[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 6, Issue 39

[Stephen Barbone]

> "lUIS dANIEL Flores" <luda at arnet.com.ar> wrote
>
> Arturo was at least two times in Buenos Aires and many times to the Punta
> del Este jazz festival en Uruguay (elitist festival to my taste). Here in
> Argentina he played, besides trumpet, piano and drums, along with our finest
> trumpeter Roberto ``fats`` Fernandez.
> He played mainly Latin jazz and one tango from Astor piazzola ``Preparense``
> in a fine cool jazz way.
> He did not play OKOM because of his background, but what a honor he made to
> OKOM recording this CD exclusively with OKOM.
> So taking Beebe words first, I would say, after the originals, listen to
> Sandoval !.

Right on Luis. Sandoval pays homage to OKOMers, getting broad CD distribution for people
around the world to possibly investigate OKOM and we DJMLers  do our best to down grade
him because he is a "modern jazz" player. To top it off, those criticizing, haven't even
heard the CD we were discussing.

Isn't that astounding?

And make no mistake, he is a jazz player. In his own words, from the Clifford Brown Jazz
Festival last week in Wilmington where he played, quoted from the program:

"Bebop is probably my favorite style of music. I believe the No. 1 art form created in
America is jazz . . . and bebop stands out as one of the most important styles. If we
lose that tradition, I think we lose a great thing . . . we must keep it alive. To start
with Dizzy (Gillespie) is my hero. Not only was he my mentor, but he was my musical
inspiration."

Sound familiar? Substitute the word OKOM and it could be us saying that. The only
difference is that he is trying to do something about keeping the music alive while we
wallow around in self pity bemoaning the fact that the new generations are not paying
any attention to OKOM.

Wake up call folks: How about doing something positive like Sandoval is doing for the
music? Hint: The answer is not playing at old folks festivals.

Now, we may not like what Sandoval plays, but it certainly is jazz. And, as I hear him,
the man swings more than most of the rest of us. And he learned the lesson of tolerance
in Cuba long ago, before adopting America as his country of choice:

"We shouldn't criticize these people (musicians who are seeking to expand the jazz
idiom) Freedom is a most beautiful thing and everybody should play whatever they like .
. . and be happy with what they do."

Amen!!!  If folks don't like it, don't listen. As Henny Youngman joked about the guy
going to the Doctor saying. "Doc, it hurts when I do this" Said the Doctor, "Don't do
that." What could be simpler?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone