when I played solo. But,
somewhere around then, Ed reached into his pocket, hauled out his
wallet, and pulled out a folded page. He showed me this neat-and-tidy
handwritten list of songs, at least two hundred, I'd guess, that he'd
be confident to say he knew. In later years, a reviewer was to remark
about Bickert's song choices for recording, that he must have just such
a list in his pocket, when he goes to record, of otherwise
widely-neglected gems of songs!"
Since reading this many years ago, my approach to playing guitar has
been guided by slowing compiling such a list of my own, with songs
falling off and being added every few months. It still informs my
playing. Most are not "widely-neglected" of coures, but just tunes I
like. When I sit on the couch, I warm up for a minute and then I want
to play a song, and so glance at the music stand where my list is
always sitting. I'll always thank Bickert for that idea, and relay the
concept to others.
https://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/blog/ed-bickert-interviews
https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2019/03/rip-ed-bickert-great-and-revered.html

Thanks for the links. Here's another one, written by Steve Wallace, one of the bass players that recorded with Ed on Concord. many comments at the end by Canadians that knew and played with Ed:
https://wallacebass.com/so-long-ed-a-remembrance/?unapproved=27366&moderation-hash=499672fe2b9e25d3d73b69b31458ec01#comment-27366

[van]

Post by van

Post by Gerry
A few Bickertian things worthy of review. First a considerable homage
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/plucked.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/edit.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/flowed.html
"My unsteady comp was not something to write home about! However,
Charley told me (later) that Bickert smiled when I played solo. But,
somewhere around then, Ed reached into his pocket, hauled out his
wallet, and pulled out a folded page. He showed me this neat-and-tidy
handwritten list of songs, at least two hundred, I'd guess, that he'd
be confident to say he knew. In later years, a reviewer was to remark
about Bickert's song choices for recording, that he must have just such
a list in his pocket, when he goes to record, of otherwise
widely-neglected gems of songs!"
Since reading this many years ago, my approach to playing guitar has
been guided by slowing compiling such a list of my own, with songs
falling off and being added every few months. It still informs my
playing. Most are not "widely-neglected" of coures, but just tunes I
like. When I sit on the couch, I warm up for a minute and then I want
to play a song, and so glance at the music stand where my list is
always sitting. I'll always thank Bickert for that idea, and relay the
concept to others.
https://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/blog/ed-bickert-interviews
https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2019/03/rip-ed-bickert-great-and-revered.html

https://wallacebass.com/so-long-ed-a-remembrance/?unapproved=27366&moderation-hash=499672fe2b9e25d3d73b69b31458ec01#comment-27366

I just found a Bickert CD on the Cornerstone label that Ed did in 1999 with Mike Murley and Steve Wallace called, "Test of Time". It was the same group that played at the "Live at the Senator" CD. This wasn't released until 2013 for some reason. It was only $3.48 on ebay with a $5 coupon code including shipping. Just bass, guitar and sax. Those fuckin' Canadians can play! I hope they stay in Canada.

[Gerry]

Post by van

Post by van

A few Bickertian things worthy of review. First a considerable homage>
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/plucked.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/edit.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/flowed.html
"My unsteady comp was not something to write home about! However,> >
Charley told me (later) that Bickert smiled when I played solo. But,> >
somewhere around then, Ed reached into his pocket, hauled out his> >
wallet, and pulled out a folded page. He showed me this neat-and-tidy>

Post by Gerry
handwritten list of songs, at least two hundred, I'd guess, that

he'd> > be confident to say he knew. In later years, a reviewer was to
remark> > about Bickert's song choices for recording, that he must have
just such> > a list in his pocket, when he goes to record, of
otherwise> > widely-neglected gems of songs!"
Since reading this many years ago, my approach to playing guitar has> >
been guided by slowing compiling such a list of my own, with songs> >
falling off and being added every few months. It still informs my> >
playing. Most are not "widely-neglected" of coures, but just tunes I> >
like. When I sit on the couch, I warm up for a minute and then I want>

Post by Gerry
to play a song, and so glance at the music stand where my list is> >

always sitting. I'll always thank Bickert for that idea, and relay
the> > concept to others.
https://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/blog/ed-bickert-interviews
https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2019/03/rip-ed-bickert-great-and-revered.html

Thanks for the links. Here's another one, written by Steve Wallace, one
of the bass players that recorded with Ed on Concord. many comments at
https://wallacebass.com/so-long-ed-a-remembrance/?unapproved=27366&moderation-hash=499672fe2b9e25d3d73b69b31458ec01#comment-27366

I just found a Bickert CD on the Cornerstone label that Ed did in 1999
with Mike Murley and Steve Wallace called, "Test of Time". It was the
same group that played at the "Live at the Senator" CD. This wasn't
released until 2013 for some reason. It was only $3.48 on ebay with a
$5 coupon code including shipping. Just bass, guitar and sax. Those
fuckin' Canadians can play! I hope they stay in Canada.

The smaller the group, the more Bickert there is. I particularly like
You are Too Beautiful from this set, but I am a fool for beauty.

[van]

Post by Gerry

Post by van

Post by van

A few Bickertian things worthy of review. First a considerable homage>
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/plucked.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/edit.html
http://www.geocities.ws/strumdabiz/edissacbickert/flowed.html
"My unsteady comp was not something to write home about! However,> >
Charley told me (later) that Bickert smiled when I played solo. But,> >
somewhere around then, Ed reached into his pocket, hauled out his> >
wallet, and pulled out a folded page. He showed me this neat-and-tidy>

Post by Gerry
handwritten list of songs, at least two hundred, I'd guess, that

he'd> > be confident to say he knew. In later years, a reviewer was to
remark> > about Bickert's song choices for recording, that he must have
just such> > a list in his pocket, when he goes to record, of
otherwise> > widely-neglected gems of songs!"
Since reading this many years ago, my approach to playing guitar has> >
been guided by slowing compiling such a list of my own, with songs> >
falling off and being added every few months. It still informs my> >
playing. Most are not "widely-neglected" of coures, but just tunes I> >
like. When I sit on the couch, I warm up for a minute and then I want>

Post by Gerry
to play a song, and so glance at the music stand where my list is> >

always sitting. I'll always thank Bickert for that idea, and relay
the> > concept to others.
https://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/blog/ed-bickert-interviews
https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2019/03/rip-ed-bickert-great-and-revered.html

Thanks for the links. Here's another one, written by Steve Wallace, one
of the bass players that recorded with Ed on Concord. many comments at
https://wallacebass.com/so-long-ed-a-remembrance/?unapproved=27366&moderation-hash=499672fe2b9e25d3d73b69b31458ec01#comment-27366

I just found a Bickert CD on the Cornerstone label that Ed did in 1999
with Mike Murley and Steve Wallace called, "Test of Time". It was the
same group that played at the "Live at the Senator" CD. This wasn't
released until 2013 for some reason. It was only $3.48 on ebay with a
$5 coupon code including shipping. Just bass, guitar and sax. Those
fuckin' Canadians can play! I hope they stay in Canada.

The smaller the group, the more Bickert there is. I particularly like
You are Too Beautiful from this set, but I am a fool for beauty.

Yeah, it's hard to believe that beauty used to be a consideration in music, when you listen to the music (jazz and otherwise) of today.
George Barnes' daughter posted a letter from Alec Wilder to George Barnes about how much he liked the Barnes/Pizzarelli Duo, and called it an oasis in the lousy music of the 70s. Imagine if he were alive today!