[Dixielandjazz] Polyphony in Dixieland

[Dan Augustine]

DJML--
    Melody is the essence of music.  We enjoy good, interesting melodies built on stated or implied harmonies, with rhythmic vitality and innovation.
    In a polyphonic music, multiple voices have separate but complementary melodies or melodic phrases, weaving among each other and providing unique or echoing ideas, a conversation not a logomachy, but with each voice keeping to its role (main melody, counter-melody, harmonic inner-voice, harmonic basis, and so forth).  Two, three, four, or even more voices may be present at the same time, but when well done, they enhance rather than muddy the artistic effect as a whole.  (The Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis wrote a choral piece with 40 separate voice-parts "Spem in alium", and it is very listenable and enjoyable.)
    If dixieland may be considered polyphonic jazz, it would seem that multiple melodies are a good thing, if done well.  But these melodies need not always be restricted just to the front line of trumpet, clarinet, and trombne.  Additional melodic phrases may also be played by the bass-line instrument and by the keyboard; they need not always be restricted to playing only homophonic rhythmic and harmonic roles.  
    In fact, with the better players and better bands, we in fact hear these kind of additonal melodies.  Listen to Ralph Sutton or John Sheridan providing another interesting voice to the polyphonic skein, or to Rich Matteson, Singleton Palmer, or Dave Gannett playing bass-lines that not only anchor the beat and the harmonies but "connect the dots" with interesting melodic phrases, but without straying from the proper role and tessitura for the voice.
    It seems to me that we need to recognize, celebrate, and encourage these additonal melodies in dixieland.  They make the music more interesting and enjoyable, both for us and for the players, when well done.  When poorly done, of course, they detract from the piece, but that's true for any instrument's part.
    Spoken like a true tuba-player, eh?

    Dan
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** Dan Augustine - ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu             **
** Office of Admissions, University of Texas; Austin, Texas **
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