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[MDease]

Best?  Really?  Music isn't an Olympic event. 

But hey- I interpret this more like "favorite" - or "favourite"  anyhow, so let me get off my pseudo high-horse.  Whoa-nelly.

I just found this DVD of Bobby Hackett and Vic Dickensen (Joe Temperley on it as well) where Vic owns this ballad, "Manhattan".  I'm blown away by his feeling, nuace and sound.  What an artist... Vic Dickensen.  He's one of my favorites.

[Erling]

It's Dickenson, but no matter
Just realized that I happened to omit his name in my list of personal favs. Shame on me.

[BoneCall]

I just found this DVD of Bobby Hackett and Vic Dickensen (Joe Temperley on it as well) where Vic owns this ballad, "Manhattan".  I'm blown away by his feeling, nuance and sound.  What an artist... Vic Dickensen.  He's one of my favorites.

Ah, you younger guys are just finding out about Vic? I had the extreme honor of subbing for him on rare occasions at Eddie Condon's on 54th street. One of my main influences when I first started playing. It ain't about notes, its about feelings and Vic had that feeling in spades.

[Exzaclee]

I heard Sgt. Joe with Maynard (God Bless Him) about 17 years ago...

Thanks Joe...  quite an inspiring performance.

Zac

[Paul Martin]

Each one on the following list has inspired me, kept me in awe, for years: Kid Ory, Jack Teagarden, Tricky Sammy Nanton, J.C. Higginbotham, Lawrence Brown, Dicky Wells, Bill Harris, Quentin 'Butter' Jackson, Eddie Bert, Willie Dennis, Jimmy Knepper, Roswell Rudd, Jaxon Stock, Ole 'Fessor' Lindgren . . . . off the top of my head

Erling,

Awesome list, all very distinctive story-tellers.

[Erling]

Indeed, Paul - sorry for forgetting Vic Dickenson, unforgivable. But this list was fast and as I said, off the top of my head.

[MDease]

Ah, you younger guys are just finding out about Vic?

That's an inaccurate generalization.  I've been diggin on Vic Dickenson for as long as I've played the trombone.  So have about 100 other of my 'bone colleagues in NYC still in their teens and twenties.  Times are changing, Jerry.

I had the extreme honor of subbing for him on rare occasions at Eddie Condon's on 54th street. One of my main influences when I first started playing. It ain't about notes, its about feelings and Vic had that feeling in spades.

That's amazing-  Could you tell us more about that experience?  Did you know Vic personally?

[Graham Martin]

I think this is a dopey topic. If people are going to write about their heroes, inspiration etc., they should do so under separate topic headings. Especially on a trombone forum!

Boo!

And in light of that I am starting a topic about Vic Dickenson because I have just discovered a new recording he made.

[BlueTrombonist]

Whoa...

Well...

Arthur Pryor is the legend... However few recordings exist of him, and even fewer good quality. However he is supposively the best that ever lived.

I like Joe Alessi for his sheer velocity, there is simply nothing he can't do on the instrument. His playing whether orchestral, or solo, is the only trombonist I would consider flawless.

Christian Lindberg is my favorite for his expressiveeness when he plays. Lindberg has that lighter solo sound, and also makes the music his.

JJ is awesome because I think every trombonist whether classical or jazz owes something to him.

Bill Watrous is one of my personal favorites, mainly I like the stuff he plays, and he always leaves me in awe.

Norman Bolter is an absolute machine, he may be the hardest working trombonist.

Dorsey like JJ gives something to every player because of his sheer lyricism and playing with an ensemble.

I couldn't pick one...

[Erling]

Graham, it's just the sheer pleasure of dropping those wonderful names that make me participate in a topic as dopey as this. Isn't it wonderful just seeing the names? and knowing that somebody else out there digs 'em. And others. I'm a romantic old sud, can't help it.

[BoneCall]

That's amazing-  Could you tell us more about that experience?  Did you know Vic personally?

No, Mike, I didn't, I just happened to be around on a few occasions when the club needed a known quantity at short notice. At that time I was sitting in with Roy Eldridge or Max Kaminsky's Sunday night band next store at Jimmy Ryan's on a regular basis in addition to being invited on stage at Eddie Condon's now and then. How those veterans tolerated a young bebopping kid like me is wonder I'll always remember. Sometimes they didn't - Red Balaban crossed me off his list when I played too many notes on a solo on Out Of Nowhere one evening.

The music was different in those days. More inclusive and less elitist. More "come join our party !" and "where's your horn?" rather than "look how good I am!" or "This is my gig and its MY chance to play." Something precious disappeared from the music with the demise of clubs like Ryan's and Condon's which were really ongoing jam sessions on a very high level. I'm sorry for the many of the younger musicians today who don't know what they're missing. Imagine a 23 year old like myself getting the chance to trade ideas with the likes of Buddy Tate, Roy Eldridge, Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton (whom I recently had the chance to play with again after 30 years) Clark Terry, Curtis Fuller and a bunch of other legends in their prime. Imagine what that kind of experience does for your sound and your connection to the roots of the music.

I can tell you that Vic did invite me to check out his horn once and the slide was awful! How could he play so beautifully with a slide like a rock?

[Dissonant]

my preffer:

Christian Lindberg
Joe Alessi
Branimir Slokar
Michael Becquet
Kiril Ribarski

J.J. Johnson
Steve Turre.

[Graham Martin]

Graham, it's just the sheer pleasure of dropping those wonderful names that make me participate in a topic as dopey as this. Isn't it wonderful just seeing the names? and knowing that somebody else out there digs 'em. And others. I'm a romantic old sud, can't help it.

You're right, of course. I just think they deserve a bit better than a pissing contest. Not that your contributions were anything like that. Anyway, Jerry added his bit to my new topic on 'The Gentleman of the Trombone'. I envy you guys for having got so close.

[BoneCall]

I envy you guys for having got so close.

We're still there Graham. It comes out in every note.

[janettem]

Gotta throw Bill Harris in there.

I've been listening to some of his stuff lately...talk about wild!

[RedHotMama]

I see no evidence of a pissing contest here.

Unless, of course, someone queries my choice of Miff Mole....

[Trombonaut]

I`m not sure about ALL time. I think there were many fine players also before the time when recording devices were invented. And the style of playing is changing all the time so it`s getting quite difficult to compare contemporary players and those who played 60 years ago or more. The list of great trombonists named here is really impressive and they are/were absolutely fantastic players. For me nowadays the best in classic is Ian Bousfield and James Morrison in jazz. But I`m not ready to talk about ALL time...

[Exzaclee]

John Moak, anyone?

[JohnL]

If this thread gets one person to go listen to any one of the amazing players mentioned, it's worth the dope-factor.

[Dave Tatro]

Well, all the fine replies thus far just prove what we re-learn every time a "THE BEST PLAYER" thread comes up. There isn't one.