[Dixielandjazz] High Society (Picou Obbligato)

[Steve barbone]

Rich Skrika richard88jazz at att.net wrote: (polite snip)

> Since it has become a part of the song played by every jazz band I've ever
> heard, the clarinetist should really play it correctly, in my opinion.  For
> anyone interested, I have the clarinet solo (obligato??) written out from an
> old Norrie Paramour arrangement and would make it available.  Steve Barbone:
> Do you need it?

Hi Rich:

Thank you for the offer. I learned to play the Johnny Dodds version from the
King Oliver record, circa 1923 or so, back when I was a kid in the 1940s.
This version is available beautifully written out in list mate Sheik's
Dixieland Fake book if any others out there want to play it that way.

As an aside, I'm really not a fan of exact copies as the only way to play
this solo. Many of the guys I saw playing it live back in the 40s and 50s,
including Bechet, Russell, Simeon, Davern, Wilber, Lewis, Parenti, Yaged,
D'Amico, Fountain and others, all played it slightly differently. Usually,
only the musicians can hear the differences. When I play it, I am no longer
100% faithful to Dodds' version, preferring now in my dotage to improvise
within its basic structure.

In other words, I accept the modern definition of "Obbligato"; that it is no
longer obligatory. I guess I am a relativist as far as music goes. :-) VBG

As another aside, those who listen to Charlie Parker, hear Bird do the first
2 bars of the Picou (or Dodds) versions on countless performances of various
bop songs. He loved to quote "Picou".

Bird knew exactly where he was coming from, much to the surprise, perhaps,
of many who dislike his playing.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone