Scott Dorsey wrote:

I finally had a chance to read the interview. They really captured his essence.

They didn't really talk very much about philosophy at all. They talked a
little bit about what he did, but they didn't really talk very much about
why he did things. Not in any detail, anyway. I think that's kind of a
shame, but even so it was one of the better interviews I have seen with him.


It's the only one I remember. When I said "essence", I probably should
have said "personality". I can just hear him saying the things he said
in the interview.

As far as the "secretive" nature that people talk about, I never
realized he was any more secretive than the next guy.

But, like I said, he's not promoted all over the place, like say, "Mixerman".

"Don Cooper" wrote in message
...

As far as the "secretive" nature that people talk about, I never
realized he was any more secretive than the next guy.

He seems to be. When someone from NPR interviewed him, she clapped her hands
at the beginning just to test the system. According to her, Van Gelder
freaked out, demanded that she give him the tape (DAT), and gave her a new
one to record on instead. He didn't want even the slightest record of what
his studio's response was like. He also made the ground rules for the
interview that he would not, under any circumstances, discuss what his
techniques were. I assume the same ground rules applied to the TapeOp
interview.

Peace,
Paul

Don Cooper wrote:

As far as the "secretive" nature that people talk about, I never
realized he was any more secretive than the next guy.

It's possible that his reluctance to talk about technique might just be
because he wants to talk about philosophy and thinks technique follows
directly from philosophy. I don't know, but I'd like to be able to ask
him someday.

But, like I said, he's not promoted all over the place, like say, "Mixerman".

He was, fifty years ago. But then, the jazz community back then was a very
small one too.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

In article writes:

As far as the "secretive" nature that people talk about, I never
realized he was any more secretive than the next guy.

I guess that when you don't do a whole lot more than get a bunch of
great musicans in a room with good acoustics, if people don't think
you have a secret to making a good recording, they'll stop talking
about you.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article writes:

He seems to be. When someone from NPR interviewed him, she clapped her hands
at the beginning just to test the system. According to her, Van Gelder
freaked out, demanded that she give him the tape (DAT), and gave her a new
one to record on instead. He didn't want even the slightest record of what
his studio's response was like.

You mean some clever data jockey hasn't isolated a drum beat and made
an impulse response file for an acoustic modeling reverb program yet?
Geez, what are they waiting for? Someone to record a handclap in the
room? g



--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Mike Rivers wrote:

I guess that when you don't do a whole lot more than get a bunch of
great musicans in a room with good acoustics, if people don't think
you have a secret to making a good recording, they'll stop talking
about you.

Still...secret method or not Dr.Van Gelder's recordings did have a certain
*tone* to them.
I agree with you though...not much point in investigating the how's and why's
of it.

--
Nathan

"Imagine if there were no Hypothetical Situations"

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
news:znr1097409320k@trad...

In article
writes:

As far as the "secretive" nature that people talk about, I never
realized he was any more secretive than the next guy.

I guess that when you don't do a whole lot more than get a bunch of
great musicans in a room with good acoustics, if people don't think
you have a secret to making a good recording, they'll stop talking
about you.

That's kind of what I was thinking. Maybe all the weird behavior (like
taking the tape where the lady clapped) is to generate mystique (not that he
needs it).

In article znr1097409427k@trad, Mike Rivers wrote:
In article writes:

He seems to be. When someone from NPR interviewed him, she clapped her hands
at the beginning just to test the system. According to her, Van Gelder
freaked out, demanded that she give him the tape (DAT), and gave her a new
one to record on instead. He didn't want even the slightest record of what
his studio's response was like.

You mean some clever data jockey hasn't isolated a drum beat and made
an impulse response file for an acoustic modeling reverb program yet?
Geez, what are they waiting for? Someone to record a handclap in the
room? g

I don't understand what he is so paranoid about. He also made wonderful
recordings in the Village Vanguard, and in what was at the time his mother's
living room. Surely those locations are much easier to get impulse responses
from (and I am sure whoever owns what was his mother's house would be willing
to engage in a short study)? And what would that tell us anyway?
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message
...

I don't understand what he is so paranoid about. He also made wonderful
recordings in the Village Vanguard, and in what was at the time his
mother's
living room. Surely those locations are much easier to get impulse
responses
from (and I am sure whoever owns what was his mother's house would be
willing
to engage in a short study)? And what would that tell us anyway?
--scott

Well, if a person makes great recordings in three "random" rooms I'd say the
room is not the greatest common denominator in the equation. He must know
something.

In article FVdad.216309$MQ5.149566@attbi_s52 writes:

I guess that when you don't do a whole lot more than get a bunch of
great musicans in a room with good acoustics, if people don't think
you have a secret to making a good recording, they'll stop talking
about you.

