[Dixielandjazz] Chords v. Melody

[Stephen Barbone]

Not sure who originally posted this (polite snip)

"I used to know a reed guy that actually "read" the chords as they
passed through his head.  He had one of those curious minds that can
actually "see" things, and he would scroll through a song, literally.
Became
particularly funny if he somehow got distracted and jumped a beat or a
measure.  There was no way for him to stop scrolling, so he would
happily play out the rest of his solo one beat or one bar behind or
ahead, depending on the jump he had made.  No sort of honking or yelling
from those around could bring him back on beat as he was "reading", and
played what he read."

List mates:

That experience can be a trip. I've worked in two bands that used banjo
players that need the chord charts in order to play. Even for Bill
Bailey, or Saints. Take them away and they get lost.

Relating to the above post, both of these bands play verse and chorus of
somewhat obscure tunes. Mixing up the times when either verse of chorus
is played. The leaders yell out "verse", or "chorus" about one measure
before you are at the beginning of either one.

Both banjo players are concentrating so hard on reading the chords,
counting measures, etc. they sometimes miss the leader's direction. And
then we get a band playing verse and the banjo playing chorus. It has
become my job in these bands to get the banjo back on track by looking
at his chord chart and yelling "VERSE, BAR 17 (the number of the next
measure coming up) so that the banjo can get back in sync. My job as the
reed player in these bands becomes more than just noodling around the
chords

In that regard, many bands define the reed man's job as playing the 3rd
above the trumpet line in the melody ensembles so I always ask the
leader when playing in a "new" band as a reed sideman how he/she wants
me to play. Most are pretty laid back about it and say whatever you
want, but some are very specific. Just about all have slightly different
ideas about what my job is. I view it as 1) please the leader, 2) please
the audience.

Regarding bop or modern jazz much of that improv is a new melody line on
the existing chord structure of an original tune. Eg. Koko, Hot House,
Donna Lee, Hackensack, Evidence etc.., etc., etc. So IMO it is
impossible to try and categorize exactly what happens in, what Louis, or
Eddie Condon, or Charlie Parker called, music.

Want to hear great Melody Improv? Listen to Louis ot Sidney Bechet. Want
to hear some great chordal improv? Listen to Benny Goodman and all his
various clones. Want to hear "far out" improvisation? No need to get hip
with Joe Lovano, or Keith Jarrett, listen to Bix or Pee Wee Russell.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone