[Dixielandjazz] Help! What IS "sissified jazz"?

[Charles Suhor]

Help! Other than "obscure tunes," which is about repertoire rather than 
the way the music is played, and the vague phrase about overly 
intellectual jazz, I don't know what folks are talking about with 
"sissified" jazz. Can someone pin this down a little by describing the 
music, and maybe (without hurting anyone's feelings) give an an example 
or two?

BTW, similar language was used in modern jazz criticism. Early Brubeck 
and much or the West Coast 50s modern jazz had the rep of being 
"ladies' jazz" (sexist as well as insulting to Brubeck) and too 
intellectual to be swinging, a rap that lasted a long time. The Kenton 
Band and Tristano-Konitz school were never called lightweight but were 
seen by some as pretentious or too cerebral. Interestingly, Miles was 
an admirer of Konitz and has a truly great session with him that was 
part of the album "Conception." To the credit of the critics (including 
some musicians), they often  defined the musical qualities that they 
objected to, and many later recanted.

Charlie Suhor



On Jun 14, 2005, at 10:50 AM, Charlie Hooks wrote:

>
> On Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at 05:10 AM, Craig I. Johnson wrote:
>
>> Siissified?
>>
>
> Well, yes, exactly.   Sorry to agree with Barbone, but there it is: I 
> do.
>
> Charlie Hooks
>