[Dixielandjazz] What music to listen to

[Phil O'Rourke]

Brian

I beg to differ on this one.

The New Orleans Bands (not to be confused with bands playing so called "New
Orleans Revival") played (and recorded) the hit songs of the day.
Look at the recordings made by Kid Thomas, Cap'n John, Creole George etc;
those musicians who stayed in New Orleans and worked regularly. The working
New Orleans Musicians had to play what the customers of the time wanted,
current pop (now "old" pop) music or not have a job.
They weren't playing to adoring fans who had to have a band with trumpet,
trombone, clarinet front line and "standard" three or four piece back line.
They played at commercial establishments and had to draw enough crowd to
cover the cost of the band whether it was a six piece group or trumpet,
piano, bass trio.

> He loved adapting the old pop songs to his band - tunes like "Over the
> Rainbow" , "Cheek to Cheek" "Poor Butterfly" to name but a few.  He did
not
> get these from New Orleans musicians..     Then he must also have listened
> to a great deal of Ragtime music - remember all the great rags by Joplin
etc
> that he included in his repertoire and recorded, putting his own unique
> style and stamp upon them, with his own arrangements.