Ted Greene - Playing the Blues - December 2003

[Bratschenator]

He is up there with Jimmy Rowles. That kind of sophistication and soul. We love you Ted !

[Krumboltz]

beach shirt FTW!

[gjfanatique]

Well, taildragger, I love Ted Greene *and* Elton John for different reasons. TG is one of the greatest masters of what I try to do. EJ writes beautiful songs. I like EJ's songs because they always go somewhere and take their time getting there. He's always got something to say, and so does TG. They just speak different languages.

[Bebop646]

at the end of this beautiful impro i would stand up and cry. Then i would start asking "how can u do that?!?!? how can it be so smooth? how can you make the bass, the chord, the melody flowing that way? Thank you for existing."

[foomsbah]

He needs to hurled into the harsh world of West Texas red-stool cigarette bars of the late 70s. Then, he would play more aggressively & more surely. This delicate approach would be run over like a kitten on a freeway. Life is like that.

[WhiteNightRiots]

I wish he played "louder". He plays so delicately, which I suppose is to be admired. Who am I to judge though? I guess I'm just used to Pass =P

[shadowknight132]

Every time I watch Ted Greene or Lenny Breau, I just want to pick up a music theory book and teach myself some chords on the guitar.

[RaymondFRevalee]

BORING

[xSODxDeMoNiaC]

@RaymondFRevalee IGNORANT.

[musicmandrew]

@RaymondFRevalee Please post some of your playing. That way, we can all hear what a genius you are on the guitar!

[lsmith869]

@RaymondFRevalee Watch a lotta tv do ya. Thats hilarious Ted Greene boring, what a moron.

[MrNadeeo]

Is there any actual release of this kind of stuff? Any good Chord melody blues CD out there?

[middlestaller]

@MrNadeeo Joe Pass's "Virtuoso" recordings are all chord melody renditions of jazz standards.

[Frank5133]

With respect to Teds comment, about Gibson Guitars not being suitable for blues.

Check out Gregor Hilden on his 1959 Les Paul for the most subtle blues sound you

will ever hear.

Ted is actually playing jazz rather than blues(which of course the Gibson delivers as well as it does the blues.

[jplent]

angelic...

[zachariahkinzett]

amazing

[closetome]

GENUIS

[waldo2384]

..and then sometimes he lets Little Herbie run it.

[NESavoth415]

I love that clap right when he gets going at 1:40

[mfbown]

This is fun to watch. Was he influenced by George Van Eps at all -- I hear similarities in the approach to voicing.

[kickcableguyinnuts]

ted is the only guitar player ive ever heard that could admit that he had a problem with his fingers just taking over from time to time, the way other players make it sound they hear everything in their head before they play, that gave me such a bad complex about my playing until i heard him say it.

[jazzfusionforall]

When it comes to improvisation of any sort, my fingers know more than my head does. Thats for sure.

[abedesuka]

whats this guitar name

guild?

[nick5269]

@abedesuka most likely most boxes he played were guilds im pretty sure

[abedesuka]

thanx your the gentleman

[entity3sf]

I actually admire you for asking him. At the young age when I met him, I was frankly too terrified and awe-struck to mutter much more than "hello Mr. Pass." And that's no way to be. Like someone said, he's just another person, and why not ask him questions.

I was very sad when he died. Part of it, and no disrespect is intended here, was the hard and dark periods of his life, the addictions and mental demons that seem to be present with such genius. Do they go hand in hand?

[entity3sf]

I am definitely way out on a limb here but can't that sadness, that suffering be heard in his playing? It's what makes the difference between a great line of thought, and a great line of thought imbued with some pathos that resonates both intellectually, theoretically, and also in a deeply emotional way. Waxing poetic here, I know, but it seems true that their suffering (Train, Pass, Bird, and others) can be heard in there exquisite phrasing.

...then again maybe I should just stop babbling.

[taildragger51]

entity3sf: You're definitely not babbling but do send me a private message since i don't wish to overburden 'deparko's superb Ted Green spot. Ted plays wonderfully on here. I've sent you a ytube video of Joe Pass with an old friend of mine from London, Cedric West. Wes Montgomery, Pass, Burrell, Kessell all stayed at Cedrics "motel" during the 60s. Ike Isaacs interviewed Wes there in 1965. I still have that interview on tape. Best wishes.

[taildragger51]

entity3sf: Yes, i agree, i think the human condition consists mostly of sadness.

Creative musicians tune into sadness.

