[Dixielandjazz] Re: musical versatility

[Stephen Barbone]

Dear Bill:

Right you are, but what's new about that? I should have said "every trumpeter 'who is
anybody' in jazz today" etc. For of course, there are no absolutes.

But then again, taking the statement out of context does distort it's meaning. The
gist being that jazz players like Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Dizzy Gillespie, and
the more current ones like Roy Hargrove et al, are simply better trumpet players than
Louis was, based upon objective criteria, not emotional ones.

But as has been pointed out many times, by others, as well as me, Louis was there
first with the most. He taught most all of them, and "most" of the rest of us jazz
musicians how to play. That some have surpassed him based upon the same ranking
points used to rank him originally should come as no surprise to anyone.

They may have played or play better, but none were/are as great. Nor are any of them
the influence that Louis was in Jazz, as well as other art forms.

He was, without much argument, the greatest jazz figure of the first 50 years of jazz
history. He was, one could also argue fairly convincingly the greatest jazz figure of
the 20th century. Ditto for "musical figure". Ditto for "entertainer". That makes him
The King as far as I'm concerned. Though by many of his own accounts, he thought King
Oliver was greater.

However, there are quite a few trumpeters who played and/or play trumpet better than
he did by most objective measurements that I can think of. And somehow I think Louis
would be the first to point that out if he were alive today.

One thing that may be absolute. Time marches on and sooner or later, the King is
dead, Long live the King.

Cheers & Kind regards,
Steve

> Bill Haesler <bhaesler at nsw.bigpond.net.au> wrote (excerpt)
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Musical Versatility
>
> Dear Steve,
> Regarding your comment: >It should be no surprise to us that every trumpeter in
> Jazz today plays better than Louis. Faster, cleaner, higher, more ideas.<
> WOT?
> No smiley?
> You will regret THAT statement, I am afraid.
> Which is sheer BS.
> (And I think you knew this when you made it.)
> Duck!
> Oooops, sorry. Let's not start THAT thread again.
> Very kind regards,
> You'll need them.