[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz digest, Vol 1 #270 - 21 msgs

[Patrick Cooke]

Dan Wrote:
>>>>What ever happened to a two beat stride bass? I'm sure I'll hear from
the modern jazzists in spades now. Sorry guys!<<<<

Dear  Dan......
     Don't get me wrong...I love a good stride piano player , but only as a
solo player.  I don't ever want to play bass with a stride piano player, or
a 'stride' guitar player either for that matter.  We will only get in each
other's way.  There are a couple of good stride piano players in New
Orleans...One of them in particular plays stride ALL THE TIME.......through
all the horn solos,  and everything else.  He drives me crazy.  I don't know
why they hire a bass player.....for the kind of music they're playing, they
really don't need one.
     I made a recording once with a boom-chuck guitar player in the band.
When they played it back, I said "I didn't play those bass notes!"  Turned
out the guy had a CW background, and couldn't play any other way.

     Pat Cooke


----- Original Message -----
From: <DWSI@aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 2:38 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz digest, Vol 1 #270 - 21 msgs


> RE: Message: 14
> From: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard@hotmail.com>
> To: brian.harvey5@ntlworld.com, dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Two beat or four beat that is the
> question......................
> Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 15:36:58 +0000
>
> A pithy question:
>
> >Could any erudite list member please explain to me the difference between
> >two and four beat and also suggest how an old 'cloth ears' (i.e. aged non
> >musician) should be able to distinguish one from the other?
>
> This isn't an 'erudite' answer nor is it necessarily the right answer but
> it's my best explanation . . .
>
> Two beat  = BOOM chuck BOOM chuck
> Four beat = BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Bill "Boom chuck chuck (I like walzes)" Gunter
> jazzboard@hotmail.com
>
>
>
> Dan Spink replies:
>
> Great (and I think accurate answer), Bill. Since this is one of my
favorite
> pet peeves in jazz, allow me to indulge my prejudices for a moment. As a
> piano plunker, I love chords, melody and stride rhythm. Unfortunately, the
> evolution of jazz (according to some experts such as John Mehegan who once
> taught jazz at Julliard) has reduced the piano to a "sophisticated"
one-line
> instrument that plays only 4/4 time. In other words, we're supposed to
play
> block chords in the left hand endlessly while composing exciting, one
line,
> linear improvisations based on various scales and modes. My answer is to
that
> is simply "PHOOEY!" When a modern bass player gets going on a 4/4 beat
(and
> don't tell me about the subtle differences between the 1 and 3 beat
accents
> now), it sounds to me like rain dripping. I'll take an old fashioned two
beat
> bass any time. And when that 4/4 bass player then turns the bass line into
a
> linear improvisation that ignores beat but moves all over the barnyard and
> back I have to wonder why he or she is playing bass. What ever happened to
a
> two beat stride bass? I'm sure I'll hear from the modern jazzists in
spades
> now. Sorry guys!
>
> Dan (piano fingers) Spink
>