[Dixielandjazz] Exceptions

[Stephen Barbone]

To every rule in music, there are exceptions. Yes, as Jim Beebe pointed
out, Louis Armstrong couldn't have made all those beautiful records
without being able to read. And as Paul Edgerton pointed out. Analysis
of the chords and melody is very important for most of us in order to
play jazz and that was followed by several messages of analysis
detailing all the things one should think about when seeing a 13th chord
written, or some of the really exotic ones.

True enough, just read "Lost Chords" by Richard Sudhalter to see lots of
analysis.

But we might also remember, and I think Paul Edgerton also made this
point, that some players don't have all this theory in their conscious
minds. They do, however, have it in their ears, they hear it.

Sidney Bechet was one who had it in his ears. Couldn't read notes,
didn't know chords, but still made some beautiful music. (Chet Baker
too) My favorite Bechet story is a personal one from Paris circa 1955.
He was talking about a tune, "Salty Dog" that was very popular around
the tonks in early New Orleans.

I asked what the chord changes were. His answer was to put the Sop Sax
to his lips and blow the full chord arpeggios from bottom to top of the
horn. I in turn, copied them by ear on the clarinet and later wrote the
chords down. I analyzed them as a circle of 5ths in F, but he didn't
need to.

Chords? Notes? Bechet just didn't need them. He immediately heard them
and his fully developed ear didn't lie very often. And how difficult
that must be, to play night after night, without a safety net under you.
No chord signature, or note to refer to if you get stuck somewhere in
the tune.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone