Klarinet Archive - Posting 000920.txt from 2000/08

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Bernstein's Bernstein
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 12:06:32 -0400

There was another incident that occurred in video taping of the
recording sessions of West Side Story. One of the trumpet players,
maybe the first, was Marsallis (forgive the spelling) and I think it was
the first time that he ever worked with Bernstein. I don't know how he
got hired but that he was competent and prepared to deal with this kind
of jazz was very clear. He also was a section player and minded his own
business; i.e., his behavior was exactly what one might expect from any
section player, very professional, and he played everything on the paper
exceptionally well.

But Bernstein had to give him a zing, and for what purpose was not clear
to me. It was a quickie about [paraphrase] "Well, after all, we even
have this young genius trumpet player here..."

Now a statement like this could be interpreted as a compliment. If
Bernstein wanted to call me a genius, I'd be delighted. But the way he
said it was derogatory as if to say, "This kid is no genius no matter
what the rest of the world says."

Well Marsallis just sat there and kept his mouth shut. I think he may
have wanted to play the book just to be able to say that he worked with
and learned something from Bernstein, and he was not going to let that
comment make him lose his temper.

I think Bernstein came out looking foolish for having made such an
unnecessary reference to Marsallis, and Marsallis came out looking like
a very mature and intelligent person. It was only much, much later,
when Marsallis felt it necessary to make some unpleasant ethnic and
racial statements (though not about Bernstein), that he lost my respect
as a person.
--
***************************
** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org