[Dixielandjazz] Pigeon holes

[David W. Littlefield]

At 01:11 PM 9/12/2002 -0500, Patrick Cooke wrote:
>   It's my guess the guy(s) you're 'emulating' were innovators....(Louis?,
>Bix?, other?).  If not, maybe you should be 'emulating' someone else.

I'd be emulating whomover because I enjoy the style and tunes, with no
consideration whatsoever as to innovation.

> I don't know any musician who does not try to make the band sound good.  I
>believe what you're saying is that his idea of what sounds good does not
>agree with yours.
>Pat Cooke

There's a *lot* of good players out there who play what they want/feel with
minimum, sometimes no regard as to how the band sounds. They are also types
who generally don't want to be told what to play, and likewise don't want
to be told about volume. When a bandleader hires a musician, it's the
bandleader's conception of what sounds good that's relevant, NOT the
musician's. The sideman's job is to do his best to make the band sound so
good that the client will hire it next time around. It's the sideman's
responsibility to find out what the bandleader wants. And if he's trying to
build up his bandleader clientele, doing those things will help. Of course,
it's good bandleaderly practice to tell the musician what he wants, and
whether the muso can do what's being asked, especially if it's somehow out
of the ordinary--best done, of course, before hiring him...

--Sheik
--Sheik
David W. Littlefield, Piano, Guitar, Banjo, Washboard
Compiler: "Dixieland FB" (Bb, C); "30S-40S FB (Bb, C)"; "Gig Book"
http://cpcug.org/user/dwlit (Dixie playalong list, other tools)  
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eMail: dwlit@cpcug.org