[Dixielandjazz] listening to OKOM is absolutely essential

[Steve barbone]

Ha Ha, I knew you would come in on this one. Like you, I spend hours
listening to music. But, I no longer listen to the dead guys more than a few
hours a month. I do, like Hodes want to listen to the NEWER OKOM groups
which is why I bought the Arturo Sandoval reprise. And Hodes, being a nice,
well brought up gentlemen would of course be interested in his host.

I guarantee you most people on the DJML did not listen to Sandoval. Nor do
they listen to Wynton Marsalis and the LCJB take on OKOM. Why? Because it is
different, and we seem to hate things (or fear them) that are different.
Most of the OKOM fan base seems not to want innovation.

I am a hack, not a genius. But I have already learned all the lessons that
Johnny Dodds, Eddie Miller, Larry Shields, Leon Rappollo, Alphonse Picou,
Albert Nicholas, George Lewis, Sidney Bechet and all the others of that time
can teach me. I have heard enough from them in about 58 years of listening
to jazz

I haven't listened enough to John Petters, Evan Christopher, Buddy DeFranco,
Tony Scott, Kenny Davern, Bob Wilber, Wynton Marsalis, Fred Lonzo, Nicholas
Peyton et al . . . because they are still alive and still innovating. So, I
concentrate on them, plus every tuneful modern and classical player I can
get my hands on.

Note the context of my post "endlessly" is the operative word. One does not
have to listen "endlessly" . . .(we may be discussing semantics)

Not too different from those folks who have huge libraries and read lots of
esoteric books. The you ask them about, say Melville's "Moby Dick". All they
seem to be able to say is "I liked it." Not a clue as to what it "says",
what it is about. Same for endless listening. It is boring and most (not all
so if the glove doesn't fit, we must acquit) people who do it are boring
also. 

I listen to music in order to find new ways to innovate, I suspect that you
do also. I further suspect that what is left of the OKOM fan base, and most
hobby bands do not listen for that purpose, but rather a repeat of what they
already know. That is very boring to me and I am unable to do that.

And yes, this is relatively simple music. Again, the operative word is
relatively. If you want a workout of mind and musicianship, try bop or
modern classical. The needed creativity and complexity demands much more
musicianship. And probably the primary reason those who understand neither
spend so much time disparaging the style.

I like to operate on the theory that if I don't understand the music, or
style, there just might be something wrong with my "ears". So I check it out
a time or two in order to arrive at some sense of the matter.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

 

on 9/9/04 2:40 PM, john petters at johnpetters at tiscali.co.uk wrote:

> 
> Steve said
>> No, one does not need to listen endlessly to OKOM in order to become a good
>> OKOM band. One needs only to be a jazz musician, (more than a musician who
>> also plays jazz) THIS IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE MUSIC
> 
> Wow Steve! I can't let you get away with this!!!!!! Maybe if you asre a
> genius that would be true, but I assume you are like me, a mere mortal. Not
> continually listening to OKOM leaves you with the very great risk of
> standing still or worse - going backwards. As you know I worked with Art
> Hodes and Al Casey and had them as house guests. Art was 85 and Al in his
> mid '70s. Art wanted to listen to my jazz collection. He soaked it up like a
> spunge and he was an American original who arguably did not need to listen.
> Similarly with Al. He told me that all the guys in the Harlem Blues & Jazz
> Band had bought walkmans and listened all the time while on the road. Ken
> Sims told he he toured with Sonny Terry & Brownie Magee and they were
> moaning the blues all the time. All these guys had a wealth of originality
> and unique talent, yet they had the humility to realise that there was
> always more to do. If you were living in the jazz age where the music on the
> media was jazz or swing, then again maybe you don't need to listen.  You
> were about then - but things is different now!! Also, no matter how old you
> are and how many times you listen to King Oliver or Louis or Jelly, there is
> always something fresh you can pick up.
> Relativley Simple Music? You are joking Steve. To play broadly traditional
> jazz creatively and properly needs a great deal of dedication and skill.
> Part of that is using your ears. I have hot jazz going on much of the time
> when I am in my office. It is subconciously seeping in. I hear melodies in
> my minds ear from records that I can't put a name to. The best musicians
> over here do the same. Some may regard that as an anorak occupation, but you
> can tell in their playing that they know where the music is from.
> 
> John Petters
> Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ
> www.traditional-jazz.com
> 
>