[Dixielandjazz] Re: Bass Solos

[Dan Augustine]

Rebecca and DJML--
     Indeed, i agree, but go further: why should 
ANYONE solo?  95% of the solos i hear, even in 
so-called professional bands, are just noodling, 
have nothing of musical interest, repeat stale 
musical motifs, have no originality, and are not 
even very good technically on the instrument.  So 
why do people feel forced to take solos when they 
have nothing good or original to say? Most solos 
don't even remind one much of the original tune, 
unless the player is good enough to use parts of 
the original melody in his solo.  Talk about ego 
and solos?  Bass/tuba players have (and have to 
have) less ego than the front-line players.
     "Just hoping it would get better, man", as 
the sax-soloist said in response to the question 
of why his solo lasted for 20 minutes.
     Now, 5% of the soloists consistently have 
something good, or original, or technically 
impressive, or just different to say, most of the 
time.  So why should the audience have to listen 
to 16 bars of the original tune, followed 
automatically in every tune by 32 bars of solos 
by the clarinet player, the trumpet player, the 
trombone player, the piano player, and the banjo 
player, with a final 16-bar reminder of the 
original song at the end?  Very boring. Bands 
play different songs because they like the songs 
and the songs are different from each other (one 
hopes), so why not play more by the whole 
ensemble?  That's when actual 
'dixieland'--improvised polyphonic 
counterpoint--occurs.  There's no dixieland in 
solos, which have no counterpoint.  There may be 
jazz (not bloody likely, usually), but no 
dixieland.
     With regard to bass/tuba-players (not "with 
respect to", since they don't get any), 99% of 
them can't take a good solo (including me, which 
is why i don't). However, the 1% that usually do 
play good solos are better at it than 95% of the 
solos by the other instrumentalists, so i'd 
rather hear a solo anytime by Dave Gannett than 
one by the trumpet player in band X.  Bass/tuba 
players are not necessarily worse or 
less-talented musicians than any other 
instrumentalists, but they're treated that way in 
bands, and are written for that way by composers 
and arrangers.
     That should be enough for a while.  End of rant.

     Dan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From: "Thompson" <rebecca.e.thompson at verizon.net>
>To: "'dixie'" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 07:44:55 -0500
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bass Solos
>
>Which leads me to ask the question.  Why are bass players given a solo?  Is
>it just for their ego?  Or just a way to give the other players a rest?
>Seems no one really appreciates them...
>
>I LOVE the bass line when played with other players.  BUT solo?  Very
>seldom.
>
>Rebecca Thompson
>Flower Mound, TX

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**  Dan Augustine     Austin, Texas     ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu  **
**              "Do not try to be a genius in every bar."             **
**         -- Advice to students by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)         **
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