[Dixielandjazz] Tempos - Tempi - Band in a Box

[Steve barbone]

Don't like changed tempi?  Shoot, remind me to trash my Benny Goodman Record
of "After You've Gone", or Peggy Lee's "Lover" and hundreds of others. Even
Louis Armstrong's "Muskrat Ramble" on Ambassador Satch (which swings its ass
off) is at a much faster tempo than his earlier recordings of it. But then,
what did he know? And BTW, aren't those ODJB records all recorded at an
artificially fast tempo to make the 3 minute limit? If so, then why do many
of today's bands try and duplicate those wrong tempi?

Classical music example? Glenn Gould's 1981 Goldberg Variations at about 2/3
the tempo of the 1955 version. It is by all accounts from Classical Music
Literati, superb and the better of the two versions.

Of course, how would they know? After all since Bach never recorded how the
hell would anybody know exactly what "the correct" tempo is? Or what the
correct nuances are?  The only thing that keeps music alive are different
tempos and nuances from different bands. If all music was played the same
way by all the bands, what a terribly dull scene we'd have.

Opinions either way are fine, but I hope this doesn't lead to self appointed
tempi police. Doo doo on them.

Regarding Band in a box. Jamey Aebersold has some play along CDs + the
written lead lines and chord changes for Bb, C, Eb and bass clef
instruments. These are "Rhythm section" recordings with space for your horn,
or for your rhythm instrument as Piano/Bass are on different stereo
channels. CD plus music book for about $15.

Relating to OKOM:

Blues (2 albums)
Duke Ellington (2 albums)
Several Albums of American Songbook Standards
Several Albums of Ballads
Album 39  Lady Be Good, Blue Room, Avalon, Poor Butterfly, Bye Bye
Blackbird, Indian Summer, Sweet Georgia Brown, Too Marvelous For Words.
Album 79, Avalon, Ja Da, 3 O'clock In The Morning, Toot Toot Tootsie, Bill
Bailey, I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, Bye Bye Blues, Margie, You Made Me Love
You, Rose Room, St Louis Blues, After You've Gone.
Album 80 Indiana, Baby Won't You Please Come Home, Look For the Silver
Lining, Peg O My Heart, Saints, Melancholy Baby, Somebody Stole My Gal, They
Didn't Believe Me, Billy Boy, Some Of These Days

These are a great resource for learning new tunes, running scales, running
chord changes, turn arounds, ear training etc. So far 106 albums or about
900 songs are there. Many Bop, Straight Ahead & Latin included. Various
skill levels from Beginner to Advanced.

If you master his scales and chord change albums, you will be able to
quickly play just about any Dixieland tune by ear, unless you are the lead
horn. In that case, buy Sheik's fake books and you'll have it made.

They are EXCELLENT. If you don't have his catalog see:

http://www.jazzbooks.com

Cheers,
Steve Barbone