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Re: Yogi Berra Explains Jazz



Thanks Ted

joe
On Wednesday, February 16, 2005, at 10:44 AM, ArsOcarina@aol.com wrote:

Hi all,

Now for something completely different -- but still apropos methinks.
This was sent to me by my friend (and one of my favorite drummers
in SoCal) Dr. Bob Sterling -- some months ago. I dig it out now for what
I think should be obvious reasons.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*Yogi Berra Explains Jazz*

Interviewer:
Can you explain jazz?

Yogi: I can't, but I will. 90% of all jazz is half improvisation. The other
half is the part people play while others are playing something they
never played with anyone who played that part. So if you play the
wrong part, it's right. If you play the right part, it might be right if you
play it wrong enough. But if you play it too right, it's wrong.

Interviewer: I don't understand.

Yogi: Anyone who understands jazz knows that you can't understand
it. It's too complicated. That's what's so simple about it.

Interviewer: Do you understand it?

Yogi: No. That's why I can explain it. If I understood it, I wouldn't know
anything about it.

Interviewer: Are there any great jazz players alive today?

Yogi: No. All the great jazz players alive today are dead. Except for
the ones that are still alive. But so many of them are dead, that the
ones that are still alive are dying to be like the ones that are dead.
Some would kill for it.

Interviewer: What is syncopation?

Yogi: That's when the note that you should hear now happens either
before or after you hear it. In jazz, you don't hear notes when they
happen because that would be some other type of music. Other
types of music can be jazz, but only if they're the same as something
different from those other kinds.

Interviewer: Now I really don't understand.

Yogi: I haven't taught you enough for you to not understand jazz that well.