[Dixielandjazz] RE: MAYBE THE MESSAGE IS THE MEDIUM FOR OKOM

[David W. Littlefield]

At 07:24 AM 8/19/2004 -0400, DWSI at aol.com wrote: 
>Trying to be serious for just a moment,  there might be a useful approach to 
>defining something we can live with.  Let me try this one out: I propose that 
>what we think of Dixieland, (or for  that matter rap, or cool jazz, or even 
>stride piano), as "styles of playing" ... Isn't that  
>what most so-called "types" of music really are? 

In the days of St. Peter, the concensus was that the topic of the list was
the dixieland style and its related genres, defined pretty much as pre-bop
jazz through the 1930s, the 40s-50s revivals, contemporary dixieland.
However, it was recognized that many fans/players also like and regularly
play related and tangential genres like stride, Fats Waller, '30s Benny
Goodman, the Crosby brothers. 

The definition had to be a guideline, because of situations like Bix in the
Goldkette and Whiteman bands. 

But the definition (guideline) also includes an identifiable repertoire
that is augmented with tunes from the tangential genres. An extreme example
of augmentation is the West Coast revival bands, which not only revived a
lot of old tunes the Condonites, etc., had left behind, but composed a
whole new repertoire. Often, one's preferences emphasize tunes as opposed
to style, which brings Django and big bands like Goodman and Shaw into the
fold, because they made a lot of records of dixieland tunes--did anyone
ever record a hotter version of "Copenhagen" than Artie Shaw? 

A basic element in identifying relevant music is the fundamental *sound*.
All the relevant genres/subgenres have basically the same harmonic
sounds--no matter what one's taste in style or instrumentation, the chords
are congenial to the ear. However, when the basic harmonies/chords change
to extended chords, one knows that one is in a new genre that may not be
congenial, no matter what tunes the band is playing...And as it happens,
the playing styles usually change, and even the sound of the instruments
may change so that none of it is congenial.