[Dixielandjazz] Jazz goes to College --- High School and CollegeMusic Students

[Charles Suhor]

On May 21, 2005, at 1:22 PM, LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing 
wrote:

> I think your suggestion to buy a few CD's is a great one.  Unguided, 
> what is
> the student supposed to listen to?

> ...So you have 18 piece
> big bands with intermittent solos for about three or four of the 
> players.
> Even the soloists really don't get that many solos in a session.  Even 
> the
> best big band can't teach Jazz very well. (how many solos does the 4th
> trombone or Bari sax get?

Yes, requiring informal reviews of several CDs a semester would be a 
great way to expand the listening expeirences of high school students.

Re the solo problem, I agree that it's inherent in school programs that 
feature crisp big band work without offering soloing in combo settings. 
It used to bug me in college when players who couldn't fake "Blue 
Moon," much less jam a chorus, acted the super-hip jazzer role because 
they were adequate section players--then they'd turn around and put 
down pre-swing styles and players.

My brother Don got hired for all kinds of gigs. When he played sax with 
a very good big band, I'd ask him how it went. He'd invariably say 
something like, "Oh, it was fine, good charts and all, but you know how 
it is, you really don't get to PLAY."

Charlie Suhor