[Dixielandjazz] messages about dixie jazz

[Bill Gunter]

Hello John Russell from England,

Welcome to the DJML. You wrote:

>  Since getting on mailing list I noticed the letters  # OKUM ## being 
>mentioned frequently.

Actually it wasn't OKUM. You probably made that mistake because when you 
pronounce the acronym is sounds like OKUM because of the unaccented second 
syllable (taking the 'schwa" sound). The acronym is actually OKOM. Let me 
repeat that . . .

      ------> OKOM <------

and it stands for "Our Kind Of Music."

It simply came about because in the early days of the DJML we used to get 
into a lot of silly, unfruitful arguments over the definition of "Jazz" -- 
Every time A would post a definition B would post a contrary definition to 
which C would beg to differ. It was really stupid because we all knew what 
it was and we just couldn't seem to put it into the words that everyone 
would understand and accept.

Therefore (QED) we decided that we'd simply call it "Our Kind Of Music" 
because even though we couldn't adequatly define it, we knew it when we 
heard it.  So the acronym OKOM came into being. It ended endless 
argumentation and offered us all a comfortable refuge.

The acronym may not have originated with the DJML but it was warmly embraced 
by the membership and we have been using it ever since.

It's probably a good thing because whenever we try to put "too fine a point 
on it" the definitions sort of slip away and don't capture the 
unconstrained, swinging, freedom loving and exhuberant nature of the music 
we all love,.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Forever OKOM" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmaio.com

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