[Dixielandjazz] Mutes

[David W. Littlefield]

Don Ingle wrote in answer to a question: "I'm not sure when to do it
>and how much.

>Use sparingly.  A little goes a long way. The best thing you can do is get a
>good, honest
> sound on your horn and then you don't really have to do anything else. Use
>fancy mutes and growls for effect but not too many of them. I have two
>mutes, a cup and a straight that I take, ad these are used on charts where
>the are written to be played -- eg: Mood Indigo in cups trpt. and trombone,
>low register subtone clarinet. Aside from that, I tend to run for the door
>when I see a trumpet player dig out fur to six mutes. Early warning system
>saves ears.
>

I almost totally disagree with Don. However, I think the reason is that we
have different perspectives on the music, and clearly different tastes in
dixieland. To me, his main interest is the solos. Mine is the sound of the
band, to which mutes add considerable variety. When I see a brass player
get out a pile of mutes, it tells me he really wants to get into the sound
of the music. I also believe that variety has entertainment value. 

Recently we had a 5-piece gig: cornet/fluegelbone w/several mutes, 2 reeds
(1. hot clarinet, soprano, C melody sax; 2. clarinet, alto and tenor
saxes), banjo/National metal tenor guitar, tuba. The horn men all love to
solo, and they're good at it, but they also enjoy harmonizing in various
combinations, and  at gig's end, we all expressed delight at the great
variety of sounds we achieved. The tuba player (who hadn't played with this
format before) noted with amazement that we sounded like several different
bands.

My affection for mutes stems from the fact that early in my band career, 1.
I played with a New Orleans ensemble style band that played a lot of King
Oliver, so the cornet and trombone used mutes a lot. 2. The trumpet player
in my dance band was a master of the harmon and other mutes. He and the
reed player were great technicians, and one of the sounds I really enjoyed
was the combination of clarinet and muted trumpet doing fast runs together
with note-for-note precision.
Also, when I had my 10-piece 20s band, a a greater varietty mutes were
written into the charts than in the classic swing charts. I also enjoy the
Ellington "Jungle Band" which features a lot of mute work.

One wants to develop a good range of sounds with just the lip--I heard Don
play one solo this summer and he had a very nice sound, played very tasty.
Of course the mutes should be used with discretion, but by no means sparingly. 

I think mutes can sometimes inspire creativity--I can't prove this, but I
often get the impression that a player may have a special affinity with
certain mutes that opens his mind when he hears the sound, and particularly
when the mute changes some dynamics of his playing... I noticed this
because I have a similar reaction when I play the jazz organ sound on my
keyboard; it completely changes my style (I and my musicians think for the
better)...

--Sheik