[Dixielandjazz] Listening suggestions?

[Rob McCallum]

Hi Dave,

This is an excellent question, and is something that I used to think about a
lot while doing the Eastpointe Jazz Society workshops.  I've also been
thinking about this again lately as I'm in the process of creating a
syllabus for another potential improv workshop.  My thought is that, at the
high school level, the key is to expose students to as wide a variety of
jazz styles in a single collection and they will gravitate towards
particular styles and artists.  After they find a style they like, you can
encourage them to branch out from there to listen and appreciate the other
styles, without forcing them (teenager's attention spans are normally short,
and generally don't adapt well to things they're not interested in).

I like the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz and the Smithsonian
Collection of Big Band Jazz as two of the best collections that showcase the
various styles chronoligically highlighting key artists.  I don't know if
they're still in print, but if not, can probably be picked up second hand in
used record stores.  Though these collections ignore the traditional bands
of the 40's and 50's, they do contain many classic players like Armstrong
and Morton, Bessie Smith, Sidney Bechet etc.  The nice thing about them also
is that students can hear how jazz changed and developed over the years.

I have some materials that I created for the workshops that might be
helpful.  I'll send them offlist.

All the best,
Rob McCallum


----- Original Message -----
From: dixielandjazz <dixielandjazz at myexcel.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 9:22 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Listening suggestions?


> Hi Gang,
>
> If you were going to make some suggestions of listening examples to a
> budding high school aged jazz musician, what albums (CDs) would you
choose?
> I'm looking for small group (quartet, quintet, sextet) trumpet and rhythm
> section, sax and rhythm, or bone and rhythm section (or something close)
CD
> suggestions and not necessarily the really old stuff...maybe 1940 - 1990.
> I'm just looking for the artist and CD title. Got any ideas for good
> listening material to inspire young musical minds? Thanks, all.
>
> Dave
> "It's a treat to beat your feet."
> The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band
> Ozark, Missouri
> http://www.creolejazz.com
>
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