[Dixielandjazz] Instrumentation/Arrangement

[Edgerton, Paul A]

Asher asks:
"I was just wondering if there were any tips on arranging pieces, how much 
should of the little fills and things should I leave to the musicians?  More

simply put, how much arranging is over arranging?"

That's an interesting question. Most of us would agree that the basic
Dixieland style is collective improvisation. That is, everybody makes up
their part as the go along.

This requires each player to know his role and confine himself to it. If
your players are experienced, the results will be satisfying. But if your
players are new to this genre, a little guidance would surely help.

Jellyroll Morton had very definite ideas about what he wanted. I'm not
certain if he actually notated everything, but he certainly coached his
players about what to play and when, even down to their hot breaks. But this
style soon faded from fashion and the looser style predominated.

Actually, many OKOM tunes have fairly standard "roadmaps" and when combined
with harmonized intros, endings, transitions and riffs, make for a more
polished presentation. Write these out if you need to, or just work them out
in rehearsal. In my experience, too much reliance on written music means not
enough interaction between the players, and therefore a less "jazzy"
performance.

Paul Edgerton, who still recommends studying Jelly's scores.