[Dixielandjazz] Re: A rant on the unamplified rhythm section

[JimDBB at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/23/03 5:46:11 PM Central Standard Time, 
mophandl at landing.com writes:


> When Jim Cullum called me to audition for the job with his band, he told me
> that amps are forbidden. That's one of the main things that attracted me to
> the job. I had always hated the unmusical tone quality that an amp and
> bridge pickup gives to a bass fiddle, besides ruining the attack.

   Don, this is silly.  A lot of great bass players are going to be surprised 
to learn that their tone quality and attack has been ruined from using an amp 
and pickup.  

   It is one thing to have all-natural-holistic-unamplified jazz if you are 
playing in a nice hall with resonant accoustics.  But the reality is that 
most jazz is played in clubs with lousy accoustics.  Customers and musicians 
have an annoying attitude of wanting to hear what is going on. Hence some 
amplification is necessary.

  Kenny Davern made himself persona non-grata when he insisted that the 
Chicago group that had been assembled for him at an Illiana Jazz club 
concert, play unamplified.  This was not an intimate room but a big hall with 
a large crowd. Nobody could hear the group and they were not pleased. 

  Everything is subject to adjustment and this includes musical performance.

  Jim Beebe
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