[Dixielandjazz] Mutes

[Don Ingle]

Well, I must disagree back at you. Your wrote:
> 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.<
In fact, as I stated "The best thing you can do is get a good, honest .sound
on your horn."
Think about the better trumpet/cornet players -- they used mutes sparingly.
Butterfield, James, Bob Barnard, Louis, the list goes on. Berrigan had the
fattest sound around in his time -- open horn. Mt main infterest if the
honest sound of the instrument for its own sake. Ensemble work, written
charts, etc., can be a good place to use mutes, and sparingly for solos and
I still say use sparingly. Too much and the impact is watered down. Four
hoursof Clyde McCoy and Henry Busse sound alikes not my cup of single malt.
Oh well, what is this list for if not to have some open expressions of
differences without getting warped out of shape over it. I was asked my
opinion about mutes and I gave it. It is my opinion only, you have your own.
But my motive for what I replied is my opinion and  I stand by it.
Meanwhile -- off to Minna-Soda...a week among the Swedes.
Don Ingle
----- Original Mes sage ----- 
From: "David W. Littlefield" <dwlit at cpcug.org>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2004 5:14 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Mutes


> 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
>
>
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