Anyone who doesn't like Doc's playing?

Robert P · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Feb 2013 Posts: 2596

I was hooked from the first time I heard Doc. The first thing I heard him play where I knew it was him was "If I Had A Hammer" on tape on a mono tape player.

Curious if there's anyone who actually doesn't like Doc's playing - to clarify I'm referring to Doc in his heyday. Not looking to debate, I'm just curious to compare notes so to speak. If you don't can you articulate why?
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so what · Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:23 pm Post subject:

Oh, come on.
That's like saying who doesn't like happiness.
Not many takers here.

Trumpetingbynurture · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Nov 2015 Posts: 898

I mean, some people may not like the style of the music, but no one can fairly criticise the skill his playing of it IMO. For the kind of music he plays/played, he does/did it as well as anyone could possibly hope to.

Robert P · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Feb 2013 Posts: 2596

HERMOKIWI · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 2581

When I started learning improvisation 50 years ago it was Doc's records I played along with. He was a big influence on me especially in terms of the sound he produces.

I never heard him in person until a couple of years ago and what particularly struck me is how much his styling in live concert resembles Harry James and Louis Armstrong. I never got that impression listening to his records or watching him on the Tonight Show but hearing him live these influences were very obvious.

Doc is unbelievable, one of the best players ever.
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Tony Scodwell · Heavyweight Member Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 1961

My high school years were in a small town in Wisconsin and marching was the big deal in the mid-west. My band director was a cornet player and really couldn't understand why I wanted to play the trumpet professionally. Believe it or not he actually said to me, "why do you want to go do-wacka-do all night long?" Well admittedly I was a bit cocky and brought in Doc's recording of "Granada" from one of those great Command recordings current at the time. To his credit he listened carefully and said he wasn't aware of anyone playing like that and conceded I may have turned him onto something, not that he ever again listened to players like Doc. I don't think he even knew who Rafael Mendez was either. Ultimately he kicked me out of band because I had joined the AF of M and refused to play a free dance for a military school with the high school dance band I led. My "punishment" was not marching in the big Memorial Day parade with the band. Let's see, wool uniforms and high humidity plus 90 degrees that day and I had to miss that. It was kind of satisfying to roll by the high school band on a flat bed playing with a German band that had hired me.

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