Other than 2/4 or 4/4 (was Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re: NEW TUNES FOR OKOM?)

[David Richoux]

I was having a conversation with a non-musician fan of all kinds of 
music this afternoon. The subject of non "traditional" rhythms came up 
and I had to mention my appreciation of Balkan rhythms. (For those who 
might not be  aware, there is a kind of improvised brass band music 
from Southern Central Europe that has blended the music of India, 
Turkey,  Gypsy and Klezmer traditions into a wonderful sort of 
dance/folk/jazz/whatever - it is probably not at all what most of us 
would call OKOM but I think  it is somehow deep in the roots of the 
total jazz spectrum.)  Most of the songs performed by these groups are 
in "non-standard" rhythms but people still dance to it - 7, 9, 15, or 
19 beats per measure are not unusual!

I am not trying to suggest that all OKOM bands must learn to play 
outside of 2/4, 4/4, or even "radical" 3/4 rhythm - but be aware that 
there are possibilities way outside of those narrow traditions!

As for Dan's ideas about incorporating Rock tunes in to the OKOM 
repertoire, check out what Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart did in the 1960s 
with the World's Greatest Jazz Band - all sorts of "rock" as Dixie and 
some of it really worked! No reason some of the current pop tunes could 
not be incorporated, but selection is tricky... ;-)

Dave Richoux

On Jun 17, 2005, at 10:43 PM, Charlie Hooks wrote:

>
> On Friday, June 17, 2005, at 08:47 PM, Dan Augustine wrote:
>
>> (I never have understood why you can't do dixieland-waltzes.)
>>
>
> snip