[Dixielandjazz] Wild Bill With Strings

[Jack Tracy]

Stan Brager wrote:
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Wild Bill With Strings


  Do you think that the reason that Wild Bill with strings didn't catch on was
  because there was too much jazz for the average-popular-music bear, rock and
  roll was coming on the scene in a big way, and those who liked the Wild one
  were expecting something much more exciting along the lines of the Condon
  bunch?

  Those who had been listening to early Davison, especially to his Commodore
  label work, knew that there were few who could match his heartfelt lyricism.
  For me, part of his charm is the rough edge to his tone.

  As I write I'm listening to "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", "I'm
  Confessin'", and "Ghost of a Chance". "Ghost of a Chance" also gave solo
  space to Pee Wee Russell's clarinet and Lou McGarity's trombone.  I like
  pianist Dick Cary's whole tones during Bill's solo towards the end of the
  tune.

  Stan


  I have loved the album since it first came out, but one of the most shamefaced moments of my writing career came when I reviewed the album for Down Beat and, instead of saying that the solos and the spirit were energizing, I wrote "enervating." I didn't catch the error in galley proofs and I didn't catch it in page proofs and consequently it came out that way.

  Luckily a reader called me to task on it and I had a chance to make a correction and apology in a subsequent issue. But I felt stupid. And quite properly so.

  Jack Tracy