[Dixielandjazz] Reading or not

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Thanks Ed for the really well thought out reply.  I'm really glad you took the time to write it.

I especially liked #4 about what if one of the guys hung it up or I might add had another gig or was sick or wanted to go on vacation etc etc.  The show must go on.

As I said earlier I think it's great that arrangers put down on paper the tunes that were essentially head arrangements.  What would have happened if Mozart had done nothing but head arrangements and insisted that his musicians memorized everything.  His music would have died with him.  Sort of reminds me of the story about the old lady who knew the recipe for Ice cubes who died and took the secret with her.  

How else can future generations, and I include myself in that group, learn the tunes and licks and play them in the style?  A lot of the American folk music was saved by guys during the depression going out to the backwoods and writing down the tunes.  Burl Ives was one of them.  

My hat is off to the guys that try to keep this kind of music alive.  It is a true American art form.

I remember  Bob Crosby and the Bobcats from when I was a kid - long time ago -  I didn't know that the group was still going.  I really liked them.