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Emily Remler


Emily Remler's death at age 32 from a heart attack (certainly not helped by her frequent use of heroin) was a shock to the jazz world, and a sad waste. She was just beginning to emerge from the Wes Montgomery influence and develop her own voice. Remler began playing guitar when she was ten, attended Berklee (1976-1979), and recorded as a leader for the first time in 1980. She played with the L.A. version of the show Sophisticated Ladies (1981-1982) and in 1985 had a duo with Larry Coryell, but otherwise mostly worked as a leader with her own small groups. After recording bop-oriented dates for Concord, she had a contemporary set for Justice, and toured with David Benoit before her sudden death.

- by Scott Yanow
All Music Group

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POP JAZZ; EMILY REMLER, NEW GUITAR VIRTUOSO, AT BLUE NOTE

By JOHN S. WILSON
Published: April 16, 1982
EIGHT years ago Emily Remler was picking out rock tunes on a single string of a guitar. She had never heard any jazz, she couldn'tread a note of music and had no particular interest in being a musician. Today she is being hailed as one of the major jazz stars of the 1980's, a guitarist of unusual authority and individuality.

Established jazz guitarists are among her strongest supporters. Jim Hall considers her ''just incredible.'' Charlie Byrd is taken by the ''great authority'' with which she plays the kind of music that he likes. And Herb Ellis, who first brought her to wide attention, calls her ''the new superstar of the guitar.''

The object of this acclaim will be appearing at the Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, tonight through Sunday, leading a trio with Eddie Gomez on bass and Bob Moses on drums.

The dark-haired Miss Remler sits on the edge of a stool, her eyes tightly shut as she picks out notes on her guitar. Initially, she seems rather unprepossessing. But as her guitar lines take shape, as she moves smoothly and effortlessly through some rapid, clipped bebop figures or strums the dark, rich octave chords that she has adapted from Wes Montgomery's playing and simultaneously fills out a background for these lines, the 24-year-old Miss Remler takes on a dominating presence. A sense of command emanates from her even though her eyes remain closed throughout her performance. ''I go into a trance, she said the other day, explaining what might seem to be an action that cuts her off from her listeners. ''It helps my concentration.'' With Her Eyes Tightly Shut

It also causes her to miss things. When she played at the Concord Jazz Festival in California for the first time five years ago, sharing the stage with such celebrated jazz guitarists as Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, Mr. Byrd and Mr. Ellis - she says she ''thinks'' she got a standing ovation. But she doesn't know: her eyes were closed.

Hearing the skill and aplomb with which she now plays be-bop lines at the Blue Note, it is difficult to realize that Miss Remler had never played be-bop until six years ago. She started strumming a guitar, playing and singing folk music, when she was a child in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. From folk music and an acoustic guitar, she graduated to rock and her brother's electric guitar.

At 15, she met a music teacher from India in a summer camp. ''I learned weird time signatures from him,'' she said. ''I still remember the syllables we sang. We were singing quarter tones and I could sing along with Ravi Shankar records. It helped my ear.''

She finished high school at 16, but with low marks ''I was a hippie,'' she explained. She had trouble finding a college that would accept her, finally entering Berklee College of Music in Boston not because she was particularly interested in music, she says, but because the school accepted her. ''It's easy to get into Berklee,'' she said, ''but staying in is hard.'' Jazz Turns Her Around

She became aware of jazz for the first time at the school. ''It turned me around,'' she said. ''Initially, all I heard was a bunch of notes, so I know what it's like when people hear jazz for the first time. But then I heard Charlie Christian, the guitarist with Benny Goodman, and Paul Desmond, the alto saxophonist with Dave Brubeck. With Desmond, I could hear the melody and relate to it. Desmond got me into jazz, but when I heard Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny, I knew I would be a guitarist.''

She heard Miles Davis and John Coltrane, too. But she didn't like them. ''They scared me,'' she said, although she is now trying to incorporate Coltrane's ideas in her playing.

For her first six months at Berklee, Miss Remler was too shy to play for her guitar teacher. But when she found the right motivation - a boyfriend who was an excellent guitarist - she moved ahead with determination. After two years at Berklee, she rented a room on Long Beach Island, N.J., for the summer and practiced eight hours a day for two months. Then she moved to New Orleans where her friend lived.

There she played at parties and weddings. She played jazz gigs that her boyfriend could not get to. They formed a group to play on radio and television, a quartet made up of two guitars, bass and drums called ''Four Play.'' She played in a rhythm and blues group called Little Queenie and the Percolators. She joined the late Dick Stabile's house band at the Fairmount Hotel where she played behind such performers as Nancy Wilson, Joel Gray, Robert Goulet and Ben Vereen, a job that forced her to become a good reader. A Promise From Herb Ellis

When Herb Ellis came to New Orleans to play at Le Club, Miss Remler asked him to repair her Herb Ellis model guitar. He told her to bring it to his hotel. They played together for four hours and Mr. Ellis was amazed at what he heard.

''I'm going to make you a star,'' he told her. And he meant it. Three weeks later she was invited to play at the Concord Jazz Festival with Messrs Ellis, Byrd, Farlow and Kessel and the other members of ''The Great Guitars.''

She returned to New Orleans with her head in the clouds and an incentive to do even better. She learned how to perform - ''how to get up there and do it.''

Two years ago she broke up with her New Orleans boyfriend. ''When we met, I was a terrible guitar player,'' she explained. ''But as soon as I started getting good, we began scratching each other.'' Building Reputation in New York

She moved to New York and, sitting in at jam sessions, began to build a reputation among New York musicians. She accompanied Nancy Wilson at Carnegie Hall. She backed Astrud Gilberto at Marty's. She had her first gig as a leader at Palsson's. John Clayton, a bassist who had been with Count Basie's orchestra, heard her and asked her to play on an album for Concord Jazz Records, run by Carl Jefferson, who is also the head of the Concord festival. This led to an album of her own, ''Firefly,'' released a couple of months ago. Last year she played at the Concord festival again, at the Kool-Newport Festival in New York and at the Berlin Festival. And she keeps learning.

She is now absorbing the music of McCoy Tyner (''It's dark, it gets me right in the gut''), and of Bill Evans (''Cerebral, beautiful, passionate''). And she's getting up her courage to do something she has wanted to do since her folk music days - sing.

Miss Remler and her trio will play at the Blue Note (475-8592) tonight through Sunday at 10 P.M., midnight and 2 A.M. There is a $6 cover charge and two-drink minimum at tables; $3 cover and one drink minimum at the bar.

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I love Neil Young's rough electric playing

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Originally posted by KevinLesko

Does anyone else listen to African music? Specifically South African stuff? I love this stuff, and some of the guitar work is great. I'm not sure the specific guitarists, but there is great Guitar in bands and artists like King Sunny Ade, Johnny Clegg, Orchestra Baobob, Fela Kuti, and even Paul Simon's African years. I'll research this more and post some of the specific guitarists.

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Does anyone else listen to African music? Specifically South African stuff? I love this stuff, and some of the guitar work is great. I'm not sure the specific guitarists, but there is great Guitar in bands and artists like King Sunny Ade, Johnny Clegg, Orchestra Baobob, Fela Kuti, and even Paul Simon's African years. I'll research this more and post some of the specific guitarists.

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Originally posted by dan p.

joe pass. outstanding.

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did i see someone mention neil young and justify it with cortez the killer? yeah, well the sun will shine on a dog's ass every now and then.

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Dramatic Noise is dedicated to perpetuating the end of fluffy....

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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002OVY/qid=1103632006/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/102-1426863-5308938#product-details

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Originally posted by Jay

Jibboo---Australia? Have you heard Jeff Lang yet?

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Originally posted by KevinLesko

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a guy named Danny Gatton. He does an instrumental of a tune called Apricot Brandy. I was VERY impressed. I have never heard of him before. Does anyone know of any of his other (perhaps original) stuff?

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Check out www.allmusic.com for more info on him...

here is his biography: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:1gjieat04xa7~T1

and here is his discography, although only 3 cds look to still be in print: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=CADMR0408281256&sql=11:m95j8q9tbtc4~T2

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a guy named Danny Gatton. He does an instrumental of a tune called Apricot Brandy. I was VERY impressed. I have never heard of him before. Does anyone know of any of his other (perhaps original) stuff?

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Originally posted by LoveToday

Also on Rubiyat is a guy named Danny Gatton. He does an instrumental of a tune called Apricot Brandy. I was VERY impressed. I have never heard of him before. Does anyone know of any of his other (perhaps original) stuff?

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Originally posted by Arthen

I just don't like his voice or his songs.

And I will say that Hotel California is a good song, but I hate it. The best version of that song is the one from "The Big Lebowski" where it's done with flamenco guitarists and the lead singer sings everything except the words "hotel California" in Spanish. I could go the rest of my life without hearing that song and be happy.

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Originally posted by Arthen

"Come on, man. It's been a long day and I hate the fucking Eagles."


I like Joe Walsh, I don't like Don Henley.

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Originally posted by dan p.

i don't know what so many people have against the eagles. i think they're good.

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Originally posted by pman13a

Bela fleck although he plays the banjo

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Originally posted by Saint Jude

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originaly posted by Silky the Pimp But it's David Gilmour's touch that I want for my own.

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God, i wish i could solo only half as well as he does.

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originaly posted by Silky the Pimp But it's David Gilmour's touch that I want for my own.

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Originally posted by mattc

whoa thanks. saw him play last year and was blown away. im going to try and get to all of these, especially since they're all $5 :). thanks for the heads up.

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Originally posted by Jay

Leo Kottke (nuff said...)

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Originally posted by Zachmozach

Just a side note for those in the LA area and might want to see Justin King. He'll be playing...
Sept 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th, 2004
Knitting Factory, LA 8:00pm $5.00
7021 Hollywood Blvd. Suite 209, Hollywood CA 90028

I missed him when he played Oregon here a little over a week ago. So check him out.

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Originally posted by Arthen


Violin: Shankar

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Originally posted by Jay


The dude from Rage

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Originally posted by KevinLesko

The only name that hasn't already been mentioned that I would add to the list would be Lindsey Buckingham.

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