Jazz tuning style? ET, of course

[Ken Jankura]

At 12:27 PM 4/2/99 -0800, you wrote:
>At 01:42 PM 4/2/99 EST, you wrote:
>>In a message dated 4/2/99 9:27:26 AM Central Standard Time, 
>>bases-loaded@juno.com writes:
>>
>><< Anybody have any thoughts on what exactly he may be referring to?  >>
>>
>>Well, if you go with what *most* people seem to think, it would just *have* 
>>to be ET, wouldn't it?  So you can "jump in" to B, F# or Db at anytime and 
>>not have any reason to do so other than to just be able to "jump in" and
not 
>>have anyone be aware of it.  It's what they call "complete freedom of 
>>modulation".  The slightest shade of "color" would disturb him greatly.
>>
>>I'll bet that guy didn't want some old *MEAN* tone tuning like some of
those 
>>kooky ol' classical guys want.  He wanted it the right way, the modern way, 
>>the way that goes without saying, ET and ET only, no ifs, ands or butts.
>>
>>Bill Bremmer RPT
>>Madison, Wisconsin
>
>
>
>As a amateur jazz pianist, personally, I'm much more concerned with the
>color I impart with chord voicings than I am with the "key color" of any
>particular tuning scheme. Because of my belief that jazz is the continued
>evolution of tonal music classical composers largely abandoned for atonal
>music at the turn of the century, what a classical artist might require (in
>a tuning) may be entirely different than what a "jazzer" might require.
>With the sophisticated harmony of jazz, all kinds of colors are available
>within a key signature. I'm not saying HTs don't fill a niche but for me I'm
>not sure I want a flat 9 sharp 11 to sound different in E flat than G.  If I
>did I would voice the chord differently, an option that might be argued
>pre-twentieth century composers didn't have to the extent modern jazz
>artists have.
>        So a what constitues a good tuning for me in order of importance are
>solid unisons, clean octaves and at the risk of being flamed off my piano
>stool a well executed ET.
>
>David Severance
>Dept of Music and Theater Arts
>Washington State University
>Pullman, WA 99164
>
>
I don't generally say thanks for something well put, but you deserve it. 
Thank you Thank you Thank you

I must add that I am very interested in HTs and recently did my first on my
piano with my new SAT III, a wonderful exploration. I usually play 'So Many
Stars' (a rather melancholy bossa) in Gb, which sounds horrible, F sounds
great, and the nature of jazz eschews that kind of restriction. My mind
conjures up the singer saying 'that's just a bit too low, take it up a half
step'. Ugh!

With Respect to all, 
Ken Jankura
Newburg, PA