[Dixielandjazz] Re: The "PRESENTATION" of Jazz

Dan Augustine ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu
Mon, 23 Sep 2002 12:06:04 -0500


Pat and others--
    Brass players 'rest'?  Yeah, unless you play tuba like me and play every single note in every bar in every goddam song the entire night long.
    Reminds me what in baseball they call the equipment that the catcher has to wear when playing: "the tools of ignorance".  That's analogous to what the tuba or bass players have to put up with; they didn't tell me what it would be like in the 5th grade when they told me i was going to play 'bass'.

    Dan ("But I'm Not Bitter") Augustine
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>From: "Patrick Cooke" <patcooke@cox.net>
>To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>,
>	"Dan Augustine" <ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: The "PRESENTATION" of Jazz
>Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 11:56:00 -0500
>
> >>>It's also a good idea NOT to jump right into the next tune, as the brass
>players (especially the cornet) need time for their lips to rest a little
>before the next tune.
>    But how much should one say, what should one say, and how many minutes
>should it take?  I realize these depend on the kind of show also, and the
>attention-span of the audience, but what do most of you guys do?<<<
>
>It depends what kind of gig you're doing.  If it's a restaurant or lounge
>with no dancing, you can relax a little more; but if it's dancing, don't
>spend a lot of time talking, either to the audience to the band.  If you're
>using charts, get a list of tunes together at the start of the set so that
>every one has the charts up.  When people are on the dance floor waiting for
>you to decide what to play next, they're wondering if you're going to play
>anything soon, or should they just walk back to the table.  As someone who
>goes dancing occasionally, I find it also irritating when I am standing
>awkwardly on the dance floor while the leader chats to some individual or
>couple wants to talk to him about their trip to Disneyworld.
>      The brass players need to rest their chops????  Poor Baby!  The brass
>players get a lot of 'rest' while all the other players are taking their
>solos.  The rhythm section never stops.
>     Pat Cooke
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Dan Augustine" <ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu>
>To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
>Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 10:36 AM
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: The "PRESENTATION" of Jazz
> > Folks--
>>     Speaking of 'presentation', how much explanation should we be giving
>the audience before (or after) each number?  Seems like it would be a good
>idea to let them know a little of the history or interesting details of each
>song, along with perhaps the kind of dixieland-style it's being played in
>(New Orleans/West Coast/etc), without being condescending about either type
>of comment.  It's also a good idea NOT to jump right into the next tune, as
>the brass players (especially the cornet) need time for their lips to rest a
>little before the next tune.
>>     But how much should one say, what should one say, and how many minutes
>should it take?  I realize these depend on the kind of show also, and the
>attention-span of the audience, but what do most of you guys do?
>>
>>     Dan
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>---
>> >From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet@earthlink.net>
>> >Subject: [Dixielandjazz] The "PRESENTATION" of Jazz
>> >Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 11:14:23 -0400
>> >
>> >List mates;
>> >Read not so much for the music review, but for the way this man presents
>> >jazz. The first 3 paragraphs are a good lesson of how it should be, but
>> >seldom is, done.
> > >Cheers, Steve Barone

-- 
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** Dan Augustine - ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu             **
** Office of Admissions, University of Texas; Austin, Texas **
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