[Dixielandjazz] Charlie Parker

[Stephen Barbone]

john petters wrote:

> to which Allan replied
>
> > It doesn't
> > mean you have to play their way, but a good player can learn from Parker,
> > Bechet, Armstrong, Coltrane, et al. >If you can't see what you can learn
> you
> > shouldn't be trying to play in OKOM in the first place.
>
> Here I do disagree. I have met many young musicians who have filled their
> ears with Bird or Trane etc and ignored the roots. One young player told me
> there was no point in listening to anything before Benny Goodman. That is
> nonsense because they missed the foundation that Goodman was built upon and
> their music shows. The great players over here stated with Dodds, Noone,
> Bechet etc. Some of the bright whizz kids can't even play Lady Be Good but
> can do a rent Coltrane.  If you are going to play the traditional styles of
> jazz convincingly then you HAVE to understand these musicians. Listening to
> Parker etc will not help and in actual fact could hinder.

John, Allan and List Mates:

Though I can't speak for Allan, I don't think he or I are saying one should
ignore the roots of jazz. We are merely saying that one can learn music by
listening to anyone playing good music. As for me, it would have been
impossible for me to appreciate Bird, without understanding the roots and the
earlier jazz players. Because what Bird does is based upon them. He did, as you
may have heard, quote Alphonse Picou just about every time he played a gig.

We have similar smooth jazz players in the USA who can't play Lady be Good
also. They will never be trad players. They will never be broadly based
musicians. They will never be able to play Gershwin, because they have never
heard Gershwin. Recently I sat in with some young wannabe boppers.  One did not
know the significance of Bird's Ko Ko. It was a drummer (no slur intended) who
sat in and then asked, Hey what was the name of that cool song. He will never
make it as a bop drummer, much less a trad jazz drummer.

I think both Allan and I agree with you that to play Trad Jazz, one needs to
hear Trad Jazz, then if a reader, get the music for trad jazz and practice,
then pay some dues in trad jazz bands. Then one goes out and gigs. Listening to
Parker will not diminish one's trad skills as I see/hear it. Listening is what
music is all about. But how long should a muso listen to the dead guys?
Personally, I believe a quick study can get it all in one year of concentrated
listening.

I take OKOM seriously, but I play it in my own way. And one does not have to
spend inordinate amounts of time listening to every OKOM musician that ever
recorded to figure out the style of music. It is relatively simple stuff.
(sorry fellow musos, did not mean to give us away) Once you have listened, and
found your own voice, I think it better to quit listening to those dead longer
than 20 years and concentrate on listening to the newbies, like Allan Vache,
Tim Laughlin, Kenny Davern, Evan Christopher, Jon Erik Kellso, Randy Reinhart,
Tom Saunders, Marty Grosz, Ed Metz Jr,  et al who are not trying to be Johnny
Dodds, Lorenzo Tio, Omer Simeon. Bix, Louis Armstrong, George Wettling or
whomever. They are the ones who will make this music relevant to the next
generation.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone