[Dixielandjazz] Thread: Is it helpful to listen music other thank OKOM? Plus Evan Christopher

[Norman Vickers]

Listmates:  I'm fascinated with your thread about what kind of music is
helpful to listen to. Loved Steve Barbone's comment about Evan Christopher.
I'm doing my "Jazz Easter" at the Arbors March of Jazz annual event ( they
say it will be the last one in this format--(my opinion) a great deal of
work for Mat and Rachel Domber and the Arbors Record staff). Arbors is
sponsoring a jazz cruise in November.  It's out of Tampa and returns in time
for the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Festival, held here on Clearwater Beach, FL.
Evan Christopher is here and I'll try to ask him.  He's doing a great job
here and in a couple of weeks he will be featured at our small, free
Pensacola JazzFest.  Can hardly wait to hear Evan's answer.  I'll report
back.

Thanks for a most interesting discussion.
At last year's March of Jazz, one of the most exciting sets was one in which
he was paired with 80 year old Buddy DeFranco, still looking great and
playing marvelously well.  Buddy opened and closed with two Charlie Parker
tunes, played at just under the speed of light.  Not only did Even keep up,
he even pushed Buddy to greater accomplishment.  I've never heard Buddy play
better!  There's another similar set scheduled this year.  Unfortunately, my
travel schedule does not permit me to stay for that one. :>(


My New Orleans bassist friend, Eric Glaser once said on this subject that if
one only listened and played one style of music, " that's a lot of music NOT
to know."

 In my reading about Bix Beiderbecke, I learned that he would attend
classical music concerts and was especially enamored with the music of
Claude Debussy. No doubt it helped his own musical ideas. I hope this
comment is helpful.

Norman Vickers
JazzDoc
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Steve Barbone Wrote:


A while back we had some differences of opinion on whether listening to
accomplished "modern jazz" players like Bird was helpful to OKOM
players, or wannabe OKOM players. Some like Allan Vache and I thought
that it was helpful. Others thought not.

Tony Scott offers this example. He says that not too long ago, New
Orleans clarinetist Evan Christopher made a pilgrimage to Rome to talk
with, and to take a few lessons from Mr Scott who is much further out
harmonically than Bird et al., ever were. That's a 10,000 mile round
trip from N.O. (though, I guess he may have been touring in Europe) to
gain some musical knowledge from an avant garde clarinet legend..

I do not know Evan, other than having heard him play, which was
wonderful, Traditional New Orleans OKOM Clarinet. Perhaps someone on the
list who knows him might ask him why he did it, and what, if anything,
he learned.
____________________________________end Barbone
quote___________________________________________