[Dixielandjazz] Mercy Mercy Mercy OKOM?

[john petters]

Steve said
 >And for the College parties, we can also do "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "St.
Thomas", "Gerkin For
> Perkin", or "Jordu"  on the spot

Steve I would query that the above is OKOM. It certainly is not Dixieland. I
have always drawn the line at polluting a jazz gig with the obnoxious rock
beat. So my gigs are ALWAYS in jazz time (occasasionally 3/4 for a chorus
before swinging). The trick is to adapt the material to the style of the
band, not the band to the style of the song. I have a recording of the Ory
Band at the Green Room playing a dance where they play Perdido. They do not
sound like Duke - they sound like the Ory band. Their is a danger in trying
to be all things to all men - the integrity of the music can become
compromised. End result The Soice Girls
cheers
John Petters
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ
www.traditional-jazz.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Richard Broadie" <richard.broadie at gte.net>; "DJML"
<dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 3:58 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 7, Issue 32


> Richard Broadie wrote: (polite snip)
>
> > I'm not interested in how many ghost bands
> > and groups there are so long as no one's rights are being infringed
upon,
> > and professional quality is maintained.
>
> That is because you are a FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL musician. In other words
you
> make your living in music. In my dotage, I am also a professional musician
who
> now makes the bulk of my spending money at it.
>
> > You mention that you have a pool of 40 excellent musicians to draw from.
> > This makes me greatly jealous.  12 years ago I was leader of the Dixie
111
> > Jazz Band and had a pool of about 20 good players to draw from.
>
> Yes and most of them are FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS making their
living's
> by playing music. Sometimes jazz, sometimes classical, sometimes
commercial,
> sometimes recording, sometimes as filling chairs for name bands that are
> visiting, (eg. Maynard Ferguson) sometimes in Broadway road show pits,
etc.,
> etc., etc.
>
> I am not disparaging those who are not full time, but am drawing a
distinction.
> What I am saying is that "Barbone Street" is made up mostly of
professionals.
> They know how to play. Their first love is jazz. They don't get many jazz
gigs
> except through me. And since we make money at it, they enjoy playing in
any
> band version I might book.
>
> One can talk "quality" all night long, however, when you are a band of
full
> time professional musicians, that band is usually pretty good. IMO the
best
> "Dixieland", or OKOM band in the country is Jim Cullum's Band in San
Antonio.
> Little wonder, they are all full time pros. And they've graduated some
pretty
> fine musos out of that group over the years as most list mates are well
aware.
>
> The 40 I use are top of the line players. Unknown on the Festival circuit,
but
> monster musicians. Like trumpeters Bobby Hartzell, Paul Grant, George
Rabbai,
> Al Harrison, Bob Gravener. They range in age from 40 to 80 and they can
hold
> their own with anybody. Ditto on all instruments. Luckily there is a
wealth of
> musical talent in Philadelphia (or NYC, or LA etc). Unluckily there is not
a And for the
> College parties, we can also do "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "St. Thomas", "Gerkin
For
> Perkin", or "Jordu"  on the spot
> lot of jazz work anywhere.
>
> Except it seems, for us. And the really neat thing about Full Time
> Professionals who have paid their dues many years ago is that they can
indeed
> play any song in any key. So for the Nuns, besides OKOM we can do the book
from
> "Sound of Music" and/or "Porgy & Bess" immediately by request.. Or at
Italian weddings we can do the theme
> from Cinema Paridiso. So depending upon venue, I can book a Barbone Street
Band
> that will knock their socks off, simply by tailoring the musos to the
audience.
> But don't be disillusioned, this is in addition to our main musical
performance
> which is Evolutionary Dixieland and immensely popular. I guess you might
say we
> are not your average White Dixieland Jazz Band.
>
> I marketed the band heavily for 10 years to get it to where it is now. The
> journey was fun and is still going on. I hope that some other band leaders
out
> there will see the possibilities for this music, pass it on, and like us
have
> an inordinate amout of fun doing it.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
>
> PS. Jazz Festival programs describe us as a "collective band of 45
musicians
> usually performing in 6 piece Dixieland groups."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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