[Dixielandjazz] Charlie Parker

[Stephen Barbone]

john petters wrote:

> Jerry you are not alone. I can't see why there is such a fuss over Paker.
> There is very little in him or Coltrane or the other 'modern' stylists to
> interest me. When you can have Bechet, Hodges or Webster who told stories in
> their solos, with relatively few notes, or of course the great Satchmo, why
> all the fuss about the 'moderns' who completey neglect melody in order to
> indulge their obvious technical prowess. Be Bop has done nothing to further
> the development of traditional jazz (and I include Swing). Musicians playing
> in the older styles would do better to spend their listening time absorbing
> the above rather than the boppers and beyond. As Duke said " It Don't Mean A
> Thing...."

A well put opinion John. Couple of points of disagreement.

Bebop's purpose was never to further the development of traditional jazz,
and/or swing.

Traditional jazz stopped developing a long time ago as far as it's aging
audience is concerned.

I respectfully disagree about what musicians should listen to. That is a
personal choice and musicians (other people too) should listen to whomever they
want

Most of Duke's music was neither traditional jazz nor swing. ;-)

Why the fuss over Parker? My goodness, what boggles my mind is Why Not?

When I used to go see him play at the Royal Roost, or the Band Box, or at the
Three Deuces or Onyx clubs in NYC., the audience was filled with professors of
music from Julliard, and other halls of musical learning but then, what did
they know about music?

It was filled with musicians themselves from various symphony orchestras, and
conductors (like Bernstein), and OKOM musicians, but then what did they know
about music.

The man who suggested that I listen to Parker, was trad clarinetist Omer
Simeon, but then what did he know about music. He listened to Parker, contrary
to your advice. Few musicians today play trad jazz as well as he did, in spite
of his, wrong headed listening habits.

What can I say? Don't like Parker, that's fine. That is a personal choice. But
please, enough of this "who should listen to what" advice, to others, based
upon you personal choices. That part of the world we live in is still free and
folks, including trad jazz musicians, should listen to whomever and whatever
they want.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Perhaps if UK trad musos had listened to more Parker, the world would have
avoided all that "awful British Trad" (only kidding, VBG ;-), not including the
couple of good bands)