That's kind of what I was thinking. Maybe all the weird behavior (like
taking the tape where the lady clapped) is to generate mystique (not that he
needs it).

Someone told me that Joe Maphis (jazzy country guitar player from the
'50s) would sometimes drape a handkerchief over his fretting hand so
people couldn't see what he was playing. I never saw that, but I can
believe the story.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
news:znr1097430025k@trad...

In article FVdad.216309$MQ5.149566@attbi_s52 writes:

I guess that when you don't do a whole lot more than get a bunch of
great musicans in a room with good acoustics, if people don't think
you have a secret to making a good recording, they'll stop talking
about you.

That's kind of what I was thinking. Maybe all the weird behavior (like
taking the tape where the lady clapped) is to generate mystique (not that
he
needs it).

Someone told me that Joe Maphis (jazzy country guitar player from the
'50s) would sometimes drape a handkerchief over his fretting hand so
people couldn't see what he was playing. I never saw that, but I can
believe the story.

For years now on my live jazz recordings I use nearly identical xlr
connectors on either end of the mic cables so when they are plugged in it is
difficult for the casual observer to know which direction I'm running the
cables.

Charles Tomaras wrote:

For years now on my live jazz recordings I use nearly identical xlr
connectors on either end of the mic cables so when they are plugged in it is
difficult for the casual observer to know which direction I'm running the
cables.

Yep it's so hard to see those arrows in the dark.

--
ha

Charles Tomaras wrote:

For years now on my live jazz recordings I use nearly identical xlr
connectors on either end of the mic cables so when they are plugged in it
is
difficult for the casual observer to know which direction I'm running the
cables.

Yep it's so hard to see those arrows in the dark.

--
ha


Of course, if you put a loop in the cable then the sound goes both ways and it
people can't figure it out. That's how the original loop got started. :)

--Wayne

-"sounded good to me"-

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
news:znr1097409320k@trad...

I guess that when you don't do a whole lot more than get a bunch of
great musicans in a room with good acoustics, if people don't think
you have a secret to making a good recording, they'll stop talking
about you.

He records in a freakin' pyramid... how much more cryptic can you get than
that? Anubis is looking over his shoulder every moment, shouldn't he be
secretive?

lol

Neil Henderson

"Ricky W. Hunt" wrote:

Maybe all the weird behavior
is to generate mystique

Another applicable behavior: there are Hammond organ players who don't
allow anyone else to see what drawbar settings they use.

--
Jonathan Roberts * guitar, keyboards, vocals * North River Preservation
----------------------------------------------
To reach me reverse: moc(dot)xobop(at)ggestran

"Jonathan Roberts" wrote in message
...
"Ricky W. Hunt" wrote:

Maybe all the weird behavior
is to generate mystique

Another applicable behavior: there are Hammond organ players who don't
allow anyone else to see what drawbar settings they use.

I once heard that in truth there's only about 8 settings that organ players
use. Musicians are a superstitious lot.

Jonathan Roberts wrote:
"Ricky W. Hunt" wrote:

Maybe all the weird behavior
is to generate mystique

Another applicable behavior: there are Hammond organ players who don't
allow anyone else to see what drawbar settings they use.

I worked with a jazz drummer who had a secret thing that he covered with
a handkerchief and clipped between the beater and the head of the kick.
He refused to let anyone know what it was, but whatever it was or did, he
sounded better than anyone else who played that kit.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

In article aznad.225071$D%.183994@attbi_s51 writes:

I once heard that in truth there's only about 8 settings that organ players
use. Musicians are a superstitious lot.

Right. And there are only about 8 microphones that most recording
engineers use, too. (which isn't too far from the truth)

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Scott Dorsey wrote:
Jonathan Roberts wrote:

"Ricky W. Hunt" wrote:


Maybe all the weird behavior
is to generate mystique

Another applicable behavior: there are Hammond organ players who don't
allow anyone else to see what drawbar settings they use.


I worked with a jazz drummer who had a secret thing that he covered with
a handkerchief and clipped between the beater and the head of the kick.
He refused to let anyone know what it was, but whatever it was or did, he
sounded better than anyone else who played that kit.
--scott


It was a photograph of Van Gelder.

--
--
John Noll
Retromedia Sound Studios
Red Bank, NJ



http://www.retromedia.net

Scott Dorsey wrote:

But, like I said, he's not promoted all over the place, like say, "Mixerman".

He was, fifty years ago. But then, the jazz community back then was a very
small one too.


Well, there's a lot I don't know about him, and never thought to ask.