Scott Henderson Discussion

[dizzy]

Hey Scott
Do you have a hard time selecting solos when you make an album?
You detailed the process that you use in a previous post which was helpful.
I have been using that approach when I record. It seems like when I comp solos together it sounds less unified but when I don't comp solos I end up with parts that I hate.
Your solos,all sound cohesive and great so you must not comp too much. Maybe I just to become a better player!
Anyway maybe you have some advice.

Thanks Scott

[Scott Henderson]

That's a difficult question, but the short answer is, I have a hard time doing everything! I wish I was a better player too - I'm able to play some pretty great stuff for about 30 seconds, then I'm sure to play something that sucks. Rather than stop, I keep playing because I know another great section will come. I always wait a day to listen back, and from a bunch of solos there's always one that stands out as my favorite. There are always a few bad phrases, and they're hard to fix. I could punch in and fix them but I hate doing that because my time is never as good when I punch in. So I'll comb through the other solos until I find something that fits perfectly and makes musical sense. Editing is the hardest and most tedious job ever - I'm just patient enough to do it.

Also I need to mention that I spend a lot of time listening to my original solo from the basic tracks. If the guys reacted to it, there's no way to play a brand new solo. I have to memorize the parts they reacted to and play the same things in the same places, at least rhythmically, or the solo won't make any sense at all. Here's where the purists say, "then why not just keep the original solo?" And I say, "you wouldn't understand - it's a rock guitar thing." We guitarists are totally anal about tone, and speaking for myself I get much better tone at my home studio where I can crank up my amp, than I do at the basic tracks where I have to turn my amp down to 1 so it won't bleed into the drum mics.

Anyway, there will always be snobs who think this way of putting an album together lacks integrity. My viewpoint is that some people want to put their best efforts into a project, and editing is part of the process - just like making a movie. Every scene needs to be the best it can be. I can think of a few jazz musicians who would rather do theatre and just play the same average shit they play every day on their records because they're too lazy to do anything better. Not that I have anything against theatre - that's why I play concerts, and I'm planning to do a live album with this trio. For the snobs who think concerts and albums with no overdubs are the only valid forms of jazz, then there ya go.

That being said, there are some jazz musicians who are so brilliant that I don't see a reason for them to ever fix anything. They're able to play great solos from start to finish without one unmusical moment - wish I was one of those guys! I still practice a lot so maybe someday.

[dizzy]

Thanks for the reply scott.
I think the reason why your playing keeps getting better and better is because of how hard you work at all these aspects. Every album you make is different.
I love that. You could literally make 1 album a week of standards recorded live in the studio if you wanted but why?
It is inspiring to hear your albums from Chick Corea sideman solos all the way to Vibe Station.