[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 30, Issue 19

[Patrick Cooke]

Judy writes:

>The thing that I find irritating in the UK is that so many festivals devote
>themselves to what we here  call "New Orleans" music and disdain anything
>else.

      Many of the festivals in the U.S. do the same thing.  Sometimes I 
think all the musicians at a festival get on the same plane and go to the 
next festival......and play the same tunes the same way we've all heard them 
a thousand times before.  The "all stars", I find are particularly guilty of 
this, in their desire to "play something we all know".  I know they are 
extremely capable of playing something different.  I would not like to hear 
the same tune more than three times in one day.
      If you want to hear something that is a little more creative, you 
almost have to go to a different kind of festival.  Some of the "trad" 
festivals seem to hire a few token "all stars" in a half-hearted attempt at 
a more varied line-up, but they're still basically trad festivals.

>Chris reckons that jazz in New Orleans has moved on
> since the days when Ken Colyer was there.

    I have to admit I don't know who Ken Colyer is/was, but I was living 
California and Florida for about 45 years, and just returned to New Orleans 
11 years ago.  New Orleans has advanced to using PA systems, and there are a 
few purists who even stay to listen when there is more than one microphone 
in use.  There are still a few smug "elitists" who still would rather hear 
an out-of-tune acoustic piano than an in-tune electronic one, even though 
the new keyboards can sound like a concert grand.  There are a few other 
silly notions harbored by a few that make them feel they are above those of 
us who live in a world of electric refrigerators, TV, computers, and 
automatic transmissions.
    But basically the music has survived and even advanced a little, 
somewhat to the dismay of a few who feel that improvement is impossible.
    Come to the French Quarter Festival.....It's mostly local New Orleans 
musicians.  They still play a lot of the old chestnuts, but most of the 
musicianship is superb.
     Pat Cooke

----- Original Message ----- > Message: 13
> Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 12:01:14 +0100
> From: "Judy Eames" <jude at judyeames.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Lurkers reacting.... and does size really
> matter:-)
> To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Message-ID: <002b01c56c19$64515080$a300a8c0 at Jude>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Cees Van Heuvel thinks he's got problems with negative reaction to 
> postings
> about Jazz in Holland just imagine being English, a singer and female on
> this list:-)
>
> Those Americans who do make it to Europe are usually surprised at the
> quality of some of our bands; not something that can always be captured in
> recording.
>
> The thing that I find irritating in the UK is that so many festivals 
> devote
> themselves to what we here  call "New Orleans" music and disdain anything
> else. I love the music when it's played well but it can become very solemn
> (some) musicians of the genre take themselves far too seriously.
>
> Last year I was asked to arrange a gig with Chris Burke and Les Muscutt 
> from
> New Orleans.  I was dreading a restricted  diet of blues and gospel (Oh I
> forgot to mention my 4th listy drawback, I'm an atheist) BUT we and the
> audience had a wonderful time and Chris and Les knew the songs from Lee
> Wiley's repertoire.  Chris reckons that jazz in New Orleans has moved on
> since the days when Ken Colyer was there.
>
> So my question is do other countries/areas have a dominant (fossilised) 
> form
> of the music?  .
>
> As to size .... it was an allusion to Uncle Bob's strange ambition for the
> list, (just imagine 500 people posting every day) and also an invitation 
> to
> some off-topic banter that will send him apoplectic:-)
>
> Judy Eames
> Kaminsky Connection
> Big Bear Stompers
> Aston, Oxfordshire
> UK
> www.judyeames.co.uk
> ----- Original Message -----
>
>
>
>
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> Message: 14