[Dixielandjazz] Mercy Mercy Mercy OKOM?

[Dennis Mowatt]

John,

Having seen some of the bands at Sacramento recently, I was reminded of
Irish Showbands, who were very adept - they were required to be - at playing
*ANYTHING* the punters wanted. This included the pops of the day (including
the "Shadows' steps"; you remember?), Irish Ceile dance music, quicksteps,
foxtrots, waltzes, oh, yes, and Dixieland Jazz, to name but a few. Just as I
would query the jazz content of the Irish Showbands - which did contain some
very fine jazz musicians - I query the jazz content of some of what I saw at
Sacramento. No, I refuse to "name names"!!

If there is one thing I hate it is the playing of the first chorus in 3/4,
then "swinging it". To me that is the dregs of tastelessness. To play, for
example, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", take a leaf from the book of the
ODJB and play it properly, in 3/4, all the way through!

What is a "Soice Girl"? I think you need, as I do, to use Spell Check!!

With kind regards to all

Dennis Mowatt

----- Original Message -----
From: "john petters" <jpettjazz at btinternet.com>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 9:39 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Mercy Mercy Mercy OKOM?


> 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."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Dixielandjazz mailing list
> > Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> > http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>