[Dixielandjazz] Cut and Paste Recording

[Stephen Barbone]

Interesting technology, this cut and paste business. Has even been done
on live concert recordings for at least 50 years. Charles Mingus goofed
back then, during a recording at Massey Hall in Canada, in a session
called "The Greatest Jazz Concert" or something like that. His errors
were corrected later on in the mixing room by erasing the goofs and
inserting the proper notes.

A lot, if not virtually all records made today contain some of this cut
and paste technology, because most of us fear a squeak or a wrong note.
We want to sound perfect, even if we didn't play that way.

Question: If what we hear on records is not what was played, what
exactly are we listing to? Live jazz, or electronic music?  Are we
saying so and so is a great band, or player, when in truth, they have
been electronically repaired to sound better than they really are? What
kind of shock will occur when we go to hear them live in concert?

I have been disappointed over the past 10 years or so to hear some bands
live (no names please) for the first time that I had heard previously
only on CDs. The personnel were the same, but they were much better on
the CDs, because, I think, of numerous, phony, technical enhancements.
Bummer.

I don't have any answers, but I am glad I will not live to see the day
when all music is completely electronic and completely without errors of
the moment. My opinion? Leave the glitches and clams in because they are
part of what really happens during the creative process. As Jazz
musicians, we should be secure enough to have on record what we really
created.

Cheers,
Steve (What you hear is what we played) Barbone