[Dixielandjazz] Pigeon Holes

[Stephen Barbone]

Sheik wrote: (polite snip)

"The urge to innovate is strictly a personal matter. In the music market
where one is trying to make a living, bandleaders innovators to be a
pain in the buttox, because those with the urge to innovate usually
display
obnoxious egotism, and worse, usually can't/won't conform to the band's
style sufficiently to play so as to make the band sound good."

Sheik & List mates:

I agree that may be the case sometimes, however, like most
categorizations or generalizations that's not entirely the case.  Louis
Armstrong being the obvious exception along with Bix, Lester Young,
Coleman Hawkins etc., etc., etc. They all made the bands they worked
with sound superb and were much in demand as sidemen. Most of all, they
were the top innovators of their era. And they exhibited less ego than
most of us on the list. (Speaking from conversations with Pres, Bean and
Louis, conjecture with Bix from reading about him)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone