[Dixielandjazz] Humor in Music

[Stephen Barbone]

He may not be OKOM, but Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band Performances in the
1950s at Birdland and other places were among the most humorous around.
Like "Old Caddillac's Never Die, They Just Go To Harlem", or "Ain't
Never Going Back To Little Rock" or a piece that I cannot recall the
name of that involved his Bass Sax man. A little short guy dwarfed by
the horn.

Dizzy would build up the virtuosity of the BS player who would be giving
him dirty looks. all the while. Then at the beginning of the number, the
BS would take the first 2 or 4 bars and really bollix it up. It was a
call and response slow blues tune, and the band would respond by
similarly bollixing up the response. Dizzy would stop the band, chew the
BS player out and they would start again. The band would repeat the
exact response that the BS player played as the call, and each time the
call was different, messed up and very funny. Similar results several
times until the BS, Dizzy and the whole band were in stitches, and
chaos. Finally they would do it right

He kept that big band working for a while when all other big bands were
no longer viable. Great player, and great performer.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Go see Gene Mayl's band if you are in Iowa.  Great lineup, and like
Charlie Hooks said, he always has a great band and a great performance.
Saw him and his East Coast band last year in PA and we talked about the
old days in the Big Apple in the 1950s. Way to go Gene.