[Dixielandjazz] THE POWER OF OKOM

[Patrick Cooke]

Jim Denham wrote:
        >>> and his guitarists included such trad purists
as Herb Ellis and Kenny Burrell.<<<<

          Trad purists????  As much as dislike labels, classifying every
performance, and pigeon-holing performers, I have to say that I have never
heard either of these guys play anything even remotely trad.
           They are both excellent players...I have at least 10 CDs with
Herb Ellis on them, plus a number of LPs.  I have 3 CDs of Kenny Burrell and
also a number of LPs.
           I have an LP of Herb playing with the Assunto Dukes of Dixieland,
and I assure you he's not playing it like a banjo.  He's comping rhythm, and
playing single string solos.  A swinging performance by Herb and the whole
group.
            Do you know of any recordings where either of these guys plays
trad?
            Pat Cooke

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Denham" <james@jiming.demon.co.uk>
To: <barbonestreet@earthlink.net>
Cc: "Russ Guarino" <russg@redshift.com>; "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List"
<dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 6:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] THE POWER OF OKOM


> Here, hear, Steve!
>
> Some us believe that the Condon bands of the 1940's and '50's were the
> apogee of traditional jazz for the latter-Twentieth Century (and a good
> starting-point for the Twenty First).
>
> And as the great Slick told John Steinbeck (when Steinbeck demanded that
> he - Condon - returned to the "one true American instrument", the
> banjo): "Aw, that went out with button shoes".
>
> But you don't have to subscribe to the Gospel according to Condon: kid
> Ory (surely of impeccable New Orleans/Trad credentials), NEVER used a
> banjo in his later bands, and his guitarists included such trad purists
> as Herb Ellis and Kenny Burrell.
>
> By the way, I've nothing against a good banjo in a band. It's just that,
> in my experience, there aren't that many of them. Two good ones that
> spring to mind are a (to me) local lad, Brian Mellor and listmate Louis
> Lince.
>
> Yours,
>
> Jim Denham
>
> In message <3D3F126B.7F01934A@earthlink.net>, Stephen Barbone
> <barbonestreet@earthlink.net> writes
> >
> >Russ Guarino wrote:
> >
> >> Steve:
> >>
> >> With a guitar instead of a banjo, do you really sound like Tra
Dixieland or,
> >> more like a swing band with a swing jazz feel?
> >
> >Russ & List mates
> >
> >Sound is pretty close, in feel, to what the bands at Eddie Condon's joint
> >sounded like in the 40s -50s-60s. Although overall slightly more towards
small
> >band swing on some numbers. Especially where the guitar takes single
string
> >solos. We play mostly the war horse tunes, (Strutting with BBQ, Tiger
Rag, Jazz
> >Me Blues) which are quite new to the audience and always well received.
Plus a
> >few updated numbers like "Michelle"
> >
> >Note that Kenny Davern worked a lot in recent years with Bucky Pizzerelli
> >and/or Howard Alden on guitar. So we are traveling down the same road,
but he
> >is, of course, a much better reed man than I.
> >
> >My wife Martha, told me that in 1960 when we were courting and we went to
the
> >Cinderella Club in NY to participate in a cutting session. I got a lesson
from
> >Kenny that night and she said. "I don't know if I should tell you this,
but he
> >is better than you are."
> >
> >Shortly afterwards, impressed by her honesty, I asked her to marry me.
Kenny,
> >Martha and I still laugh about that, and Martha and I are still happily
> >married.
> >
> >Cheers,
> >Steve Barbone
> >
> >PS. Remember too that most trad New Orleans Jazz Bands, circa 1900 to
1917 used
> >guitar as the chord instrument, not banjo. Recording changed it to banjo
> >because guitar did not pick up very well in those early years. String
bass
> >became Tuba for the same reason. Perhaps we're just coming back full
circle?
> >:-)
> >
> >
> >Russ Guarino wrote:
> >
> >> Steve:
> >>
> >> With a guitar instead of a banjo, do you really sound like Tra
Dixieland or,
> >> more like a swing band with a swing jazz feel?
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Dixielandjazz mailing list
> >Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com
> >http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
> --
> Jim Denham
>
>
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