[Dixielandjazz] Blue Bell etc.

[Dave Gravatt]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Johnson" <civanj at adelphia.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Blue Bell etc.


> Why is "Bluebells of Scotland" hard to play?
>
> I ask this from the ignorant position of never
> having heard it played by a trombone in a "trad"
> manner. In fact, I've probably only heard it on
> bagpipes. If you mean that the trombone has
> to play a drone tone AND the melody simuiltaneously,
> I could see how that might be a tad demanding.
> Also, those little "twiddle" type gracenotes the bagpipes
> add would probably require a pretty good ability to
> lip trill as well.
>
> Regards,
> Craig

It's a great trombone number. I (sort of) played it (the Arthur Pryor
version) in high school, then again in college, and kept the sheet music all
throughout my bone playing days and would get it out and play it for the fun
of it. Extreme range, various styles, tempos, and mad articulations, great
melodies and variations on a theme make this a fun workout for boners. I
wish I'd had the internet back then so I could have heard a recording of
Arthur himself play it. You can hear part of it (and others) here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000009M2N/qid=/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/102-5596058-0041757?v=glance

What fun!

Dave
====================
The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band
"It's a treat to beat your feet"
417-581-5626
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http://www.CreoleJazz.com