Lenny Pickett:Live at the Blue Note

2594 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by zivley, Oct 6, 2007

sycc

Discussion Starter · May 15, 2007

Saw Lenny Pickett w/ the NY university jazz ensemble on may 5 at 1230pm.. They used A sax,T sax(lenny pickett),B sax Trumpet and trombone plus rhythm section. AWESOME show!!!!!!!!!We talked to the baritone sax player(keilwerth SX-90R w/low A-real nice sax) and he seemed impressed that both my daughters played. My wife overheard him(dressing room was next to the bathroom) tell Lenny Pickett that two little girls came all the way to the blue note to hear him play. When show concluded and he walked by our table I said to Lenny Pickett "Wow that was awesome!!!!!" Lenny didn't even turn his head and look at me. I thought maybe he would of talked to my daughters. I guess when your young(around 19){the baritone saxophonist} two girls age 9 and 11 playing sax is impressive but when your in your 50s and famous it probably doesn't matter much to you.

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sycc

Discussion Starter · #2 · May 15, 2007

Would like to hear about people's encounters w/ Lenny Pickett. Is he nice???Stuck up????Big Head????Maybe he didn't hear my compliment.

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Nefertiti

· #3 · May 15, 2007

Don't just assume he heard you. I know many musicians including myself(I'm deaf in one ear) who can't hear that great. I'm sure there has been many times where people try to talk to me and I just keep walking because I never heard them.

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Swampcabbage

· #4 · May 15, 2007

Also, don't assume that he knew you were talking to him. Did you approach him and shake his hand and say "wow, that was awesome." Or did you simply say it as he passed by thinking "oh, he'll hear me and then come over to my seat and want to meet me and my daughters."

I usually am in the mood to get on to my next task once a job is done and that may include talking to people who wish to chat with me. However, I won't know that unless they take the time to get out of their seats and approach me. He just played a show for you, you want him to hunt you down and seek you out not knowing who you are or that you even wish to talk to him? Hmmm, I'm beginning to wonder who has that attitude here.

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heath

· #5 · May 15, 2007

It's been my experience that a lot of the great musicians like to be left alone or given some space before and after they perform.

I use to try to talk to some of them, but I learned that it's best just to listen to the music and enjoy that without trying to approach them. Maybe buy them a drink or something to eat if you really enjoyed the show, but I don't try to talk to them anymore. The music says it all.

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Kritavi

· #6 · May 15, 2007

I know some people who know Lenny and he is considered to be as nice and genuine a person as one could hope to meet. I've seen him perform , he is highly committed and involved in what he is doing, to expect him or any serious musician to shift into a social mode to deal with strangers at the drop of a comment moments after playing is just unfair and unrealistic.

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Swampcabbage

· #7 · May 15, 2007

BTW - Also to consider. THis was a Sunday afternoon show. There are several scenario's that he may have had going on. 1) Another gig, or two, or three. 2) Perhaps he needs to start arranging the SNL book so it's ready for rehearsals. 3) Rehearsals for other shows. 4) Prep for his teaching gig. 5) maybe the guy just needs to slip in some quality practicing time of his own (not easy when you are straddling as many projects as he does). Oh and 6) He has a family of his own. Perhaps, if he's like me, he treasures his Sunday afternoons with them as it is most likely the only day of the week he can really spend time with them. (Since his Saturdays are pretty booked with that silly show he does),

I don't mean to come down on you too hard, but, your the one bringing up "stuck up" and "big head."

To set the other record straight. I have met him. It was a far different situation though. I was visiting NY and had been studying with a former teacher of his (Bert Wilson). Bert told me to look him up and tell him I was studying with him. I call him up when I have just a few hours before I have to leave town. He says he doesn't have much time for a lesson but if I wish to come over and hang out that would be cool. I go over to his place and he's writing out arrangements for SNL right there. Entertaining my questions and showing me how he's adapted single reed mouthpieces for double reeds and sharing with me his experiences.

Very cool guy, but, I had an "in" so I didn't think it was the same situation.

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Honeyboy

· #8 · May 15, 2007

I once took a leak in the urinal next to Jr. Walker before his show. He was very sociable- I asked him what mouthpiece he was using.

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sycc

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 15, 2007

Thanks for the feedback!!!!!It was a great show. He let all his players solo. I guess I was naive to think that since the bari player mentioned my kids play he would come over. And after how loud the horn section was masybe his ears were still ringing. He did talk to one of his reserved tables after set. Then he walked by us. I truly did enjoy the show.

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Stayoutlate

· #10 · May 15, 2007

hey sycc why would anybody care that you got snubbed by Lenny Pickett? I'm sure he was not going to run home and practice as swampcabbage listed in reasons why he wouldn't "stop by". He just didn't have anything to say to you. Get over it. I'd rather hear honeyboy bs about sneaking a peek at Jr. Walker's junk!

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sycc

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 15, 2007

Stayoutlate said:
hey sycc why would anybody care that you got snubbed by Lenny Pickett? I'm sure he was not going to run home and practice as swampcabbage listed in reasons why he wouldn't "stop by". He just didn't have anything to say to you. Get over it. I'd rather hear honeyboy bs about sneaking a peek at Jr. Walker's junk!

I'm over it. Just was curious if anyone met him and what kind of person he was. He is a fantastic tenor player.

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Honeyboy

· #12 · May 15, 2007

. I'd rather hear honeyboy bs about sneaking a peek at Jr. Walker's junk![/QUOTE said:
Hey!!! Never happened!!! :x

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zivley

· #13 · Oct 6, 2007

sycc said:
I'm over it. Just was curious if anyone met him and what kind of person he was. He is a fantastic tenor player.

Allow me to correct you, he's THE player, he's unique, one of a kind (in my opinion)
You guys remember the movie "Men in black"? There is a part where they monitor the extraterrestrian citizens and most of them are talented and famous people (Stallone, Elvis...) on their monitor screens.
Well, I count Lenny Picket as one of them... If the movie was made today, you'd see SNL on one of the screens...

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