[Dixielandjazz] Re: Conductors (was The Music Business Changes Constantly)

[david richoux]

I have to jump in on this line - I don't know if there are any other 
conductors on DJML, but I have been the Semiconductor of the Los 
Trancos Woods Community Marching Band for many years. After leading 
that mob of various musicians and non-musicians in many parades and 
"concerts" I have come to the conclusion that it is an almost 
impossible task!  Pushing Rope or Herding Kittens would be much easier 
;-)

However, Doug McHaney, the leader of another group I am in (The 
California Repercussions)  has (more than once) been compared with Cab 
Calloway in his unusually dynamic and moving directing style. He makes 
the band do much more than we could without him, while providing a link 
to the audience. We have 40 to 60 musicians ad we play in all sorts of  
performances, all over the globe. Doug has been the leader for most of 
our 20 years, without any formal training.  I now know from my own 
experience that a good conductor really has to pay attention to what is 
happening in the entire band or orchestra, and when I slip up a bit and 
miss an important bass chord change or drag the tempo even a bit, Doug 
is right on top of it!

Thankfully Doug does not sing in public, so the Cab Calloway connection 
is not quite accurate, but he does do a lot for the band besides just 
waggle a Baton!


Dave Richoux

BTW, the Repercussions will be playing at the Sacramento, California 
State Fair on Saturday, Aug 28th - I don't know the exact performance 
locations but we expect to do 2 stage shows in the early and late 
evening...



On Aug 14, 2004, at 6:24 PM, TCASHWIGG at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 8/14/04 6:05:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> nancyink at ulink.net writes:
>
>>
>> Okay, enough already with the conductor jokes, my friends.
>> Talk about multitasking! If you've never seen the conductor's score 
>> book,
>> you'll notice that the facing pages are filled with all the 
>> instruments'
>> parts--and in relatively tiny print!--while the musicians only need 
>> to know
>> and follow along with their own part.
>>
>
> Now Surely you don't think he is reading those parts?   He is the 
> epitomy of
> the most successful jazz musician. He has risen so far up the musical 
> ladder
> that he can now be the chief improvisator and addlib any part he 
> chooses since
> he can't possibly see those notes in the dark anyway, not to mention 
> all that
> swishing and swaying and keeping his arms and long hair out of his 
> sight line.
>  :)))
>
> My favorite conductor of all time has to be Denny Lecomb, of the 
> Cirque Du
> Soleil's first touring show.  I still ROTFLOL when I think of him and 
> his act.
>
> But going back to the mention of orchestras saving money by riding a 
> bus
> instead of flying, I immediately envisioned a bunch of classical 
> musicians
> suddenly turning to jazz and blues (at least the poets and "true 
> artists"
> among them.) (Tongue pressed firmly in cheek.)
>
> You mean going back to their Roots?  touring on a bus with a bunch of
> musicians of any kind is an interesting experience,  I did a ten day 
> tour with the
> Bolshoi Ballet and orchestra in Sicily back in 1990,  They acted just 
> like
> Jazzers and Blusers on the bus and were totally different folks than 
> those that
> went out on the stage every night to perfom.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom
>
>
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