Re: Yogi Berra Explains Jazz

[Sheila Olson <onelonecrow@earthlink.net>]

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.