[Dixielandjazz] The Ultimate Measure Counting Exercise?

[Stephen Barbone]

Listmates:

Here's a note from the web about Cripple Clarence Lofton, and his
unconventional song construction. He was a boogie woogie pianist for
those who don't know. Maybe John Farrell could fine the below renditions
and put them on his midis?

"In recent years, there has appeared a lot of pretentious nonsense about
the unconventional length of the "conventional 12 bar blues." Those who
rave about this unusual folk pattern would have a tough time explaining
Clarence's peculiar phrase and period lengths. In his version of
"Pinetop's Boogie," his first three choruses are respectively eleven,
ten, and twelve measures in length. In the latter part of the piece,
Clarence favors a fourteen bar construction, with a final chorus of 14
1/2 for good measure! Odd phrase lengths were likewise in his previous
solo art recording of "Streamline Train" and "Had A Dream," as well as
"I Don't Know" (in which pairs of 19 and 20 bar choruses are followed by
one of 19 1/2). Quite evidently, Clarence did not set out either to make
his music screwy, or mathematically complicated; he just
played the notes to express what he felt, and couldn't be bothered to
count out the number of beats. After all, Clarence did not even regard
himself as a pianist, but simply as a singing entertainer who made good
money in his day. " Man I've made as much as $3.00 a night," he has
said."

Cheers,
Steve (just follow the piano player) Barbone