[Dixielandjazz] ODJB

[Stephen Barbone]

Stan Brager wrote:

> Well, you've done it again, Steven. You've raised a hornet's nest of outrage
> with your comments about the ODJB.

Yes, of course, I meant to do so. ;-)

> I must admit that there is a lot of truth to what you say. For many years, I
> listened to ODJB and I listened to John Coltrane and I tried to hear what
> all the shouting was about. Most certainly, this was the most primitive jazz
> (?) which I had ever heard.
>
> Yet, one day, I spoke with Rosy McHargue and he told me that he got
> interested in jazz hearing the early recordings by the group. Others, I soon
> found out like Bix and Benny Goodman had also heard and were influenced by
> the ODJB. NORK was another early group in the ODJB mold but perhaps a bit
> more restrained. If nothing else, they turned on the light for the men and
> women who came after them.

Yes, of course, Rosy, Benny et al plus most of us playing OKOM today heard and
were influenced by ODJB to some degree. Especially if you were Rosy & Benny in
the 1920. Who else would there be to listen to? You listen to those who are
making it pay commercially, and you hope your version will make it pay
commercially. But few, if any played like ODJB. (ie. heavily arranged ensemble,
virtually NO improvisation) because by 1925 or so, jazz had changed direction
via Oliver and Armstrong. To a much more improvised form.

> >From our viewpoint today, it's very difficult to listen to their early
> recordings and say "that's jazz!".

It is jazz to me in early form. I do not hate it, but hope to learn from it. I
try and relate it to the times in which it was recorded. I just have an opinion
that Oliver & Armstrong are due as much, if not more recognition as influential
"founding members" of New Orleans Jazz and Dixieland. Theirs just did not get
recorded until later, but it was certainly being played concurrently.

> But, give a listen to the same music as
> re-created by Dan Levinson's Roof Garden Orchestra in good fidelity and
> maybe you'll hear jazz.

I have seen Roof Garden live. Loved it. Never said I didn't. They are great
musicians. Just that I have the ODJB on record and so would not buy Roof
Garden's CDs because I have already heard it. As a musician, I am able to hear
"through" bad fidelity and learn what I want from the originals. Nor would I
personally go to hear Roof Garden twice. But that is a personal opinion. If
others want to keep hearing them that's fine with me. If that is the case,
maybe RGJB can get a steady paying gig somewhere, sell tens of thousands CDs
and I will be proven dead wrong about the music of the ODJB being viable.

> By the way, I did connect with Coltrane and his music.

Me too. I like most of it, but not all. ;-)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone