[Dixielandjazz] What's a "danceable" tempo?

[Charlie Hooks]

On Saturday, July 9, 2005, at 09:56 AM, Dick Miller wrote:

> given an intelligent variety, what's your
> idea of slow, medium, and fast?

Medium is "Sentimental Journey."  Played the tempo easiest to play, 
easiest to feel--you'll get it right if you only feel the tune.   
Oddly enough, "In the Mood" is not all that much faster!  Check it 
out.  Surprising, isn't it?

Slow is take your pick.  You can go with (my own favorite) a 9/12 
super slow blues thing divided into thirds and then into halves of 
those thirds, very black--do wa da// DOO wap a dump Doo wah dah Dumpa 
dumpa dop DOO wah dah/ WHOO do ya dump? . . . (Umm.doo wa dump. .
.)// ETC.

[BTW: About playing Black...  I always think I can play about as 
black as anybody when I settle down to it and really try.   And this 
delusion continues until the first black player steps up onto the 
stand.  Suddenly I hear my own brain saying: "Man, you ain't black: 
hell, you ain't even tan!  You jiss a white boy tryin' his best. An' 
thass all right: thass fine!  But black you ain't, baby!   Maybe you 
kinda gittin' suntanned...?"]

Fast is simple: light speed a la Don Bias on "Cherokee."  IOW, if you 
CAN play it faster, then if ain't FAST.   It's just a little UP.  But 
you have to play like Bias: clear as a crystal, toothbrush clean 
notes, perfect scales, effortlessly (sounding) done.  That's FAST.

Charlie (a bit overserved, and what the hell do I know?) Hooks.
>
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