[Dixielandjazz] Sandoval Miscellaneous & Larry Weil

[Stephen Barbone]

>Bill Haesler asked why no one has bothered to identify the other fine
musicians >on the Sandoval CD.

Dear Bill & Listmates:

Because there are about 75 of them used on this CD and that's a lot of
typing.

>Tito Martino said Sandoval doesn't swing and therefore is not a jazz
man.

Dear Tito:

Respectfully disagree having seen him in person and possessing 4 of his
CDs. The man swings like crazy. He certainly is also a jazz man as
evidenced by live and recorded peformances that I have heard.

Jazz Jerry says he's heard better "Dippermouth Blues" and that the
Barnes and Noble sound clips lack originality

Dear J.J.

Of course you have heard a better Dippermouth we all have. The object
was not to make the "best" Dippermouth Blues, but to pay homage to King
Oliver and his contribution to jazz at the time. King Oliver was
immediately eclipsed by Louis Armstrong, etc, etc, etc. Everything he
did was done better by Louis later on. Yet Oliver was in large measure,
the facilitator of Armstrong's development. Many since the "King" first
did it, have played it better.

Originality? There are not supposed to sound original now are they? To
think you are going to get originality when playing Dippermouth in the
style of King Oliver is really a stretch.

Dear List mates:

Etc., etc., etc. The Sandoval album is a tribute to 19 very different
trumpet players who influenced him. It is not especially geared to those
3 Dixielanders. Please do not think that he is trying to replicate
Oliver, Armstrong or Bix. He does not seek to play like someone else, he
has his own voice which is the very essence of a real jazz man. To say,
for example, that Barnard does Armstrong better has no meaning in the
context of this CD. Sandoval does not seek to do anybody other than
Sandoval.

However, the album required more than a token understanding, or copying
of 19 different stylists. No small undertaking. Who else has done that?
Nobody.

To base an opinion on a couple of sound clips, incomplete at best and of
questionable sound quality is a leap, of faith. Spend the money and hear
the entire offering. If you don't do that, then you can hardly judge it
accurately.

One interesting thing about the CD are the quotes in th liner notes from
family of the musicians he honors. Like Armstrong's niece, Elizabeth
Rolle

"Arturo, thank you so much for including this piece in your album. The
way you have portrayed my uncle's tune is inspirational and I appreciate
it and I am honored. You did a wonderful job. Absolute marvelous."

Or Joyce Berrigan. "Arturo . . . you are an extrtemely talented musician
and have really picked up the essence of all these exceptional
trumpeters, including my father Bunny's."

Ditto for Mendez's son, Dizzy's wife, Harry James' daughter, Clark Terry
himself, Timofei Dokshizer himself, Fat's Navarro's daughter, Maynard
Ferguson himself, Clifford Brown's wife, Maurice Andre himself, and
Freddie Hubbard himself.

But then, what do they know? Especially when compared to us?

Perhaps it is our "Dixieland" mentality that inhibits us from
appreciating what Sandoval is doing, or why Clark Terry, and the other
musicians, jazz and classical, above think so highly of his effort. Good
thing nobody panned his performance of the Terry, Hubbard, Ferguson,
Andre, or Dokshizer tributes, given the praise of the tributees
themselves on the liner notes.

Could it be that we are missing the point of this CD, as well as the
artistry?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Re Larry Weil:  Hey man, you're putting us on right?  As a working
jazzman I would hate to think that you were serious. I love working in
all kinds of venues, smokey or not and think it is up to my fans to know
where I am and whether they can smoke there or not. I am not their, or
your keeper. I, and many others, promote heavily. Like check my website,
or sign up for my snail mail list, or get on my e mail list.

Newspapers require a 3 week lead time on concert appearances. And if one
sends listing in, too far in advance, they get lost rather than printed.
So please don't blame the musos for not keeping you informed. Especially
if they don't know what it is you are interested in.

Me, I suggest if you don't like what you see on the DJML, by all means
give us a break and leave. That opinion maybe not politically correct,
but it is honest.  I, for one, am not begging you to stick around. With
fans like you, live music is surely in dire trouble.