[Dixielandjazz] Rules?????

[Patrick Cooke]

Steve said...
>>>Whoa, much too much has been post
ed about who does what, what cymbals to
use, or not, etc. Much to much for this old head to learn, forget, or
follow.<<<

Great Post, Steve.  You said more or less what I was trying to say, but I
think you said it better.
BTW, thanks for putting me in with such an esteemed list of players.  I'm
flattered.
   Pat Cooke


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 9:02 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Rules?????


> "Rules?  We don't need no stinkin rules!"
>
> To paraphrase that great line about badges in a Western Movie some years
> ago. (Badges? We don't need no stinkin badges!)
>
> Whoa, much too much has been posted about who does what, what cymbals to
> use, or not, etc. Much to much for this old head to learn, forget, or
> follow.
>
> If you want to re create old timey music (some call it OKOM, others
> Dixieland, others Authentic Jazz, etc) follow exactly the way it was
> played 80 years ago and kiss the audience goodbye because they are all
> dead.
>
> If you want to create music (some call it OKOM, others Dixieland, others
> Authentic Jazz) then play what you feel like playing.
>
> What cymbal to use? For every rule one quotes, there are countless
> exceptions. Guys who play the ride cymbal to perfection. etc.
>
> Just simple rhythm out of the drummer? For that rule there are also
> countless exceptions of guys from Wettling to Gene Krupa to Tony
> DiNicola to Elvin Jones who can make a band swing and still throw in a
> lot of embellishment.
>
> Etc., etc., etc.
>
> What is Dixieland? Listen to Mr. Beebe. He was playing it, and playing
> it well, before most of us rule minders were in long pants. "Polyphonic
> - Counterpoint".  Is that, perhaps, the only rule one needs?
>
> Aren't we talking about music that has defied the "rules" for 100 years.
> Both rhythmic and harmonic. And that's all it is, "music". To the
> listener's ear it is either good or bad and that's the bottom line.
>
> And speaking about "the listener" that doesn't mean individuals, but the
> group. Often what we as individuals think doesn't mean a damn thing in
> the general scheme of things.
>
> Musical content? "You're So Vain You Probably Think This Song Is About
> YOU."  Trust me, it isn't.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
> PS. Do we think for a moment that Bolden, Bechet, LaRocca, Armstrong,
> Beiderbecke, Spanier, Manone, Picou, Condon, Davison, Mole, Dickenson,
> Higginbotham, Davern, Russell, Beebe, Hull, Hooks, Cooke, Krupa, Kenny
> John, Sbabaro (Spargo) and all the others who play or played this music
> were even slightly concerned about rules?  Just listening to Sbabaro
> with ODJB, and then again 30 years later at Nick's in NYC as Spargo, and
> hearing the differences in his playing should be required listening for
> Dixieland fans and musos alike.
>
>
>
>
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