[Dixielandjazz] Good and Bad Music was Charlie Parker

[Stephen Barbone]

Kurt wrote:

> Wasn't it Louis Armstrong who said, "There's two kinds of music - Good and
> Bad."?

List mates, Kurt and Allan:

Probably, as well as a lot of other GREAT trad jazz and modern jazz musicians.
Even Bird said "Well I like Dixieland, I like good Dixieland, it's all right."
and shortly thereafter said about different styles of jazz: "There's always
room for musicians . . .it's one thing or the other, either good music or
otherwise, you know?"

Reminds me of the friendship and love that developed between Louis and Dizzy
Gillespie from the 1950s on when they lived around the corner from each other
as neighbors, not too far from where I lived during my formative jazz years.

They were often sitting on Louis's stoop talking Jazz, and obviously enjoyed
each other's company and each other's music. THE Be bopper and THE Trad giant
were similar men and had similar musical concepts. Both were innovators who
broke the "rules" that some lesser musicians, amateur critics, jazz reviewers
and Elder hostel lecturer / promoters still seek to impose on the music.

That press hype about Diz and Pops to the contrary was Bullshit, pure and
simple. And jazz "rules" do little more than stifle creativity.

Ah, how many stories there are of people who tried to tell Kenny Davern how to
play. Or ask him how could he love Pee Wee Russell's playing when "everybody
knew" Russell couldn't.  In his wild young man days, he'd either punch them
out, or otherwise assault them verbally.

I'm too old to do that now. Can't speak for Allan, though.  ;-)

Cheers,
Steve (Don't like what I play? Don't listen.) Barbone