[Dixielandjazz] New Tunes

[Stephen Barbone]

Someone said that there are no new tunes to be played as Dixieland since
after 1960, no music was written that fits polyphonic counterpoint. Or
more bluntly, that music written after 1960 sucks. So therefore, a
Dixieland Band cannot go after the kids with "their" music.

I don't see it that way.

Lots of good music adaptable to Dixieland has been written after 1960.
Most of us just do not listen to the genre and so we miss hearing it.

Want the Beatles crowd/ Play Beatles Music. Much more out there than
"Michele".

Want the latin crowd? Play Latin Dixieland. "Girl From Ipanema" works
fine, regardless of what some say about the latin beat being
incompatible. There is much more out there, go find it.

Waltzes don't work as Dixieland? Not so. There's a ton of them that
swing their butt's off if you loosen up the time a bit by playing in the
cracks.

Even a song like "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" will work as
Dixieland if you have the courage to try it.

Want the crowd at about age 50? Try "Jeremiah Was A Bull Frog." Yes, it
can be done and there is a lot more where that came from. Follow that
with Bourbon Street Parade and you'll keep them dancing. Elvis crowd?
Try "Love Me Tender" and swing the beat a bit.

There are at least 1000 songs out there after 1960 that can be played as
Dixieland.
The problem is that most of us put a box around "OKOM" that limits our
offering. We have self imposed a regimen that prevents us from moving
the music forward.

Thai's OK with me, no problem with being the "preservers". However, I
prefer to innovate, as least as far as song choices is concerned and
throw in one or two that the audience will instantly recognize. (Young
audience members, that is)

Works fine for us. I've got every modern fake book out there and out of
the 4000 or so tunes written after 1960 that they chart, at least 1000
are adaptable to Dixieland.

Eliminate your self imposed boundaries. Play 3/4 time, play latin beat,
mix them up, play Broadway show tunes, do whatever you want. That is
what jazz is all about. Stay in the polyphonic counterpoint genre, but
seek out different niches.

Beware those who tell you it can't be done. Their opinion is not worth
much, and think of the fun you'll have proving them wrong.

Beware also the critics who will pop out of the woodwork and tell you
"That's not Dixieland." Smile sweetly and say, "It is, the way we play
it."

Lastly, don't ask me for tune selections. They must be personal to you,
your band style, your soloists etc. So we'll both waste time trying to
suggest/play tunes. You need to find that out on your own, if you are
going to take the journey.

Cheers,
Steve

PS. Take a tip from the players in the land of OZ who play "Waltzing
Matilda", or "Road To Gundagai" with great success. They worked like a
charm for Barbone Street when we played a local party for a group of
visitors from Australia and I thank our Oz mates for suggesting them and
sending charts.

PPS. Theme from "The Godfather" also works like a charm at Italian
weddings, or whenever we are in company with a lot of Goodfellas. If you
get funky with it, you can develop a nice lilt.




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