[Dixielandjazz] Black Dixieland Bands?

[Steve Barbone]

Brian & List Mates:

The issue is a complex one. For example, I was on the bandstand playing 
next to Roy Eldridge at a gig 50 years or so ago at a private estate in 
Southampton Long Island, NY, USA. A wealthy dowager came up to him and 
said: "Oh, Mr. Eldridge, I didn't know you played Dixieland."

He replied: "I've been playing it all my life."

What he meant was that the media, record producers, critics etc., 
classified him as a swing/small jazz band player. And that is how he was 
perceived by the public. So he went along with that and always said 
publicly that he was a "jazz musician".

However, the reality of the situation was/is that he really did play 
what we white folks decided to call Dixieland as well. As did Coleman 
Hawkins, Charlie Shavers, Vic Dickenson, the DeParis Brothers and many 
other black musos of those wonderful days. Basically swing bands had 
ceased to exist and so these great black musicians reverted to Dixieland 
in NYC which still had a viable audience then as well as today. They did 
so in porder to make a living in jazz.

However, the overwhelming media hype for their music was either New 
Orleans Jazz or Small Band Swing. Even though from say 1917 to the early 
1930s, bands of both color were classified as Dixieland Bands. For the 
most part, that changed dramatically in the '30s and remains divided 
even today as far as musical categories are concerned.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Brian Towers wrote:

>Steve,
>
>I am grateful that you straightened that out - the references are good and
>right on the ball!  I will back them up too.   You have done the list a
>service!
>Cheers,
>Brian Towers
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>
>For those who think that black bands call it Dixieland these days. Or
>those who disagree with Dick Sudhalter's conclusions that by the late
>1930s "Dixieland" was played by white bands and "Small Band Jazz" was
>played by Black bands. Or those who don't know many black jazz
>musicians, I offer the following:
>  
>