[Dixielandjazz] Re: Chordal & Melodic Improvisation

[Stephen Barbone]

Yes, Bill and List mates. Davern is often a melodic improviser. He creates solos in
"new melody" form on many of his records and in person. As you know, Davern, with
whom I grew up on the New York music scene in the 1950s  is my favorite clarinet
player, bar none, basically because he does two things well, that I greatly admire.

1) Melodic Improvisation.
2) Treats the horn as a communication medium. (which he learned from Pee Wee
Russell, a player he admired as a communicator, and as a friend.)

He does a rendition of "Am I Blue" (on a fairly recent Arbors CD) that is
fantastic. If I was a young seducer of women, I would turn the lights down low, put
soft pillows on the couch, don my smoking jacket, pop the cork on the champagne and
play that song softly on the music system as we toast the joy of life.

If one talks shop with Davern, you can easily get him going on why he prefers not
to "just run chord changes" like most of the other musos, and that he is a player
of music, a communicator (like Pee Wee or Artie Shaw) through the horn, not just
another clarinet player trying to master the instrument,. (like Benny Goodman and
countless wannabe clones)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Bill Haesler wrote:

> Dear Steve,
> Regarding: >>What then is "melodic improvisation"?  As I see it, melodic
> improvisation is when the soloist takes the song in question and creates a new
> melody, using those chords existent in the song.<
> You know him better than I do, but I would put Kenny Davern into that rare
> group.
> (Although it is not always evident on his records.)
> It is an impression I have from what I heard him do on his several trips to
> Australia.
> Including one occasion with my band, when he built up his solo over 3 (or was it
> 4) choruses  on "It's Tight Like That".
> Kind regards,
> Bill.