[Dixielandjazz] Pro Musicians and Lipsynching

[Tramette89 at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/18/2005 6:43:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bobngaye at surewest.net writes:
Some of the greatest musicians were not great at faking for the movies.     
There are examples galore.    Watch Benny on Hollywood Hotel and others he's 
done.     He not only doesn't try to fake the fingering, he takes breaths in the 
middle of continuous phrases.    Artie Shaw the same thing.    On Symphony in 
Swing, Dancing Coed, and Second Chorus Shaw looks like he didn't care what 
was coming next.    I'm sure he didn't.
I guess you're right, now that you mention it. I seem to recall watching a 
Vitaphone short with Artie Shaw and his orchestra in which Artie clearly took a 
breath in the middle of a big flurry of notes. Or, while we're still on the 
subject of the licorice stick, get a load of Chester Hazlett's fingerings on 
"Nola" in the movie, The King of Jazz. (I'm a clarinetist, I notice these things!)

I guess what really bothers me is when the person (usually a mediocre to bad 
actor) just goes up and makes an absolute mockery of the instrument. Just 
watch an episode of The Cosby Show where the grandpa plays trombone with a jazz 
group...Actors portraying trombonists always chew the scenery while tromboning. 
(At least Jimmy Stewart didn't do that!)

I suppose I can't blame Sean Penn too much. 

Lily Korte