They tap into their psyche to give their music the edge but in doing so open a 'Pandoras Box' of emotions. To suppress those emotional "demons" some find they need substances. The music of Coltrane, Monk, Albert Ayler, Art Pepper etc was a constant battle of angels & demons. Coltrane bravely quit drugs and became spiritual. J.C. was astounding.

[taildragger51]

entity3sf; Most jazz artists are not embarrassed to speak about their influences.

This is what seperates Pass or Ted Green or Wes from self absorbed guys like Sir Elton John. Life shouldn't be taken too seriously..in 20-30 yrs time we'll all be in the same place as Joe & Ted so where's the need for idol worship.(or smugness for that matter)....REAL music, as on this clip, has a spiritual quality that surpasses human ego.

[jnkhd]

@taildragger51 Wonderfully stated, I couldn't agree with you more.

[schniggitty1]

@taildragger51 Well spoken. It's a lesson that will forever lose to the tyranny of popular taste.

[mattgresh1]

@taildragger51 Even though your ego doesnt exist, because you can be who ever you want..

[taildragger51]

deparko: I forgot to thank you so much for this video of Ted (whoops, that's if i may call him "TED"? Is this OK' Velvet4U?)

[tonjazzmaz]

ted play a tradicional blues progression or a modern blues ?

thanks!!

[eastonmackay]

damn what a shame, i seriously wanna learn to play the blues like this

[eastonmackay]

does anyone know how Ted died?

[Whicol2]

Heart attack at his home in 2005.

[Westy196740]

Heart attack 2005

[Mosin54r]

Its funny That you guys say Pass is from the Charlie Christian school but I understand why you guys say that but I have seen interviews with Joe and he said he was influenced by Django and never really listend to Charlie at all.

[taildragger51]

Any of Ted Greenes instructional books are so wonderfully written that they are worth having just for the banter. He's very humourous and sincere. His explanations are so easy to grasp. His passing leaves a huge vacuum that can't be filled.

[lidesnowi]

Genius!

[Record208]

Cool and good,

[cooks95]

Really the best stuff, this jazz kind of playing. Nothing else can match it.

[andrewkeen24]

strangely enough i havent listened to van eps

[hello00world]

when hes"fixing his amp", he totally just wants to change key. ahhahaahahahha. so great.

[Jessseforprez]

eeets Creeeesmas tyme :) he was so great

[wintermoon1939]

Ted was great, he obviously studied the late George Van Eps thoroughly as did Joe Pass. their playing has so many elements of George's

punch the name George Van Eps into Youtube and check him out.

all of this harmonically advanced fingerstyle jazz playing goes back to Van Eps

[IncorruptibleTruth]

I would think that anybody that is watching Ted here on youtube has heard of Van Eps. Just my wild guess but I would think so.

[tbcass]

Maybe I'm wrong but I think Pass was more a product of the Charlie Christian school.

[jevoshawke13]

Pass has credited Django, but Van Eps and Christian would have been in the same time from that Joe Pass would have heard gigging around. Beats me.

[tbcass]

Pass's playing was nothing like Django's  but instead more like Christian's linear horn like lines.

[jevoshawke13]

:3

If you say so.  Joe Pass used the right hand pick technique of the gypsy movement with great success before he went fingerstyle, you can see this in his first Hot Licks video.

In regards to linear, it does make you sound intelligent and Wikipedia says it, too. But from my own analysis, Pass was just as positional as he was linear - his view of the fretboard was solid and he had the technique and theory down enough not to repeat himself.

I think the Van Eps influence is clear.

[tbcass]

Check out Barney Kessel, another of my favorites who was equally masterful in linear and chordal playing.

To me it seems that Van Eps centered his playing around chords more than Pass.

Django played a lot of linear passages but in a unique Gypsy style different from Pass.

When I say linear I mean concentrating on single note scalar lines more than chords.

Regardless they are all great guitarists and that's all that really matters.

[pekoe67]

I remember reading a quote from Django where he explained that his playing style was based entirely on chords.

I imagine he meant that that's how he 'saw' the fingerboard, and he arpeggiated

those chords into the crazy solos we all love.

[TheBrownTies]

great comment and very true! i need to start learning more chords for this reason

[pekoe67]

You can also noodle and back- engineer your chords from there.

(turn your single note leads into chords).

If you know basic chord construction

(1, 3, 5, etc.) you can give them their proper names.

