[Dixielandjazz] Re: Drum Sounds was Baby Dodds

[Stephen Barbone]

> Steve barbone Said
>
> >Wood blocks?
> > Popular only because early records would not accurately pick up drum
> sounds. So
> > drummers learned to play blocks.

John Petters replied (polite snip)

> I don't think so Steve. If that were the case why did Baby continue to play
> them in the 40s? He also describes using them on the American Music film. He
> used all sorts of percussive effects, like rims, blocks cymbals, toms etc.
> All the drummers did. Look at the early photos of tuned blocks and gongs
> etc.

Perhaps they became popular because that was the only thing folks heard. Those were
the "experimental years" as Marty Grosz says. ;-)

Why not play something that you made popular? T. Monk always said the reason he played
his 55 or so compositions over and over for 30 years or so was: "To develop an
audience for them." Once you have the audience, why switch?  Maybe Dodds sold out and
quit innovating? ;-)

> But we should always take our

> starting point as being with those records (or later ones) or in your case
> the live experienvce of playing with all the wonderful players you worked
> with before they all died.
> My most fruitful learning process was working with Wild Bill, Art Hodes,
> Yank Lawson, Al Casey, Kenny Davern and Slim Gaillard. They were a direct
> link back to the origins of the music. Young players today do  not have that
> option. Only Kenny and Al are still around, so recordings are the only
> option. If you choose revival American Jazz (Watters Murphy etc) or Brit
> Trad (Ball Barber Bilk) you are getting it second hand. Why do that when the
> fidelity these days of the master works are readily available. Drummers take
> Dodds, Sbarbaro, Krupa, Tough Wettling, Bauduc, Catlett etc as your models
> rather than those that came after. That way you will learn the style. Being
> aware of that, find your own voice, play with fire and enthusiasm - play
> hot.

I certainly agree with "as a starting point". We are not choosing "revival jazz".
That's already been done. Similar more contemporary style Dixieland drummers in the US
have learned from Max Roach, Joe Morello, Elvin Jones, Shelly Manne, et al. perhaps
more from them, than from the earlier masters. They too, do a fine job with the music.

Some might even play "wood block" patterns on the rim, but not often. ;-) Never the
less, they swing mightily which aids the music.

Our Band is very loose in style. In my own case, I did not listen to a lot of early
clarinet players. Some Picou, some Nicholas, then Goodman, Russell, Simeon and Fazola.
After that I learned on the job from Bechet, Pace, Davern, Wilbur and a whole bunch of
contemporaries. While also listening a lot to Monk, Coltrane, Lacy, J.J. Johnson,
Hawkins, Getz, Parker and Brubeck et al.

Personally, I had neither the time nor the desire to listen much to the hundreds of
clarinet players who went before me in Dixieland style. I wanted to play 50 years ago,
not listen, and then after a 30 year break, to play again 10 years ago. During those
intervening 30 years, I, listened intently to jazz, but mostly bop, straight ahead and
some avante garde, and a bunch of classical music.

Pretty much the same with everybody in the band, except the trombone who played
outstanding classical for 45 years also. As a result, the Band is unique in sound,
plays Dixieland in a unique polyphonic counterpoint style and manages to be relevant
today's young audiences. For us, "that's jazz."

Cheers,
Steve Barbone