[Dixielandjazz] Banjos vs & vs banjos

[Russ Guarino]

Some times it boils down to the musicians available.. It the best musician
is a banjo willing to commit to the band, well, banjo it is.  But if there
is no banjo player available, but a good guitar guy is, well, we love the
guitar.  Same with bass sax or tuba or stand up bass or electric bass. etc.

My core group is banjo, bass sax, drums and clarinet.  We do the majority of
our gigs with this group.  We have learned to play together well and have
wonderful audience response.  So, I make a big deal about how we are the
"real thing", not an electric band pretending to be a Dixieland band. When
we get a higher fee, we add the cornet, T-bone and even piano.

Russ Guarino

James Kashishian wrote:

> Goggin, Brian (Dublin), wrote:
> > Guys, What's with all ye Steve Voce disciples?! What's your major
> avertion to
> >banjos?! Same as any other instrument the banjo has it's place in jazz.
>
> Brian, you just came along at the wrong time!  A few years back on DJML,
> we were dominated by the two beat banjo/tuba crowd from the West Coast
> (that's U.S.A., not the west coast of Ireland!), and you would have had
> threads going on for weeks discussing the best thimbles to use.
> Anything swinging & light was put upon immediately.
>
> Now days, it's the boys from Chicago led by our friend Jim Beebe & your
> fellow celt, Don Ingle who are more vocal on DJML.
>
> All good fellows, all good music, all good jazz!
>
> Jim (we don't have a banjo) Kash
>
> p.s.  The only thing I really don't like about banjo players is their
> insistence that it "ain't jazz without a banjo".  THAT is the opposite
> from your defensive statement above, Brian, but is usually the stance of
> the banjo crowd.  My line is that it is ALL jazz, just seen from
> different angles.
>
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