[taildragger51]

I met Joe Pass very casually in the UK back in 1978..actually at Cedric West's house (there's a video here on youtube of that) He was extremely modest. Said that he was never pleased with anything he'd done and cringed when he heard his own records. He credited Charlie Parker rather than any guitarist in terms of inspiration. Saying this, this man Ted Greene was the finest instructor that ever lived. His books are priceless gems.

[entity3sf]

I also met - and played - with Joe at a master seminar at SUNY in Buffalo. He was a gentleman indeed. I expected him to tear my head off but he could not have been a kinder, more sincere gentleman.

What a terrible loss. The world of guitar is much the less without both these fine players.

[taildragger51]

entity3sf: Wow, you must have great memories! The loss that Pass, Farlowe,Roberts , Greene etc have left can never be filled. True, we have very skilful young players around today BUT these original guys came from a unique era. They built their technique through sheer patience and persistance. We're pretty spoilt today with the access we have to hi-tech teaching aids. Unfortunately these aids can't teach us true FEEL. (IMHO)

[entity3sf]

I agree completely.

Although I think software technology, for instance "Band in a Box" type software, is a great leap forward from the days of the Aebersold grind, there is no substitute for having actually been alive and creating with the masters during the period when jazz was the popular music.

That's just my opinion anyway.

[taildragger51]

entity3sf: Your opinion is accurate. You are absolutely right. (apologies if i sound smug)

[Sundryandall]

This is mastery is the best sense of the word. the only thing lacking in musicians like this guy and Lenny Breau was attitude

[anitadavideduo]

Amazing Ted!!

[Modes9]

Lenny Breau, Ted, and Larry Coryell were the best from the 70's...and none of them ever really got the credit they deserved.

[pensar]

I might be giving up singel note playing!

[PezEspada]

what a bunch of beautiful subs!!

[JohnMagg]

The way the tunes just roll off his finger tips is amazing.

[GalaxyHorse]

What are those people there for, yacking away like monkeys in a tree-they are rude and should listen, or go away and chat someplace else...

[gtristdan]

Sah-weet...

[lsoprimus]

Beautiful !

[eightstring]

Deparko

I just left a message for your other Ted Video (Autumn Leaves).  Thanks for posting this gem. Please if you were able to get the Joey B. wedding dvd (I did not) could you please upload the tunes from that DVD. Thanks in advance... RC

[edudzzaj]

Ted was just absolutely brilliant, the harmonic understanding he displays is almost scary :)

[lucatrejazz]

il miglior chitarrista che la storia ci ha regalato!

[AllthatIamisLove]

Greetings..Ted Greene is one of the finest musicians to have ever graced the Jazz scene..It's beyond guitar, he wears his heart on his sleeve..Magical..Check out his books. But once you do you may never be the same again..

[muzzajg]

I just gotta say this bloke's playing is great !! His feel is warm and inclusive and just quietly , pretty cool . I've come across a book of his today and now that I've heard him..well , like my jazz uncle said , ' learn ya chords first ' .

[cast390]

Most underrated and unknown.Simply Perfection!

[robertsonthebruce]

wonderful. beautiful voicings, such a great vibe as a player. i'll never have his chops or tone, but i take comfort that we're at least working on similar hairstyles. `~) great player, inspiring clip.

[BerlinerStadtschloss]

@robertsonthebruce What a witty remark, well, always look on the bright side, don't we?  Kind regards

[oOoACFREEMANoOo]

this is sick, did joe learn from him?

[asanisimasa2]

Actually, he used to open for Joe in the 70s and ted took lessons from Joe...i think at some point, Joe starting turning around and listening to Ted :)

[veeshead]

why would you say that?Joe and him are quite different.Dan

[cosmojh]

Which Joe, Joe Diorio or Joe Pass?

[brlovesdee]

yaaaaaaaa! swing it baby! swing it!

[zhen101]

He was so great,

I will always remember him,

He inspired me...

[drpickup]

Great posting, thanks. Head, hands and ears eh!

[viniguitarjazz]

pra mim o maior sentiment da guitar jaaz!! vivia a musica !!

[fradipa]

Absolutely wonderfull!

[valvetrom]

In D , In F ,In Db, plays all the good changes, may the good blues unite us all.

[cstronggtr]

God bless you Ted,thanks for your energy!

[TheDeLi]

Always sounds pretty

Very cool

[aceutheuthis]

Super playing and a character too!

[Drewster58]

Nice! Ted, and Lenny Breau and a few other great ones really show a beautiful humility and lack of pretension when they do these master classes. That is as awesome as the way they play solo guitar, and impresses me tremendously.

[daleturner]

Thank you for posting this :-)