[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 7, Issue 34

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/14/03 2:59:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
butcht at sihope.com writes:

> 
> Tom, if you weren't at Preservation Hall during the 1960s, you are
> unqualified to make this comment.
> 
> Butch Thompson 
> 

OK I'll buy that, and I was not there in the 60's  so I am unqualified to 
make that statement, so be it.

But what about the 70's 80's and 90's ?  What I HEARD from those bands as did 
others on this list who chose not to post their comments on the list for fear 
of reprisals from the Dixieland community I suppose was certainly qualified.  
They simply were not very good and overrated in the publicity and 
unimpressive in the performances I visited.

I have been in this business, playing music, booking bands, buying bands, 
promoting bands, concerts, festivals and musical events and producing recordings 
for thirty-five years.  And the PHJB's that I heard I would not buy, promote 
or even sit down and listen to.

I like and enjoy many styles of music OKOM among them, however I maintain 
that if you are going to perpetuate a legend then you should insist upon keeping 
the current players at all times at the top caliber to garner and protect the 
World Wide Star Quality status of the Namesake or give it up to someone who 
can and will.

If you try to sell me a guy who you and he claims is as Good as Louis 
Armstrong, then he had better sound a whole lot like Louis and deliver a show very 
similar to Louis or I am not going to buy it.

Promoting the PHJB as the "World's Most popular Dixieland Band" is wrong in 
my opinion, now if you say they have the greatest name recognition that is a 
horse of a different color, however I believe that the same exact thing can be 
said of the "Dukes of Dixieland" even if they are not even remotely connected 
to the original Dukes of Dixieland, that at least held a quality standard up to 
deliver good value for the money paid every time I saw them, even before I 
heard the story about the Real Dukes of Dixieland and the Asunto Family rip off.

The Dukes of Dixieland were one of my first introductions to Dixieland other 
than hearing and meeting Louis Armstrong on one previous occasion.  Louis 
impressed me enough to seek out further so called Dixieland music.  I never 
considered nor do I now consider Louis Armstrong to be DIXIELAND Music. 

This as stated in another post by Steve Barbone is just one persons opinion 
and is not worth a damn, especially to anyone who was fortunate enough to see 
and hear a performance of the act that was better than the ones I witnessed.  I 
will not change your opinion anymore than you will change mine about what I 
saw and heard.  Obviously Two different Bands or possibly even more than that.  
Perhaps the times I saw them they were all SUBS, if so the show should have 
been canceled.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins